Kernel 2.6.39-2-686-pae panics on unmount of external hd

[AlbertP]

The problem is not Gnome or the Shell. It is the Linux kernel 2.6.39-686-pae.

[Aradan]

I'm still having this problem with liquorix 3.0 kernel on amd64 :/

[Monsta]

So... does this really happen only if at least one NTFS partition is present on the external HDD?

I've encountered this one too. LMDE 201108 RC, tracking Latest, kernel is 2.6.39-2-amd64 (so it's not only 32-bit kernels that are affected). External HDD: WD Scorpio Blue 640 Gb in Zalman ZM-VE200 case, with a single NTFS partition.

[Linux n00b]

The problem is not Gnome or the Shell. It is the Linux kernel 2.6.39-686-pae.

Do you have any information? I'd like to find out what went wrong.

So far, my own experience and searching other places, all pointed to a few very specified areas:

1. It seems only related to NTFS.
2. It only happens if using the GUI's "safely remove" option, CLI unmount works without any problem.
3. It happens across systems with different kernels.

I'm not expert, but NTFS support is not part of kernel itself, and the problem does not happen to CLI, strongly suggested something really went wrong with the GUI file manager/shell.

@Monsta

It appears most (if not all) affected systems are 64bit, 32bit is relatively safe.

[grizzler]

It appears most (if not all) affected systems are 64bit, 32bit is relatively safe.

Nope. I've had it happen on two (very different) 32 bit systems.

[Monsta]

That's right, the previous page is full of reports of the same issue in 32-bit kernel.
It's still not clear how to solve this problem.

Well, at least there's a ticket already: http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=631187

[Linux n00b]

After this long time, and no one has taken any responsibility on this issue, has anyone worked out at least how to take the defective GUI option out for good?

I mean, back to not long ago, simple working "unmount" was perfect. It was not hard to teach new users (just say unmount is Linux work for "safe remove") either.

We are in this mess because someone decided everything should copy what Apple/MS does.

[CaptHilts]

hey folks, may I join the club?

Running lmde 64Bit pretty much up to date (tracking Debian Testing)

Three kernels installed (all 64bit obviously):

- liquorix 3.0.0.4
- linux 3.0.0.1 (from debian testing)
- linux 2.6.39-2 (from lmde source-cd, so probably Debian testing? )

Tried with all of these kernels and when unmounting my WD ext HDD (probably the rest of my externals as well tho) CAPS lock starts to wink at me and the system seems to be in shock Well, i feel kinda ridiculous to open a terminal to unmount my ext HDD Anyway, somebody any suggestions yet?

Otherwise i'd be curious to know if those who run pure Debian have the same issue! If not, a switch is in order I guess...

On my second computer I run Debian Testing KDE (kernel 3.0.0.1) and the problem is NOT present.

Cheers
Captn

[zerozero]

the bug report linked a few post above is from a "proper" debian install, and we can find reports of the same issue in the debian forum, so it's not a LMDE specific issue, can be at most a debian-kernel problem.

[ajar108]

I am using 3.0.0-1 64 bit kernel on lmde and having the same problem. Apart from CLI I noticed that when I used the disk utility program to unmount, it works with no problem.

[r3dux]

Bug 631187 is still kernel panicking liquorix 3.0.0-4 64-bit when "safely removing" a USB drive with a NTFS partition in LMDE Gnome RC1 [fully testing branch patched at time of post]:

Code: Select all

$ sudo fdisk -l
... other drives ...
Disk /dev/sdc: 1000.2 GB, 1000170586112 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 121597 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00042ada

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdc1               1      121598   976728064    7  HPFS/NTFS

Code: Select all

$ uname -r
3.0.0-4.dmz.2-liquorix-amd64

Hope it's sorted soon =/

[gosa]

I am using 3.0.0-1 64 bit kernel on lmde and having the same problem. Apart from CLI I noticed that when I used the disk utility program to unmount, it works with no problem.

Yeah, I was doing the same with my LMDE install (tracking testing) after I got the newer kernels. Don't remember when it started, but I got the same thing with CAPS LOCK blinking like crazy... Figured out - by accident - that the disk utility works.

Question:

This thing with unmounting using CLI - I know that in Windows you can create .bat-files that do all sort of interesting things for you... (never actually remember those lessons I got sometime back in the turn of the century).
Being a lazy person who likes to focus on other things than opening a terminal/disk utilities everytime I'd like to unmount something I'm wondering if it would be possible to create a small "script" or similar for each drive you use (have a couple of different drives I plug/unplug on a regular basis) and just put it on the desktop?

[Linux n00b]

@gosa,
Well, I don't know if the script would be easier, but certainly changing that offensive GUI option would be better option if it is possible (which I'm sure should be possible).

At this stage, all the evidence points to the desktop/file manager, not the kernel. Maybe it's time to change to something else.

[CaptHilts]

At this stage, all the evidence points to the desktop/file manager, not the kernel. Maybe it's time to change to something else.

agreed! I think it may be nautilus related rather than the kernel because using Debian Testing KDE and Dolphin I don't have any issues at all with the above mentioned kernels when unmounting my ext HDDs - and unmounting the CLI way (or with geparted, also noticed that by accident but frankly i'm too lazy to open gparted just to unmount my ext HDDs ) on gnome works perfectly fine. Btw, i noticed that when nautilus is open and i right-click the HD i wanna unmount i don't have the option "unmount", only "safely remove" - normally nautilus would have both options, no?

Cheers
Captn

[AlbertP]

Am on Windows at the moment but I'm also quite sure that both options should be there using Mint 11 Gnome. I don't think Debian's Nautilus is very different from Ubuntu's.

[CaptHilts]

thx for clarifying!

yea i thought so...from what I remember from Mint 11 there should be the option...I tested Mint Debian RC and the option to "unmount" in nautilus wasn't there - maybe it's changed with the stable release

[grizzler]

I've decided to go back to kernel 2.6.38-2 until this problem and the one mentioned here viewtopic.php?f=187&t=80386&start=20#p467333 are fixed.

It's a pity more recent kernels are seriously broken for some.

[Monsta]

While bugzilla.kernel.org is still down, there were some updates on debian and ubuntu bug trackers.

http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugrepor ... =631187#93
So, "they believe" the bug is fixed in 3.0.0-5. Can anyone who tracks Incoming or Testing confirm this? (That's if the kernel there is new enough, of course.)

On the other hand, Ubuntu users complain that the bug is still present in ubuntu kernel 3.0.0-12:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+sour ... bug/793796
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+sour ... bug/844957
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+sour ... bug/867811

Now I start to wonder what version of the upstream kernel does this ubuntu kernel 3.0.0-12 correspond to...

[lilmonkey1]

Has this problem been fixed? I just installed Mint on a new computer and I still get the error when I try to 'safely remove' my external drive. So if it's a kernel issue then you guys need to get on it! I would consider the liquorix route if I fully understood what was involved. That and I am not good at compiling. It spooks me a bit to mess with the kernel.