# 2.6.29 freeze on boot: "clocksource tsc unstable" [SOLVED]

## srunni

Hi,

I just upgraded from gentoo-sources-2.6.28-r5 to gentoo-sources-2.6.29-r5. When I boot the new kernel, I get the error message "clocksource tsc unstable", and then the boot process freezes. Does anybody know why this would be happening? I'm running Gentoo x86 on a ThinkPad T400.

kernel .configs:

2.6.28-r5

2.6.29-r5

Thanks!

----------

## pappy_mcfae

That depends, but it is most likely a kernel misconfiguration. How did you transition from the old .config to the new?

Blessed be!

Pappy

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## dmpogo

 *srunni wrote:*   

> Hi,
> 
> I just upgraded from gentoo-sources-2.6.28-r5 to gentoo-sources-2.6.29-r5. When I boot the new kernel, I get the error message "clocksource tsc unstable", and then the boot process freezes. Does anybody know why this would be happening? I'm running Gentoo x86 on a ThinkPad T400.
> 
> kernel .configs:
> ...

 

"clocksource tsc unstable" is almost inevitable on Dual Core systems, but the kernel should not freeze because of that. Something is misconfigured.

In my dmesg, at this place I have

checking TSC synchronization [CPU#0 -> CPU#1]:

Measured 633792 cycles TSC warp between CPUs, turning off TSC clock.

Marking TSC unstable due to check_tsc_sync_source failed

Brought up 2 CPUs

.......  many other lines

Clocksource tsc unstable (delta = -166241187 ns)

input: DualPoint Stick as /devices/platform/i8042/serio1/input/input5

i.e  kernel goes to configure input layer

----------

## srunni

This is what I see right after ``clocksource tsc unstable'' while booting the 2.6.28-r5 kernel:

```
[    2.508104] hub 1-0:1.0: state 7 ports 6 chg 0010 evt 0000

[    2.508111] hub 1-0:1.0: port 4, status 0501, change 0000, 480 Mb/s

[    2.559290] ehci_hcd 0000:00:1a.7: port 4 full speed --> companion

[    2.559293] ehci_hcd 0000:00:1a.7: GetStatus port 4 status 003801 POWER OWNER sig=j CONNECT

[    2.559296] hub 1-0:1.0: port 4 not reset yet, waiting 50ms

[    2.610121] ehci_hcd 0000:00:1a.7: GetStatus port 4 status 003002 POWER OWNER sig=se0 CSC

[    2.610141] hub 2-0:1.0: state 7 ports 6 chg 0018 evt 0000

[    2.610148] hub 2-0:1.0: port 3, status 0501, change 0000, 480 Mb/s

[    2.661332] ehci_hcd 0000:00:1d.7: port 3 high speed

[    2.661335] ehci_hcd 0000:00:1d.7: GetStatus port 3 status 001005 POWER sig=se0 PE CONNECT

[    2.712122] usb 2-3: new high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 2

[    2.763332] ehci_hcd 0000:00:1d.7: port 3 high speed

[    2.763334] ehci_hcd 0000:00:1d.7: GetStatus port 3 status 001005 POWER sig=se0 PE CONNECT

[    2.817690] IBM TrackPoint firmware: 0x0e, buttons: 3/3

[    2.826624] usb 2-3: default language 0x0409

[    2.826910] usb 2-3: uevent

[    2.827032] usb 2-3: usb_probe_device

[    2.827035] usb 2-3: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice

[    2.827224] usb 2-3: adding 2-3:1.0 (config #1, interface 0)

[    2.827243] usb 2-3:1.0: uevent

[    2.827548] drivers/usb/core/inode.c: creating file '002'

[    2.827771] usb 2-3: New USB device found, idVendor=8086, idProduct=1405

[    2.827858] usb 2-3: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=0

[    2.827944] usb 2-3: Product: Intel(R) WiMAX Link 5350

[    2.828043] usb 2-3: Manufacturer: Intel(R) Corporation

[    2.828165] hub 2-0:1.0: port 4, status 0501, change 0000, 480 Mb/s

[    2.834342] input: TPPS/2 IBM TrackPoint as /devices/platform/i8042/serio1/input/input6

[    2.879330] ehci_hcd 0000:00:1d.7: port 4 high speed

[    2.879333] ehci_hcd 0000:00:1d.7: GetStatus port 4 status 001005 POWER sig=se0 PE CONNECT
```

Is there something in particular I should be looking for in the kernel .config? I configure a new kernel by pulling up the menuconfig for the currently running kernel right next to it and trying to copy the options verbatim. I don't understand how this could've happened.

----------

## Clad in Sky

You should be looking for support for EHCI and OHCI (or UHCI, depending on your board).

I had freezing kernels, too. Until I realized that I somehow compiled UHCI support (though I don't have UHCI) but not EHCI (which I have).

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## dmpogo

Is there something in particular I should be looking for in the kernel .config?

Difficult to say, your usb part looks OK, and it often comes at the end of kernel boot (did you get the network device initialized).

Perhaps it is time to post complete dmesg output somehow

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## pappy_mcfae

srunni,

Please post the results of lspci -n and cat /proc/cpuinfo as well as your /etc/fstab file. You need a new kernel. The .29 is a mess.

Blessed be!

Pappy

----------

## srunni

 *Clad in Sky wrote:*   

> You should be looking for support for EHCI and OHCI (or UHCI, depending on your board).
> 
> I had freezing kernels, too. Until I realized that I somehow compiled UHCI support (though I don't have UHCI) but not EHCI (which I have).

 

```
# grep [EOU]HCI /usr/src/linux-2.6.29-gentoo-r5/.config

# CONFIG_IEEE1394_OHCI1394 is not set

CONFIG_USB_ARCH_HAS_OHCI=y

CONFIG_USB_ARCH_HAS_EHCI=y

CONFIG_USB_EHCI_HCD=y

# CONFIG_USB_EHCI_ROOT_HUB_TT is not set

# CONFIG_USB_EHCI_TT_NEWSCHED is not set

CONFIG_USB_OHCI_HCD=y

# CONFIG_USB_OHCI_BIG_ENDIAN_DESC is not set

# CONFIG_USB_OHCI_BIG_ENDIAN_MMIO is not set

CONFIG_USB_OHCI_LITTLE_ENDIAN=y

CONFIG_USB_UHCI_HCD=y

CONFIG_PROVIDE_OHCI1394_DMA_INIT=y
```

Are any of the options that aren't set relevant?

 *dmpogo wrote:*   

> Perhaps it is time to post complete dmesg output somehow

 OK, I'll see if I can get it.

 *pappy_mcfae wrote:*   

> Please post the results of lspci -n and cat /proc/cpuinfo as well as your /etc/fstab file.

 

```
# lspci -n

00:00.0 0600: 8086:2a40 (rev 07)

00:01.0 0604: 8086:2a41 (rev 07)

00:03.0 0780: 8086:2a44 (rev 07)

00:19.0 0200: 8086:10f5 (rev 03)

00:1a.0 0c03: 8086:2937 (rev 03)

00:1a.1 0c03: 8086:2938 (rev 03)

00:1a.2 0c03: 8086:2939 (rev 03)

00:1a.7 0c03: 8086:293c (rev 03)

00:1b.0 0403: 8086:293e (rev 03)

00:1c.0 0604: 8086:2940 (rev 03)

00:1c.1 0604: 8086:2942 (rev 03)

00:1c.3 0604: 8086:2946 (rev 03)

00:1c.4 0604: 8086:2948 (rev 03)

00:1d.0 0c03: 8086:2934 (rev 03)

00:1d.1 0c03: 8086:2935 (rev 03)

00:1d.2 0c03: 8086:2936 (rev 03)

00:1d.7 0c03: 8086:293a (rev 03)

00:1e.0 0604: 8086:2448 (rev 93)

00:1f.0 0601: 8086:2917 (rev 03)

00:1f.2 0101: 8086:2928 (rev 03)

00:1f.3 0c05: 8086:2930 (rev 03)

01:00.0 0300: 1002:95c4

03:00.0 0280: 8086:423b

15:00.0 0607: 1180:0476 (rev ba)

15:00.1 0c00: 1180:0832 (rev 04)
```

```
# cat /etc/fstab

/dev/sda1       /mnt/win    ntfs-3g     locale=en_US.utf8 0 0

/dev/sda2       none        swap        sw      0 0

/dev/sda3       /           ext3        noatime     0 1

/dev/sda4       /home       ext3        noatime     0 1

/dev/cdrom      /mnt/cdrom  auto        noauto,ro,user  0 0

shm             /dev/shm    tmpfs       nodev,nosuid,noexec 0 0

none            /var/tmp/portage        tmpfs   size=2000M,nr_inodes=2M     0 0
```

----------

## dmpogo

Side remark, I am pretty sure you do not have OHCI controller on Thinkpads

----------

## energyman76b

no, he has ohci. All ehci controllers have a ohci/uhci sidekick for usb 1.1 devices.

srunni, copy the working config from 2.6.28 into the new kernel dir. '.config' - that file. Run make oldconfig.

When you are done, check with make menuconfig, build the kernel, reboot. If it works, you won. If not, please post your config.

----------

## srunni

This is an intermittent issue. I just tried booting the 2.6.29-r5 again, and it worked. Here is the dmesg output from the successful boot.

 *energyman76b wrote:*   

> srunni, copy the working config from 2.6.28 into the new kernel dir. '.config' - that file. Run make oldconfig. 
> 
> When you are done, check with make menuconfig, build the kernel, reboot. If it works, you won. If not, please post your config.

 This is what I did. I checked to make sure all the settings from 2.6.28 were still enabled, though I removed a lot of settings that I thought I didn't need (mostly menus that were selected when none of the items in the menu were selected).

I'm going to try booting a few times to see if I can figure out what's causing the problem.

----------

## dmpogo

 *energyman76b wrote:*   

> no, he has ohci. All ehci controllers have a ohci/uhci sidekick for usb 1.1 devices.
> 
> srunni, copy the working config from 2.6.28 into the new kernel dir. '.config' - that file. Run make oldconfig.
> 
> When you are done, check with make menuconfig, build the kernel, reboot. If it works, you won. If not, please post your config.

 

All thinkpads I saw had UHCI, where do you see that he has OHCI ?

----------

## energyman76b

 *dmpogo wrote:*   

>  *energyman76b wrote:*   no, he has ohci. All ehci controllers have a ohci/uhci sidekick for usb 1.1 devices.
> 
> srunni, copy the working config from 2.6.28 into the new kernel dir. '.config' - that file. Run make oldconfig.
> 
> When you are done, check with make menuconfig, build the kernel, reboot. If it works, you won. If not, please post your config. 
> ...

 

oh sorry - you really meant ohci - I talked about 'usb1 is always there'.

----------

## doctork

On my Thinkpad "lspci" tells me:

```
00:1d.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #1 (rev 03)

00:1d.1 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #2 (rev 03)

00:1d.2 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #3 (rev 03)

00:1d.7 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB2 EHCI Controller #1 (rev 03)
```

On my AMD-based desktop I see:

```
00:13.0 USB Controller: ATI Technologies Inc SB600 USB (OHCI0)

00:13.1 USB Controller: ATI Technologies Inc SB600 USB (OHCI1)

00:13.2 USB Controller: ATI Technologies Inc SB600 USB (OHCI2)

00:13.3 USB Controller: ATI Technologies Inc SB600 USB (OHCI3)

00:13.4 USB Controller: ATI Technologies Inc SB600 USB (OHCI4)

00:13.5 USB Controller: ATI Technologies Inc SB600 USB Controller (EHCI)
```

--

doc

----------

## pappy_mcfae

srunni,

Actually, you do have OHCI...as in OHCI-1394, otherwise known as firewire. However, you do only have uhci and ehci USB ports, no ohci. Mystery solved. 

Because you say it's intermittent, my first thought would be to tell you that if it happens again, pull the plugs to your USB hubs...disconnect them from the system, then see how things go. If your system straightens up, then narrow it down to which hub, or device thereon is causing your problem. 

If things clear up by compiling my .config, then there was an issue in the kernel, and by starting with a seed, I removed it.

Click here for your new .config. Compile as is.

For the best results, please do the following:

1) Move your .config file out of your kernel source directory (/usr/src/linux-2.6.29-gentoo-r5 ).

2) Issue the command make mrproper. This is a destructive step. It returns the source to pristine condition. Unmoved .config files will be deleted!

3) Copy my .config into your source directory.

4) Issue the command make && make modules_install.

5) Install the kernel as you normally would, and reboot.

6) Once it boots, please post /var/log/dmesg so I can see how things loaded.

Make sure to reemerge your X video drivers.

Blessed be!

Pappy

----------

## srunni

 *pappy_mcfae wrote:*   

> Click here for your new .config. Compile as is.

 Did you remove any features from the kernel I was using, or just add something in?

 *pappy_mcfae wrote:*   

> please post /var/log/dmesg so I can see how things loaded

 Here it is.

I think I figured out what the problem is—EHCI. When I was running the laptop off of battery power earlier today, the 2.6.29-r5 kernel kept freezing up on

```
[    2.614209] IBM TrackPoint firmware: 0x0e, buttons: 3/3
```

right after which is

```
[    2.682355] usb 2-3: new high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 2
```

----------

## pappy_mcfae

 *srunni wrote:*   

>  *pappy_mcfae wrote:*   Click here for your new .config. Compile as is. Did you remove any features from the kernel I was using, or just add something in?

 

I started from scratch with one of my seeds. There were so many things to check to make sure they weren't in a bad state, I decided to start with a seed...something I know is stable.

 *pappy_mcfae wrote:*   

> please post /var/log/dmesg so I can see how things loaded

 Here it is.

I think I figured out what the problem is—EHCI. When I was running the laptop off of battery power earlier today, the 2.6.29-r5 kernel kept freezing up on

```
[    2.614209] IBM TrackPoint firmware: 0x0e, buttons: 3/3
```

right after which is

```
[    2.682355] usb 2-3: new high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 2
```

[/quote]

I believe there is an issue with the trackpoint being slow on the uptake. Search the forums for trackpoint, and you will see what I mean. EHCI can also be slow on the uptake as well.

Blessed be!

Pappy

----------

## srunni

Well, after testing for a couple of days, it looks like there aren't any problems with your .config. Thanks for the help!

----------

## pappy_mcfae

You're most welcome.

Blessed be!

Pappy

----------

