[Acer Aspire 7740] acer-wmi module hangs laptop for 10 seconds on boot/modprobe

[Peter de Kraker]

When I received this laptop I installed a new half size mini PCIE wireless card (Intel based) I noticed after installing that Ubuntu 13.10 (kernel 3.11.0-14) hangs for 10 seconds early in the boot process. It continues after that.
The screen freezes and the fans start spinning very hard. The last dmesg line before the pause is a info message about acer-wmi. When modprobing this module after boot the same symptoms occur. Ubuntu hangs, and reacts normally after 10 seconds. So, clearly something is wrong with acer-wmi. Maybe it should not be loaded with this laptop version, or it has a bug in it. I will add a dmesg from a boot with acer-wmi enabled.

WORKAROUND: I blacklisted acer-wmi in /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf and updated initramfs. Now ubuntu boots as it should without hanging. No functionality appears to be lost. Bluetooth and wifi work, also the volume keys.

WORKAROUND: When I remove the wireless card or reinstall the old original one modprobing acer-wmi finishes immediately and succesfully with no hangs.

---
ApportVersion: 2.12.5-0ubuntu2.1
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: peter 1729 F.... pulseaudio
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 13.10
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=0ef58455-0f7e-412c-865b-a22b63f559d9
InstallationDate: Installed on 2013-12-19 (0 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 13.10 "Saucy Salamander" - Release amd64 (20131016.1)
MachineType: Acer Aspire 7740
MarkForUpload: True
Package: linux (not installed)
ProcFB: 0 inteldrmfb
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.11.0-14-generic root=UUID=4333334c-62c1-414f-8227-e09a5f9da742 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.11.0-14.21-generic 3.11.7
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-3.11.0-14-generic N/A
 linux-backports-modules-3.11.0-14-generic N/A
 linux-firmware 1.116
Tags: saucy
Uname: Linux 3.11.0-14-generic x86_64
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
UserGroups: adm cdrom dip libvirtd lpadmin plugdev sambashare sudo
dmi.bios.date: 07/29/2010
dmi.bios.vendor: Phoenix Technologies LTD
dmi.bios.version: V1.27
dmi.board.asset.tag: No Asset Tag
dmi.board.name: Aspire 7740
dmi.board.vendor: Acer
dmi.board.version: V1.27
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: No Asset Tag
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: Acer
dmi.chassis.version: V1.27
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnPhoenixTechnologiesLTD:bvrV1.27:bd07/29/2010:svnAcer:pnAspire7740:pvrV1.27:rvnAcer:rnAspire7740:rvrV1.27:cvnAcer:ct10:cvrV1.27:
dmi.product.name: Aspire 7740
dmi.product.version: V1.27
dmi.sys.vendor: Acer

[Peter de Kraker (peterdekraker)]

When modprobing, no errors are shown in the dmesg.

[Peter de Kraker (peterdekraker)]

Here is the log when booting with acer-wmi enabled.

Excerpt to see the timejump:

[ 3.299234] usbhid: USB HID core driver
[ 3.309750] fbcon: inteldrmfb (fb0) is primary device
[ 3.400884] acer_wmi: Acer Laptop ACPI-WMI Extras
[ 3.403879] ACPI: EC: GPE storm detected(26 GPEs), transactions will use polling mode
[ 13.937332] acer_wmi: Function bitmap for Communication Device: 0x10
[ 13.937899] acer_wmi: Brightness must be controlled by acpi video driver
[ 13.938284] input: Acer BMA150 accelerometer as /devices/virtual/input/input4
[ 24.475615] Console: switching to colour frame buffer device 200x56

[Brad Figg (brad-figg)]

This change was made by a bot.

[Joseph Salisbury (jsalisbury)]

Would it be possible for you to test the latest upstream kernel? Refer to https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelMainlineBuilds . Please test the latest v3.13 kernel[0].

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/v3.13-rc4-trusty/

[Peter de Kraker (peterdekraker)]

Forgot to mention that I indeed also had tested it with v3.13-rc3-trusty kernel AMD64. I will test again to be sure and update accordingly.

[Peter de Kraker (peterdekraker)]

I tested with
- v3.13-rc3: modprobing acer-wmi after boot results in same hang/10s wait
- latest daily: daily/2013-12-19-trusty : same issue.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Peter de Kraker, thank you for reporting this and helping make Ubuntu better. For regression testing purposes, could you please test Precise via http://releases.ubuntu.com/precise/ ?

In Precise or Saucy, please execute the following command, as it will automatically gather debugging information, in a terminal:
apport-collect BUGNUMBER
When reporting bugs in the future please use apport by using 'ubuntu-bug' and the name of the package affected. You can learn more about this functionality at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ReportingBugs.

[Peter de Kraker (peterdekraker)]

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[Peter de Kraker (peterdekraker)]

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[Peter de Kraker (peterdekraker)]

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[Peter de Kraker (peterdekraker)]

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[Peter de Kraker (peterdekraker)]

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[Peter de Kraker (peterdekraker)]

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[Peter de Kraker (peterdekraker)]

Tested on 12.04, and also hangs there BUT I found the 'cause' of it. When I received this laptop I installed a new half size mini PCIE wireless card (Intel based) and that seems to cause the hang somehow. When I remove the wireless card or reinstall the old original one modprobing acer-wmi finishes immediately and succesfull with no hangs.

I don't know now if this is still a valid bug, since maybe the card is not fully supported by the laptop (while it works ok besides this issue).

[Peter de Kraker (peterdekraker)]

Original card with no problems:
04:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Intel Corporation WiFi Link 5100 [8086:4232]
 Subsystem: Intel Corporation WiFi Link 5100 AGN [8086:1301]
 Control: I/O- Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR+ FastB2B- DisINTx+
 Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=fast >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR- INTx-
 Latency: 0, Cache Line Size: 64 bytes
 Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 42
 Region 0: Memory at f0500000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=8K]
 Capabilities: <access denied>
 Kernel driver in use: iwlwifi

Card with hangs:
04:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Intel Corporation Centrino Advanced-N 6230 [Rainbow Peak] [8086:0091]
 Subsystem: Intel Corporation Centrino Advanced-N 6230 AGN [8086:5201]
 Control: I/O- Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR+ FastB2B- DisINTx+
 Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=fast >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR- INTx-
 Latency: 0, Cache Line Size: 64 bytes
 Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 42
 Region 0: Memory at f0500000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=8K]
 Capabilities: <access denied>
 Kernel driver in use: iwlwifi

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Peter de Kraker, thank you for performing the requested test and the follow up information. I briefly scanned acer-wmi and didn't see anything patently obvious code wise as to why this would occur with a non-OEM provided WiFi chip (although I'm not terribly familiar with it). Cursorily, the BIOS may have something hardcoded that depends on the original OEM hardware, which would make sense here. Despite this, what could be expected if it's not a BIOS bug, is a quirk of some sort that minimizes or eliminates the 10 second delay.

Hence, the issue you are reporting is an upstream one. Could you please report this problem through the appropriate channel (I would start with platform-driver-x86 and CC "Lee, Chun-Yi" <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 post once you have made it so that it may be tracked.

Thank you for your understanding.