[Bug 1981622] Re: mtd device must be supplied (device name is empty)

[Launchpad Bug Tracker]

This bug was fixed in the package systemd - 251.2-2ubuntu2

---------------
systemd (251.2-2ubuntu2) kinetic; urgency=medium

  [ Lukas Märdian ]
  * Remove restart limit on the modprobe at .service (LP: #1982462)
    File: debian/patches/units-remove-the-restart-limit-on-the-modprobe-.service.patch
    https://git.launchpad.net/~ubuntu-core-dev/ubuntu/+source/systemd/commit/?id=46c36d4c73df8980f6b6137142fb16ba90465a94

  [ Nick Rosbrook ]
  * core,firstboot: workaround timezone issues on Ubuntu Core (LP: #1981042)
    Thanks to Robert Ancell for preparing the patch.
    File: debian/patches/lp1981042-core-firstboot-workaround-timezone-issues-caused-by-Ubunt.patch
    https://git.launchpad.net/~ubuntu-core-dev/ubuntu/+source/systemd/commit/?id=9a435d43e753f39531c9a5517a85e8eb259e18f1
  * pstore: do not try to load mtdpstore (LP: #1981622)
    File: debian/patches/lp1978079-pstore-Run-after-modules-are-loaded.patch
    https://git.launchpad.net/~ubuntu-core-dev/ubuntu/+source/systemd/commit/?id=38d8d12be924477f0eecb64f3737e07b03d73a42

 -- Nick Rosbrook <nick.rosbrook at canonical.com>  Fri, 22 Jul 2022
15:23:45 -0400

** Changed in: systemd (Ubuntu)
       Status: Fix Committed => Fix Released

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1981622

Title:
  mtd device must be supplied (device name is empty)

Status in systemd package in Ubuntu:
  Fix Released
Status in systemd source package in Focal:
  Confirmed
Status in systemd source package in Jammy:
  Confirmed

Bug description:
  [WORKAROUND]

  This will NOT fix a system that is not booting, because the "mtd
  device must be supplied (device name is empty)" message is not the
  cause of failed boots. This work around is only for those who are
  annoyed by the error message, but are otherwise not experiencing any
  issues.

  If you are not able to boot your system, but you see this error
  message, please open a separate bug with your journalctl and dmesg
  logs.

  # cp /{lib,etc}/systemd/system/systemd-pstore.service
  # sed -i 's/modprobe at mtdpstore.service //' /etc/systemd/system/systemd-pstore.service
  # systemctl daemon-reload

  [Impact]

  Due to mtdpstore not being properly configured as a pstore backend,
  when systemd-pstore.service tries to load the module, users get the
  following error in dmesg:

  [   18.453473] systemd[1]: Starting Load Kernel Module mtdpstore...
  [   18.462685] mtd device must be supplied (device name is empty)

  This is a distracting error for users trying to diagnose other system
  issues, especially if their system does not boot after a kernel crash
  and this is the only message displayed on the console.

  [Test Plan]

  * Force a kernel crash to populate /sys/fs/pstore, thus causing
  systemd-pstore.service to start on the subsequent boot:

  # echo 1 > /proc/sys/kernel/sysrq
  # echo 1 > /proc/sys/kernel/panic
  # echo c > /proc/sysrq-trigger

  * When the system reboots, observe the error in dmesg:

  # dmesg | grep mtd

  [Where problems could occur]

  If a system was relying on this pstore backend, and mtdpstore is built
  as a module, it is possible for systemd-pstore.service to trigger
  before mtdpstore is loaded, causing systemd-pstore to not copy the
  contents of /sys/fs/pstore. Note however that before the patched
  introduced as a result of bug 1978079, systemd-pstore.service would
  not attempt to load *any* kernel modules.

  [Original Description]

  After updating my 22.04 system (possibly caused by Systemd update).
  And now booting, dmesg has two errors:

  'mtd device must be supplied (device name is empty)'.

  See line 8 and 134 in the included logfile.

  The system are booting as it should though, and the system are working
  like it should no errors at all.

  Is this maybe caused by 'efi-pstore-not-cleared-on-boot.patch' in
  systemd?

  I have an EFI mounted at boot but it isn't used because I have
  installed my system in legacy BIOS mode.

  Is this maybe the culprit?

  I could ignore the message but it isn't nice though.

  Regards

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