Repeated freezes when running on battery power

[Steve Magoun]

My Macbook Pro 3,1 started freezing on battery power just after I upgraded from linux-image-3.2.0-10-generic 3.2.0-10.18 to linux-image-3.2.0-12-generic 3.2.0-12.20. It was rock-solid on both AC power and battery power before upgrading to 3.2.0-12. It remains fine on AC power.

I believe the battery in the system to be healthy - it is relatively new and holds a 3hr charge. The other hardware seems fine too, and given that the freezes started after a kernel upgrade I suspect a software (power management?) problem rather than a hardware problem.

To reproduce:
1) Unplug from AC power
2) Wait 2-30mins

Symptoms of the freeze include:
* Mouse is frozen
* Internal keyboard is unresponsive; can't switch to a VT either
* USB devices plugged in after the freeze do not get powered on
* Network connections dropped; the machine doesn't respond to ping after the freeze

I haven't seen anything in syslog that I can attribute to the freezes.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
Package: linux-image-3.2.0-14-generic 3.2.0-14.23
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-14.23-generic 3.2.3
Uname: Linux 3.2.0-14-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
AlsaVersion: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.24.
ApportVersion: 1.91-0ubuntu1
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: steve 2032 F.... pulseaudio
Card0.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:0 'Intel'/'HDA Intel at 0xdb500000 irq 46'
   Mixer name : 'Realtek ALC889A'
   Components : 'HDA:10ec0885,106b2c00,00100103'
   Controls : 34
   Simple ctrls : 20
Date: Wed Feb 8 15:51:43 2012
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=efdcd1bc-2e1a-4a77-8ff8-e46a71b2a78c
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 10.10 "Maverick Meerkat" - Beta amd64 (20100901.1)
MachineType: Apple Inc. MacBookPro3,1
ProcEnviron:
 PATH=(custom, user)
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-14-generic root=UUID=4b3d81ed-fb5d-4946-97c0-ec537e1bfa3f ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-3.2.0-14-generic N/A
 linux-backports-modules-3.2.0-14-generic N/A
 linux-firmware 1.68
RfKill:
 0: phy0: Wireless LAN
  Soft blocked: no
  Hard blocked: no
SourcePackage: linux
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to precise on 2012-01-26 (12 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 03/05/08
dmi.bios.vendor: Apple Inc.
dmi.bios.version: MBP31.88Z.0070.B07.0803051658
dmi.board.asset.tag: Base Board Asset Tag
dmi.board.name: Mac-F4238BC8
dmi.board.vendor: Apple Inc.
dmi.board.version: PVT
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: Asset Tag#
dmi.chassis.type: 2
dmi.chassis.vendor: Apple Inc.
dmi.chassis.version: Mac-F4238BC8
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAppleInc.:bvrMBP31.88Z.0070.B07.0803051658:bd03/05/08:svnAppleInc.:pnMacBookPro3,1:pvr1.0:rvnAppleInc.:rnMac-F4238BC8:rvrPVT:cvnAppleInc.:ct2:cvrMac-F4238BC8:
dmi.product.name: MacBookPro3,1
dmi.product.version: 1.0
dmi.sys.vendor: Apple Inc.

[Brad Figg (brad-figg)]

Thank you for taking the time to file a bug report on this issue.

However, given the number of bugs that the Kernel Team receives during any development cycle it is impossible for us to review them all. Therefore, we occasionally resort to using automated bots to request further testing. This is such a request.

We have noted that there is a newer version of the development kernel than the one you last tested when this issue was found. Please test again with the newer kernel and indicate in the bug if this issue still exists or not.

You can update to the latest development kernel by simply running the following commands in a terminal window:

    sudo apt-get update
    sudo apt-get upgrade

If the bug still exists, change the bug status from Incomplete to New. If the bug no longer exists, change the bug status from Incomplete to Fix Released.

If you want this bot to quit automatically requesting kernel tests, add a tag named: bot-stop-nagging.

 Thank you for your help, we really do appreciate it.

[Steve Magoun (smagoun)]

This *may* be related to the ath9k driver in some way. I encountered another freeze today pretty quickly after unplugging from AC power. After rebooting I disconnected from the wireless network using the network indicator's 'Disconnect' button and plugged into to wired ethernet. While on battery with wired ethernet the system was stable and didn't freeze for ~1hr.

I'm still on the -14 kernel, haven't had a chance to get to that yet.

[Steve Magoun (smagoun)]

Reproduced this freeze multiple times with both the -15 and -16 kernels (3.2.0-16.25)

[Brad Figg (brad-figg)]

Thank you for taking the time to file a bug report on this issue.

However, given the number of bugs that the Kernel Team receives during any development cycle it is impossible for us to review them all. Therefore, we occasionally resort to using automated bots to request further testing. This is such a request.

We have noted that there is a newer version of the development kernel than the one you last tested when this issue was found. Please test again with the newer kernel and indicate in the bug if this issue still exists or not.

You can update to the latest development kernel by simply running the following commands in a terminal window:

    sudo apt-get update
    sudo apt-get upgrade

If the bug still exists, change the bug status from Incomplete to Confirmed. If the bug no longer exists, change the bug status from Incomplete to Fix Released.

If you want this bot to quit automatically requesting kernel tests, add a tag named: bot-stop-nagging.

 Thank you for your help, we really do appreciate it.

[Steve Magoun (smagoun)]

Reproduced in -16.25, see comment #4

[Brad Figg (brad-figg)]

Thank you for taking the time to file a bug report on this issue.

However, given the number of bugs that the Kernel Team receives during any development cycle it is impossible for us to review them all. Therefore, we occasionally resort to using automated bots to request further testing. This is such a request.

We have noted that there is a newer version of the development kernel than the one you last tested when this issue was found. Please test again with the newer kernel and indicate in the bug if this issue still exists or not.

You can update to the latest development kernel by simply running the following commands in a terminal window:

    sudo apt-get update
    sudo apt-get upgrade

If the bug still exists, change the bug status from Incomplete to Confirmed. If the bug no longer exists, change the bug status from Incomplete to Fix Released.

If you want this bot to quit automatically requesting kernel tests, add a tag named: bot-stop-nagging.

 Thank you for your help, we really do appreciate it.

[Brad Figg (brad-figg)]

@Steve,

Can you install some of the mainline kernels and see if we can find where the breakage occurred? Look at
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Kernel/MainlineBuilds .

I'd like to start bisecting the kernel to find the issue here.

[Steve Magoun (smagoun)]

Reproduced today with 3.2.0-17.27

I will make some time to try out mainline kernels.

[Brad Figg (brad-figg)]

Thank you for taking the time to file a bug report on this issue.

However, given the number of bugs that the Kernel Team receives during any development cycle it is impossible for us to review them all. Therefore, we occasionally resort to using automated bots to request further testing. This is such a request.

We have noted that there is a newer version of the development kernel than the one you last tested when this issue was found. Please test again with the newer kernel and indicate in the bug if this issue still exists or not.

You can update to the latest development kernel by simply running the following commands in a terminal window:

    sudo apt-get update
    sudo apt-get upgrade

If the bug still exists, change the bug status from Incomplete to Confirmed. If the bug no longer exists, change the bug status from Incomplete to Fix Released.

If you want this bot to quit automatically requesting kernel tests, add a tag named: bot-stop-nagging.

 Thank you for your help, we really do appreciate it.

[Steve Magoun (smagoun)]

Hi bugbot et al., already tested (and broken) with 3.2.0-17.27, see comment #9

[Steve Magoun (smagoun)]

@Brad - The problem appeared between 3.2.0-10.18 and 3.2.0-12.20, so I'd start there for bisection. I will try out the 3.2.0-11.19 kernel and will also check out mainline kernels from 3.2 and 3.3.

As a test I backed down to the 3.0.0-15.26 kernel from 11.10 since I still had it installed on the machine. I have been stable on DC power for ~1hr with this kernel, compared to the 3 lockups I had this morning within 30mins using 3.2.0-17.27.

[Brad Figg (brad-figg)]

@steve,

Unfortunately, it's difficult to bisect our development kernels. It is much easier to bisect the mainline kernel. That's why I was asking for that testing. If we can identify the mainline kernel where this broke it will make things *much* easier.

[Steve Magoun (smagoun)]

@Brad: ACK. I will look at mainline kernels. 3.0.0-15.26 remains rock-solid for me, I'll start on the mainline ones later today

[Steve Magoun (smagoun)]

@Brad:
I tried 3 of the mainline kernels from around the time the freezes started to happen. None of the mainline kernels fully boot the machine, making it impossible to test the bug. I can get to a VT if I disable the vt.handoff, quiet, and splash kernel parameters. From there I can see that a number of modprobe calls are stuck in uninterruptable I/O wait. Commands like 'lsmod' do not return either.

I observed this behavior with each of these kernels:
linux-image-3.2.0-030200-generic 3.2.0-030200.201201042035
linux-image-3.2.1-030201-generic 3.2.1-030201.201201121644
linux-image-3.2.2-030202-generic 3.2.2-030202.201201252035

I'll try some newer mainline kernels as well.

[Brad Figg (brad-figg)]

@steve,

This is disturbing in it's own right.

[Jost Menke (jmenke)]

I am (probably) experiencing the same problem on a HP Compaq nx7400 running Xubuntu 12.04 daily (atm 3.2.0-18-generic-pae #28-Ubuntu SMP Fri Mar 2 22:11:12 UTC 2012 i686 i686 i386 GNU/Linux).

The system will become unresponsive after an unspecified time running on battery.

When reconnected to AC power, it will come back to life again.

[Steve Magoun (smagoun)]

I'm up to the 3.2.0-21.34 kernel, and haven't seen this recently. My usage pattern hasn't changed, so it looks like something else (kernel? sunspots?) did change, so I'm going to close the bug.

[sonmez (sonmezsahut)]

On the webpage http://robertbeal.com/1248/ubuntu-10101104-freezing-battery-power
it mentions the following command that worked for me.
sudo touch /etc/pm/power.d/wireless

I use Ubuntu 12.04 with kernel version 3.2.0-34

[sonmez (sonmezsahut)]

I have to take my previous comment back. I still have this problem.
Now it takes longer to freeze.

[Gonzalo Palarea (gpalarea)]

I was having the "freeze on battery power" too on my old HP Compaq nx6310 with 12.04 and 3.2.0-36, but a bios update to the laptop seems to have fixed it.

[Gonzalo Palarea (gpalarea)]

No, bios update did not fix it, although it its happening less frequently... Now on 3.2.0-37 and still happening.

[Odhita Kamayana (odhitakamayana)]

I'm with a Lenovo x131e 3372-2vu (AMD E2-1800 APU), on Ubuntu 12.04 LTS with 3.2.0-38-generic.

So far it has happened three times, all when on battery with WiFi. I always have WiFi on, so it's hard to see if that's the cause of the problem. Haven't tried replugging the laptop while it's freezing though.

Nothing in the logs seem to help in my case either.

[max5555 (max-ph)]

I have this bag with 3.5.0-36-generic. Everytung is O'K on AC power, but my Acer 5750 hangs within 30 min on battery power.

[Alexander Schröter (o-ubuntu9ne-v)]

I don't know if this is still an issue. Due to my eeePC with infamous cedarview-debacl i am forced to use ubuntu 12.04 with kernel 3.2.0-82.

I had the same issue. A possible fix might be setting the Atheros Wireless card to allow Power Saving Option. How it is done, can be found here.

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-laptop-and-netbook-25/update-to-kernel-3-13-removed-ability-to-set-powersave-on-ar9462-ath9k-4175499101/

This is not 100% confirmed, but for now it seems to help *fingerscrossed*