[SRU] use earlycon=sbi on the kernel command line

[Heinrich Schuchardt]

[ Impact ]

On RISC-V boards we have specified 'earlycon' on the command line to provide early kernel log output. This does not work with current kernels.

We have to specify 'earlycon=sbi' to use the kernel driver for the SBI debug console extension which is available since OpenSBI v1.3.

[ Test Plan ]

To reproduce the problem append 'console=ttyS0' to the kernel command line. This will result in writing at 9600 baud in the 'late' console while the early console is expected at 115200 baud.

With 'earlycon=sbi' the early messages are shown.

For testing the Nezha D1 board can be used with our preinstalled server image.

[ Where problems could occur ]

The early console might not work and users might see messages late.

[ Other Info ]

n/a

[Heinrich Schuchardt (xypron)]

Here is the merge request for 24.04 (Noble):
https://code.launchpad.net/~xypron/livecd-rootfs/+git/livecd-rootfs/+merge/467109

[Benjamin Drung (bdrung)]

This change landed in livecd-rootfs 24.10.3 in oracular, but the changelog did not reference this bug.

livecd-rootfs 24.04.72 is waiting in https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/noble/+queue?queue_state=1

So unsubscribing ~ubuntu-sponsors

[Andreas Hasenack (ahasenack)]

I was going to ask to test on non riscV64 systems, to be sure we are not regressing that, but I see in the diff that this option is added only in what looks like a riscv64-only path:

  live-build/ubuntu-cpc/hooks.d/base/riscv64/grub/10_cmdline.cfg

So it's ok without that extra step in the test case.

[Andreas Hasenack (ahasenack)]

Hello Heinrich, or anyone else affected,

Accepted livecd-rootfs into noble-proposed. The package will build now and be available at https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/livecd-rootfs/24.04.72 in a few hours, and then in the -proposed repository.

Please help us by testing this new package. See https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Testing/EnableProposed for documentation on how to enable and use -proposed. Your feedback will aid us getting this update out to other Ubuntu users.

If this package fixes the bug for you, please add a comment to this bug, mentioning the version of the package you tested, what testing has been performed on the package and change the tag from verification-needed-noble to verification-done-noble. If it does not fix the bug for you, please add a comment stating that, and change the tag to verification-failed-noble. In either case, without details of your testing we will not be able to proceed.

Further information regarding the verification process can be found at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/QATeam/PerformingSRUVerification . Thank you in advance for helping!

N.B. The updated package will be released to -updates after the bug(s) fixed by this package have been verified and the package has been in -proposed for a minimum of 7 days.

[Heinrich Schuchardt (xypron)]

For verifications I biited this image on the Nezha D1:

https://launchpad.net/~ubuntu-cdimage/+livefs/ubuntu/noble/cpc/+build/647731/+files/livecd.ubuntu-cpc.disk1.img.xz

grub.cfg has this line
linux /boot/vmlinuz-6.8.0-36-generic root=LABEL=cloudimg-rootfs ro efi=debug earlycon=sbi

I observed no issues booting the board.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

This bug was fixed in the package livecd-rootfs - 24.04.72

---------------
livecd-rootfs (24.04.72) noble; urgency=medium

  [ Heinrich Schuchardt ]
  * riscv64: use earlycon=sbi on command line (LP: #2068739)

  [ Philip Roche ]
  * Revert removal of unminimize call in server builds (LP: #2069828)

livecd-rootfs (24.04.71) noble; urgency=medium

  * Re-enable ability to build HyperV desktop images (LP: #2064280)

livecd-rootfs (24.04.70) noble; urgency=medium

  [ Łukasz 'sil2100' Zemczak ]
  * Add experimental support for building ubuntu-core-desktop installer images
    (LP: #2063203)

  [ Philip Roche ]
  * No longer install LXD snap in unminimize script (LP: #2066905)

 -- Philip Roche <email address hidden> Mon, 24 Jun 2024 14:24:52 +0100

[Łukasz Zemczak (sil2100)]

The verification of the Stable Release Update for livecd-rootfs has completed successfully and the package is now being released to -updates. Subsequently, the Ubuntu Stable Release Updates Team is being unsubscribed and will not receive messages about this bug report. In the event that you encounter a regression using the package from -updates please report a new bug using ubuntu-bug and tag the bug report regression-update so we can easily find any regressions.