[Bug 1759920] Re: intel-microcode 3.20180312.0 causes lockup at login screen(w/ linux-image-4.13.0-37-generic)

[Justa Guy]

>> Gordon Lack (gordon-lack) wrote 23 hours ago:

>> >> Installing or removing intel-microcode only runs update-initramfs
for the latest kernel

>> I eventually noticed that too.
>> So it means that the problem follows the microcode - nothing to do with the kernel version.

Well, 4.13.0-32 seems to be unaffected...

On my Dell Inspiron 5559 laptop, with Ubuntu 16.04.3 installed, I had
been running linux-signed-image-4.13.0-36-generic, then it wouldn't boot
after installing Thursday's intel-microcode update. It would however
boot into linux-signed-image-4.13.0-32-generic, after which I tried
installing linux-signed-image-4.13.0-37-generic to see if that would
solve the problem, but it didn't. As it stands I can only boot using the
linux-signed-image-4.13.0-32-generic kernel option in grub manually.

In both cases, the actual boot process varied in how far it would get
before failing.

The first time, trying linux-signed-image-4.13.0-36-generic, the console
text with the green <OK> column on the left proceeded to after loading
what appeared as completely, then remained stuck with a steady (not
flashing) grey cursor in screen position 0,0. I waited maybe 4 minutes
for it to load the desktop, but no. As opposed to when booting into
linux-signed-image-4.13.0-32-generic, the mouse pointer appears
approximately 5 seconds after the point where it would hang, with a
whole desktop following maybe 30 seconds afterward.

The first time I tried the linux-signed-image-4.13.0-37-generic kernel,
it wouldn't proceed past the loading bluetooth part of the console text
with the green <OK> column to the left. The reboot after this seemed to
get just past the part with the cursor stuck at 0,0, in this case with
it disappearing- I thought a mouse pointer was just about to appear, but
it stopped. Waited only a minute or 2 here before rebooting again. The
third try at linux-signed-image-4.13.0-37-generic got stuck where linux-
signed-image-4.13.0-36-generic had previously, with the cursor at 0,0.


Not sure about the official workaround as is posted in the bug description, as I've been using linux-signed-image-4.13.0-32-generic since. I don't know why this one works, or if this is a safe alternative.

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1759920

Title:
  intel-microcode 3.20180312.0 causes lockup at login screen(w/ linux-
  image-4.13.0-37-generic)

Status in intel-microcode package in Ubuntu:
  Confirmed
Status in linux package in Ubuntu:
  Confirmed
Status in intel-microcode source package in Xenial:
  Confirmed
Status in linux source package in Xenial:
  Confirmed
Status in intel-microcode source package in Artful:
  Confirmed
Status in linux source package in Artful:
  Confirmed

Bug description:
  I don't know if this is a problem with the kernel or the microcode,
  but we have a significant number of computers in our organization (on
  both 16.04 and 17.10) that fail if they have both updated.  Booting
  with either linux-image-4.13.0-36-generic or intel-microcode
  3.20180108.0+really20170707ubuntu17.10.1 allows all these computers to
  boot.

  ## Workaround ##
  1. Boot the system with the dis_ucode_ldr kernel boot parameter to temporary avoid the problem:
     https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Kernel/KernelBootParameters
  2. Install the previous version of package from
     https://launchpad.net/~ubuntu-security-proposed/+archive/ubuntu/ppa/+build/14261530/+files/intel-microcode_3.20180108.0+really20170707ubuntu16.04.1_amd64.deb
  3. (Optional) Hold the package so that it won't be upgraded accidentally
     sudo apt-mark hold intel-microcode

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