05e3:070e usb-storage devices don't work, unless plugged in *after* booting - happens when setting MODULES=dep in initramfs.conf

[Alan Jenkins]

Hopefully I have time to root-cause this.

We have two Kubuntu 12.04 LTS machines. One of them has a USB card reader, which we want to leave permanently attached. We use it to upload photos to Digikam several times a month.

Recently we noticed the card reader not working. It showed up in lsusb, BUT "ls /dev/sd*" showed only one device (the internal hard drive).

WORKAROUND: Unplugging the entire card reader and plugging it back in again fixes it.

WORKAROUND: The following fixed it without re-plugging the cardreader:
modprobe usb-storage

WORKAROUND: This was caused by my enabling MODULES=dep in /etc/initramfs-tools/initramfs.conf. Changing it back to MODULES=most fixes it (and adds back 2 seconds to the boot time).

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
Package: linux-image-3.2.0-31-generic 3.2.0-31.50
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-31.50-generic 3.2.28
Uname: Linux 3.2.0-31-generic x86_64
AlsaVersion: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.24.
ApportVersion: 2.0.1-0ubuntu13
Architecture: amd64
ArecordDevices:
 **** List of CAPTURE Hardware Devices ****
 card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 0: VT1708S Analog [VT1708S Analog]
   Subdevices: 2/2
   Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
   Subdevice #1: subdevice #1
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: alan 2413 F.... pulseaudio
CRDA: Error: command ['iw', 'reg', 'get'] failed with exit code 1: nl80211 not found.
Card0.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:0 'PCH'/'HDA Intel PCH at 0xf7c10000 irq 46'
   Mixer name : 'Intel PantherPoint HDMI'
   Components : 'HDA:11060397,10438415,00100000 HDA:80862806,80860101,00100000'
   Controls : 48
   Simple ctrls : 23
Date: Sat Oct 6 12:27:35 2012
IwConfig:
 lo no wireless extensions.

 eth0 no wireless extensions.
MachineType: System manufacturer System Product Name
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=en_GB:en
 TERM=xterm
 PATH=(custom, user)
 LANG=en_GB.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcFB: 0 inteldrmfb
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/vmlinuz-3.2.0-31-generic root=UUID=a6efc5b5-c8c5-4ae1-9970-61943a7f9396 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-3.2.0-31-generic N/A
 linux-backports-modules-3.2.0-31-generic N/A
 linux-firmware 1.79.1
RfKill:

SourcePackage: linux
StagingDrivers: mei
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 08/24/2012
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: 0703
dmi.board.asset.tag: To be filled by O.E.M.
dmi.board.name: P8B75-M LE
dmi.board.vendor: ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC.
dmi.board.version: Rev X.0x
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: Asset-1234567890
dmi.chassis.type: 3
dmi.chassis.vendor: Chassis Manufacture
dmi.chassis.version: Chassis Version
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvr0703:bd08/24/2012:svnSystemmanufacturer:pnSystemProductName:pvrSystemVersion:rvnASUSTeKCOMPUTERINC.:rnP8B75-MLE:rvrRevX.0x:cvnChassisManufacture:ct3:cvrChassisVersion:
dmi.product.name: System Product Name
dmi.product.version: System Version
dmi.sys.vendor: System manufacturer

[Alan Jenkins (aj504)]

I've added three more USB sotrage devices, with the same result. (The original card reader, plus iRiver T50 MP3 player, Western Digital portable hard drive, and a Hanvon e-reader running OpenInkpot). Here's a transcript showing that none of these triggered usb-storage at boot time. (dmesg shows them only after 700 seconds, when I ran modprobe manually)

$ lsusb
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub
Bus 001 Device 002: ID 8087:0024 Intel Corp. Integrated Rate Matching Hub
Bus 002 Device 002: ID 8087:0024 Intel Corp. Integrated Rate Matching Hub
Bus 001 Device 003: ID 4102:1029 iRiver, Ltd.
Bus 001 Device 004: ID 1058:0740 Western Digital Technologies, Inc. My Passport 1TB
Bus 001 Device 005: ID 0525:a4a5 Netchip Technology, Inc. Linux-USB File Storage Gadget
Bus 002 Device 003: ID 05e3:070e Genesys Logic, Inc. USB 2.0 Card Reader
Bus 002 Device 004: ID 045e:0750 Microsoft Corp. Wired Keyboard 600
$ ls /dev/sd*
/dev/sda /dev/sda1 /dev/sda5 /dev/sda6
$
$ sudo modprobe usb-storage
[sudo] password for alan:
$
$ ls /dev/sd*
/dev/sda /dev/sda6 /dev/sdc1 /dev/sdc6 /dev/sdc9 /dev/sdf /dev/sdh1
/dev/sda1 /dev/sdb /dev/sdc10 /dev/sdc7 /dev/sdd /dev/sdg /dev/sdi
/dev/sda5 /dev/sdc /dev/sdc5 /dev/sdc8 /dev/sde /dev/sdh
$
$
$ dmesg|tail -n 100
[ 8.501599] type=1400 audit(1349522607.252:15): apparmor="STATUS" operation="profile_replace" name="/usr/lib/cups/backend/cups-pdf" pid=1224 comm="apparmor_parser"
[ 8.501967] type=1400 audit(1349522607.252:16): apparmor="STATUS" operation="profile_replace" name="/usr/sbin/cupsd" pid=1224 comm="apparmor_parser"
[ 8.724577] type=1400 audit(1349522607.476:17): apparmor="STATUS" operation="profile_load" name="/usr/sbin/mysqld-akonadi" pid=1225 comm="apparmor_parser"
[ 8.724782] type=1400 audit(1349522607.476:18): apparmor="STATUS" operation="profile_load" name="/usr/sbin/mysqld-akonadi///usr/sbin/mysqld" pid=1225 comm="apparmor_parser"
[ 8.954591] type=1400 audit(1349522607.704:19): apparmor="STATUS" operation="profile_load" name="/usr/sbin/mysqld-digikam" pid=1226 comm="apparmor_parser"
[ 9.732817] r8169 0000:03:00.0: eth0: link up
[ 9.733079] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_CHANGE): eth0: link becomes ready
[ 14.155039] audit_printk_skb: 9 callbacks suppressed
[ 14.155042] type=1400 audit(1349522612.916:23): apparmor="STATUS" operation="profile_load" name="/usr/bin/evince" pid=1215 comm="apparmor_parser"
[ 14.155643] type=1400 audit(1349522612.916:24): apparmor="STATUS" operation="profile_load" name="/usr/bin/evince//launchpad_integration" pid=1215 comm="apparmor_parser"
[ 14.155856] type=1400 audit(1349522612.916:25): apparmor="STATUS" operation="profile_load" name="/usr/bin/evince//sanitized_helper" pid=1215 comm="apparmor_parser"
[ 14.156367] type=1400 audit(1349522612.916:26): apparmor="STATUS" operation="profile_load" name="/usr/bin/evince-previewer" pid=1215 comm="apparmor_parser"
[ 14.156773] type=1400 audit(1349522612.916:27): apparmor="STATUS" ope...

[Alan Jenkins (aj504)]

At least one other user is also affected:

kyserbyte: http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=12216687&postcount=25

maybe also:
on110: http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=11994230&postcount=20
grapnell: http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=11894542&postcount=2

[Alan Jenkins (aj504)]

Same issue with v3.2.30 - i.e. a vanilla stable kernel, built starting from the Ubuntu kernel config with "make oldnoconfig". Tho, it's quite likely a userspace bug anyway, I'm just using the "linux" package as the recommended placeholder.

[Alan Jenkins (aj504)]

Same issue with homebuilt v3.6.0 (stock ubuntu 3.2 config + localmodconfig + oldnoconfig.
Same issue with 3.6.0-030600-generic from ubuntu mainline PPA.

Gotcha!

This was caused by my enabling MODULES=dep in /etc/initramfs-tools/initramfs.conf. Changing it back to MODULES=most fixes it (and adds back 2 seconds to the boot time).

[Alan Jenkins (aj504)]

This is caused by enabling CONFIG_USB_LIBUSUAL=y. Despite being documented as a "module" when it was added (complete with the suggestion of setting options in modprobe.conf), this is a boolean option. So it's built into the kernel, which means it doesn't get another bash at coldplug after the root filesystem is mounted.

Please, can you disable CONFIG_USB_LIBUSUAL? The reason for it is CONFIG_BLK_DEV_UB -

"Low Performance USB Block driver. If you enable this driver, it is recommended to avoid conflicts with usb-storage by enabling USB_LIBUSUAL. If unsure, say N."

I can't imagine why Ubuntu needs this. AFAIK the only reason for it is to save a few K on embedded systems. It might be interesting for debugging purposes, but as this (and other previous bugs) have shown, it seems generally more effective at inserting bugs into a systems that should be working.

[Joseph Salisbury (jsalisbury)]

In the bug description you mentioned that "Recently we noticed the card reader not working."

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.

[Alan Jenkins (aj504)]

I believe it happened after setting MODULES=dep, as per the amended bug title. So for me I don't believe it was a regression. I have vague memories that Ubuntu has had CONFIG_USB_LIBUSUAL enabled for a long time now, but I could be wrong.

[Alan Jenkins (aj504)]

Interesting tags.

Which upstream needs testing exactly? Do you want the latest mainline kernel tested with CONFIG_USB_LIBUSUAL and MODULES=dep in initramfs.conf? That would be very easy for me to do (on kubuntu 12.04).

That said it looks like libusual was removed in v3.7. At least usb/storage/libusual.c was. I have a suspicion the only reason for it, "Low Performance USB Block driver" as above, was removed at some point.

I guess you're also calling the BIOS "outdated". It was upgraded at the time of purchase, which was indeed 2012-10. In case you're tempted to ask (?!), I'm not going to update it.