PPC new 4.4.0-63-powerpc63-smp kernel kills networking

[Kirill Nersesyan]

After upgrading to a new kernel (4.4.0-63-powerpc64-smp) completely lost ethernet. Looks like the kernel doesn't load a module for my interface (driver r8169). Rolling back to previous kernel version fixes networking.

[Brad Figg (brad-figg)]

This bug is missing log files that will aid in diagnosing the problem. From a terminal window please run:

apport-collect 1666209

and then change the status of the bug to 'Confirmed'.

If, due to the nature of the issue you have encountered, you are unable to run this command, please add a comment stating that fact and change the bug status to 'Confirmed'.

This change has been made by an automated script, maintained by the Ubuntu Kernel Team.

[Joseph Salisbury (jsalisbury)]

Can you test the latest upstream stable kernel to see if this regression is already fixed? It can be downloaded from:

http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v4.4.50/

If the bug does still exies in 4.4.50, we can perform a kernel bisect to identify the commit that introduced the regression.

[Kirill Nersesyan (kaynemo)]

Sorry for a long time to answer and no logs. We've been testing the problem on irc channel. It turns out that the new kernel assigns new names to the network interfaces i.e. the original name (in kernel 62) was enP3168p5s3 and the new kernel assigned the same card and the same interface a new name - enP64624p5s3, therefore - no network obviously, as the /network/interfaces file contained old names. After submitting new names to the config file, the network is up and stable.

[Erling Hansen (eh-peww)]

I am having exactly the same problem as reported as Bug #1666209, ever since I updated from 4.4.0-62. The last working kernel is 4.4.0-62. May I expect that the problem will be solved by an automatic update of the kernel? Or can I do something to repair it myself?

[Kirill Nersesyan (kaynemo)]

I am not sure anyone is actually looking into it. Updating to kernel version 64 resulted it system assigning yet another new name for the interfaces, which in turn screwed up the networking. In my case, as I was ready for that, I just listed what the system now called the interfaces, edited the /etc/network/interfaces file to include the new names and, after a reboot, the system got connected. It is a workaround, but that's
 all I can do for now.

[Kirill Nersesyan (kaynemo)]

Additional bump - on kernel version 67 now and the issue still exists. Every time a new kernel installs, after a reboot the network interface names are changed (mostly digits inside the enP--->p5s3 mask in my case)

[Joseph Salisbury (jsalisbury)]

Can you test the latest upstream stable kernel to see if this regression is already fixed? It can be downloaded from:

http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v4.4.54

If the bug does still exiest in 4.4.54, we can perform a kernel bisect to identify the commit that introduced the regression.

[Kirill Nersesyan (kaynemo)]

Hard to say at the moment. The machine is on 24/7 and is serving a rather large company. I might be able to try to shut it down for sometime late Friday. But can't promise anything. If I do should expect the mainline kernel NOT to change the interfaces names ?