[Bug 1829620] Re: intel-microcode on ASUS makes kernel stuck during loading initramfs on bionic-updates, bionic-security

Fri Jun 21 19:38:05 UTC 2019

I can confirm all said before. In my case my laptop is an ASUS VivoBook
S14 S430FA. I bought it 2 days ago 'cause it  was a cheep nice laptop
with just what I needed, and did came with a preinstalled linux
(Endless), so I could guess that it had to work properly in another
Linux like Xubuntu (I'm on Xubuntu 18.04.2 both in my desktop and now in
my new laptop). Could not expect this problems, but finaly it's working
fine, and everything works like a charm from hardware side, as intended.

I had a very hard time to get it running, and reinstalled thousand times
the whole system (with encrypted HD or not), till I could guess the
problem started when updating some packages, among them the intel-
microcode. But I was not sure which one exactly was (or had the time for
more trials), though I suspect this one could be THE one. Fortunately, I
just found that the lowlatency kernels did work!

So, probably the lowlatency are not injecting the intel-microcode code,
which could perhaps be thought as a new bug, but for me was a real
blessing.

I do work with audio usually, but never had the real need of a RT
kernel, so I'm pleased to have find this and being able to go back to
standard kernel.

For my laptop there is no new BIOS by ASUS by now (still on 300), so I
have to use workarounds I or II, both work fine. For more comfort, I use
the second one, the pinned package, so that it will be easy so see when
a new one comes, and try if it solves or not the problem.

And I tend to think that an outdated intel-microcode (for the infamous
spectre and meltdown intel failure) is better than no microcode applied.
Or is not the way it works? Should I choose the I option or it's the
same?

Anyway, thanks a lot, and, if you come in trouble again with that,
remember that the lowlatency kernel does not suffer this problems, you
don't need an "exotic" kernel, just one at hand... (I'm keeping the 4.18
lowlatency kernel just in case, while using the 5.00 generic, so that it
defaults to generic, but have my second option just in case something
fails again, or just I feel the need at any point for a RT kernel)

BTW: I was unable to boot ever from a 19.04 ubuntu version (nor Xubuntu,
nor Ubuntu, nor Lubuntu). That was another trial I was at after being
pissed by the bizarre problem for a number of times. But never got a
simple booting from pendrive with any xUbuntu 19.04. And it seems
logical now, probably the intel-microcode is yet included in the images.
Probably I could have used the I workaround, but I didn't find this page
till now. Anyway, I prefer to keep at LTS just not to be updating each 6
months...

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1829620

Title:
  intel-microcode on ASUS makes kernel stuck during loading initramfs on
  bionic-updates, bionic-security

Status in intel-microcode package in Ubuntu:
  Confirmed
Status in linux package in Ubuntu:
  Confirmed
Status in linux-hwe package in Ubuntu:
  Confirmed
Status in linux-hwe-edge package in Ubuntu:
  Confirmed

Bug description:
  Description:
  - my system gets stuck at "Booting, Loading initramfs" (the first 2 lines of booting, after grub)
  - does not even show the enter cryptsetup passphrase
  - affected kernels:
  # apt list --installed |grep linux-signed
  WARNING: apt does not have a stable CLI interface. Use with caution in scripts.
  linux-signed-generic/bionic-security,bionic-updates,now 4.15.0.50.52 amd64 [installed]
  linux-signed-generic-hwe-18.04/bionic-security,bionic-updates,now 4.18.0.20.70 amd64 [installed]
  linux-signed-generic-hwe-18.04-edge/bionic-security,bionic-updates,now 5.0.0.15.71 amd64 [installed]

  - the setup is not new, has been working perfectly before (about 7
  days since my last restart?)

  System:
  - HW: ASUS Zenbook 14 UX433FN
  - Ubuntu 18.04, runing latest HWE, fully updated
  - grub(-pc), cryptsetup (crypttab entries for custom encrypted LUKS setup),

  Suspected/possible cause?:
  - recent intel-microcode package update
  - recent kernel package updates

  Steps taken:
  - tried to remove "splash quiet" from grub/kernel cmd line (also tried adding nosplash, noplymouth)
  - completely removed nvidia drivers (apt purge *nvidia*)
  - completely purged and reinstalled grub (grup-pc)
  - completely purged and reinstalled all kernels (headers, modules, image, ..)
  - toggle BIOS "fastboot" (now using OFF)
  - toggle UEFI SecureBoot (now using ON)
  - remove plymouth (apt remove *plymouth* , but the workaround is working with plymouth installed)

  Workaround:
  - so far, I'm only able to boot with non-Ubuntu kernel! (linux-image-liquorix-amd64)
  - which needs "splash" option ON
  - reinstall cryptsetup & update-grub (as suggested in https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1829620/comments/10 )

  I am not sure how to get you more debug info, as this setup has been
  working before, and it's a very eary boot-process bug, so I can't even
  access dmesg etc.

  EDIT:

  Hypothesis:
  Only affects ASUS with i7-8565U Whiskey Lake Intel CPU

  Upstream Bug Report:
  https://github.com/intel/Intel-Linux-Processor-Microcode-Data-Files/issues/1

  WORKAROUND 1: disable intel microcode updates during boot
  From this bug: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/intel-microcode/+bug/1759920
  1/ add the boot parameter: dis_ucode_ldr to /etc/default/grub
  2/ update-grub

  WORKAROUND 2: downgrade (and hold) intel-microcode to older version from bionic/main
  apt install --reinstall intel-microcode=3.20180312.0~ubuntu18.04.1

  WORKAROUND 3: upgrade BIOS
  Asus has released updated BIOSes, which probably include the newest microcode. After upgrading workarounds 1,2 are not needed. 
  Please NOTE, unlike workarounds 1,2, BIOS upgrade is permanent and cannot be (easily) reverted. 

  ---
  ProblemType: Bug
  ApportVersion: 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.6
  Architecture: amd64
  CurrentDesktop: KDE
  DistroRelease: KDE neon 18.04
  InstallationDate: Installed on 2012-12-23 (2337 days ago)
  InstallationMedia: Kubuntu 12.10 "Quantal Quetzal" - Release amd64 (20121017.1)
  Package: linux-hwe-edge (not installed)
  Tags:  bionic wayland-session
  Uname: Linux 5.0.0-17.1-liquorix-amd64 x86_64
  UnreportableReason: The running kernel is not an Ubuntu kernel
  UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
  UserGroups: adm libvirtd lpadmin netdev plugdev sudo vboxusers video
  _MarkForUpload: True
  ---
  ProblemType: Bug
  ApportVersion: 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.6
  Architecture: amd64
  CurrentDesktop: KDE
  DistroRelease: KDE neon 18.04
  InstallationDate: Installed on 2012-12-23 (2339 days ago)
  InstallationMedia: Kubuntu 12.10 "Quantal Quetzal" - Release amd64 (20121017.1)
  Package: linux-hwe-edge
  PackageArchitecture: amd64
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.0.0-15.16~18.04.1-generic 5.0.6
  Tags: third-party-packages bionic wayland-session
  Uname: Linux 5.0.0-15-generic x86_64
  UnreportableReason: Toto není oficiální KDE balík. Prosíme odstraňte všechny balíky třetích stran a zkuste to znovu.
  UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
  UserGroups: adm libvirtd lpadmin netdev plugdev sudo video
  _MarkForUpload: True

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