wistron_btns module possible BUG on FJ AMILO Pro V3505.

[Giuseppe Vitillaro]

I'm a new Ubuntu user, trying to understand why I consistently get this BUG message

Oct 14 19:57:37 belia kernel: [ 729.873790] wistron_btns: BIOS signature found at c00f5b10, entry point 000FDD20
Oct 14 19:57:37 belia kernel: [ 729.873966] BUG: unable to handle kernel paging request at c00fdd20
Oct 14 19:57:37 belia kernel: [ 729.874050] IP: [<c00fdd20>] 0xc00fdd20
Oct 14 19:57:37 belia kernel: [ 729.874095] *pdpt = 0000000001c7b001 *pde = 0000000001d43063 *pte = 80000000000fd163
Oct 14 19:57:37 belia kernel: [ 729.874186] Oops: 0011 [#1] SMP
...
Oct 14 19:57:37 belia kernel: [ 729.876007] Hardware name: FUJITSU SIEMENS AMILO Pro Edition V3505 /AMILO Pro Edition V3505 , BIOS R01-B0G 04/27/2007

from the wistron_btns kernel module, used on FJ AMILO Pro V3505, to enable
and disable the wireless card module from the notebook function button.

The same BUG arise on all the recent kernels, including the one I'm reporting
about, even at installation time from the Ubuntu media, at module "load time".

By the way, once the kernel report this OOps, the system doesn't power off or reboot correctly at shutdown time, it simply hangs, even when installing the system from the media, a really serious issue for new, naive users.

The only way to solve the problem seems to "blacklist" the module in /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist,conf, but, unfortunately, this will "LOCK" the wireless module in its enabled or disables state and require to boot a different kernel to unlock its state.

I did some investigation on the Net about this issue and I found an interesting report about this problem, that seems known at least from kernel version 3.12,

http://marc.info/?l=linux-kernel&m=138463383801233&w=2

I tested the suggested patch against the linux/drivers/input/misc/wistron_btns.c gentoo 4.4.21 source, my main system, and, well, it correct the BUG, not anymore any Oops and the button seems to work correctly.

You will find the patch I applied to the wistron_btns.c source as an attachment to this report: it is a really simple patch that I'm almost sure (I didn't verified it) it may be applied unchanged to the 4.4.0-43-generic Ubuntu kernel image sources.

G. Vitillaro.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 16.04
Package: xorg 1:7.7+13ubuntu3
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.4.0-43.63-generic 4.4.21
Uname: Linux 4.4.0-43-generic i686
.tmp.unity_support_test.0:

ApportVersion: 2.20.1-0ubuntu2.1
Architecture: i386
CompizPlugins: No value set for `/apps/compiz-1/general/screen0/options/active_plugins'
CompositorRunning: None
CurrentDesktop: KDE
Date: Sat Oct 15 12:20:12 2016
DistUpgraded: Fresh install
DistroCodename: xenial
DistroVariant: kubuntu
ExtraDebuggingInterest: No
GraphicsCard:
 Intel Corporation Mobile 945GM/GMS, 943/940GML Express Integrated Graphics Controller [8086:27a2] (rev 03) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: Fujitsu Technology Solutions Mobile 945GM/GMS, 943/940GML Express Integrated Graphics Controller [1734:10c1]
   Subsystem: Fujitsu Technology Solutions Mobile 945GM/GMS/GME, 943/940GML Express Integrated Graphics Controller [1734:10c1]
InstallationDate: Installed on 2016-09-29 (15 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 16.04.1 LTS "Xenial Xerus" - Release i386 (20160719)
MachineType: FUJITSU SIEMENS AMILO Pro Edition V3505
PccardctlIdent:
 Socket 0:
   no product info available
PccardctlStatus:
 Socket 0:
   no card
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-43-generic root=UUID=201692f6-1f2c-4b27-b9b7-172d8305a2f0 ro splash quiet vt.handoff=7
SourcePackage: xorg
Symptom: display
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 04/27/2007
dmi.bios.vendor: Phoenix Technologies LTD
dmi.bios.version: R01-B0G
dmi.board.name: AMILO Pro Edition V3505
dmi.board.vendor: FUJITSU SIEMENS
dmi.board.version: Not Applicable
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: 221C8340FC5C11DAA7BA90D491D4809D
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: FUJITSU SIEMENS
dmi.chassis.version: A2040
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnPhoenixTechnologiesLTD:bvrR01-B0G:bd04/27/2007:svnFUJITSUSIEMENS:pnAMILOProEditionV3505:pvr20:rvnFUJITSUSIEMENS:rnAMILOProEditionV3505:rvrNotApplicable:cvnFUJITSUSIEMENS:ct10:cvrA2040:
dmi.product.name: AMILO Pro Edition V3505
dmi.product.version: 20
dmi.sys.vendor: FUJITSU SIEMENS
version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.12.2+16.04.20160823-0ubuntu1
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.67-1ubuntu0.16.04.2
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 11.2.0-1ubuntu2.2
version.libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental: libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental N/A
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 11.2.0-1ubuntu2.2
version.xserver-xorg-core: xserver-xorg-core 2:1.18.4-0ubuntu0.1
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev 1:2.10.1-1ubuntu2
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:7.7.0-1
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.99.917+git20160325-1ubuntu1.1
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:1.0.12-1build2
xserver.bootTime: Sat Oct 15 10:48:04 2016
xserver.configfile: default
xserver.devices:
 input Power Button KEYBOARD, id 6
 input Video Bus KEYBOARD, id 7
 input Sleep Button KEYBOARD, id 8
 input AT Translated Set 2 keyboard KEYBOARD, id 9
 input SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad TOUCHPAD, id 10
xserver.errors:
 /dev/dri/card0: failed to set DRM interface version 1.4: Permission denied
 /dev/dri/card0: failed to set DRM interface version 1.4: Permission denied
xserver.logfile: /var/log/Xorg.0.log
xserver.outputs:
 product id 5040
 vendor CPT
xserver.version: 2:1.18.4-0ubuntu0.1

[Brad Figg (brad-figg)]

This change was made by a bot.

[Mark Williams (markuk73)]

Same issue on Ubuntu Mate 16.04.1.

[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 v4.9 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'.

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/v4.9-rc1/

[Giuseppe Vitillaro (orfheo)]

Joseph, I tried to boot the 4.9-rc1 upstream kernel on my notebook:

linux-headers-4.9.0-040900rc1_4.9.0-040900rc1.201610151630_all.deb
linux-headers-4.9.0-040900rc1-generic_4.9.0-040900rc1.201610151630_i386.deb
linux-image-4.9.0-040900rc1-generic_4.9.0-040900rc1.201610151630_i386.deb

but unfortunately it doesn't boot at all, I'm getting "missing symbols" in the kernel, if I didn't get it wrong (not easy to read, no log at all, it doesn't even mount the root filesystem).

Anything else I can do?

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for linux (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]

[Martin Dauskardt (md001)]

same problem here with a MEDION MD 96500 Notebook. wistron_btns causes a segfault and as a result the machine won't shut down.

A fix has been posted several times to LKML and it is really hard to understand why it is ignored.
https://lore.kernel.org/patchwork/patch/815755/

[Jim MacKenzie (jim-photojim)]

This bug still exists in 18.04 LTS (and has been present for many versions).

Verified on an Acer Travelmate 2420. Blacklisting the module solves the problem at the expense of the buttons/switch not functioning properly.

This fix should be ported into the kernel.