Human interface devices stop working on USB 2.0 ports after some time, continue to work on USB 3.0

[mmaurer]

On my Asus X93SV-YZ225V laptop my mouse as well as all other 'human interface devices' (I tried it with a second mouse and a keyboard) stop working at a random time after boot, when attached to a USB 2.0 port.
Other USB-devices (I tried it with several USB Flash drives) continue to work on the USB 2.0 ports.

The USB 3.0 port on the laptop does not show this behavior, i.e. a human interface device never stops working.

Unplugging and replugging the mouse does not reactivate it.

The mouse works again for a random amount of time after a reboot or a wake-up from suspend to RAM.

When the mouse stops working the respective /dev/input/mouseX device does not produce any output either.

The touchpad, that is connected via PS/2, does not show this bug.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 15.04
Package: xorg 1:7.7+7ubuntu4
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.19.0-20.20-generic 3.19.8
Uname: Linux 3.19.0-20-generic x86_64
.tmp.unity.support.test.0:

ApportVersion: 2.17.2-0ubuntu1.1
Architecture: amd64
CompizPlugins: No value set for `/apps/compiz-1/general/screen0/options/active_plugins'
CompositorRunning: compiz
CompositorUnredirectDriverBlacklist: '(nouveau|Intel).*Mesa 8.0'
CompositorUnredirectFSW: true
CurrentDesktop: Unity
Date: Fri Jun 12 14:50:29 2015
DistUpgraded: Fresh install
DistroCodename: vivid
DistroVariant: ubuntu
ExtraDebuggingInterest: Yes, including running git bisection searches
GraphicsCard:
 Intel Corporation 2nd Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics Controller [8086:0116] (rev 09) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. Device [1043:105c]
 NVIDIA Corporation GF108M [GeForce GT 540M] [10de:0df4] (rev a1) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. Device [1043:105c]
InstallationDate: Installed on 2015-05-16 (26 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 15.04 "Vivid Vervet" - Release amd64 (20150422)
MachineType: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. K93SV
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.19.0-20-generic root=UUID=4f453054-6eeb-4f48-ba87-b529b2fcd617 ro nosplash
SourcePackage: xorg
UdevLog: Error: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: '/var/log/udev'
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 11/22/2011
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: K93SV 209
dmi.board.asset.tag: To be filled by O.E.M.
dmi.board.name: K93SV
dmi.board.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer Inc.
dmi.board.version: 1.0
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: No Asset Tag
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer Inc.
dmi.chassis.version: 1.0
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvrK93SV209:bd11/22/2011:svnASUSTeKComputerInc.:pnK93SV:pvr1.0:rvnASUSTeKComputerInc.:rnK93SV:rvr1.0:cvnASUSTeKComputerInc.:ct10:cvr1.0:
dmi.product.name: K93SV
dmi.product.version: 1.0
dmi.sys.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer Inc.
version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.12.1+15.04.20150410.1-0ubuntu1
version.ia32-libs: ia32-libs N/A
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.60-2
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 10.5.2-0ubuntu1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental: libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental N/A
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 10.5.2-0ubuntu1
version.xserver-xorg-core: xserver-xorg-core 2:1.17.1-0ubuntu3
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev 1:2.9.0-1ubuntu2
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:7.5.0-1ubuntu2
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.99.917-1~exp1ubuntu2.2
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:1.0.11-1ubuntu2build1
xserver.bootTime: Fri Jun 12 13:08:49 2015
xserver.configfile: default
xserver.errors:
 Failed to load module "nvidia" (module does not exist, 0)
 Failed to load module "nvidia" (module does not exist, 0)
 NOUVEAU(G0): [XvMC] Failed to initialize extension.
xserver.logfile: /var/log/Xorg.0.log
xserver.outputs:
 product id 6152
 vendor CMO
xserver.version: 2:1.17.1-0ubuntu3

[mmaurer (mbfmaurer)]

Just checked.

The upstream Kernel versions: 4.1.0-040100rc7-generic #201506080035 and 3.19.8-031908-generic #201505110938 from http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/?C=N;O=D don't seem to exhibit this problem.
Will try to do a git bisect between "355957e Linux 3.19.8" and "a52caa6 UBUNTU: Ubuntu-3.19.0-20.20" and see what that turns up.

[mmaurer (mbfmaurer)]

I finished the git bisect between "355957e Linux 3.19.8" and "a52caa6 UBUNTU: Ubuntu-3.19.0-20.20".
The first bad commit seems to be 171cf878ea3fed6722e49d3d7da2588967008526.

I just subscribed the responsible committer.

Will now try master-next ( 7c1f75fcd0efb22069a5a935d3d042392f308100) with and without the 171cf87 commit reverted.

Some input regarding further useful tests or regarding further code changes would be appreciated.

[mmaurer (mbfmaurer)]

I have to correct my previous statements. I retested the kernel releases I previously thought of as good and I am now observing the bug there as well.

So I currently don't have a known good version of the kernel.

[Joseph Salisbury (jsalisbury)]

Did this issue start happening after an update/upgrade? Was there a prior kernel version where you were not having this particular problem?

Would it be possible for you to test the latest upstream kernel? Refer to https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelMainlineBuilds . Please test the latest v4.1 kernel[0].

If this bug is fixed in the mainline kernel, please add the following tag 'kernel-fixed-upstream'.

If the mainline kernel does not fix this bug, please add the tag: 'kernel-bug-exists-upstream'.

If you are unable to test the mainline kernel, for example it will not boot, please add the tag: 'kernel-unable-to-test-upstream'.
Once testing of the upstream kernel is complete, please mark this bug as "Confirmed".

Thanks in advance.

[0] http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v4.1-rc8-unstable/

[mmaurer (mbfmaurer)]

I just tested the linked upstream kernel. It does not change the behavior, I am observing the same bug on v4.1-rc8-unstable.

I added the tag accordingly.

Regarding the question whether this was happening after an upgrade.
Well it's actually a little complicated.
If my memory does not deceive me, I did not observe this problem when I installed Ubuntu 12.04 on this laptop in 2012.
Some time afterwards, after an update this problem occurred.
Unfortunately at the time I was otherwise occupied so I just attached the mouse to the USB 3.0 port and did not report the bug.
And by the time my schedule had cleared up a bit I had forgotten all about the problem, until I recently switched USB ports with the mouse and stumbled upon it again.
So it is probably a regression albeit only compared to a three year old kernel.

I will try testing the 12.04.X releases and see if I can actually find a reliably good version, and then maybe start bisecting from there, though this may take some time.

If some other debugging information would be useful let me know.