Gentoo on Acer Aspire 3502WLCi with bugged DSDT (Phoenix BIOS)

Gentoo on Acer Aspire 3502WLCi with bugged DSDT (Phoenix BIOS)

[Fabio]

Greetings to anyone in the ML,
I got the laptop in object with a bugged DSDT (REALLY?!?!?!  :o)
So I downloaded a fixed DSDT from the acpi site and compiled it with
the iasl compiler.
Then I patched the kernel (2.6.15) so now it can read a custom DSDT
and I put the new DSDT.aml in /boot

I read on a gentoo forum that i can pass the file to the kernel 
like a initrd image, so i modified my grub like this:

[...]
title Gentoo GNU/Linux (Fixed DSDT)
kernel (hd0,2)/boot/bzImage-2.6.15 root=/dev/hda3
initrd=(hd0,2)/boot/DSDT.aml
[...]

but on restart i find:
fabio@bluestar ~ $ dmesg |grep -i dsdt
ACPI: DSDT (v001 PTLTD     661MX 0x06040000 MSFT 0x0100000e) @
0x00000000
ACPI: Looking for DSDT in initramfs... error, file /DSDT.aml not found.
Table [DSDT](id 0006) - 485 Objects with 39 Devices 93 Methods 10
Regions

I tried to create an initrd.img with "mkinitrd initrd.img 2.6.15" and
then add the DSDT.aml to it by the initrd-add script,
but during the start-up the pc hangs with the message:
"error: Unable to mount root fs on unknown-block(3,3)"

I don't know what to do, hope someone
could help me, thank you in advance
Fabio

RE: Gentoo on Acer Aspire 3502WLCi with bugged DSDT (Phoenix BIOS)

[Brown, Len]

Note that in most cases when Linux doesn't digest the DSDT
that the vendor shipped, it is a Linux bug that needs to
be filed and fixed.  We're not taking the moral high ground here,
in most cases we're trying to be resilient to the bugs
in DSDTs that Windows allows.

That said, if you want to run a custom DSDT and you're
building a custom kernel for the box, then simply
use the CONFIG_ACPI_CUSTOM_DSDT option.

cheers,
-Len

RE: Gentoo on Acer Aspire 3502WLCi with bugged DSDT (Phoenix BIOS)

[Fabio Venturi]

Thank you for the answer ,
as i wrote, i already downloaded (from the ACPI site)
and compiled with iasl a bug-fixed DSDT for my laptop,
the problem is I can't make the kernel read it during the boot.
In a gentoo forum (http://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic.php?t=122145)
i found that i can pass the new DSDT.aml to the kernel
like an initrd image so i changes grub.conf like this:

[...]
title Gentoo GNU/Linux (Fixed DSDT)
kernel (hd0,2)/boot/bzImage-2.6.15 root=/dev/hda3
initrd=(hd0,2)/boot/DSDT.aml
[...]

but when the system finish to boot, "dmsg |grep -i dsdt" says:

ACPI: DSDT (v001 PTLTD     661MX 0x06040000 MSFT 0x0100000e) @
0x00000000
ACPI: Looking for DSDT in initramfs... error, file /DSDT.aml not found.
Table [DSDT](id 0006) - 485 Objects with 39 Devices 93 Methods 10
Regions

So the original DSDT from the BIOS is loaded instead of
loading the custom one.
(Yes, i activate the CONFIG_ACPI_CUSTOM_DSDT, RamDisk Support ecc..
options)
I hope I clearly explained my problem (in a bad english :oP ),
thank you for this and any further help
regards
Fabio

Il giorno ven, 20/01/2006 alle 00.57 -0500, Brown, Len ha scritto:
> Note that in most cases when Linux doesn't digest the DSDT
> that the vendor shipped, it is a Linux bug that needs to
> be filed and fixed.  We're not taking the moral high ground here,
> in most cases we're trying to be resilient to the bugs
> in DSDTs that Windows allows.
> 
> That said, if you want to run a custom DSDT and you're
> building a custom kernel for the box, then simply
> use the CONFIG_ACPI_CUSTOM_DSDT option.
> 
> cheers,
> -Len
> 

Re: Gentoo on Acer Aspire 3502WLCi with bugged DSDT (Phoenix BIOS)

[Bruno Ducrot]

On Fri, Jan 20, 2006 at 11:13:51AM +0100, Fabio Venturi wrote:
> Thank you for the answer ,
> as i wrote, i already downloaded (from the ACPI site)
> and compiled with iasl a bug-fixed DSDT for my laptop,
> the problem is I can't make the kernel read it during the boot.
> In a gentoo forum (http://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic.php?t=122145)
> i found that i can pass the new DSDT.aml to the kernel
> like an initrd image so i changes grub.conf like this:
> 
> [...]
> title Gentoo GNU/Linux (Fixed DSDT)
> kernel (hd0,2)/boot/bzImage-2.6.15 root=/dev/hda3
> initrd=(hd0,2)/boot/DSDT.aml
> [...]
> 
> but when the system finish to boot, "dmsg |grep -i dsdt" says:
> 
> ACPI: DSDT (v001 PTLTD     661MX 0x06040000 MSFT 0x0100000e) @
> 0x00000000
> ACPI: Looking for DSDT in initramfs... error, file /DSDT.aml not found.
> Table [DSDT](id 0006) - 485 Objects with 39 Devices 93 Methods 10
> Regions
> 
> So the original DSDT from the BIOS is loaded instead of
> loading the custom one.
> (Yes, i activate the CONFIG_ACPI_CUSTOM_DSDT, RamDisk Support ecc..
> options)

What wanted to tell you Len is that you should consider the other method
as pointed by gentoo link you provided (the static one, instead of the
initrd method).  This method is now in mainstream, so you don't have to
patch the kernel anymore.

Just get for example a kernel version 2.6.15, then you must have
something like that:

# CONFIG_STANDALONE is not set
CONFIG_ACPI_CUSTOM_DSDT=y
CONFIG_ACPI_CUSTOM_DSDT_FILE="/path/to/foo.hex"

where foo.hex is a C header file (NOT an aml one) that is generated
by the command
iasl -p foo -tc foo.dsl

-- 
Bruno Ducrot

--  Which is worse:  ignorance or apathy?
--  Don't know.  Don't care.

Re: Gentoo on Acer Aspire 3502WLCi with bugged DSDT (Phoenix BIOS)

[Bruno Ducrot]

On Fri, Jan 20, 2006 at 02:09:36PM +0100, Bruno Ducrot wrote:
> On Fri, Jan 20, 2006 at 11:13:51AM +0100, Fabio Venturi wrote:
> > Thank you for the answer ,
> > as i wrote, i already downloaded (from the ACPI site)
> > and compiled with iasl a bug-fixed DSDT for my laptop,
> > the problem is I can't make the kernel read it during the boot.
> > In a gentoo forum (http://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic.php?t=122145)
> > i found that i can pass the new DSDT.aml to the kernel
> > like an initrd image so i changes grub.conf like this:
> > 
> > [...]
> > title Gentoo GNU/Linux (Fixed DSDT)
> > kernel (hd0,2)/boot/bzImage-2.6.15 root=/dev/hda3
> > initrd=(hd0,2)/boot/DSDT.aml
> > [...]
> > 
> > but when the system finish to boot, "dmsg |grep -i dsdt" says:
> > 
> > ACPI: DSDT (v001 PTLTD     661MX 0x06040000 MSFT 0x0100000e) @
> > 0x00000000
> > ACPI: Looking for DSDT in initramfs... error, file /DSDT.aml not found.
> > Table [DSDT](id 0006) - 485 Objects with 39 Devices 93 Methods 10
> > Regions
> > 
> > So the original DSDT from the BIOS is loaded instead of
> > loading the custom one.
> > (Yes, i activate the CONFIG_ACPI_CUSTOM_DSDT, RamDisk Support ecc..
> > options)
> 
> What wanted to tell you Len is that you should consider the other method
> as pointed by gentoo link you provided (the static one, instead of the
> initrd method).  This method is now in mainstream, so you don't have to
> patch the kernel anymore.
> 
> Just get for example a kernel version 2.6.15, then you must have
> something like that:
> 
> # CONFIG_STANDALONE is not set
> CONFIG_ACPI_CUSTOM_DSDT=y
> CONFIG_ACPI_CUSTOM_DSDT_FILE="/path/to/foo.hex"
> 
> where foo.hex is a C header file (NOT an aml one) that is generated
> by the command
> iasl -p foo -tc foo.dsl
> 

BTW if you have a problem with your battery and that's why you have to
override the DSDT, you should consider to *NOT* override it, and instead
test Len's next ACPI release.

http://ftp.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/people/lenb/acpi/patches/test/2.6.15/

Instead of doing some black magic, you also will be able to report if
the workaround made by ACPI intel developers is helpful for your laptop.

-- 
Bruno Ducrot

--  Which is worse:  ignorance or apathy?
--  Don't know.  Don't care.

RE: Gentoo on Acer Aspire 3502WLCi with bugged DSDT (Phoenix BIOS)

[Brown, Len]

>title Gentoo GNU/Linux (Fixed DSDT)
>kernel (hd0,2)/boot/bzImage-2.6.15 root=/dev/hda3
>initrd=(hd0,2)/boot/DSDT.aml
>[...]
>
>but when the system finish to boot, "dmsg |grep -i dsdt" says:
>
>ACPI: DSDT (v001 PTLTD     661MX 0x06040000 MSFT 0x0100000e) @
>0x00000000
>ACPI: Looking for DSDT in initramfs... error, file /DSDT.aml not found.
>Table [DSDT](id 0006) - 485 Objects with 39 Devices 93 Methods 10
>Regions
>
>So the original DSDT from the BIOS is loaded instead of
>loading the custom one.
>(Yes, i activate the CONFIG_ACPI_CUSTOM_DSDT, RamDisk Support ecc..

If you're using CONFIG_ACPI_CUSTOM_DSDT
(and setting CONFIG_ACPI_CUSTOM_DSDT_FILE to the soruce file...)

then do not apply the initrd patch (unapply it if you've applied it)
do not create a special initrd file, and do not modify your grub/menu.lst

-Len

Re: Gentoo on Acer Aspire 3502WLCi with bugged DSDT (Phoenix BIOS)

[Fabio Venturi]

> On Fri, Jan 20, 2006 at 02:09:36PM +0100, Bruno Ducrot wrote:
> > On Fri, Jan 20, 2006 at 11:13:51AM +0100, Fabio Venturi wrote:
> > > Thank you for the answer ,
> > > as i wrote, i already downloaded (from the ACPI site)
> > > and compiled with iasl a bug-fixed DSDT for my laptop,
> > > the problem is I can't make the kernel read it during the boot.
> > > In a gentoo forum (http://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic.php?t=122145)
> > > i found that i can pass the new DSDT.aml to the kernel
> > > like an initrd image so i changes grub.conf like this:
> > > 
> > > [...]
> > > title Gentoo GNU/Linux (Fixed DSDT)
> > > kernel (hd0,2)/boot/bzImage-2.6.15 root=/dev/hda3
> > > initrd=(hd0,2)/boot/DSDT.aml
> > > [...]
> > > 
> > > but when the system finish to boot, "dmsg |grep -i dsdt" says:
> > > 
> > > ACPI: DSDT (v001 PTLTD     661MX 0x06040000 MSFT 0x0100000e) @
> > > 0x00000000
> > > ACPI: Looking for DSDT in initramfs... error, file /DSDT.aml not found.
> > > Table [DSDT](id 0006) - 485 Objects with 39 Devices 93 Methods 10
> > > Regions
> > > 
> > > So the original DSDT from the BIOS is loaded instead of
> > > loading the custom one.
> > > (Yes, i activate the CONFIG_ACPI_CUSTOM_DSDT, RamDisk Support ecc..
> > > options)
> > 
> > What wanted to tell you Len is that you should consider the other method
> > as pointed by gentoo link you provided (the static one, instead of the
> > initrd method).  This method is now in mainstream, so you don't have to
> > patch the kernel anymore.
> > 
> > Just get for example a kernel version 2.6.15, then you must have
> > something like that:
> > 
> > # CONFIG_STANDALONE is not set
> > CONFIG_ACPI_CUSTOM_DSDT=y
> > CONFIG_ACPI_CUSTOM_DSDT_FILE="/path/to/foo.hex"
> > 
> > where foo.hex is a C header file (NOT an aml one) that is generated
> > by the command
> > iasl -p foo -tc foo.dsl
> > 
> 
> BTW if you have a problem with your battery and that's why you have to
> override the DSDT, you should consider to *NOT* override it, and instead
> test Len's next ACPI release.
> 
> http://ftp.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/people/lenb/acpi/patches/test/2.6.15/
> 
> Instead of doing some black magic, you also will be able to report if
> the workaround made by ACPI intel developers is helpful for your laptop.
> 

GREAT! Everything is working well now and all I did was:
trash the existing kernel, decompress the vanilla 2.6.15 kernel
(I don't know if this work also with custom kernel), patched to the
last stable 2.6.15-1 and, as Bruno Ducrot suggested, patched
with Len Brown's patch found at:
http://ftp.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/people/lenb/acpi/patches/test/2.6.15/acpi-test-20051216-2.6.15.diff.bz2
and now the battery (the only device with a problem) is regularly
monitored by ACPI.
If you need some dumps or my kernel .config file just tell me,
I'll sent it immediately.
Thank you very much for the great help you gave me!
Regards
Fabio