[Sony VAIO VGN-G21VN_B] Ricoh R5C843 SD Card reader not working

[Mark909]

SD Card reader is not working. When I insert a SD or SDHC card nothing happens. The reader is not even listed under lspci. I have updated all the packages with apt. I tried to boot Ubuntu (12.04) with an SD plugged in but no luck. This notebook has a (separate slot) Ricoh R5C592 Memory Stick Reader that is working as expected (auto mounts the MS when inserted in the reader). Expected behavior: SD card reader to correctly read the inserted SD card.

http://article.gmane.org/gmane.linux.kernel.mmc/24341

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
Package: linux-image-3.2.0-24-generic 3.2.0-24.38
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-24.38-generic 3.2.16
Uname: Linux 3.2.0-24-generic x86_64
AlsaVersion: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.24.
AplayDevices:
 **** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
 card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 0: ALC262 Analog [ALC262 Analog]
   Subdevices: 1/1
   Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
ApportVersion: 2.0.1-0ubuntu7
Architecture: amd64
ArecordDevices:
 **** List of CAPTURE Hardware Devices ****
 card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 0: ALC262 Analog [ALC262 Analog]
   Subdevices: 1/1
   Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: marco 1682 F.... pulseaudio
Card0.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:0 'Intel'/'HDA Intel at 0xf4540000 irq 44'
   Mixer name : 'Realtek ALC262'
   Components : 'HDA:10ec0262,104d1800,00100100 HDA:14f12c06,104d1700,00100000'
   Controls : 17
   Simple ctrls : 9
Date: Tue May 22 00:58:07 2012
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=c8ceba03-f7ab-48f3-a017-ae1628cc20e9
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.04 LTS "Precise Pangolin" - Release amd64 (20120425)
MachineType: Sony Corporation VGN-G21VN_B
PccardctlIdent:
 Socket 0:
   no product info available
PccardctlStatus:
 Socket 0:
   no card
ProcFB: 0 inteldrmfb
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-24-generic root=UUID=6bd04d78-2cc1-4602-aa72-cb15d7dde368 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: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 08/21/2007
dmi.bios.vendor: Phoenix Technologies LTD
dmi.bios.version: R0021N9
dmi.board.asset.tag: N/A
dmi.board.name: VAIO
dmi.board.vendor: Sony Corporation
dmi.board.version: N/A
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: Sony Corporation
dmi.chassis.version: N/A
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnPhoenixTechnologiesLTD:bvrR0021N9:bd08/21/2007:svnSonyCorporation:pnVGN-G21VN_B:pvrJ002SHP8:rvnSonyCorporation:rnVAIO:rvrN/A:cvnSonyCorporation:ct10:cvrN/A:
dmi.product.name: VGN-G21VN_B
dmi.product.version: J002SHP8
dmi.sys.vendor: Sony Corporation

[Mark909 (universi-ruler)]

I have tested the Ricoh SD Card Reader against the latest Mainstream Kernel 3.4.0-999-generic but no luck.

[Joseph Salisbury (jsalisbury)]

This issue appears to be an upstream bug, since you tested the latest upstream kernel. Would it be possible for you to open an upstream bug report at bugzilla.kernel.org [1]? That will allow the upstream Developers to examine the issue, and may provide a quicker resolution to the bug.

If you are comfortable with opening a bug upstream, It would be great if you can report back the upstream bug number in this bug report. That will allow us to link this bug to the upstream report.

[1] https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bugs/Upstream/kernel

[Mark909 (universi-ruler)]

I've reported this bug on the kernel bugtracker. Link: https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=43274
Bug number: 43274

[Mark909 (universi-ruler)]

Quick update: I have noticed that if I reboot into Windows 7 after booting into ubuntu without turning the machine off, Windows is not able to see the SD Card reader. To fix this, I have to turn the machine off and boot directly into Windows.

Thanks.

[Mark909 (universi-ruler)]

Some updates: on Debian stable lspci shows the Ricoh R5C843 Reader.
As expected (seen with Windows Device Manager) it has a the following address: 07:04.3

The kernel version in debian stable is 2.6.32-5. So it seems an Ubuntu bug, rather that a kernel bug.

Any ideas? Thanks.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Mark909, 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 for this with the latest development release of Ubuntu? ISO images are available from http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/daily-live/current/ .

If it remains an issue, could you please just make a comment about it?

Also, could you please test the latest upstream kernel available (v3.13-rc3, not rc4 as it doesn't have all the necessary files) following https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelMainlineBuilds ? It will allow additional upstream developers to examine the issue. Once you've tested the upstream kernel, please comment on which kernel version specifically you tested. If this bug is fixed in the mainline kernel, please add the following tags:
kernel-fixed-upstream
kernel-fixed-upstream-VERSION-NUMBER

where VERSION-NUMBER is the version number of the kernel you tested. For example:
kernel-fixed-upstream-v3.13-rc3

This can be done by clicking on the yellow circle with a black pencil icon next to the word Tags located at the bottom of the bug description. As well, please remove the tag:
needs-upstream-testing

If the mainline kernel does not fix this bug, please add the following tags:
kernel-bug-exists-upstream
kernel-bug-exists-upstream-VERSION-NUMBER

As well, please remove the tag:
needs-upstream-testing

Once testing of the upstream kernel is complete, please mark this bug's Status as Confirmed. Please let us know your results. Thank you for your understanding.

[Mark909 (universi-ruler)]

Hi everyone.

I tested for this bug using the latest development snapshot as of today, downloaded from http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/daily-live/current/

The issue is still here.

I'll post another comment as soon as I'll test the latest upstream kernel.

[Mark909 (universi-ruler)]

I tested this also with 3.13-rc3. The issue is still here.

I'll update this report's status accordingly.

Thanks.

[Mark909 (universi-ruler)]

Sorry, changed information type by mistake.

[Mark909 (universi-ruler)]

Tags update as requested.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Mark909, thank you for performing the requested tests. Was this issue not reproducible in a release prior to Precise/kernel 3.2.x?

[Mark909 (universi-ruler)]

I don't know. I tested the following kernels:
2.6.32 upstream: controller listed but not working (see related kernel bug, 43274)
3.4.0 upstream: same issue
3.2 Ubuntu: same issue
3.8 Ubuntu: same issue
3.13-rc3 upstream: same issue

Let me know if you require further testing.

Thanks

[Mark909 (universi-ruler)]

So far I tried only with Precise (stable and fully update via apt-get) and with trusty (today's daily snapshot)

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Mark909, thank you for performing the requested tests. While you have reported this upstream issue to bugzilla, it's not the preferred venue for reporting kernel bugs, and largely ignored by upstream developers. Instead, could you please report this problem through the appropriate channel (would check in with linux-mmc) 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 post once you have made it so that it may be tracked.

Thank you for your understanding.

[Mark909 (universi-ruler)]

Here is the link to my post on the linux-mmc mailing list: http://article.gmane.org/gmane.linux.kernel.mmc/24341

Done as requested.

Thanks

[Mark909 (universi-ruler)]

I marked this as duplicate of #1362168 as the SD reader is the same.

[Mark909 (universi-ruler)]

I tried with the latest mainline kernel (4.2 RC8) on ubuntu 15.04 but the problem is still here.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Mark909, there is no need to mark this a duplicate of another report, given this is Triaged. Also, there is a precedent where if a duplicate is confirmed, the newer report is marked a duplicate of the older one.

[Mark909 (universi-ruler)]

Ok, thanks. I have posted another message on the linux-mmc mailing list to write that I tested against the 4.2 RC8 kernel (see http://permalink.gmane.org/gmane.linux.kernel.mmc/33680). Is there something else I can do?

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Mark909, if you have CC'ed the linux-mmc maintainer (Ulf Hansson) then not much else one may do except for tweak the code, or test to a WORKAROUND.