[Bug 2042710] Re: Can't enter cryptsetup password on MacBook Pro 2017 (MacBookPro14, 1) due to missing kernel modules in initramfs

[Timo Aaltonen]

Hello Terence, or anyone else affected,

Accepted initramfs-tools into mantic-proposed. The package will build
now and be available at https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/initramfs-
tools/0.142ubuntu15.1 in a few hours, and then in the -proposed
repository.

Please help us by testing this new package.  See
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Testing/EnableProposed for documentation on how
to enable and use -proposed.  Your feedback will aid us getting this
update out to other Ubuntu users.

If this package fixes the bug for you, please add a comment to this bug,
mentioning the version of the package you tested, what testing has been
performed on the package and change the tag from verification-needed-
mantic to verification-done-mantic. If it does not fix the bug for you,
please add a comment stating that, and change the tag to verification-
failed-mantic. In either case, without details of your testing we will
not be able to proceed.

Further information regarding the verification process can be found at
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/QATeam/PerformingSRUVerification .  Thank you in
advance for helping!

N.B. The updated package will be released to -updates after the bug(s)
fixed by this package have been verified and the package has been in
-proposed for a minimum of 7 days.

** Changed in: initramfs-tools (Ubuntu Mantic)
       Status: New => Fix Committed

** Tags added: verification-needed verification-needed-mantic

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/2042710

Title:
  Can't enter cryptsetup password on MacBook Pro 2017 (MacBookPro14,1)
  due to missing kernel modules in initramfs

Status in initramfs-tools package in Ubuntu:
  Fix Released
Status in initramfs-tools source package in Mantic:
  Fix Committed

Bug description:
  [ Impact ]

  I have a MacBook Pro 2017 (MacBookPro14,1) with an encrypted root
  partition, which I decrypt via passphrase during boot, at the "Please
  unlock disk nvme0n1p4_crypt" prompt.

  Using 23.04 "Lunar" this worked fine. However after upgrading to 23.10
  "Mantic", the built-in keyboard doesn't work for entering the
  passphrase.

  Quickest workaround: plug in a USB keyboard for entering the
  passphrase.

  Workaround: add the following modules to "/etc/initramfs-
  tools/modules":

  spi_pxa2xx_platform
  intel_lpss_pci

  ... then "sudo update-initramfs -u".

  I found that both kernel modules were required to get the keyboard
  recognised in initramfs.

  [ Test Plan ]

  The -generic kernel and probably all kernel flavors contain the SPI and PCI driver (on amd64). On mantic systems, you can verify the current initrd doesn't contain these modules by decompressing the initramfs and listing its files:
  $ lsinitramfs /boot/initrd.img-6.5.0-10-generic | grep 'spi-pxa2xx-platform\|intel-lpss-pci'

  After installing the updated initramfs-tools package, your current initramfs should be automatically rebuilt and pick up the kernel modules:
  $ lsinitramfs /boot/initrd.img-6.5.0-10-generic | grep 'spi-pxa2xx-platform\|intel-lpss-pci'
  usr/lib/modules/6.5.0-10-generic/kernel/drivers/mfd/intel-lpss-pci.ko.zst
  usr/lib/modules/6.5.0-10-generic/kernel/drivers/spi/spi-pxa2xx-platform.ko.zst

  Test case on MacBook Pro 2017 laptops: Remove all previous
  workarounds. Install the fixed initramfs-tools version. Then the
  keyboard should work during boot to enter the passphrase.

  [ Where problems could occur ]

  This is making the initramfs slightly bigger. In my testing, both
  added were 23,852 bytes in total (or 0.02 % on a 102 MB initramfs).

  [ Remaining original report ]

  I did a bit of digging into what changed for 23.10. It could
  potentially (?) be commit 2df78bbb143884b9601a32608e12e43d40ccb0b0 "Do
  not install ARM/RISCV specific modules on other architectures".

  I had a look into how dracut handles it. Turns out that they
  specifically include "spi_pxa2xx_platform" after reporting a similar
  bug report in Fedora:
  https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2166209

  I don't know how (if?) they handle the 2nd module, "intel_lpss_pci".

  Anyway, I don't need an immediate fix since the workaround works for
  me. Just posting this for further investigation, and for any other
  MacBook Pro users in the same situation. Thanks for working on Ubuntu,
  I think you're all amazing!

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