[Bug 832694] Re: Error inserting ramzswap in Oneiric Desktop ISO 24th August

[Andy Whitcroft]

The new xvmalloc module has a complely different API to the one used by
ramzswap so we are unable to move it trivially over to use the version
in staging.  We have two solutions available to us.

1) turn off zram and use ramzswap, or
2) turn off ramzswap and switch the live installer to use that.

The first should be the simplest as we _should_ already have the
required installer support.  The second is a longer term solution as
zram represents the ongoing development of ramzswap.

However looking at the installer support (which is actually part of
initramfs-tools) we find that the code there for using ramzswap is
broken and will never correctly load the module as indeed is the code
for compcache.  The syntax of the generated udev rules files are broken
and needs fundamental redesign.  If we are going to redo the support
there we may as well add zram support and transition over.

Therefore I am opening this up against initramfs-tools and the kernel.
For the kernel this is to track removing ramzswap (which is broken
anyhow).  For initramfs-tools it is to track the updates to the udev
support and adding zram support.

** Also affects: initramfs-tools (Ubuntu)
   Importance: Undecided
       Status: New

** Changed in: initramfs-tools (Ubuntu)
       Status: New => In Progress

** Changed in: initramfs-tools (Ubuntu)
   Importance: Undecided => Medium

** Changed in: initramfs-tools (Ubuntu)
     Assignee: (unassigned) => Andy Whitcroft (apw)

** Changed in: initramfs-tools (Ubuntu)
    Milestone: None => ubuntu-11.10-beta-2

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/832694

Title:
  Error inserting ramzswap in Oneiric Desktop ISO 24th August

Status in “initramfs-tools” package in Ubuntu:
  In Progress
Status in “linux” package in Ubuntu:
  In Progress

Bug description:
  I had this problem when trying to boot a VM with 256 MB of RAM: 
  FATAL: Error inserting ramzswap (/lib/modules/3.0.0-9-generic/kernel/ubuntu/compcache/ramzswap.ko): Invalid module format

  This sounded wrong as an error for such problem, so following apw advice tried booting with more memory and trying to insert the module manually, same issue:
  root at ubuntu:~# modprobe ramzswap
  FATAL: Error inserting ramzswap (/lib/modules/3.0.0-9-generic/kernel/ubuntu/compcache/ramzswap.ko): Invalid module format

  This module failing to load is a common theme in many bugs in the
  database, I do not think they are duplicates, my feeling is that
  something is failing that is not being clearly reported, rather.

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.10
  Package: linux-image-3.0.0-9-generic 3.0.0-9.14
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.0.0-9.14-generic 3.0.3
  Uname: Linux 3.0.0-9-generic x86_64
  AlsaVersion: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.24.
  AplayDevices:
   **** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
   card 0: I82801AAICH [Intel 82801AA-ICH], device 0: Intel ICH [Intel 82801AA-ICH]
     Subdevices: 1/1
     Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
  Architecture: amd64
  AudioDevicesInUse:
   USER        PID ACCESS COMMAND
   /dev/snd/controlC0:  ubuntu     2952 F.... pulseaudio
  CRDA: Error: [Errno 2] No such file or directory
  Card0.Amixer.info:
   Card hw:0 'I82801AAICH'/'Intel 82801AA-ICH with STAC9700,83,84 at irq 5'
     Mixer name	: 'SigmaTel STAC9700,83,84'
     Components	: 'AC97a:83847600'
     Controls      : 34
     Simple ctrls  : 24
  CasperVersion: 1.279
  Date: Wed Aug 24 11:26:28 2011
  IwConfig:
   lo        no wireless extensions.
   
   eth0      no wireless extensions.
  LiveMediaBuild: Ubuntu 11.10 "Oneiric Ocelot" - Alpha amd64 (20110824)
  Lsusb:
   Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
   Bus 001 Device 002: ID 80ee:0021 VirtualBox USB Tablet
  MachineType: innotek GmbH VirtualBox
  ProcEnviron:
   PATH=(custom, no user)
   LANG=en_US.UTF-8
   SHELL=/bin/bash
  ProcKernelCmdLine: file=/cdrom/preseed/hostname.seed boot=casper initrd=/casper/initrd.lz quiet splash -- maybe-ubiquity
  PulseSinks:
   Error: command ['pacmd', 'list-sinks'] failed with exit code 1: Home directory /home/ubuntu not ours.
   No PulseAudio daemon running, or not running as session daemon.
  PulseSources:
   Error: command ['pacmd', 'list-sources'] failed with exit code 1: Home directory /home/ubuntu not ours.
   No PulseAudio daemon running, or not running as session daemon.
  RelatedPackageVersions:
   linux-restricted-modules-3.0.0-9-generic N/A
   linux-backports-modules-3.0.0-9-generic  N/A
   linux-firmware                           1.60
  RfKill:
   
  SourcePackage: linux
  UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
  dmi.bios.date: 12/01/2006
  dmi.bios.vendor: innotek GmbH
  dmi.bios.version: VirtualBox
  dmi.modalias: dmi:bvninnotekGmbH:bvrVirtualBox:bd12/01/2006:svninnotekGmbH:pnVirtualBox:pvr1.2:
  dmi.product.name: VirtualBox
  dmi.product.version: 1.2
  dmi.sys.vendor: innotek GmbH

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