X-Git-Url: http://pere.pagekite.me/gitweb/homepage.git/blobdiff_plain/87f0b0c794830fb2a345f3650a96c3b276f00e47..fc69198f89b689c41f669748e7e9839dfcf9d19b:/blog/index.rss diff --git a/blog/index.rss b/blog/index.rss index 77c37effb5..57c57503a2 100644 --- a/blog/index.rss +++ b/blog/index.rss @@ -6,6 +6,162 @@ http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/ + + How to fix a Thinkpad X230 with a broken 180 GB SSD disk + http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/How_to_fix_a_Thinkpad_X230_with_a_broken_180_GB_SSD_disk.html + http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/How_to_fix_a_Thinkpad_X230_with_a_broken_180_GB_SSD_disk.html + Wed, 17 Jul 2013 23:50:00 +0200 + <p>Today I switched to +<a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/The_Thinkpad_is_dead__long_live_the_Thinkpad_X230_.html">my +new laptop</a>. I've previously written about the problems I had with +my new Thinkpad X230, which was delivered with an +<a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Intel_SSD_520_Series_180_GB_with_Lenovo_firmware_still_lock_up_from_sustained_writes.html">180 +GB Intel SSD disk with Lenovo firmware</a> that did not handle +sustained writes. My hardware supplier have been very forthcoming in +trying to find a solution, and after first trying with another +identical 180 GB disks they decided to send me a 256 GB Samsung SSD +disk instead to fix it once and for all. The Samsung disk survived +the installation of Debian with encrypted disks (filling the disk with +random data during installation killed the first two), and I thus +decided to trust it with my data. I have installed it as a Debian Edu +Wheezy roaming workstation hooked up with my Debian Edu Squeeze main +server at home using Kerberos and LDAP, and will use it as my work +station from now on.</p> + +<p>As this is a solid state disk with no moving parts, I believe the +Debian Wheezy default installation need to be tuned a bit to increase +performance and increase life time of the disk. The Linux kernel and +user space applications do not yet adjust automatically to such +environment. To make it easier for my self, I created a draft Debian +package <tt>ssd-setup</tt> to handle this tuning. The +<a href="http://anonscm.debian.org/gitweb/?p=collab-maint/ssd-setup.git">source +for the ssd-setup package</a> is available from collab-maint, and it +is set up to adjust the setup of the machine by just installing the +package. If there is any non-SSD disk in the machine, the package +will refuse to install, as I did not try to write any logic to sort +file systems in SSD and non-SSD file systems.</p> + +<p>I consider the package a draft, as I am a bit unsure how to best +set up Debian Wheezy with an SSD. It is adjusted to my use case, +where I set up the machine with one large encrypted partition (in +addition to /boot), put LVM on top of this and set up partitions on +top of this again. See the README file in the package source for the +references I used to pick the settings. At the moment these +parameters are tuned:</p> + +<ul> + +<li>Set up cryptsetup to pass TRIM commands to the physical disk + (adding discard to /etc/crypttab)</li> + +<li>Set up LVM to pass on TRIM commands to the underlying device (in + this case a cryptsetup partition) by changing issue_discards from + 0 to 1 in /etc/lvm/lvm.conf.</li> + +<li>Set relatime as a file system option for ext3 and ext4 file + systems.</li> + +<li>Tell swap to use TRIM commands by adding 'discard' to + /etc/fstab.</li> + +<li>Change I/O scheduler from cfq to deadline using a udev rule.</li> + +<li>Run fstrim on every ext3 and ext4 file system every night (from + cron.daily).</li> + +<li>Adjust sysctl values vm.swappiness to 1 and vm.vfs_cache_pressure + to 50 to reduce the kernel eagerness to swap out processes.</li> + +</ul> + +<p>During installation, I cancelled the part where the installer fill +the disk with random data, as this would kill the SSD performance for +little gain. My goal with the encrypted file system is to ensure +those stealing my laptop end up with a brick and not a working +computer. I have no hope in keeping the really resourceful people +from getting the data on the disk (see +<a href="http://xkcd.com/538/">XKCD #538</a> for an explanation why). +Thus I concluded that adding the discard option to crypttab is the +right thing to do.</p> + +<p>I considered using the noop I/O scheduler, as several recommended +it for SSD, but others recommended deadline and a benchmark I found +indicated that deadline might be better for interactive use.</p> + +<p>I also considered using the 'discard' file system option for ext3 +and ext4, but read that it would give a performance hit ever time a +file is removed, and thought it best to that that slowdown once a day +instead of during my work.</p> + +<p>My package do not set up tmpfs on /var/run, /var/lock and /tmp, as +this is already done by Debian Edu.</p> + +<p>I have not yet started on the user space tuning. I expect +iceweasel need some tuning, and perhaps other applications too, but +have not yet had time to investigate those parts.</p> + +<p>The package should work on Ubuntu too, but I have not yet tested it +there.</p> + +<p>As for the answer to the question in the title of this blog post, +as far as I know, the only solution I know about is to replace the +disk. It might be possible to flash it with Intel firmware instead of +the Lenovo firmware. But I have not tried and did not want to do so +without approval from Lenovo as I wanted to keep the warranty on the +disk until a solution was found and they wanted the broken disks +back.</p> + + + + + Intel SSD 520 Series 180 GB with Lenovo firmware still lock up from sustained writes + http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Intel_SSD_520_Series_180_GB_with_Lenovo_firmware_still_lock_up_from_sustained_writes.html + http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Intel_SSD_520_Series_180_GB_with_Lenovo_firmware_still_lock_up_from_sustained_writes.html + Wed, 10 Jul 2013 13:30:00 +0200 + <p>A few days ago, I wrote about +<a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/The_Thinkpad_is_dead__long_live_the_Thinkpad_X230_.html">the +problems I experienced with my new X230 and its SSD disk</a>, which +was dying during installation because it is unable to cope with +sustained write. My supplier is in contact with +<a href="http://www.lenovo.com/">Lenovo</a>, and they wanted to send a +replacement disk to try to fix the problem. They decided to send an +identical model, so my hopes for a permanent fix was slim.</p> + +<p>Anyway, today I got the replacement disk and tried to install +Debian Edu Wheezy with encrypted disk on it. The new disk have the +same firmware version as the original. This time my hope raised +slightly as the installation progressed, as the original disk used to +die after 4-7% of the disk was written to, while this time it kept +going past 10%, 20%, 40% and even past 50%. But around 60%, the disk +died again and I was back on square one. I still do not have a new +laptop with a disk I can trust. I can not live with a disk that might +lock up when I download a new +<a href="http://www.skolelinux.org/">Debian Edu / Skolelinux</a> ISO or +other large files. I look forward to hearing from my supplier with +the next proposal from Lenovo.</p> + +<p>The original disk is marked Intel SSD 520 Series 180 GB, +11S0C38722Z1ZNME35X1TR, ISN: CVCV321407HB180EGN, SA: G57560302, FW: +LF1i, 29MAY2013, PBA: G39779-300, LBA 351,651,888, LI P/N: 0C38722, +Pb-free 2LI, LC P/N: 16-200366, WWN: 55CD2E40002756C4, Model: +SSDSC2BW180A3L 2.5" 6Gb/s SATA SSD 180G 5V 1A, ASM P/N 0C38732, FRU +P/N 45N8295, P0C38732.</p> + +<p>The replacement disk is marked Intel SSD 520 Series 180 GB, +11S0C38722Z1ZNDE34N0L0, ISN: CVCV315306RK180EGN, SA: G57560-302, FW: +LF1i, 22APR2013, PBA: G39779-300, LBA 351,651,888, LI P/N: 0C38722, +Pb-free 2LI, LC P/N: 16-200366, WWN: 55CD2E40000AB69E, Model: +SSDSC2BW180A3L 2.5" 6Gb/s SATA SSD 180G 5V 1A, ASM P/N 0C38732, FRU +P/N 45N8295, P0C38732.</p> + +<p>The only difference is in the first number (serial number?), ISN, +SA, date and WNPP values. Mentioning all the details here in case +someone is able to use the information to find a way to identify the +failing disk among working ones (if any such working disk actually +exist).</p> + + + July 13th: Debian/Ubuntu BSP and Skolelinux/Debian Edu developer gathering in Oslo http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/July_13th__Debian_Ubuntu_BSP_and_Skolelinux_Debian_Edu_developer_gathering_in_Oslo.html @@ -619,228 +775,5 @@ make a decision that would work for them.</p> - - Fixing the Linux black screen of death on machines with Intel HD video - http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Fixing_the_Linux_black_screen_of_death_on_machines_with_Intel_HD_video.html - http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Fixing_the_Linux_black_screen_of_death_on_machines_with_Intel_HD_video.html - Tue, 11 Jun 2013 11:00:00 +0200 - <p>When installing RedHat, Fedora, Debian and Ubuntu on some machines, -the screen just turn black when Linux boot, either during installation -or on first boot from the hard disk. I've seen it once in a while the -last few years, but only recently understood the cause. I've seen it -on HP laptops, and on my latest acquaintance the Packard Bell laptop. -The reason seem to be in the wiring of some laptops. The system to -control the screen background light is inverted, so when Linux try to -turn the brightness fully on, it end up turning it off instead. I do -not know which Linux drivers are affected, but this post is about the -i915 driver used by the -<a href="http://www.linlap.com/packard_bell_easynote_lv">Packard Bell -EasyNote LV</a>, Thinkpad X40 and many other laptops.</p> - -<p>The problem can be worked around two ways. Either by adding -i915.invert_brightness=1 as a kernel option, or by adding a file in -/etc/modprobe.d/ to tell modprobe to add the invert_brightness=1 -option when it load the i915 kernel module. On Debian and Ubuntu, it -can be done by running these commands as root:</p> - -<pre> -echo options i915 invert_brightness=1 | tee /etc/modprobe.d/i915.conf -update-initramfs -u -k all -</pre> - -<p>Since March 2012 there is -<a href="http://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=4dca20efb1a9c2efefc28ad2867e5d6c3f5e1955">a -mechanism in the Linux kernel</a> to tell the i915 driver which -hardware have this problem, and get the driver to invert the -brightness setting automatically. To use it, one need to add a row in -<a href="http://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/tree/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_display.c">the -intel_quirks array</a> in the driver source -<tt>drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_display.c</tt> (look for "<tt>static -struct intel_quirk intel_quirks</tt>"), specifying the PCI device -number (vendor number 8086 is assumed) and subdevice vendor and device -number.</p> - -<p>My Packard Bell EasyNote LV got this output from <tt>lspci --vvnn</tt> for the video card in question:</p> - -<p><pre> -00:02.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: Intel Corporation \ - 3rd Gen Core processor Graphics Controller [8086:0156] \ - (rev 09) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller]) - Subsystem: Acer Incorporated [ALI] Device [1025:0688] - Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- \ - ParErr- Stepping- SE RR- FastB2B- DisINTx+ - Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B+ ParErr- DEVSEL=fast >TAbort- \ - <TAbort- <MAbort->SERR- <PERR- INTx- - Latency: 0 - Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 42 - Region 0: Memory at c2000000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=4M] - Region 2: Memory at b0000000 (64-bit, prefetchable) [size=256M] - Region 4: I/O ports at 4000 [size=64] - Expansion ROM at <unassigned> [disabled] - Capabilities: <access denied> - Kernel driver in use: i915 -</pre></p> - -<p>The resulting intel_quirks entry would then look like this:</p> - -<p><pre> -struct intel_quirk intel_quirks[] = { - ... - /* Packard Bell EasyNote LV11HC needs invert brightness quirk */ - { 0x0156, 0x1025, 0x0688, quirk_invert_brightness }, - ... -} -</pre></p> - -<p>According to the kernel module instructions (as seen using -<tt>modinfo i915</tt>), information about hardware needing the -invert_brightness flag should be sent to the -<a href="http://lists.freedesktop.org/mailman/listinfo/dri-devel">dri-devel -(at) lists.freedesktop.org</a> mailing list to reach the kernel -developers. But my email about the laptop sent 2013-06-03 have not -yet shown up in -<a href="http://lists.freedesktop.org/archives/dri-devel/2013-June/thread.html">the -web archive for the mailing list</a>, so I suspect they do not accept -emails from non-subscribers. Because of this, I sent my patch also to -the Debian bug tracking system instead as -<a href="http://bugs.debian.org/710938">BTS report #710938</a>, to make -sure the patch is not lost.</p> - -<p>Unfortunately, it is not enough to fix the kernel to get Laptops -with this problem working properly with Linux. If you use Gnome, your -worries should be over at this point. But if you use KDE, there is -something in KDE ignoring the invert_brightness setting and turning on -the screen during login. I've reported it to Debian as -<a href="http://bugs.debian.org/711237">BTS report #711237</a>, and -have no idea yet how to figure out exactly what subsystem is doing -this. Perhaps you can help? Perhaps you know what the Gnome -developers did to handle this, and this can give a clue to the KDE -developers? Or you know where in KDE the screen brightness is changed -during login? If so, please update the BTS report (or get in touch if -you do not know how to update BTS).</p> - - - - - Third alpha release of Debian Edu / Skolelinux based on Debian Wheezy - http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Third_alpha_release_of_Debian_Edu___Skolelinux_based_on_Debian_Wheezy.html - http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Third_alpha_release_of_Debian_Edu___Skolelinux_based_on_Debian_Wheezy.html - Mon, 10 Jun 2013 22:50:00 +0200 - <p>The third wheezy based alpha release of Debian Edu was wrapped up -today. This is the release announcement:</p> - -<p><strong>New features for Debian Edu 7.0.0 alpha2 released -2013-06-10</strong></p> - -<p>This is the release notes for for Debian Edu / Skolelinux 7.0.0 edu -alpha2, based on Debian with codename "Wheezy".</p> - -<p><strong>About Debian Edu and Skolelinux</strong></p> - -<p><a href="http://www.skolelinux.org/">Debian Edu, also known as -Skolelinux</a>, is a Linux distribution based on Debian providing an -out-of-the box environment of a completely configured school -network. Immediately after installation a school server running all -services needed for a school network is set up just waiting for users -and machines being added via GOsa², a comfortable Web-UI. A netbooting -environment is prepared using PXE, so after initial installation of -the main server from CD, DVD or USB stick all other machines can be -installed via the network. The provided school server provides LDAP -database and Kerberos authentication service, centralized home -directories, DHCP server, web proxy and many other services. The -desktop contains -<a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Educational_applications_included_in_Debian_Edu___Skolelinux__the_screenshot_collection____.html">more -than 60 educational software packages</a> and more are available from -the Debian archive, and schools can choose between KDE, Gnome, LXDE -and Xfce desktop environment.</p> - -<p>This is the third test release based on Debian Wheezy. Basically -this is an updated and slightly improved version compared to the -Squeeze release.</p> - -<p><strong>Software updates</strong></p> - -<ul> - -<li>Iceweasel was updated from 10 to 17. (DSA 2699-1) -<li>Updated libxv (DSA-2674), libxvmc (DSA-2675), libxfixes (DSA-2676), libxrender (DSA-2677), mesa (DSA-2678), xserver-xorg-video-openchrome (DSA-2679), libxt (DSA-2680), libxcursor (DSA-2681), libxext (DSA-2682), libxi (DSA-2683), libxrandr (DSA-2684), libxp (DSA-2685), libxcb (DSA-2686), libfs (DSA-2687), libxres (DSA-2688), libxtst (DSA-2689), libxxf86dga (DSA-2690), libxinerama (DSA-2691), libxxf86vm (DSA-2692), libx11 (DSA-2693), chromium-browser (DSA-2695), gnutls26 (DSA-2697), wireshark (DSA-2700), krb5 (DSA-2701), telepathy-gabble (DSA-2702) and subversion (DSA-2703). -<li>Switched xrdp on thin client servers to use tightvncserver instead of xvnc4. -<li>Now install software oscilloscope xoscope by default. -<li>Now install music tools gtick, lingot and pianobooster by default. - -</ul> - -<p><strong>Other changes</strong></p> - -<ul> - -<li>The subnet-change script is now able to change all files needing a change on the main-server when changing the IP network used. -<li>Updated translation of the installation. -<li>New Romanian translation. -<li>Fix security problem causing root and first user password to no longer show up in /var/cache/debconf/templates.dat. -<li>Fix roaming workstation setup (Closed in libpam-mklocaluser/0.8, libpam-mklocaluser/0.8~deb7u1: #706753: libpam-mklocaluser: Fail to create local user during first login). -<li>Made roaming workstation setup more robust in non-Debian Edu environments. -<li>New script debian-edu-bless to transform a Debian installation to a Debian Edu profile. -<li>Adjust Iceweasel setup to improve performance when $HOME is on NFS. -<li>More testsuite tests. -<li>Make automatic proxy configuration more robust. -<li>Adjust GOsa² GUI configuration. - -<li>Update thin client and diskless workstation setup to work with -LTSP in Wheezy.</li> - -<li>Diskless workstations now run out of the box -- no need to set -them up with GOsa².</li> - -<li>Update IMAP server setup. </li> - -<li>Fix login into Skolelinux Backup Tool (Closed in -slbackup-php/0.4.4-1: #700257: slbackup-php: Fails to submit correctly -entered password). </li> - -</ul> - -<p><strong>Known issues</strong></p> - -<ul> - -<li>DVD binary and source images are not yet ready.</li> - -<li>No mass import of user account data in GOsa (ldif or csv) -available yet (Open in gosa/2.7.4-4: #698840: gosa-plugin-ldapmanager: -missing import feature).</li> - -<li>Missing artwork for the KDE desktop (and probably a few others). </li> - -<li>KDE Debian submenu lacks icons (Closed: #502192: menu-xdg: invents -own icon names instead of using existing). This will remain -unfixed.</li> - -</ul> - -<p><strong>Where to get it</strong></p> - -<p>To download the multiarch netinstall CD release you can use</p> - -<ul> - -<li><a href="ftp://ftp.skolelinux.org/skolelinux-cd/wheezy/debian-edu-7.0+edu0~a2-CD.iso">ftp://ftp.skolelinux.org/skolelinux-cd/wheezy/debian-edu-7.0+edu0~a2-CD.iso</a></li> - -<li><a href="http://ftp.skolelinux.org/skolelinux-cd/wheezy/debian-edu-7.0+edu0~a2-CD.iso">http://ftp.skolelinux.org/skolelinux-cd/wheezy/debian-edu-7.0+edu0~a2-CD.iso</a></li> - -<li>rsync -avzP ftp.skolelinux.org::skolelinux-cd/wheezy/debian-edu-7.0+edu0~a2-CD.iso .</li> - -</ul> - -<p>The MD5SUM of this image is: 27bbcace407743382f3c42c08dbe8178 -<br>The SHA1SUM of this image is: e35f7d7908566cd3075375b3721fa10ee420d419</p> - -<p><strong>How to report bugs</strong></p> - -<p><a href="http://wiki.debian.org/DebianEdu/HowTo/ReportBugs">http://wiki.debian.org/DebianEdu/HowTo/ReportBugs</a> - - -