No apci shutdown on Acer 5810TG with custom 2.6.38.8 kernel

[kjpetrie]

I have to compile my own kernels for this laptop because it has a power-hungry radeon chip which needs to be turned off (chip doesn't work well with Linux and uses more than the rest of the laptop combined!). Fortunately it has Intel graphics too, which do work well. Anyway, the Kernel needs CONFIG_RADEON_KMS enabled among other things so custom it has to be.

With the .config at http://www.instabook.com/pclos/config-2.6.38.8-pclos1-kjp1 it won't shut down. The display goes to and stays like it. If I reboot it will give the same display for about a minute and then reboot, but shutdown just doesn't work. My previous kernel (a custom 2.6.36) shut down OK and this was based on an oldconfig from that, but that kernel no longer allows X to start since I installed the 2.6.38.8.

The messages logged during shutdown are short and sweet and look like this:

Code: [Select]


Jun  7 20:19:36 master klogd: vga_switcheroo: processing delayed switch to 0
Jun  7 20:19:36 master klogd: fbcon: Remapping primary device, fb0, to tty 1-63
Jun  7 20:19:36 master klogd: i915: switched off
Jun  7 20:19:36 master shutdown[4054]: shutting down for system halt
Jun  7 20:19:36 master init: Switching to runlevel: 0
Jun  7 20:19:39 master saslauthd[2385]: server_exit     : master exited: 2385
Jun  7 20:19:39 master snmpd[2597]: Received TERM or STOP signal...  shutting down...
Jun  7 20:19:39 master rpcbind: rpcbind terminating on signal. Restart with "rpcbind -w"
Jun  7 20:19:39 master xfs[2339]: terminating
Jun  7 20:19:40 master acpid: exiting
Jun  7 20:19:40 master xinetd[1787]: Exiting...
Jun  7 20:19:40 master sensord: sensord stopped
Jun  7 20:19:40 master logger: Shorewall Stopped
Jun  7 20:19:40 master ifplugd(eth0)[1650]: Exiting.
Jun  7 20:19:41 master klogd: IPv6 over IPv4 tunneling driver
Jun  7 20:19:41 master klogd: Kernel logging (proc) stopped.
Jun  7 20:19:41 master klogd: Kernel log daemon terminating.
Jun  7 20:19:42 master exiting on signal 15

I've run diff on the custom and standard .config files and tried to get them as close as I can apart from the changes needed, but I can't get it to work as well as the stock kernel.

Any help would be appreciated.

[AS]

Hi kjpetrie,

guess:

# CONFIG_ACPI_IPMI is not set

on standard PCLinuxOS kernel is set to:

CONFIG_ACPI_IPMI=m

AS

[kjpetrie]

Thanks, AS.

Actually, My -kjp1 kernel is the only one of four attempts to compile that even makes it to a desktop. The other three, with various configurations based on my custom 2.6.36 to the standard pclos config, all hang just after starting xinetd and cannot be switched to a terminal or start X. Even an R-E-I-S-U-B reboot has to be tried many times before it finally works.

So I think the problem is really a hang during start-up. Both my main computers have Intel graphics and both fail to finish booting even though they work well in graphical mode, but if I try to switch to a virtual terminal I find they won't start and are occupied with boot messages.

The 2.6.38 kernel appears to have a regression not in the 2.6.36 to an old KMS fb bug with Intel chips, which may be why Texstar disabled the KMS. You can see the error in my fuzzy photo, which although taken during shutdown is actually still showing boot messages. Unfortunately, my laptop needs KMS.

There is an old patch and I will take a look at the kernel code to see whether it really is a regression.

[AS]

So I think the problem is really a hang during start-up. Both my main computers have Intel graphics and both fail to finish booting even though they work well in graphical mode, but if I try to switch to a virtual terminal I find they won't start and are occupied with boot messages.

If so, try to boot in text mode (runlevel 3) and then shutdown immediately, if the issue disappear you can be sure it's related to the graphics subsystem.

AS

[kjpetrie]

Runlevel 3 behaves exactly the same. Four out of 5 of my new kernels can't use runlevel three because there are no virtual terminals available for log in. Only failsafe (runlevel 1) works.

I have given up. I have tried 5 configurations and none work, properly. Yet my .36 kernel, also compiled myself, runs well.

I think that kernel doesn't agree with the hardware. I will try downloading a generic .38.8 to see whether it's the kernel version or one of the pclos patches.

Edit: A generic 2.6.38.8 from kernel.org gives identical results. I need to stick with the kernel that works for now. If only I could get a remaster that boots I wouldn't worry so much.