#347 Freezes when inserting CF card on SMP, works with 'nosmp'

[Roger Larsson]

SuSE 9.0 (kernel 2.4.21)
External PCMCIA (version 3.2.4, with patch that
"reduces kernel stack usage for the PCMCIA
CIS processing code".)

When inserting a CF card (Lexar) the computer freezes.
If I start the same configuration with Linux kernel option 'nosmp'
it works...

[David Hinds]

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You will have to do a bit more for me, like tell me what kind of
computer this is, what kind of PCMCIA bridge device, etc.

What patch is this that "reduces kernel stack usage"? I
implemented this change in 3.2.7 but did not make a patch
for earlier releases so I wonder why anyone would modify an
old release rather than just using 3.2.7?

And since you are using SuSE, have you tried toggling over
to the (recommended) kernel PCMCIA subsystem?

-- Dave

[Roger Larsson]

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Had some of that information in the report when I accidently closed that
window and had to rewrite it.

Computer is at work so I can not fill in the details today.

About the patch: I was the one that found the problem initially,
I modified the patch for 3.2.4 since that was what SuSE had
prepared.

I will try to update to the latest and retest - Monday.

[David Hinds]

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Sorry, I also did not recognize your name. You've now
reported multiple difficulties with Lexar CF flash cards to
me in private email. It is not clear to me how this report
relates to your other reports.

-- Dave

[Roger Larsson]

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Now tried with kernel 2.4.25-pre8 (kernel drivers, has stack
reduction patch)

[SuSE have a special build system that allows you to use
both kernel and external pcmcia - but it makes the build system
more complex. I have not figured it out...]

Computer: Dell 410 Workstation
2 * Pentium II 350 MHz
440BX
SCSI controller AIC-7880 and 7890 (disabled)
3Com 3C905b-TX (3C917 ASIC)
IO controller National PC 87309
ISA bridge: 82371AB/EB/MB PIIX4 ISA (rev 02)

PCMCIA host
SimpleStation PnP ISA
PnP info: "SCM0469/844131920[0]{SCM SwapBox
Plug and Play}"
Intel ISA PCIC probe
Vadem VG-469 ISA-to-PCMCIA at port 0x3e0 ofs
0x00, 2 sockets
ISA irqs (scanned) = 3 polling interval = 1000 ms

modprobe i82365 irq_list=3 poll_interval=100 (COM2 disabled)

Yes, it is a strange mix SMP with APIC and an old ISA board, but
it has worked with very little problem for several years...

What is new is really only the compact flash model.
We have used SanDisk for years, but when they got delivery
problems we tried with Lexar.

When using a SanDisk in this configuration it works.
When using a Lexar the computer freezes... (NumLock works
but nothing else)

[David Hinds]

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user_id=7760

When the lockup happens, can you use alt-sysrq functions?
There are tips in the PCMCIA-HOWTO for narrowing down
exactly when a lockup happens (i.e. use a text console, and
direct all kernel messages to the console). I would first
boot up, insert a known-ok card, remove that, and then
insert the Lexar card, since there is some stuff that
happens the first time a card is detected (memory and IO
port probes), but not for later insertions.

-- Dave