Kernel 3.8 has boot problems with USB [solved]

[lon]

The 3.8 kernels may have problems booting when USB is required (e.g. when booting with root on a USB attached disk).

The issue is that the EHCI modules have been split up, but initramfs-tools doesn't yet correctly include all the required modules in the initramfs.

e.g. I have a machine which runs on a USB attached disk (the SATA subsystem is fried).  I couldn't get it to boot with the 3.8 kernels, until I realised that I needed to add "ehci-pci" to /etc/initramfs/modules.  After having done so, all is fine.  I suspect other people will need this or similar workarounds, until initramfs-tools is fixed to cope with the new kernel structure.

Cheers,
Lon

[devil]

Our latest kernel should have a fix for that already


greetz
devil

[convbsd]

As devil saed  our's 3.8.1 kernel has fixed that.

[lon]

Whatever you fixed, it still doesn't work for me (without my workaround).  I should have been more specific: when I said "3.8 kernels" I meant both the 3.8.0 and 3.8.1 kernels.

I think the required fix is in initramfs-tools, not the kernel.  As long as the ehci-pci module is not included in the initramfs, I don't think that USB2 will function very well (re: my one machine won't even boot).

[convbsd]

Hi Ion,

Please excuse me. Indeed it's not a kernel related issue but a initramfs one.
I haven't fixed nothing.Fix was applied indeed in fll-live-initramfs and the result is that ehci-pci is included in initramfs.
Fix was applied about two days ago ( see changelog ).
I have tested and it's working.
If it's not working for you can you tell us how you have tested this ?

Thank you

[lon]

Hi,

Perhaps I wasn't clear. My problem isn't with a live CD, but with the installed system.

I have a laptop that I picked up for free, which is actually quite nice, but lacks SATA, because the previous owner managed to break the connector off. But it works quite nicely for me, running off an old SSD that has a USB connector. Not the best set-up for disk I/O, but good enough, since it's the screen that I want to use.

D-U to the 3.8 kernel broke this, because initramfs-tools doesn't include ehci-pci in initrd.img. And there are various other scenarios where USB2 is required for booting, although they aren't the usual case.

I notice that Debian experimental has picked up a 3.8 kernel, so perhaps a fix will be forthcoming soon. But I'm not sure that I'd want to hold my breath, since even Debian Sid doesn't update the kernel very often.

On the other hand, you siduction guys do provide your most excellent kernels tracking the latest releases. So this is an issue for people running siduction.

I don't know whether you want to provide your own fix (i.e. release your own version of initramfs-tools), or just wait for an upstream fix. But I thought I should provide a heads-up on the forum, so people with oddball machines like me know what to do to work around the problem.

[convbsd]

Hi Ion

Thank you for your's quick answer.
We have talked about same subject in two diferent situations:
1) kernel 3.8 won't start form usb in live mode.
2) kernel won't start from usb in installed mode.
As I know we have fixed only issue 1).
You have find a way to fix 2).

Thank you

Greets
Ovidiu

[towo]

boot kernel 3.7
echo ehci-pci > /etc/initramfs-tools/modules
update-initramfs -u -k 3.8-foo
reboot

even an update of initramfs-tools from experimental should solve this issue.

[lon]

boot kernel 3.7
echo ehci-pci > /etc/initramfs-tools/modules
update-initramfs -u -k 3.8-foo
reboot

As I said in the post that kicked off this thread.  Of course, one needs to know to do this, and thus the post.

even an update of initramfs-tools from experimental should solve this issue.

Oh.  Thanks.  I hadn't noticed this.  Perhaps the experimental initramfs-tools should be made the default in siduction, since the 3.8 kernel may require it.  Or am I missing some file that I should have in /etc/apt/preferences.d that already does this?

EDIT: Looks like the new initramfs-tools is already the default.  Problem solved.