device error 71

[patrick013]

I have a Debian OpenBox that boots from any usb port. The Debian LXDE will
only boot from one specific port. It needs to look at all of them to find and be
root, and mount the root filesystem by UUID.

That is not being done.

It says during boot after initrd loads :
device descriptor/64 Error -71
Can't enumerate usb device.
UUID xxxxxx does not exist

Then it won't mount the root filesystem which is the
UUID it starts booting from.

grub2 searches, finds the correct UUID, does initrd, but then
won't complete the boot and mount the darn root filesystem.
Says that UUID does not exist except from one specific USB
port when booted from, not the others.

Perhaps some parameter needs to be changed so it does a better
job of mounting the root filesystem, specified by grub2 with the
UUID. Then remake initrd so it does it all the time ?

I don't know what change to make so the initial ramdisk would
work right then.

Probably a simple fix, one adjustment to make.    Any ideas ?

THX

Patrick

[djohnston]

Is it grub2 on the device, or syslinux?
What filesystem is used for the root?

From your description, it sounds like a problem with initrd rather than the bootloader. Have you considered rerunning mkinitrd?

[patrick013]

Is it grub2 on the device, or syslinux?
What filesystem is used for the root?

From your description, it sounds like a problem with initrd rather than the bootloader. Have you considered rerunning mkinitrd?

Just redid initrd using update-initramfs.    Runs fast on sdc1.
No delays or errors at all.

It's grub2, xfs filesystem.   Boots the initrd from anywhere, just
won't finish mounting the root filesystem except when in sdc1,
which is actually port3.   The other 2 usb's are port1 and port2.

So, thanks for the response.

Patrick

[djohnston]

Boots the initrd from anywhere, just won't finish mounting the root filesystem except when in sdc1,
which is actually port3.

Not sure I understand. Does grub2 use UUIDs or the physical volume (sdc1)? And, are there other USB storage units inserted at boot time, or just that one?

[patrick013]

Not sure I understand. Does grub2 use UUIDs or the physical volume (sdc1)? And, are there other USB storage units inserted at boot time, or just that one?

grub2 is using UUID's as in it's default config.
No other USB's are there, but could be.

Don't know what else to tell ya'

thanks for the response.

Patrick

[patrick013]

Well I tried putting kernel options for grub2 in the default file OK.

rootdelay, irqpoll

How would polling be done by kernel option, don't see a command
for that.   I don't even think it's starting init, except from port3 of course.

[melodie]

How would polling be done by kernel option, don't see a command
for that.

Hi,

It is not a command but an option compiled into the kernel. Here is a list of options which is recent:
http://www.mjmwired.net/kernel/Documentation/kernel-parameters.txt

you can read about irqpoll somewhere in the page:

irqpoll      [HW]
            When an interrupt is not handled search all handlers
            for it. Also check all handlers each timer
            interrupt. Intended to get systems with badly broken
            firmware running.

what are IRQ ? They are request interruptions.

In an IBM PC compatible personal computer, an interrupt request (or IRQ) is a hardware signal sent to the processor that temporarily stops a running program and allows a special program, an interrupt handler, to run instead. Interrupts are used to handle such events as data receipt from a modem or network, or a key press or mouse movement. The interrupt request level (IRQL) is the priority of an interrupt request.(...)

[patrick013]

@Melodie

Hi Mel,

Well I'm trying everything conceivable cause it boots so well
from sdc1 (or port3)  it's a shame if I junk this thing cause it
isn't as flexible as I need.

It's a Debian Testing LXDE full install on a flash drive and is just
plain stuck booting from usb port3 and no place else.   Never had
this problem before but if I could resolve it another feather in the
old hat so to speak.

grub screen OK, then initrd loads OK, then init stalls, usb errors next...

What would you try to adjust ?

I could just install LXDE to my Scorpio but this is a tad bit challenging,
deserves a bit more time.

Have a good one.

Patrick     

[djohnston]

patrick,

Can you create an img of the stick and put the file online?

[patrick013]

patrick,

Can you create an img of the stick and put the file online?

I can't find words how I feel right now.   

Yes, made an archive, busted open a new flash drive, installed grub2
after restoring the archive to the new flash drive.  And have booted it from
port1 and port3 successfully so far tonight.   Gonna do port2 just to
be sure and go further crazy with this hardware here.   

How something will boot from port3 but not port1 I'll never know.    So
I'll find an envelope and mail it back to Kingston and get a brand new
flash drive.   Only the second time in all my years of using flash drives.

Long story short.....one of my oldest fastest flash drives was going bad.
All bytes were archived and restored OK  to the brand new flash drive.
Some little wire just wouldn't switch ports.     AMAZING  !

Additionally, I could buy a Kingston flash drive and get 8MB write and
14 MB reads, even enough to run KDE OK.   Same model but current
purchases lucky to get 4MB writes and 8 MB reads, same model but the
internal hardware is just half as fast.    Very discouraging when you depend
on a manaufacturer and a certain model to do something and it's half as
fast, etc..

USB 3's are supposed to be twice as fast as the best USB 2 flash's and if
you shop around some have builtin disk caches per advertisement, and not
great, certainly should be fast enough for a basic testing flash drive or a
full install to a portable OS install.  Definitely have flash drive disk caches.
Just FYI.

Point is the current USB 2 flash drive are very performance downgraded
even, old versions like the Kingston DT101 and Patriot Exporter which I
thought I could depend on for the old faster specs.

Have to get a computer with a couple USB 3 ports, these new USB 2
flash drives' performance is very bad.    Not recommended here.

Going to reboot and plug it in port2 then just to be sure then.    Long
term use I guess I can expect some weird breakdown in the future also.

Hey, thanks for the response.

Patrick

[djohnston]

Glad you got it figured out. It's just unfortunate the hardware was at fault. C'est la vie.

[melodie]

To make it short what was wrong ? the thumbdrive ?

[djohnston]

To make it short what was wrong ? the thumbdrive ?

Yes.

Some little wire just wouldn't switch ports.     AMAZING  !

[patrick013]

To make it short what was wrong ? the thumbdrive ?

Yes, it's one of the oldest I've got.   Just started sputtering with
certain places it was plugged in.    The other flash's work so what
can one decide when one flash doesn't work.

thanks for the response(s)

Patrick

[melodie]

Once on a thumbdrive which didn't work correctly I erased the partition and created a new msdos table partition on it, the redid a fresh partition and that did the trick. (Once... )