Random process hangs after clean Kubuntu 11.04 natty install

[Toshe Bukov]

After installing fresh Kubuntu 11.04 Natty on my desktop PC, I experienced some issues with application and process hangs. There is also a problem with my USB 3 hard disk. These sort of problems did not happen on Kubuntu 10.10 installed on the same PC (on separate partition).

The hangs manifest themselves with kernel log messages like these:

[ 960.480151] INFO: task amarok:2505 blocked for more than 120 seconds.
[ 960.480153] "echo 0 > /proc/sys/kernel/hung_task_timeout_secs" disables this message.
[ 960.480155] amarok D 0000000000000000 0 2505 1 0x00000000
[ 960.480158] ffff8800a556bb38 0000000000000086 ffff8800a556bfd8 ffff8800a556a000
[ 960.480162] 0000000000013d00 ffff8800cb7f3178 ffff8800a556bfd8 0000000000013d00
[ 960.480165] ffffffff81a0b020 ffff8800cb7f2dc0 ffffea000242ac58 ffff88012704c870
[ 960.480169] Call Trace:
[ 960.480172] [<ffffffff815c19f7>] __mutex_lock_slowpath+0xf7/0x180
[ 960.480175] [<ffffffff815c144b>] mutex_lock+0x2b/0x50
[ 960.480180] [<ffffffffa0d0ad42>] video_open+0x102/0x400 [cx8800]
[ 960.480183] [<ffffffff815c2cbe>] ? _raw_spin_lock+0xe/0x20
[ 960.480186] [<ffffffff8117c55d>] ? __d_lookup+0x10d/0x170
[ 960.480191] [<ffffffffa0ca0731>] v4l2_open+0x101/0x130 [videodev]
[ 960.480194] [<ffffffff81168f4a>] chrdev_open+0xda/0x1f0
[ 960.480197] [<ffffffff81168e70>] ? chrdev_open+0x0/0x1f0
[ 960.480200] [<ffffffff81162cee>] __dentry_open+0xce/0x2f0
[ 960.480202] [<ffffffff8116ef33>] ? generic_permission+0x23/0xc0
[ 960.480205] [<ffffffff811641e1>] nameidata_to_filp+0x71/0x80
[ 960.480208] [<ffffffff811733c8>] finish_open+0xc8/0x1b0
[ 960.480210] [<ffffffff811725b7>] ? do_path_lookup+0x87/0x160
[ 960.480213] [<ffffffff81173b88>] do_filp_open+0x2c8/0x7c0
[ 960.480216] [<ffffffff81172902>] ? user_path_at+0x62/0xa0
[ 960.480219] [<ffffffff81131d4d>] ? handle_mm_fault+0x16d/0x250
[ 960.480222] [<ffffffff812e6c47>] ? __strncpy_from_user+0x27/0x60
[ 960.480225] [<ffffffff81180ea7>] ? alloc_fd+0xf7/0x150
[ 960.480228] [<ffffffff8116425a>] do_sys_open+0x6a/0x150
[ 960.480230] [<ffffffff81164360>] sys_open+0x20/0x30
[ 960.480233] [<ffffffff8100c002>] system_call_fastpath+0x16/0x1b
[ 1080.480027] INFO: task knotify4:1663 blocked for more than 120 seconds.
[ 1080.480030] "echo 0 > /proc/sys/kernel/hung_task_timeout_secs" disables this message.
[ 1080.480032] knotify4 D 0000000000000000 0 1663 1 0x00000000
[ 1080.480036] ffff880123a2bb28 0000000000000082 ffff880123a2bfd8 ffff880123a2a000
[ 1080.480040] 0000000000013d00 ffff880121003178 ffff880123a2bfd8 0000000000013d00
[ 1080.480044] ffff8800cb7e16e0 ffff880121002dc0 ffffffff81060a27 ffff88012704c870
[ 1080.480048] Call Trace:
[ 1080.480054] [<ffffffff81060a27>] ? mutex_spin_on_owner+0x97/0xd0
[ 1080.480059] [<ffffffff815c19f7>] __mutex_lock_slowpath+0xf7/0x180
[ 1080.480069] [<ffffffff812e4f61>] ? vsnprintf+0x221/0x620
[ 1080.480072] [<ffffffff815c144b>] mutex_lock+0x2b/0x50
[ 1080.480076] [<ffffffffa0b2d10f>] cx8802_request_acquire+0x5f/0xf0 [cx8802]
[ 1080.480081] [<ffffffffa0e87e08>] mpeg_open+0x78/0x270 [cx88_blackbird]
[ 1080.480084] [<ffffffff8117c55d>] ? __d_lookup+0x10d/0x170
[ 1080.480092] [<ffffffffa0ca0731>] v4l2_open+0x101/0x130 [videodev]
[ 1080.480096] [<ffffffff81168f4a>] chrdev_open+0xda/0x1f0
[ 1080.480099] [<ffffffff81168e70>] ? chrdev_open+0x0/0x1f0
[ 1080.480102] [<ffffffff81162cee>] __dentry_open+0xce/0x2f0
[ 1080.480105] [<ffffffff8116ef33>] ? generic_permission+0x23/0xc0
[ 1080.480108] [<ffffffff811641e1>] nameidata_to_filp+0x71/0x80
[ 1080.480111] [<ffffffff811733c8>] finish_open+0xc8/0x1b0
[ 1080.480113] [<ffffffff811725b7>] ? do_path_lookup+0x87/0x160
[ 1080.480116] [<ffffffff81173b88>] do_filp_open+0x2c8/0x7c0
[ 1080.480119] [<ffffffff81172902>] ? user_path_at+0x62/0xa0
[ 1080.480122] [<ffffffff811663f1>] ? get_empty_filp+0xa1/0x170
[ 1080.480125] [<ffffffff812e6c47>] ? __strncpy_from_user+0x27/0x60
[ 1080.480128] [<ffffffff81180ea7>] ? alloc_fd+0xf7/0x150
[ 1080.480131] [<ffffffff8116425a>] do_sys_open+0x6a/0x150
[ 1080.480134] [<ffffffff81164360>] sys_open+0x20/0x30
[ 1080.480137] [<ffffffff8100c002>] system_call_fastpath+0x16/0x1b
[ 1080.480147] INFO: task dolphin:1842 blocked for more than 120 seconds.
[ 1080.480148] "echo 0 > /proc/sys/kernel/hung_task_timeout_secs" disables this message.
[ 1080.480150] dolphin D 0000000000000000 0 1842 1 0x00000004
[ 1080.480154] ffff8800cb4f3b38 0000000000000082 ffff8800cb4f3fd8 ffff8800cb4f2000
[ 1080.480157] 0000000000013d00 ffff8800cb7f4858 ffff8800cb4f3fd8 0000000000013d00
[ 1080.480161] ffffffff81a0b020 ffff8800cb7f44a0 ffffea000267b0d0 ffff88012704c870
[ 1080.480164] Call Trace:
[ 1080.480168] [<ffffffff815c19f7>] __mutex_lock_slowpath+0xf7/0x180
[ 1080.480171] [<ffffffff815c144b>] mutex_lock+0x2b/0x50
[ 1080.480176] [<ffffffffa0d0ad42>] video_open+0x102/0x400 [cx8800]
[ 1080.480179] [<ffffffff815c2cbe>] ? _raw_spin_lock+0xe/0x20
[ 1080.480181] [<ffffffff8117c55d>] ? __d_lookup+0x10d/0x170
[ 1080.480186] [<ffffffffa0ca0731>] v4l2_open+0x101/0x130 [videodev]
[ 1080.480190] [<ffffffff81168f4a>] chrdev_open+0xda/0x1f0
[ 1080.480192] [<ffffffff81168e70>] ? chrdev_open+0x0/0x1f0
[ 1080.480195] [<ffffffff81162cee>] __dentry_open+0xce/0x2f0
[ 1080.480198] [<ffffffff8116ef33>] ? generic_permission+0x23/0xc0
[ 1080.480200] [<ffffffff811641e1>] nameidata_to_filp+0x71/0x80
[ 1080.480203] [<ffffffff811733c8>] finish_open+0xc8/0x1b0
[ 1080.480206] [<ffffffff811725b7>] ? do_path_lookup+0x87/0x160
[ 1080.480208] [<ffffffff81173b88>] do_filp_open+0x2c8/0x7c0
[ 1080.480211] [<ffffffff81172902>] ? user_path_at+0x62/0xa0
[ 1080.480214] [<ffffffff81131d4d>] ? handle_mm_fault+0x16d/0x250
[ 1080.480217] [<ffffffff812e6c47>] ? __strncpy_from_user+0x27/0x60
[ 1080.480220] [<ffffffff81180ea7>] ? alloc_fd+0xf7/0x150
[ 1080.480223] [<ffffffff8116425a>] do_sys_open+0x6a/0x150
[ 1080.480225] [<ffffffff81164360>] sys_open+0x20/0x30
[ 1080.480228] [<ffffffff8100c002>] system_call_fastpath+0x16/0x1b
[ 2169.330012] xhci_hcd 0000:06:00.0: Timeout while waiting for a slot
[ 2169.330018] hub 3-0:1.0: couldn't allocate port 1 usb_device

I am not sure the two problems (application hangs and USB3 timeouts are related) but they do not happen under Kubuntu 10.10.
Attempts to kill the hung processes do not succeed:

root@masha:~# ps -ef |grep knotify
toshe 1663 1 0 10:34 ? 00:00:00 /usr/bin/knotify4
root 3166 2020 0 11:44 pts/3 00:00:00 grep --color=auto knotify
root@masha:~# kill -9 1663
root@masha:~# ps -ef |grep knotify
toshe 1663 1 0 10:34 ? 00:00:00 /usr/bin/knotify4
root 3168 2020 0 11:44 pts/3 00:00:00 grep --color=auto knotify
root@masha:~#

I noticed that in the most cases the issue affects KDE-based application that tend to hung, but there have been some cases with other application hangs. The dmesg messages indicate it is kernel (or kernel driver) problem.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.04
Package: linux-image-2.6.38-8-generic 2.6.38-8.42
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.38-8.42-generic 2.6.38.2
Uname: Linux 2.6.38-8-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
AlsaVersion: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.23.
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC1: toshe 1735 F.... pulseaudio
 /dev/snd/controlC0: toshe 1735 F.... pulseaudio
CRDA: Error: [Errno 2] No such file or directory
Card0.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:0 'Audigy2'/'SB Audigy 4 [SB0610] (rev.0, serial:0x10211102) at 0x9c00, irq 16'
   Mixer name : 'SigmaTel STAC9750,51'
   Components : 'AC97a:83847650'
   Controls : 202
   Simple ctrls : 37
Card1.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:1 'CX8811'/'Conexant CX8811 at 0xfb000000'
   Mixer name : 'CX88'
   Components : ''
   Controls : 3
   Simple ctrls : 2
Date: Sat Apr 30 11:38:25 2011
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=889b436b-2bc2-4e57-b7e3-8d8fbc43b9ca
InstallationMedia: Kubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" - Release amd64 (20110427)
Lsusb:
 Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub
 Bus 002 Device 002: ID 046d:c517 Logitech, Inc. LX710 Cordless Desktop Laser
 Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
 Bus 001 Device 003: ID 0bda:8187 Realtek Semiconductor Corp. RTL8187 Wireless Adapter
 Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
MachineType: System manufacturer System Product Name
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=en_GB:en
 LANG=en_GB.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.38-8-generic root=UUID=fabe2a44-e873-4606-9bb4-1bef219aab02 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-2.6.38-8-generic N/A
 linux-backports-modules-2.6.38-8-generic N/A
 linux-firmware 1.52
RfKill:
 0: phy0: Wireless LAN
  Soft blocked: no
  Hard blocked: no
SourcePackage: linux
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 03/12/2008
dmi.bios.vendor: Phoenix Technologies, LTD
dmi.bios.version: ASUS P5N32-SLI PREMIUM ACPI BIOS Revision 1002
dmi.board.name: P5N32-SLI PREMIUM
dmi.board.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer INC.
dmi.board.version: 1.XX
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: 123456789000
dmi.chassis.type: 3
dmi.chassis.vendor: Chassis Manufacture
dmi.chassis.version: Chassis Version
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnPhoenixTechnologies,LTD:bvrASUSP5N32-SLIPREMIUMACPIBIOSRevision1002:bd03/12/2008:svnSystemmanufacturer:pnSystemProductName:pvrSystemVersion:rvnASUSTeKComputerINC.:rnP5N32-SLIPREMIUM:rvr1.XX:cvnChassisManufacture:ct3:cvrChassisVersion:
dmi.product.name: System Product Name
dmi.product.version: System Version
dmi.sys.vendor: System manufacturer