linux-image-2.6.24-34-fitpc2 doesn't support S/N 100519-*

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linuxball
Posts: 9
Joined: Tue Mar 09, 2010 9:35 am

linux-image-2.6.24-34-fitpc2 doesn't support S/N 100519-*

Post by linuxball »

We have already successfully running many (70+) fit-PC2 with linux kernel from package

http://fit-pc2.com/download/ubuntu/dist ... 0_i386.deb

However, yesterday we tried to set up a new system with 20+ fit-PC2 (all S/N 100519-*) which all cannot boot with the above kernel.

The boot process aborts very early (before root fs is mounted) when the kernel tries to intitialize module r8169 (kernel oops) and the system halts.

As I found out using dmesg, the problematic fit-PC2s have a newer ethernet chip RTL8168d/8111d (vs. RTL8168c/8111c in the fit-PC2s working with the above kernel). "lscpi -vd 10ec:8168" reports

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02:00.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8111/8168B PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet controller (rev 03)
	Subsystem: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8111/8168B PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet controller
	Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 24
	I/O ports at 2000 [size=256]
	Memory at d0004000 (64-bit, prefetchable) [size=4K]
	Memory at d0000000 (64-bit, prefetchable) [size=16K]
	[virtual] Expansion ROM at d0020000 [disabled] [size=128K]
	Capabilities: [40] Power Management version 3
	Capabilities: [50] Message Signalled Interrupts: Mask- 64bit+ Queue=0/0 Enable+
	Capabilities: [70] Express Endpoint, MSI 01
	Capabilities: [ac] MSI-X: Enable- Mask- TabSize=4
	Capabilities: [cc] Vital Product Data <?>
	Capabilities: [100] Advanced Error Reporting <?>
	Capabilities: [140] Virtual Channel <?>
	Capabilities: [160] Device Serial Number 00-e0-4c-68-00-00-02-34
	Kernel driver in use: r8169
	Kernel modules: r8169
for a non-working fit-PC2 and

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02:00.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8111/8168B PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet controller (rev 02)
	Subsystem: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8111/8168B PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet controller
	Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 21
	I/O ports at 2000 [size=256]
	Memory at d0000000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=4K]
	Memory at d0100000 (64-bit, prefetchable) [size=64K]
	[virtual] Expansion ROM at d0120000 [disabled] [size=128K]
	Capabilities: [40] Power Management version 3
	Capabilities: [50] Message Signalled Interrupts: Mask- 64bit+ Queue=0/0 Enable-
	Capabilities: [70] Express Endpoint IRQ 1
	Capabilities: [b0] MSI-X: Enable- Mask- TabSize=2
	Capabilities: [d0] Vital Product Data
	Capabilities: [100] Advanced Error Reporting
	Capabilities: [140] Virtual Channel
	Capabilities: [160] Device Serial Number 00-e0-4c-68-00-00-00-15
for a working (older) fit-PC2.

I guess that the newer revision 03 of the ethernet chip is not supported by the above kernel.

My questions are:
  • Is there already a newer kernel package for Ubuntu 8.04 which supports these newer fit-PC2?
  • If not: Is there any way (boot option etc.) to get the old driver/kernel working with the new chip or
  • Is there any kernel patch for the above kernel package which can be used to build a working kernel?
We need to get these fit-PC2 working with our existing Ubuntu 8.04 based solution because migrating the whole solution to a newer Ubuntu version is not possible at the moment.

Thanks in advance for any hint,

Wolfgang.

fly
Posts: 162
Joined: Thu Jul 22, 2010 2:02 pm

Re: linux-image-2.6.24-34-fitpc2 doesn't support S/N 100519-*

Post by fly »

I have seen quite some issues with this NIC family, you might be better off using the default ubuntu kernel, blacklisting existing module and use a self compiled module for the NIC. However, I don't know what exactly was changed in the fitpc2 kernel, so you might want to run some extra testing first. Sources are available at realtek [1] and compiling is quite easy and doesn't last very long -- even on the fitpc2 itself. I once used to compile both, wlan and eth modules, on every single startup...

[1] http://www.realtek.com.tw/downloads/dow ... wn=false#2

Denis
Posts: 301
Joined: Sun Apr 26, 2009 3:24 pm

Re: linux-image-2.6.24-34-fitpc2 doesn't support S/N 100519-*

Post by Denis »

Sorry for late response.
I have tested latest official Ubuntu kernel for Hardy 2.6.24-28-generic, it does not work too. I will check the issue and prepare the update.
Compulab's Linux support

linuxball
Posts: 9
Joined: Tue Mar 09, 2010 9:35 am

Re: linux-image-2.6.24-34-fitpc2 doesn't support S/N 100519-*

Post by linuxball »

@fly and Denis: Thank you for your replies!

@Denis: Thank your for preparing an update of the kernel package.

Sorry for being so long in getting back to you. I was very busy so I could not test the updated kernel package (linux-image-2.6.24-34-fitpc2_2.6.24-34.11_i386.deb) before last Friday. At first the good news:
  • Kernel from package version 2.6.24-34.11 will not crash/halt at boot time with the new revision 03 ethernet controller chips
  • Network will work fine with the older revision 02 ethernet controller chips (older fit-PC2)

Now the bad news:
  • Network will not work properly with the revision 03 chips: Although ifconfig shows normal settings for the interface no packets can be received or sent.
These are the r8169 related lines of dmesg:

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[   18.167401] r8169 Gigabit Ethernet driver 2.2LK-NAPI loaded
[   18.167441] PCI: Enabling device 0000:02:00.0 (0004 -> 0007)
[   18.167458] ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:02:00.0[A] -> GSI 16 (level, low) -> IRQ 17
[   18.167482] PCI: Setting latency timer of device 0000:02:00.0 to 64
[   18.167507] r8169 0000:02:00.0: unknown MAC (2b1000c0)
[   18.167515] r8169 0000:02:00.0: no MSI. Back to INTx.
[   18.167990] eth0: RTL8169 at 0xf8840000, 00:01:c0:07:8d:72, XID 281000c0 IRQ 17
...
[   38.772395] r8169: eth0: link down
...
[   40.740635] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): eth0: link is not ready
It looks like the driver detects "eth0: link down" 20 seconds after module initialization. The log message "eth0: link is not ready" appears only two seconds later when eth0 is configured via "ifconfig eth0 <IP_ADDRESS>".

Do I need a kernel module parameter in order to get the driver working correctly with this chip?

Using Google I only found out that a similar problem has been observed with the same driver+chip but another distro/kernel (Debian Lenny / kernel 2.6.26), too:
http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=544114
They solved the problem by using a newer kernel (2.6.30).

@Denis: Does this kernel/driver work with a rev 03 chip fit-PC2 for you? If yes, can you post your network related dmesg lines please (may be from the differences one can find out the reason why it does not work for me)

I will appreciate any hint.

Have a nice day,

Wolfgang

Denis
Posts: 301
Joined: Sun Apr 26, 2009 3:24 pm

Re: linux-image-2.6.24-34-fitpc2 doesn't support S/N 100519-*

Post by Denis »

Hi Wolfgang,

Unfortunately rev 03 chip does not work properly with any types of 2.6.24 kernel. The only option as I understand is 2.6.30 kernel and newer, I will try to rewrite r8169.c. As you can see r8169.c completely changed in 2.6.30, so it will take time.
Compulab's Linux support

linuxball
Posts: 9
Joined: Tue Mar 09, 2010 9:35 am

Re: linux-image-2.6.24-34-fitpc2 doesn't support S/N 100519-*

Post by linuxball »

Hi Dennis:

Thank you very much for getting involved with that problem. I don't know whether this posting is of any help to you, may be you already knew it. If this is the case then just disregard this posting.

I found some (more generic) info on the r8169 kernel driver problem. The info is not related to our specific ethernet controller rev 03 chip but rather to the way the r8169 driver handles (unknown) devices: The driver handles devices according to their PCI ID and for devices with the same PCI ID it selects the appropriate handling method according to their "MAC" (here MAC is not the Media Access Control address but something like a special device type ID). So the kernel message

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[   18.167507] r8169 0000:02:00.0: unknown MAC (2b1000c0)
indicates that the specific device type is unknown to the driver. In this case the driver handles the device like its default device which is a RTL8169 device:

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[   18.167990] eth0: RTL8169 at 0xf8840000, 00:01:c0:07:8d:72, XID 281000c0 IRQ 17
Thus for unknown devices it is like a gamble whether the device will somehow work or not.

I hit this info reading thread https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+sour ... bug/326891. Especially the postings from Stefan Bader https://launchpad.net/~stefan-bader-canonical are interesting. He seems to be in charge for the r8169 driver patches with the Ubuntu team (links to some patches are in that thread) and may be he already has some patches for our rev 03 chip in his drawer?

Best regards,

Wolfgang

Denis
Posts: 301
Joined: Sun Apr 26, 2009 3:24 pm

Re: linux-image-2.6.24-34-fitpc2 doesn't support S/N 100519-*

Post by Denis »

Hi Wolfgang,
Thanks for the info about MACs, it was very helpful. I have uploaded again linux-image-2.6.24-34-fitpc2_2.6.24-34.11_i386.deb (and all other .11 files), now with the fix.
Compulab's Linux support

linuxball
Posts: 9
Joined: Tue Mar 09, 2010 9:35 am

Re: linux-image-2.6.24-34-fitpc2 doesn't support S/N 100519-*

Post by linuxball »

Hi Dennis:

Very good news :D : With your latest kernel package the RTL8168d/8111d ethernet interface works like a charme:

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[   17.083048] r8169 Gigabit Ethernet driver 2.2LK loaded
[   17.083089] PCI: Enabling device 0000:02:00.0 (0004 -> 0007)
[   17.083108] ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:02:00.0[A] -> GSI 16 (level, low) -> IRQ 17
[   17.083131] PCI: Setting latency timer of device 0000:02:00.0 to 64
[   17.083159] r8169 0000:02:00.0: no MSI. Back to INTx.
[   17.085661] eth0: RTL8168d/8111d at 0xf8840000, 00:01:c0:07:8d:72, XID 281000c0 IRQ 17
...
[   37.518714] r8169: eth0: link up
[   37.519369] r8169: eth0: link up
[   39.469210] NET: Registered protocol family 10
[   39.471125] lo: Disabled Privacy Extensions
...
[   49.742414] eth0: no IPv6 routers present
Note: All who in the meantime updated to your previous linux-image-2.6.24-34-fitpc2_2.6.24-34.11_i386.deb (which did not work with the rev 03 chip) won't get the latest package with your fix as (normal) update. They have to force reinstallation using

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sudo apt-get install --reinstall linux-image-2.6.24-34-fitpc2_2.6.24-34.11_i386.deb
Thank you very much for your help and have a nice day,

Wolfgang.

PS: I just found out that the new fit-PC2 comes with a new sound chip, too. There are some minor issues, e. g. muting of master and surround channel (headphones volume must be changed using the surround channel) does not work (at least with alsamixer).

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