At seemingly random times (twice in the past week) all USB devices connected to the system suddenly stop working. /var/log/kern.log shows errors from ehci_hcd, then usually several filesystem I/O errors from the USB hard disk. After this USB devices may automatically reconnect as USB 1.1 or may not work until the machine is rebooted.
In one case I came home to find my USB mouse powered off, and messages like "host controller halted, very bad" in kern.log. USB hard disk was also inaccessible (I/O errors) and appeared to have locked up (constant blinking LED). After rebooting and plugging in my phone to a powered hub there were messages complaining about "insufficient available bus power", which doesn't sound like it makes a lot of sense (shouldn't the powered hub and the phone's battery be enough?).
While browsing the web today again the controller crashed producing the messages shown in dmesg; in this case the devices reconnected as USB 1.1 and the hard disk is still partially accessible (some files can be read, others give I/O errors). The mouse kept working during this time. After the crash I disconnected and reconnected a few USB devices to see if anything else would happen, but it looks like ehci has already been unloaded.
(Errors about "unknown partition table" happen because the drive is encrypted with Truecrypt.)
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
AlsaVersion: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.23.
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
/dev/snd/controlC0: rena 2296 F.... xfce4-volumed
rena 2297 F.... pulseaudio
rena 2358 F.... xfce4-mixer-plu
rena 4585 F.... conky
CRDA: Error: command ['iw', 'reg', 'get'] failed with exit code 1: nl80211 not found.
Card0.Amixer.info:
Card hw:0 'V8237'/'VIA 8237 with ALC850 at 0xe000, irq 22'
Mixer name : 'Realtek ALC850 rev 0'
Components : 'AC97a:414c4790'
Controls : 49
Simple ctrls : 30
Card1.Amixer.info:
Card hw:1 'UART'/'MPU-401 UART at 0x330, irq 10'
Mixer name : ''
Components : ''
Controls : 0
Simple ctrls : 0
Card1.Amixer.values:
Date: Fri Jun 10 09:48:31 2011
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=7cfe4512-f242-4390-9add-209eb5461f98
InstallationMedia: Xubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" - Release amd64 (20110426.1)
IwConfig:
lo no wireless extensions.
eth0 no wireless extensions.
MachineType: System manufacturer System name
ProcEnviron:
LANGUAGE=en_CA:en
PATH=(custom, no user)
LANG=en_CA.UTF-8
SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/vmlinuz-2.6.38-8-generic root=/dev/mapper/hostname-root 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:
SourcePackage: linux
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 06/24/2005
dmi.bios.vendor: Phoenix Technologies, LTD
dmi.bios.version: ASUS A8V-E DELUXE ACPI BIOS Revision 1008
dmi.board.name: A8V-E DELUXE
dmi.board.vendor: ASUSTek Computer INC.
dmi.board.version: 1.XX
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: 123456789000
dmi.chassis.type: 3
dmi.chassis.vendor: ASUS
dmi.chassis.version: Chassis Version
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnPhoenixTechnologies,LTD:bvrASUSA8V-EDELUXEACPIBIOSRevision1008:bd06/24/2005:svnSystemmanufacturer:pnSystemname:pvr1.XX:rvnASUSTekComputerINC.:rnA8V-EDELUXE:rvr1.XX:cvnASUS:ct3:cvrChassisVersion:
dmi.product.name: System name
dmi.product.version: 1.XX
dmi.sys.vendor: System manufacturer
Just randomly got the total USB failure again. CPU usage was high (running grep); maybe some correlation?
[131274.056314] uhci_hcd 0000:00:10.3: host system error, PCI problems?
[131274.056320] uhci_hcd 0000:00:10.3: host controller halted, very bad!
[131274.056337] uhci_hcd 0000:00:10.3: HC died; cleaning up
[131274.056376] usb 5-1: USB disconnect, address 2
[131274.060471] usb 5-2: USB disconnect, address 6
[131274.060475] usb 5-2.1: USB disconnect, address 7
[131274.060569] usb 5-2.2: USB disconnect, address 8
[131383.290058] usb 4-2: USB disconnect, address 7
[131383.290064] usb 4-2.2: USB disconnect, address 8
USB mouse shut down entirely at this time and would only work again by plugging it into a USB 1.1 hub (instead of directly into the USB 2.0 port it had been in).