Bug#1103240: installation-reports: The installer hangs on detecting hardware. Installation cannot complete.

[Pascal Hambourg]

On 02/05/2025 at 11:15, anders wrote:


I did a fresh install from the daily build 01/05.

The following commands,

modprobe -r r8169
modprobe -r ath12k

do not crash the system, neither does reloading the modules with,

modprobe r8169
modprobe ath12k


In which conditions ? In the installer or the installed system ?
With or without atheros firmware present ?


Installing the package firmware-atheros fixes the wifi module, so that it is 
usable.
GPU errors appearing in dmesg are fixed by installing the package 
firmware-amd-graphics .

I installed the driver from Realtek:
https://www.realtek.com/Download/List?cate_id=584
After installing and signing this driver the ethernet port works. I also found 
the package,
https://packages.debian.org/testing/kernel/r8125-dkms
though I haven't tested it.

After these installations it seems that my system works as it should, let me 
know if you want a log file.

The only problem I am experiencing is then that the installer panics
on detecting hardware, unless I set the boot parameter firmware=never.


So the issue persists is the latest installer release.


When asked  by the installer to manually select a network card, the
option ath12k does not work, i.e. nothing happens when it is pressed.


This option was useful only with modules for very old non-plug'n'play 
devices. Now all needed modules are loaded automatically.

Bug#1103240: installation-reports: The installer hangs on detecting hardware. Installation cannot complete.

[Pascal Hambourg]

[Please reply to 1103...@bugs.debian.org and not only me, really]

On 18/04/2025 at 00:14, anders wrote:


I copied the wrong link from the e-mail thread. The image I installed
on my second attempt was the one from
https://cdimage.debian.org/cdimage/daily-builds/daily/arch-latest/amd64/iso-cd/

I managed to get the wifi module to work by copying the ath12k folder
and the rtl_nic folder from the linux-firmware repository
https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/firmware/linux-firmware.git/tree/



into /usr/lib/firmware and ran "sudo update-initramfs -u"


Did you previously try to install the package firmware-atheros ?
The files in ath12k/WCN7850/ look the same as the ones provided by 
firmware-atheros.



I then tried to build a custom kernel from the Debian kernel source as 
described here,


Which version ?


https://kernel-team.pages.debian.net/kernel-handbook/ch-common-tasks.html

The GPU related errors have disappeared (although this might be unrelated).

I then downloaded the Realtek driver for the 8125 ethernet controller,

https://www.realtek.com/Download/List?cate_id=584

I ran the autorun script. Then I signed the driver module r8125.ko with a MOK 
and loaded it with insmod. After doing this the ethernet connection works.

While the wifi module works, I still obtains some errors when unloading and 
reloading the module ath12k,

[ 2692.621781] ath12k_pci :0c:00.0: firmware: failed to load 
ath12k/WCN7850/hw2.0/firmware-2.bin (-2)
[ 2692.621785] ath12k_pci :0c:00.0: firmware: failed to load 
ath12k/WCN7850/hw2.0/firmware-2.bin (-2)
[ 2692.621787] ath12k_pci :0c:00.0: firmware: failed to load 
ath12k/WCN7850/hw2.0/firmware-2.bin (-2)


This file is neither in the kernel repository nor the firmware-atheros 
package. Maybe it is optional. Anyway it seems that the kernel does not 
panic when the ath12k is loaded or unloaded and ath12k firmware files 
are present.



You gave the following instructions,


The normal sequence in the installer when firmware is needed by a
network controller:
- load modules
- bring up and down network interfaces
- parse kernel logs for missing firmware
- find and install missing firmware
- unload and reload modules

the fact that the kernel panic does not happen without firmwares
suggests me that the bug may be triggered by either of the following
actions with r8169 or ath12k:
- unload the module when firmware is missing
- load the module when firmware is present
- bring the network interface up


If it is of interest to you, I am willing to reinstall and check this on a 
fresh install, where I haven't made a mess. However, I am leaving on vacation 
and it will therefore be a week before I can find the time.


I'd like the installer not to crash on your hardware, so anything that 
can help narrow the possible causes is welcome.

Bug#1103240: installation-reports: The installer hangs on detecting hardware. Installation cannot complete.

[Pascal Hambourg]

[Please reply to the bug mail address, not only mine]

On 17/04/2025 at 14:04, anders wrote:


I tried to use a newer image per suggestion from Holger Wansing,

https://cdimage.debian.org/cdimage/trixie_di_alpha1/amd64/iso-cd/debian-trixie-DI-alpha1-amd64-netinst.iso


This is the same trixie alpha 1 image as in your initial bug report. 
Holger suggested to try an image from 
, 
which includes a more recent kernel than the trixie alpha 1 image.



It is a hard freeze, but I if I switch to other consoles with
Ctrl+Alt+F2 to F4 prior to the freeze, I get the following last printed
logs before the freeze. Note that this was copied by hand, I let ...
indicate output that I have omitted on that line.

[74.323429] RIP: 0010:ath12k_hal_srng_access_begin+0x10/0x30 [ath12k]

... cut CPU register dump ...

[74.324313] PKRU: 5554
[74.324388] Kernel panic - not syncing: Fatal exception in interrupt
[74.324493] Kernel offset: 0x2820 from 0x8100 (relocation 
range: 0x8000-0xbfff)
[74.324658] ---[ end Kernel panic - not syncing: Fatal exception in interrupt ] 
---


It looks like the kernel panic is related with ath12k which is the 
driver for your wireless controller.



I managed to get the installation to finish by setting the boot
parameter firmware=never, and getting a USB internet connection via my
phone. Neither the Wifi module nor the ethernet connection seem to work
(both are embedded in my motherboard Gigabyte Aorus X870E Pro Ice).


This is interesting.


Wifi module: Qualcomm Wi-Fi 7 QCNCM865


Driver module ath12k and possible firmware in firmware-atheros.


Ethernet controller: Realtek 2.5GbE LAN chip (I can't seem to find better 
specifications)


In your initial report lspci identifies it as RTL8125.
Driver module r8169 and possible firmware in firmware-realtek.


Perhaps unsurprisingly, I now have a few errors outputted by dmesg. I list 
these below. Note that I am using the motherboard GPU.

[4.750486] integrity: Problem loading X.509 certificate -22
[4.750514] integrity: Problem loading X.509 certificate -22


I think it is a UEFI firmware bug.


[5.320526] r8169 :0d:00.0: error -ENODEV: unknown chip XID 688, contact 
r8169 maintainers (see MAINTAINERS file)


r8169 is the driver for your ethernet controller family. Some models 
require firwmare from package firmware-realtek, some do not. But here I 
do not see missing firmware errors, it looks like the driver does not 
know your specific model.



[5.409187] hub 12-0:1.0: config failed, hub doesn't have any ports! (err 
-19)
[8.487181] [drm:amdgpu_device_init.cold [amdgpu]] *ERROR* early_init of IP block 
 failed -19
[8.487346] [drm:amdgpu_device_init.cold [amdgpu]] *ERROR* early_init of IP block 
 failed -19
[8.487470] [drm:amdgpu_device_init.cold [amdgpu]] *ERROR* early_init of IP block 
 failed -19
[8.487584] [drm:amdgpu_device_init.cold [amdgpu]] *ERROR* early_init of IP block 
 failed -19
[8.487695] [drm:amdgpu_device_init.cold [amdgpu]] *ERROR* early_init of IP block 
 failed -19
[8.487795] amdgpu :78:00.0: amdgpu: Fatal error during GPU init


If you installed without any firmware I would have expected missing 
firmware (from firmware-amd-graphics) errors for an AMD GPU, but these 
errors are different.



[   14.071653] ath12k_pci :0c:00.0: firmware: failed to load 
ath12k/WCN7850/hw2.0/firmware-2.bin (-2)
[   14.071655] ath12k_pci :0c:00.0: firmware: failed to load 
ath12k/WCN7850/hw2.0/firmware-2.bin (-2)
[   14.071658] ath12k_pci :0c:00.0: firmware: failed to load 
ath12k/WCN7850/hw2.0/firmware-2.bin (-2)
[   14.157807] mhi mhi0: Error loading firmware: -2
[   14.157843] ath12k_pci :0c:00.0: failed to set mhi state: POWER_ON(2)
[   14.157856] ath12k_pci :0c:00.0: failed to start mhi: -110
[   14.157861] ath12k_pci :0c:00.0: failed to power up :-110
[   14.208360] ath12k_pci :0c:00.0: failed to create soc core: -110
[   14.208375] ath12k_pci :0c:00.0: failed to init core: -110
[   14.580814] ath12k_pci :0c:00.0: probe with driver ath12k_pci failed 
with error -110


The ath12k wireless driver module requests a firmware which is is not 
available in firmware-atheros.


The normal sequence in the installer when firmware is needed by a 
network controller:

- load modules
- bring up and down network interfaces
- parse kernel logs for missing firmware
- find and install missing firmware
- unload and reload modules

the fact that the kernel panic does not happen without firmwares 
suggests me that the bug may be triggered by either of the following 
actions with r8169 or ath12k:

- unload the module when firmware is missing
- load the module when firmware is present
- bring the network interface up

You can easily test the first action with:
modprobe -r r8169
modprobe -r ath12k

(I recommend to do it in emergency or rescue mode or in the in

Bug#1103240: installation-reports: The installer hangs on detecting hardware. Installation cannot complete.

[Pascal Hambourg]

On 15/04/2025 at 11:55, anders wrote:


I could not figure out how to export an installation log using the 
documentation,
https://www.debian.org/releases/stable/amd64/ch05s04.en.html
Note that I do not have an internet connection during the installation, since 
the network card fails
to load.


How does the installer hang ? Is it a hard freeze or is it still 
possible to switch to other consoles with Ctrl+Alt+F2 to F4 ? If the 
latter, you can

- switch to tty4 and see the latest logs
- switch to tty2 or tty3, start a shell, read the full log in 
/var/log/syslog or mount a FAT-formatted USB drive and copy the log onto it.

Bug#1103240: installation-reports: The installer hangs on detecting hardware. Installation cannot complete.

[Holger Wansing]

Hi,

Am 15. April 2025 11:55:30 MESZ schrieb anders :
>Image version: 
>https://cdimage.debian.org/cdimage/trixie_di_alpha1/amd64/iso-cd/debian-trixie-DI-alpha1-amd64-netinst.iso
[...]
>Initial boot:   [O]
>Detect network card:[E]
>Configure network:  [ ]
>Detect media:   [O]
>Load installer modules: [O]
>Clock/timezone setup:   [ ]
>User/password setup:[ ]
>Detect hard drives: [E]
>Partition hard drives:  [ ]
>Install base system:[ ]
>Install tasks:  [ ]
>Install boot loader:[ ]
>Overall install:[E]
>
>Comments/Problems:
>I could not figure out how to export an installation log using the 
>documentation,
>https://www.debian.org/releases/stable/amd64/ch05s04.en.html
>Note that I do not have an internet connection during the installation, since 
>the network card fails
>to load.

Maybe try a newer image from



Holger

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