restricted modules for 2.6.20-4 causes boot to hang

[Nathan Jones]

Binary package hint: linux-restricted-modules-2.6.20-4-generic

Installed linux-image-2.6.20-4 and linux headers(same).--> No boot problems. Installed linux-restricted-modules-2.6.20-4 and now boot hangs giving error about nvram and then /sbin/modprobe fails. Alt-control-del and then alt-control-F(1-5) brings up bash login, but cannot sudo etc.

NVidia GForce FX 5200 graphic card
Athlon XP 2500MHz
512MB Ram
D-link DWL-G510 (uses madwifi from restricted modules)

No problems with 2.6.19 or previous kernels and restricted modules drivers.

[Nathan Jones (neato-2001)]

To confirm this I removed the restricted modules package and the computer managed to boot as expected.

[David Rasch (rasch)]

I've run into this same bug.

I was able to trace it to a null pointer exception when loading the ath_pci module.

To reproduce:
1. moved madwifi drivers out of the way
2. boot
3. move madwifi drivers back
4. modprobe ath_pci
5. see kernel NULL pointer dereference in kmesg

attached are /proc/interrupts and output to kmesg

[aamukahvi (aamukahvi)]

Same here,

Core 2 Duo
Asrock 775Dual-VSTA
D-Link DWL-G520 (madwifi)
Nvidia Geforce 6200 AGP 256MB (non-tc)

Removing restricted modules makes the system bootable again.

[aamukahvi (aamukahvi)]

And yes, blacklisting ath_pci also allows me to keep using restricted modules and boot normally.

[Nathan Jones (neato-2001)]

Same deal with 2.6.20-5

[anachreon (anachreon-)]

Same thing happens to me basically every time I update the restricted modules. I assume the problem is that I use nVidia's proprietary drivers, and the restricted modules seem to always overwrite them or disable them. Thus, when I update the restricted modules, KDE doesn't start I'm stuck ata command prompt.

To solve the problem I simply run "sudo envy" from the command line (Alberto Milone's very convenient script, at http://albertomilone.com/nvidia_scripts1.html) which automatically re-connects to nVidia's server and gets the drivers again, if needed. If I already have the most up-to-date drivers it just sets them up again. Annoying, but not I'm a little wary of getting rid of the restricted modules because of the dependencies.