Kernel panic on Aspire E1-522 laptop

giulio_buccini · August 23, 2014, 12:26am

Hello,

I’ve got a new Aspire E1-522 laptop originally equipped with Window8 and I’ve made a fresh installation of OpenSUSE 13.1.

Here the steps:

[ol]
[li]downloaded and burned a new installation-DVD (version x86_64bit) with OpenSUSE 13.1 [/li][li]changed the Bios setting from UEFI to Legacy [/li][li]made the CD-ROM boot [/li][li]started the openSUSE installation[/li][LIST=1]
[li]“use the entire Hard disk” option selected (so windows parttions were completely wiped out) [/li][li]usual separated partitions applied ( one for swap, one for home, etc) [/li][/ol]

[li]installation completed with success [/li][/LIST]

At the first run… boom! “kernel panic - not syncing: watchdog detected hard lockup on cpu 3” :’(
I have restarted the computer several times but the message remains the same. I’ve gone back to the BIOS but there are not so many options that I can change, just security stuff, boot orders, etc… I’ve disable the network-boot option (just to save my pride) but nothing changes.
Here the main characteristics of the Acer Aspire E1-522:

[ul]
[li]AMD Quad-Core Processor A6-5200 (2.0 GHz) [/li][li]AMD Radeon HD 8400 - 512 Mb Graphic card [/li][li]4 GB RAM [/li][li]500 GB HDD [/li][/ul]

But but but… when I select “openSUSE 13.1 (recovery mode)” at the start screen… it works! So I think that there is no particular problem with CPUs hardware.

Any clue?

wolfi323 · August 23, 2014, 12:30pm

Well, this in itself does not rule out a hardware issue. Recovery Mode disables certain CPU features.
But I would say it is very unlikely that indeed your CPU is broken hardware-wise.
It’s more likely a kernel issue with your particular CPU.

Some things I could think of:

have you installed all updates? (YaST->Online Updates, “zypper patch”) There have been 3 kernel updates for 13.1 already, maybe your problem would be fixed with a newer one.
try to install the latest kernel from this repo:
http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/Kernel:/stable/standard/
try to add recovery mode’s boot options one-by-one to the standard boot options, and see which one fixes it. (use YaST->System->Boot Loader->Boot Loader Options for that.
Probably you can workaround your problem with the “maxcpu” option (maxcpu=2, or maxcpu=3, I would say in your case).

giulio_buccini · August 23, 2014, 1:43pm

Hello wolfi, thanks for the reply.

In the meanwhile I found my old DVD with openSuse 12.x and tried to install it. No succes (won’t boot ).
Now I’m re-installing 13.1…

I’m going to try that

After rebooting more than one dozen of times I saw that one time the panic message was about cpu 1 and one time about cpu 2, so I think it’s something occurring “randomly”. Anyway I will try your suggestion.

giulio_buccini · August 23, 2014, 4:10pm

An update.

I have reinstalled openSUSE 13.1 and, as before, the same problems occurs.
Before playing with Yast I have decided to run the memory and firmware tests provided by the installation CD.

The Memtest utility runs in a perfect way: 100% tests done, errors = 0.
But when I try to run the firmware test I go in troubles.

Step 1:

http://img5.fotos-hochladen.net/thumbnail/p10205341hn9sme46pi_thumb.jpg](http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/view/p10205341hn9sme46pi.jpg)

Step 2: (kernel is loaded)

http://img5.fotos-hochladen.net/thumbnail/p10205351lo7d0wc8m6_thumb.jpg](http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/view/p10205351lo7d0wc8m6.jpg)

Step 3: (error)

http://img5.fotos-hochladen.net/thumbnail/p102053610pq6ika7ol_thumb.jpg](http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/view/p102053610pq6ika7ol.jpg)

giulio_buccini · August 23, 2014, 4:11pm

…continue from above

Step 4: (after pressing the OK button I can only select one of the options below)

http://img5.fotos-hochladen.net/thumbnail/p10205371tw9d1fclba_thumb.jpg](http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/view/p10205371tw9d1fclba.jpg)

:sarcastic:
I’m confused… why the firmware test don’t want to start?

wolfi323 · August 23, 2014, 4:17pm

No idea. I never really used that.

Have you tried a newer kernel yet?
Maybe the newer kernel-firmware from that repo might help as well.

giulio_buccini · August 23, 2014, 4:40pm

Doing that now…
wow! A lot of updates, I will select them all.
I see also four kernel-firmware patches. Applying…

giulio_buccini · August 23, 2014, 6:14pm

Nope…
Now I have a fresh 3.11.10-21 kernel (previous was 3.11.6) but again I get the same panic message.

BTW: while booting in “recovery mode” I saw a “FAILED” message flushing on the screen, something about the swap partition. Strange… could be something related to that?

wolfi323 · August 23, 2014, 6:29pm

Then please try the latest kernel (and kernel-firmware) from the repo I posted.

If that doesn’t help either, try to add some of recovery mode’s boot options to see which one helps as already mentioned (I don’t know whether you did that already).

You might want to file a bug report, maybe the kernel maintainers could help you more.
http://bugzilla.novell.com/ (same username/password as here)

BTW: while booting in “recovery mode” I saw a “FAILED” message flushing on the screen, something about the swap partition. Strange… could be something related to that?

No.
Apparently your system tries to activate the swap more than once during boot. It fails the subsequent times then.
This should not cause a problem though, you can ignore that.

giulio_buccini · August 23, 2014, 6:37pm

Ok, I will ignore that message. Anyway below there is what is saved in the boot.log file:

http://img5.fotos-hochladen.net/thumbnail/p102054414mv69bks78_thumb.jpg](http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/view/p102054414mv69bks78.jpg)

giulio_buccini · August 23, 2014, 6:54pm

ehmmm… the repository I should add is http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/Kernel:/stable/standard/x86_64/ for my 64 bit processor? :shame:

giulio_buccini · August 23, 2014, 7:35pm

It would be better if you can point me in the right direction in order to update the kernel.
May I do that by using YAST? I mean… by adding the repo and performing the update (after the update I could simply disable the repo from the repos list) ?

giulio_buccini · August 23, 2014, 8:40pm

tried to update kernel with following commands

zypper ar -f http://tinyurl.com/74qjyxn kernel:stable
zypper ref
zypper dup --from kernel:stable

last command asked if I would wipe out previous kernel 3.6.x and 3.10.x and replace them with version 3.16.x
Obviously I answered “yes!”

A couple of mysterious scripts have failed but seems to be updated.
I rebooted the pc and… nightmare. All I see now at the start it’s just the grub prompt…

wolfi323 · August 24, 2014, 8:32pm

Just add the repo, search for “kernel-desktop” in YaST, click on the “Versions” tab below the package list, and mark the 3.16 version to be installed there.

Or just run this without adding any repo:

sudo rpm -i http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/Kernel:/stable/standard/x86_64/kernel-desktop-3.16.1-4.1.g8fc81d3.x86_64.rpm

(I probably should have posted that line in the first place, sorry)

giulio_buccini:

tried to update kernel with following commands
zypper ar -f http://tinyurl.com/74qjyxn kernel:stable
zypper ref
zypper dup --from kernel:stable
last command asked if I would wipe out previous kernel 3.6.x and 3.10.x and replace them with version 3.16.x
Obviously I answered “yes!”

That should not have happened. Normally it is possible to install more than one kernel.
Did you manually disable the “multiversions” option in /etc/zypp/zypp.conf?

A couple of mysterious scripts have failed but seems to be updated.
I rebooted the pc and… nightmare. All I see now at the start it’s just the grub prompt…

Hm. Problem with your hard disk? Maybe /boot was full?

Boot from an installation medium, select “Upgrade an existing installation” and de-select everything except the kernel-desktop and grub2 packages.
This should fix it.
Or boot some LiveCD, chroot to the system and re-install the boot loader as explained here:
https://forums.opensuse.org/content.php/128-Re-install-Grub2-from-DVD-Rescue
You might have to run “mount -t proc proc /proc” instead of “mount /proc”, and “mount -t sysfs sysfs /sys” instead of “mount /sys”.

giulio_buccini · August 24, 2014, 9:17pm

Hi wolfi, thanks for the help.

I need to read more times what you wrote and then try to apply it… get in touch soon!

giulio_buccini · August 24, 2014, 11:13pm

I tried to use the installation disk to recover kernel and grub, but…

Problem 1
During the system update all packages but 7 packages was marked with the “auto-update” marker, no way to change that. I mean, you can use the pop-up menù to uncheck them but… nothing happens. Really frustrating.
So I decided to go on with updating all packages (kernel and grub2 was checked with auto-update marker too).

Problem 2
Close to the end of the update-procedure I’ve got the same kernel error message that was displayed at the boot (seems really to be the same).

http://img5.fotos-hochladen.net/thumbnail/p10205621ovarbc8ltk_thumb.jpg](http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/view/p10205621ovarbc8ltk.jpg)

Solution 0
I will restart from zero… I will install openSUSE 11.3 from the scratch, I will appli all the patches and, after that, I will try to use the rpm command that you wrote to update the kernel.
Now I have to go to bed otherwise the procedure “divorce 1.0” will run on the processor wife1.

I will let you know about results.

wolfi323 · August 25, 2014, 7:18am

Answers to your further questions:

Yes. According to your picture it tries to activate /dev/sda1 and /dev/disk/by-id/xxx-part1, which is the same.

Probably removing the corresponding line in /etc/fstab should get rid of that error message.

No.
The repo URL does/should not include the “x86_64”. YaST/zypper will select the appropriate architecture itself (and there’s also “noarch” ).

I will reply to your last post immediately.

wolfi323 · August 25, 2014, 7:27am

You should be able to right-click on the list and select “All in this list”->“Do not install”. Packages required by other packages are of course selected automatically, you have to de-select the other package first.

Problem 2
Close to the end of the update-procedure I’ve got the same kernel error message that was displayed at the boot (seems really to be the same).

Hm. I do know about this bug, but it should be fixed already.

What puzzles me is that you were able to install 13.1 in the first place if that bug is on the installation medium.
Which installation medium did you use now?

Solution 0
I will restart from zero… I will install openSUSE 11.3 from the scratch, I will appli all the patches and, after that, I will try to use the rpm command that you wrote to update the kernel.

You mean 13.1 I hope?

Don’t forget to install the newer kernel-firmware and ucode-amd as well. It might help.

sudo rpm -i http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/Kernel:/stable/standard/noarch/kernel-firmware-20140624git-35.1.noarch.rpm http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/Kernel:/stable/standard/noarch/ucode-amd-20140624git-35.1.noarch.rpm

Now I have to go to bed otherwise the procedure “divorce 1.0” will run on the processor wife1.

rotfl!

giulio_buccini · August 25, 2014, 11:12am

Hi wolfi,

sorry for the typos, I meant openSuse 13.1, not 11.3 :shame:
Now I have a fresh, updated, installation equipped with kernel-3.10.x. Now I will try to apply the latest kernel.

BTW: there was no way to unselect packages in YAST updater, for some mysterious reason the right-click procedure that you described won’t work, nothing happens. It’s a bug, I think.

giulio_buccini · August 25, 2014, 12:11pm

wolfi323:

Don’t forget to install the newer kernel-firmware and ucode-amd as well. It might help.

sudo rpm -i http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/Kernel:/stable/standard/noarch/kernel-firmware-20140624git-35.1.noarch.rpm http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/Kernel:/stable/standard/noarch/ucode-amd-20140624git-35.1.noarch.rpm

By executing the rpm command I get what below:

liudmila@linux-js5j:~> sudo rpm -i http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/Kernel:/stable/standard/noarch/kernel-firmware-20140624git-35.1.noarch.rpm http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/Kernel:/stable/standard/noarch/ucode-amd-20140624git-35.1.noarch.rpm

We trust you have received the usual lecture from the local System
Administrator. It usually boils down to these three things:

    #1) Respect the privacy of others.
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root's password:
warning: /var/tmp/rpm-tmp.N5pJHW: Header V3 RSA/SHA1 Signature, key ID 03579c1d: NOKEY
        file /lib/firmware/LICENCE.iwlwifi_firmware from install of kernel-firmware-20140624git-35.1.noarch conflicts with file from package kernel-firmware-20130714git-2.17.1.noarch
        file /usr/share/doc/packages/kernel-firmware/LICENCE.iwlwifi_firmware from install of kernel-firmware-20140624git-35.1.noarch conflicts with file from package kernel-firmware-20130714git-2.17.1.noarch
        file /lib/firmware/LICENCE.qla2xxx from install of kernel-firmware-20140624git-35.1.noarch conflicts with file from package kernel-firmware-20130714git-2.17.1.noarch
        file /usr/share/doc/packages/kernel-firmware/LICENCE.qla2xxx from install of kernel-firmware-20140624git-35.1.noarch conflicts with file from package kernel-firmware-20130714git-2.17.1.noarch
        file /lib/firmware/LICENSE.radeon from install of kernel-firmware-20140624git-35.1.noarch conflicts with file from package kernel-firmware-20130714git-2.17.1.noarch
        file /lib/firmware/README from install of kernel-firmware-20140624git-35.1.noarch conflicts with file from package kernel-firmware-20130714git-2.17.1.noarch
        file /usr/share/doc/packages/kernel-firmware/README from install of kernel-firmware-20140624git-35.1.noarch conflicts with file from package kernel-firmware-20130714git-2.17.1.noarch
        file /lib/firmware/cxgb4/t4fw.bin from install of kernel-firmware-20140624git-35.1.noarch conflicts with file from package kernel-firmware-20130714git-2.17.1.noarch
        file /lib/firmware/intel/ibt-hw-37.7.10-fw-1.80.2.3.d.bseq from install of kernel-firmware-20140624git-35.1.noarch conflicts with file from package kernel-firmware-20130714git-2.17.1.noarch
        file /lib/firmware/mrvl/pcie8897_uapsta.bin from install of kernel-firmware-20140624git-35.1.noarch conflicts with file from package kernel-firmware-20130714git-2.17.1.noarch
        file /lib/firmware/myri10ge_eth_z8e.dat from install of kernel-firmware-20140624git-35.1.noarch conflicts with file from package kernel-firmware-20130714git-2.17.1.noarch
        file /lib/firmware/myri10ge_ethp_z8e.dat from install of kernel-firmware-20140624git-35.1.noarch conflicts with file from package kernel-firmware-20130714git-2.17.1.noarch
        file /lib/firmware/myri10ge_rss_eth_z8e.dat from install of kernel-firmware-20140624git-35.1.noarch conflicts with file from package kernel-firmware-20130714git-2.17.1.noarch
        file /lib/firmware/myri10ge_rss_ethp_z8e.dat from install of kernel-firmware-20140624gt-35.1.noarch conflicts with file from package kernel-firmware-20130714git-2.17.1.noarch
        file /lib/firmware/ql2400_fw.bin from install of kernel-firmware-20140624git-35.1.noarch conflicts with file from package kernel-firmware-20130714git-2.17.1.noarch
        file /lib/firmware/ql2500_fw.bin from install of kernel-firmware-20140624git-35.1.noarch conflicts with file from package kernel-firmware-20130714git-2.17.1.noarch
        file /usr/share/doc/packages/kernel-firmware/WHENCE from install of kernel-firmware-20140624git-35.1.noarch conflicts with file from package kernel-firmware-20130714git-2.17.1.noarch

maybe I should run the command below before that?

sudo rpm -i http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/Kernel:/stable/standard/x86_64/kernel-desktop-3.16.1-4.1.g8fc81d3.x86_64.rpm