Ubuntu
linux package

efibootmgr can't set EFI parameters via /sys/firmware/efi/vars

Bug #1168659 reported by Alberto Donato on 2013-04-13

This bug report is a duplicate of: Bug #1173423: Kernel fails to update EFI vars, rendering system unbootable [P8P67 PRO REV 3.1, BIOS 1904 08/15/2011]. Edit Remove

This bug affects 2 people

Affects		Status	Importance	Assigned to	Milestone
	linux (Ubuntu)	Incomplete	Medium	Unassigned

Bug Description

efibootmgr can read EFI settings, but any attempt to set a variable fails silently.

Running a command like "efibootmgr -a -b 0000" exits without output, a strace shows the following error:

open("/sys/firmware/efi/vars/Boot0000-8be4df61-93ca-11d2-aa0d-00e098032b8c/raw_var", O_WRONLY) = 3
write(3, "B\0o\0o\0t\0000\0000\0000\0000\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0"..., 2084) = -1 EIO (Input/output error)

I'm on linux-image-3.8.0-17-generic at the moment, but I get the same error with linux-image-3.8.0-16-generic.
I'm not sure why it got deleted in the first place, but after a kernel update I was left without any EFI boot entry for grubx64.efi and couldn't create one using 13.04 daily image.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 13.04
Package: linux-image-3.8.0-17-generic 3.8.0-17.27
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.8.0-17.27-generic 3.8.6
Uname: Linux 3.8.0-17-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.9.2-0ubuntu8
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
/dev/snd/controlC0: ack 2763 F.... pulseaudio
Date: Sat Apr 13 14:32:16 2013
EcryptfsInUse: Yes
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=bb5caf04-6463-4ec9-ab3c-5c085fb7e506
InstallationDate: Installed on 2013-03-17 (26 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 13.04 "Raring Ringtail" - Alpha amd64 (20130315)
MachineType: LENOVO 429149G
MarkForUpload: True
ProcFB: 0 inteldrmfb
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.8.0-17-generic root=UUID=57b0a3a8-7c96-47c6-aba2-d9316dd6ecf2 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
RelatedPackageVersions:
linux-restricted-modules-3.8.0-17-generic N/A
linux-backports-modules-3.8.0-17-generic N/A
linux-firmware 1.105
SourcePackage: linux
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 09/15/2011
dmi.bios.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.bios.version: 8DET52WW (1.22 )
dmi.board.asset.tag: Not Available
dmi.board.name: 429149G
dmi.board.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.board.version: Not Available
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: No Asset Information
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.chassis.version: Not Available
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnLENOVO:bvr8DET52WW(1.22):bd09/15/2011:svnLENOVO:pn429149G:pvrThinkPadX220:rvnLENOVO:rn429149G:rvrNotAvailable:cvnLENOVO:ct10:cvrNotAvailable:
dmi.product.name: 429149G
dmi.product.version: ThinkPad X220
dmi.sys.vendor: LENOVO

Tags:

Revision history for this message

Alberto Donato (ack) wrote on 2013-04-13:

AlsaInfo.txt Edit (31.2 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
BootDmesg.txt Edit (61.8 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
CRDA.txt Edit (257 bytes, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
CurrentDmesg.txt Edit (46.8 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
Dependencies.txt Edit (3.3 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
IwConfig.txt Edit (580 bytes, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
Lspci.txt Edit (11.9 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
Lsusb.txt Edit (652 bytes, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
ProcCpuinfo.txt Edit (3.6 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
ProcEnviron.txt Edit (387 bytes, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
ProcInterrupts.txt Edit (2.6 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
ProcModules.txt Edit (5.5 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
PulseList.txt Edit (18.7 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
RfKill.txt Edit (196 bytes, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
UdevDb.txt Edit (142.8 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
UdevLog.txt Edit (323.8 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
WifiSyslog.txt Edit (844.5 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")

Revision history for this message

Brad Figg (brad-figg) wrote on 2013-04-13: Status changed to Confirmed

This change was made by a bot.

Changed in linux (Ubuntu):
status:	New → Confirmed

Revision history for this message

Joseph Salisbury (jsalisbury) wrote on 2013-04-15:

Would it be possible for you to test the latest upstream kernel? Refer to https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelMainlineBuilds . Please test the latest v3.9 kernel[0]. You will need to install both the linux-image and linux-image-extra .deb packages.

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'.
Once testing of the upstream kernel is complete, please mark this bug as "Confirmed".

Thanks in advance.

[0] http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v3.9-rc7-raring/

Changed in linux (Ubuntu):
importance:	Undecided → Medium
tags:	added: kernel-da-key
Changed in linux (Ubuntu):
status:	Confirmed → Incomplete

Revision history for this message

z (steveriley-deactivatedaccount-deactivatedaccount) wrote on 2013-04-19:

Numerous reports exist across the web describing this exact problem. The theme seems to be kernel 3.8.x

https://bugs.archlinux.org/task/34641
https://bugs.archlinux.org/task/34700
https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?pid=1251880
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-bugs/2013-04/msg01558.html

I filed a bug yesterday against the efibootmgr package (on Quantal) but then, upon further research, found that it appears to be a kernel problem instead.

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/efibootmgr/+bug/1169820

Do we know if the 3.9 rc kernels have fixed this problem?

Revision history for this message

z (steveriley-deactivatedaccount-deactivatedaccount) wrote on 2013-04-19:

Ah, bug 1167622 seems to have the answer. A new commit between kernels 3.8.2 and 3.8.3 adds some paranoia around writing to the UEFI. This is going to be troublesome.

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1167622