[Bug 1082418] Re: Ubuntu UEFI install locks out UEFI firmware (~bios) access

[viking777]

Satish the only thing I might add to this is that in my experience, when
you do the 'shorting' of the cl1 cl2 pins the machine must have power
available, it is no good doing it with the battery removed it wont work,
in fact the machine has to be switched on. (see my post dated
"2012/11/21 18:38" on this site:
http://www.linlap.com/fujitsu_lifebook_ah532 ). I tried it with power
removed and absolutely nothing happens. Bear in mind that what I did
there is potentially dangerous both to you and the machine.  Another
thing to try (a lot safer! ) is to remove the cmos battery (if you can
find it, I dont know where it is) this has reportedly worked on other
machines, but I can't gurantee it will work on the Fujutsu.

In my case I only finally solved this problem when I removed Uefi from
the system completely (deleted the Efi System partition). Having done
that I had to do my motherboard shorting/bios flashing routine one more
time then reinstall everything in 'legacy' mode, after which the problem
has gone away for good.

This is a problem with Fujitsu's bios/uefi firmware in my opinion, it is
very similar, if not identical to the problem affecting Samsung machines
(which seem to have been more widely publicised than this).

I don't know if Matthew Garret's kernel patch will solve this problem
for the Fujitsu, but I suspect it will.

https://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=68d929862e29a8b52a7f2f2f86a0600423b093cd

I don't know how widely this patch has been applied just yet, obviously
having totally removed Uefi from my machine, and having no desire to
ever put it back, I can't test it.

-- 
You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu
Foundations Bugs, which is subscribed to grub2 in Ubuntu.
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1082418

Title:
  Ubuntu UEFI install locks out UEFI firmware (~bios) access

Status in “grub2” package in Ubuntu:
  Confirmed

Bug description:
  lsb_release -rd
  Description:	Ubuntu 12.10
  Release:	12.10

  apt-cache policy grub-efi-amd64
  grub-efi-amd64:
    Installed: 2.00-7ubuntu11
    Candidate: 2.00-7ubuntu11

  
  Pheonix Secure Core Tiano bios version 1.09

  New laptop Fujitsu Lifebook AH532. Windows 7 preinstalled. All
  functions worked normally when running Win7. Ubuntu 12.10 installed
  using whole disk. Installation successful Ubuntu boots and runs
  normally, however all access to the bios has now been lost. Pressing
  the default key (f2) during boot up is acknowledged by bios beep, but
  ignored and Ubuntu continues booting. In addition the 'boot choices'
  menu (f12) contains nothing but Ubuntu making it impossible to boot
  from USB or CD/DVD.

  The latter (f12) problem was overcome by opening up the machine,
  removing the ram and shorting the cl1/cl2 posts with a screwdriver.
  This restores the ability to boot from USB/CD by pressing f12 but does
  not restore bios access.

  The following recovery actions have been tried.
  1) Install Boot-Repair, run repair, no change occurred. Boot repair report here:
  http://paste.ubuntu.com/1375041/

  2) Restore Windows from Clonezilla disk image (factory settings) -
  result - bios access is no longer possible from windows either, f2 now
  launches the Windows boot menu.

  3) Update all drivers using Fujitsu driver update tool from within
  windows (which included a bios update). Result - no change, no bios.

  4) Restored Ubuntu from Clonezilla disk image - no change.

  5) Added second distro to disk. Installed successfully (uefi mode as
  that is all I have) no change to bios access.

  So overall result I have lost all bios access even from a reinstalled
  Windows. I repeat that bios access was perfectly normal before
  installing Ubuntu.

  I strongly suggest you read the contents of this thread in addition to
  the information here:

  http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2086602

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.10
  Package: grub-efi 2.00-7ubuntu11
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.5.0-18.29-generic 3.5.7
  Uname: Linux 3.5.0-18-generic x86_64
  ApportVersion: 2.6.1-0ubuntu6
  Architecture: amd64
  Date: Fri Nov 23 15:50:07 2012
  InstallationDate: Installed on 2012-11-22 (1 days ago)
  InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.10 "Quantal Quetzal" - Release amd64 (20121017.5)
  MarkForUpload: True
  SourcePackage: grub2
  UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

To manage notifications about this bug go to:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/grub2/+bug/1082418/+subscriptions