1217:00f7 [Acer TravelMate 8200] Firewire prevents booting

[Rob Allen]

WORKAROUND: edit:
/etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-firewire.conf

uncommented the line:
blacklist firewire-ohci

Run:
sudo update-initramfs -k all -u

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
Package: linux-image-3.2.0-24-generic 3.2.0-24.37
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-24.37-generic 3.2.14
Uname: Linux 3.2.0-24-generic i686
AlsaVersion: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.24.
ApportVersion: 2.0.1-0ubuntu7
Architecture: i386
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: rob 1775 F.... pulseaudio
Card0.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:0 'Intel'/'HDA Intel at 0xd0700000 irq 50'
   Mixer name : 'Realtek ALC883'
   Components : 'HDA:10ec0883,10250000,00100002 HDA:11c13026,11c13026,00100600'
   Controls : 36
   Simple ctrls : 20
Date: Wed May 16 13:31:50 2012
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=8938e007-0236-44ff-8383-c9756337f44e
MachineType: Acer, inc. TravelMate 8200
ProcFB: 0 radeondrmfb
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-24-generic root=UUID=2d3481ff-0905-4fbf-aa55-0c536c638597 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-3.2.0-24-generic N/A
 linux-backports-modules-3.2.0-24-generic N/A
 linux-firmware 1.79
SourcePackage: linux
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to precise on 2012-05-12 (4 days ago)
WpaSupplicantLog:

dmi.bios.date: 02/08/07
dmi.bios.vendor: Acer
dmi.bios.version: v1.3521
dmi.board.name: Como
dmi.board.vendor: Acer, Inc.
dmi.board.version: Not Applicable
dmi.chassis.type: 1
dmi.chassis.vendor: , Inc.
dmi.chassis.version: N/A
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAcer:bvrv1.3521:bd02/08/07:svnAcer,inc.:pnTravelMate8200:pvrNotApplicable:rvnAcer,Inc.:rnComo:rvrNotApplicable:cvn,Inc.:ct1:cvrN/A:
dmi.product.name: TravelMate 8200
dmi.product.version: Not Applicable
dmi.sys.vendor: Acer, inc.

[Joseph Salisbury (jsalisbury)]

Did this issue start happening after an update/upgrade? Was there a kernel version where you were not having this particular problem? This will help determine if the problem you are seeing is the result of the introduction of a regression, and when this regression was introduced.

[Rob Allen (theburge)]

Hi Joseph,

Briefly, the problem manifested on upgrade to Precise, but I tracked the regression down to 3.1.0-rc3 series. There are a few more details in bug #981936, comment 29 onwards, including a link to the upstream bugzilla I raised (incorrectly) before discussion moved to the mailing lists (discussion linked from the kernel bugzilla).

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Rob Allen, if you could also please test the latest upstream kernel available that would be great. It will allow additional upstream developers to examine the issue. Refer to https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelMainlineBuilds . Once you've tested the upstream kernel, please remove the 'needs-upstream-testing' tag. This can be done by clicking on the yellow pencil icon next to the tag located at the bottom of the bug description and deleting the 'needs-upstream-testing' text.

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'.

Please let us know your results. Thanks in advance.

[Rob Allen (theburge)]

Confirmed with 3.4.0-030400-generic release.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Rob Allen, could you please provide information following https://wiki.ubuntu.com/DebuggingKernelBoot ?

[Rob Allen (theburge)]

Christopher,

Due to the nature of the failure, I'm afraid that I could only get a photo, as suggested by the instructions you linked to. If you need more details, please let me know what.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Rob Allen, does the following provide a workaround:

edit:
/etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-firewire.conf

uncommented the line:
blacklist firewire-ohci

Run:
sudo update-initramfs -k all -u

[Rob Allen (theburge)]

Christopher,

Yes, that provides a workaround.

Re: needing a bisect, I was able chop it down to 3.1.0-0301rc2 (working) and 3.1.0-0301rc3 (broken as in the original report). However, I haven't taken it further due to limited time.

[Joseph Salisbury (jsalisbury)]

@Rob

I can assist with bisecting further if needed.

[Rob Allen (theburge)]

Joseph,

Thanks for the offer. If you have built kernels in the 3.1.0-rc2 to 3.1.0-rc3 interval, great. Otherwise, I can build them -- it just takes a while on my aging hardware... :) I'll try to do it this week.

[Rob Allen (theburge)]

I've bisected it. The change that introduces the failure is:

commit 0a2daa1cf35004f5adbf4138555cc5669abf3a3e
Author: Ram Pai <email address hidden>
Date: Mon Jul 25 13:08:41 2011 -0700

    PCI: make cardbus-bridge resources optional

    Allocate resources to cardbus bridge only after all other genuine
    resources requests are satisfied. Dont retry if resource allocation
    for cardbus-bridges fail.

    Signed-off-by: Ram Pai <email address hidden>
    Signed-off-by: Jesse Barnes <email address hidden>

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Marking Triaged Low as mainline tested, bisect complete, and available workaround.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Rob Allen, this bug was reported a while ago and there hasn't been any activity in it recently. We were wondering if this is still an issue? If so, could you please test the latest mainline kernel via http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v3.13-rc5-trusty/ and advise to the results?

If reproducible, in response to your comment noted in https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/981936/comments/34 , the upstream procedure has been completely overhauled as you suggested. Hence, could you please report this problem through the appropriate channel (would check in with linux-pci CC Bjorn Helgaas <email address hidden>, Ram Pai <email address hidden>, and <email address hidden> ) by following the instructions _verbatim_ at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bugs/Upstream/kernel#KernelTeam.2BAC8-KernelTeamBugPolicies.Overview_on_Reporting_Bugs_Upstream ?

Please provide a direct URL to your e-mail to the mailing list once you have made it so that it may be tracked.

Thank you for your understanding.

[Rob Allen (theburge)]

Christopher,

The problem still exists with linux-image-3.13.0-031300rc5-generic_3.13.0-031300rc5.201312221635_i386.deb -- the kernel becomes completely unresponsive with no additional log output after attempting to load the firewire-ohci module.

Thanks for updating the kernel bug reporting guidelines. However, I did previously began a conversation on the linux-pci and linux1394-devel mailing lists. The end of that conversation is here:

http://marc.info/?l=linux-pci&m=134287056018412&w=2
http://marc.info/?l=linux1394-devel&m=134287057518415&w=2

after I received no response on how to help debug the problem further.

I'm afraid I don't have the time to pursue this again currently.