Bug#990016: Debian installer images missing ASpeed video driver

Timothy Pearson

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Jun 17, 2021, 5:00:03 PM6/17/21

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Package: debian-cd
Severity: Important

The current Bullseye installer images don't include the "ast" video driver, making it impossible to install Debian on systems that don't have a fallback VGA BIOS (anything non-x86, e.g. ARM/OpenPOWER).

Ubuntu fixed this issue almost 5 years ago:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1514711

Please include the "ast" kernel module, which does not require any proprietary firmware to function, in the Debian installer CD images.

Jochen Sprickerhof

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Jul 10, 2021, 2:20:04 PM7/10/21

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Control: reassign -1 src:linux

Hi Timothy,

* Timothy Pearson <tpea...@raptorengineering.com> [2021-06-17 15:46]:

The module is part of the fb-modules-5.10.0-7-arm64-di:

https://salsa.debian.org/kernel-team/linux/-/blob/master/debian/installer/modules/arm64/fb-modules#L3

and fb-modules-5.10.0-7-loongson-3-di:

https://salsa.debian.org/kernel-team/linux/-/blob/master/debian/installer/modules/mipsel-loongson-3/fb-modules#L5

Additionally CONFIG_DRM_AST is enabled for ppc64:

https://salsa.debian.org/kernel-team/linux/-/blob/master/debian/config/kernelarch-powerpc/config-arch-64#L94

and x86:

https://salsa.debian.org/kernel-team/linux/-/blob/master/debian/config/kernelarch-x86/config#L519

So I assume it should be easy to add the module to the corresponding
udebs. Reassigning to the linux package, accordingly.

I guess it would help if you could be more specific on which
architectures it would be useful.

Cheers Jochen

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Timothy Pearson

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Sep 2, 2021, 6:30:04 PM9/2/21

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We just got hit with this again, in a customer-facing issue this time. The ASpeed video driver is going to be useful for nearly any non-x86 platform; i.e. any platform that is not likely to have a standard video BIOS / character mode display fallback but still have a display attached. That means ppc64el, arm64, riscv, sparc64 in practice.

Jeremy Rand

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Apr 16, 2022, 4:40:03 AM4/16/22

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Jochen Sprickerhof:

> * Timothy Pearson <tpea...@raptorengineering.com> [2021-06-17 15:46]:
>>

>> Please include the "ast" kernel module, which does not require any
>> proprietary firmware to function, in the Debian installer CD images.
>
> The module is part of the fb-modules-5.10.0-7-arm64-di:
>
> https://salsa.debian.org/kernel-team/linux/-/blob/master/debian/installer/modules/arm64/fb-modules#L3
>
>
> and fb-modules-5.10.0-7-loongson-3-di:
>
> https://salsa.debian.org/kernel-team/linux/-/blob/master/debian/installer/modules/mipsel-loongson-3/fb-modules#L5
>
>
> Additionally CONFIG_DRM_AST is enabled for ppc64:
>
> https://salsa.debian.org/kernel-team/linux/-/blob/master/debian/config/kernelarch-powerpc/config-arch-64#L94
>
>
> and x86:
>
> https://salsa.debian.org/kernel-team/linux/-/blob/master/debian/config/kernelarch-x86/config#L519
>
>
> So I assume it should be easy to add the module to the corresponding
> udebs. Reassigning to the linux package, accordingly.

Here's an attempted patch for ppc64 and ppc64el. I wasn't able to test
it because I don't know how to build an installer image, but feel free
to review/test it. (First time sending a patch to the Debian bug
tracker, not sure how badly I'm borking it.)

Cheers,
--
-Jeremy Rand
Lead Application Engineer at Namecoin

ast-installer-v2.patch

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Héctor Orón Martínez

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Mar 10, 2023, 7:20:04 PM3/10/23

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Hello,

I have opened an MR in salsa:
https://salsa.debian.org/kernel-team/linux/-/merge_requests/676

Regards
--
Héctor Orón -.. . -... .. .- -. -.. . ...- . .-.. --- .--. . .-.

Salvatore Bonaccorso

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Mar 11, 2023, 2:30:04 AM3/11/23

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Hi Héctor,

On Sat, Mar 11, 2023 at 01:15:31AM +0100, Héctor Orón Martínez wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I have opened an MR in salsa:
> https://salsa.debian.org/kernel-team/linux/-/merge_requests/676

I assume you were able to test it accordingly it works as expected?

Looks fine IMHO, but wanted to double-check with you.

Regards,
Salvatore

Héctor Orón Martínez

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Mar 11, 2023, 7:30:04 AM3/11/23

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Hello Salvatore,

On Sat, 11 Mar 2023 at 08:19, Salvatore Bonaccorso <car...@debian.org> wrote:

> > I have opened an MR in salsa:
> > https://salsa.debian.org/kernel-team/linux/-/merge_requests/676

> I assume you were able to test it accordingly it works as expected?
>
> Looks fine IMHO, but wanted to double-check with you.

I have not been able to test it since I (yet) do not have Power
hardware available. However the reporter is willing to test it, I was
hoping after it gets released.
The change only affects Power, so I believe this should be easy to
revert if that causes any issues.

Timothy Pearson

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Jun 5, 2023, 3:20:05 PM6/5/23

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Unfortunately it appears the bug persists. On the latest ppc64el netinst weekly build there is no trace of the ast module:

~ # modprobe ast
modprobe: FATAL: Module ast not found in directory /lib/modules/6.1.0-9-powerpc64le

Timothy Pearson

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Jun 5, 2023, 4:00:32 PM6/5/23

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Issue traced and merge request opened here:

https://salsa.debian.org/kernel-team/linux/-/merge_requests/743

Timothy Pearson

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Jun 5, 2023, 10:40:04 PM6/5/23

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Earlier merge request was redundant, after futher tracing I believe this merge request directly addresses the root of the remaining issues:

https://salsa.debian.org/installer-team/debian-installer/-/merge_requests/34