A possible bug in Foxconn boards BIOS affects Linux ACPI

[conb123]

I knew it, i currently have a 945g7ma-8ks2h Foxconn mobo and i have to add boot option noapic nolapic acpi=off otherwise it just freezes as soon as i log in. Also i have sound issues whereas if i enable compiz my audio will just loop one note do you think this will fix that problem. Thanks alot though ive needed a thread like this for a long time wish i had never bought Foxconn.

Conb123

[shadowber]

To be honest I find it hard to believe that they have a campaign against Linux. There would be nothing to gain and would have a zero fiscal gain.

I think it is a bug you have found

How far fetched is it to you that MS is paying them to do this? I am not saying that this is the fact, but we have all seen the way MS behaves, and I just won't put it past them in this case, so theres your "fiscal gain" right there...
Why would MS do this? How many times do you see in these very forums, how someone complains that they tried out Ubuntu, and hibernation, or any number of things didn't work, and they are going back to MS?
The very fact that they get "certification" from MS lights a big red warning light in my head, so no I don't find it that hard to believe...

[iMerlin]

It's one thing to ignore operating systems that you don't want to support but it's totally unacceptable that they deliberately sabotage Linux support this way.

I hope the FTC will take a look at your claim of false advertising. Until then, someone should organize a boycott of Foxconn products.

I'm still curious how they are able to fulfill Windows standards and get a certification without being ACPI compliant. Especially because I'd think it would be easier from a engineering point of view to implement a certified standard than to make a hack for a specific operating system without getting the specs from someone.

Does Microsoft distribute some Windows specific information to motherboard makers?

[TheAlmightyCthulhu]

It's one thing to ignore operating systems that you don't want to support but it's totally unacceptable that they deliberately sabotage Linux support this way.

I hope the FTC will take a look at your claim of false advertising. Until then, someone should organize a boycott of Foxconn products.

I'm still curious how they are able to fulfill Windows standards and get a certification without being ACPI compliant. Especially because I'd think it would be easier from a engineering point of view to implement a certified standard than to make a hack for a specific operating system without getting the specs from someone.

Does Microsoft distribute some Windows specific information to motherboard makers?

http://git.kernel.org/?p=linux/kerne...e4b5c041b3ac0b

ACPICA: Disassembler support for new ACPI tables

Implemented full disassembler support for the following new ACPI
tables: BERT, EINJ, and ERST. Partial disassembler support for
the complicated HEST table. These tables support the Windows
Hardware Error Architecture (WHEA).

So yes, Microsoft can deviate enough to have proprietary BIOSes that only work with Windows, and if anything comes up, "We're jsut supporting implementation errors".



This also means that Linux has to emulate WHEA as much as it can, and Intrepid Ibex using kernel 2.6.26 is a lot better than Hardy, even with my fix, it only has one serious ACPI bug left with my fix, and that is it hangs on the next reboot after I have used suspend in that session.

My guess is that this BIOS is using HEST with a liberal dose of "errors" that Windows conveniently fixes.

It doesn't really conform to ACPI, but it *does* work with Vista.

[KiwiNZ]

I am closing this thread in the interim to allow staff to review and gain advice

[matthew]

I have reviewed the thread. The information for how to fix the issue has been posted. The rest of the discussion is speculative and is better left for other venues like these and more.

EDIT:
I have had a few PMs and emails about the thread closure. I understand the issue. I would like to see a free and open discussion of this. However, my fears in doing so are several. We have a code of conduct in place in these forums. In my experience, these sorts of conversations are extremely difficult to maintain within those parameters as they generally become quite heated and emotional. That would require extra staff time to respond to reported posts and cause us to deal with issues that really are not well suited to a forum dedicated to tech-support, not politics or social action. A problem was discovered and posted about. A solution was found and also posted. That is why we exist.

While I understand the issue at hand, and while I am content to allow the original post to remain in place, completely uncensored, I am very nervous about the tenor of the conversation. Some have recommended that I post a warning to all to stay within the bounds of the Forums CoC while discussing the issue, but on something like this I would expect several pages of comments (mine included), and any comment I make to this effect would be buried quickly in the deluge.

Finally, we all need to remember that the company being complained about, Foxconn, has not had an opportunity to respond publically to the accusation, and that the quotes being attributed to them have not been substantiated. We do not wish to be a part of a possible character assassination. I'm not saying that is what is happening, but only one side has been offered, and all quotes are being given by that side. While it is entirely possible that a major wrong has been done that needs to be exposed, it is also possible that we are looking at a bug, simple incompetence or error, or something far less sinister.

So, if you feel the need to rant, to blow off some steam, or to make claims that the world hates us, hates our operating system, or you just want to post in support of the other side, please do so in the locations where that conversation is taking place.

[matthew]

Here is a quick followup from the Phoronix forums.

Receiving publicity on SlashDot today is word that Foxconn refuses to support Linux. Foxconn is a large OEM motherboard manufacturer, but according to a thread on the Ubuntu Forums, they refuse to support Linux. There is a bug in one of their DSDT tables for their BIOS that's causing installation issues with Linux. The DSDT for Windows is correct, but Foxconn isn't interested in issuing a (simple) update to fix the Linux support. However, this isn't surprising to us. We've known that Foxconn does not wish to support Linux at all. Going back to 2006, Foxconn has told us at Phoronix that they aren't interested in Linux on their motherboards and they have no desire to support it. For more on motherboards under Linux, check out our motherboard reviews.

So, it appears we have third party confirmation of the issue, and of Foxconn's desire to NOT support Linux, at least confirmation enough for me to feel comfortable opening the thread again.

I would like to politely remind everyone to please keep comments within the Forum CoC...and with that, welcome back. Thank you to everyone for your understanding while the thread was closed.

[Rocket2DMn]

I have already finished the triage on the bug report posted at https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+s...ux/+bug/251338 since the OP provided the required information and confirmations were available elsewhere. Thank you for the extra info, matthew.

[flintmecha]

Paranoia much?

So a no-name motherboard manufacturer screws up the code to make their BIOS compatible with Linux.. okay. They suck at making things compatible.

Where's the proof that it was intentional? There is none.

I sincerely believe some people just LOOK for ways to blame people for being "pro-micro$oft" or "anti-linux" so they can pitch a fit.

Also, I buried this on Digg.

[tamoneya]

Paranoia much?

So a no-name motherboard manufacturer screws up the code to make their BIOS compatible with Linux.. okay. They suck at making things compatible.

Where's the proof that it was intentional? There is none.

I sincerely believe some people just LOOK for ways to blame people for being "pro-micro$oft" or "anti-linux" so they can pitch a fit.

Also, I buried this on Digg.

Foxconn is not a no name manufacturer. They make the motherboard for many major PC vendors (dell, hp ...) as well as the intel branded motherboards. Also it isnt about being intentional or not. It is about claiming to support ACPI. ACPI is not OS dependent yet they load separate code for linux than for windows.