Bug 112601 – Kernel freeze during boot on HP nw8240 laptop when using ACPI

• Product: Gentoo Linux
• Status: RESOLVED FIXED

[Description Luud Heck 2005-11-15 05:25:16 UTC]

The newer kernels gentoo-2.6.13-r9 and gentoo-2.6.14-r2 fail to boot when ACPI
has been enabled in the kernel configuration. Kernel gentoo-2.6.12-r6 works fine
(i.e. the same kernel as on the 2005.1 livecd).

When booting the 2005.1 livecd, make sure to give either acpi=off or acpi=on as
kernel boot parameter, otherwise the cpu fan will not start!!!

Without ACPI the newer kernels do boot fine. So something between 2.6.12 and
2.6.13 seems to have broken ACPI on the HP nw8240 laptop.


NOTE: with 2.6.12 ACPI works rather well. CPU frequency scaling works, as does
the adjustment of the fan speed depending on the load. Newer kernels just don't
boot.


Reproducible: Always
Steps to Reproduce:
1. Get a HP nw8240 laptop
2. Install gentoo and try a gentoo-2.6.13 or 2.6.14 kernel
3. Try to boot a post 2.6.12 kernel with ACPI enabled

(Sorry, I know these steps sound easier than they are... ;-)

Actual Results:  
Kernel freezes during boot (i.e. during the kernel initialization sequence).


Expected Results:  
Behave like a good kernel, such as 2.6.12 and boot and manage ACPI correctly.

I'll try to get some kernel messages later, although that will mean writing it
down and typing it in again as this is during the kernel initialization process.

[Comment 1 Daniel Drake (RETIRED) 2005-11-24 17:03:42 UTC]

Please see if this is reproducible on the latest development kernel (currently
vanilla-sources-2.6.15_rc2)

[Comment 2 Luud Heck 2005-11-25 08:53:51 UTC]

Created attachment 73589 [details]
Screenshot kernel hang vanilla-2.6.15_r2

Ok,

I tried vanilla-sources-2.6.15_r2. I just took the .config from the
gentoo-2.6.12-r6 and did a make oldconfig and enterred through all the new
options.

Next I booted with the new kernel and took a picture.

So, anything newer than 2.6.12 seems to have a broken ACPI for the HP nw8240
laptop. This one has a Centrino chipset.

[Comment 3 Luud Heck 2005-11-25 09:16:15 UTC]

Created attachment 73591 [details]
.config for 2.6.15_r2 kernel

[Comment 4 Luud Heck 2005-11-25 09:16:48 UTC]

Created attachment 73592 [details]
.config for gentoo-sources-2.6.12-r6

[Comment 5 Luud Heck 2005-11-25 09:18:11 UTC]

Created attachment 73593 [details]
dmesg log of successful boot of gentoo-sources-2.6.12-r6

[Comment 6 Luud Heck 2005-11-25 09:19:42 UTC]

Created attachment 73594 [details]
output of "emerge info"

This is some additional information that might help.

[Comment 7 Luud Heck 2005-11-25 09:20:05 UTC]

Created attachment 73595 [details]
Output of lspci

[Comment 8 Daniel Drake (RETIRED) 2005-11-25 09:34:24 UTC]

Please try this patch:

https://bugzilla.novell.com/attachment.cgi?id=51332&action=view

Maybe related bugs:
https://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=116763
http://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=5221

[Comment 9 Luud Heck 2005-11-27 05:07:00 UTC]

I tested this fix and now booting works fine.

The booting process seems to be a bit slower than with gentoo-sources-2.6.12-r6,
but it works. I might have to tweak the 2.6.15_rc2 a bit more.

As far as ACPI goes it now seems to work fine. This patch may very well be
applicable to the 2.6.13 and 2.6.14 kernels. I think the maybe related bugs are
definitely related ;-). Thanks for that info.

I think I'll stick with 2.6.12 for now as it works fine for me, but I will try
out the newer gentoo-sources as they come available as stable.

[Comment 10 Daniel Drake (RETIRED) 2005-11-27 05:34:20 UTC]

will track upstream bug

[Comment 11 Daniel Drake (RETIRED) 2005-12-02 03:30:36 UTC]

fixed upstream

[Comment 12 Daniel Drake (RETIRED) 2005-12-02 03:31:02 UTC]

http://www.kernel.org/git/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git;a=commitdiff;h=bd7ce5b5ff930c29b1c0405051e9c9388660b785

[Comment 13 Daniel Drake (RETIRED) 2005-12-02 09:31:32 UTC]

Fixed in genpatches-2.6.14-5 / gentoo-sources-2.6.14-r4