Most recent kernel where this bug did *NOT* occur: 2.6.19-rc4 Distribution: ubuntu 6.10, 64 bit Hardware Environment: ASUS M2N-E (MCP55), AMD X2 4200+ Software Environment: normal linux distro with a custom kernel Problem Description: It started when I compiled the stable 2.6.19 kernel (first after rc4). The network connection to the router just dropped and I can find no reason why it is so. I have to revive the connection via /etc/init.d/networking restart command and the connection is there again. At first I was doing remote connection (tsclient in ubuntu) on another ubuntu dapper machine. The connection would randomly terminate. I assumed it was the program, but then I did a further test. I used mc (midnight commander) to copy some large files (a couple ubuntu iso-s) to this machine (which acts as a file server) via NFS (and via router) and back. The connection would drop! The event is more frequent if I transfer the files from that computer than vice versa. I then rerun linux with 2.6.19-rc4 kernel and transfers were stable without a single connection drop. I then assumed it should be the newer forcedeth driver to blame but apparently it isn't. I put the 0.57 driver into the 2.6.20-rc3 and the problem persists. I even tried this patch from the bug #7684 but this didn't help either. Steps to reproduce: Hopefully with this hardware I mentioned, plain ubuntu 6.10 64 bit installation with a kernel higher than 2.6.19-rc4. Config and other status files are in the attachment.
Created attachment 10004 [details] dmesg, lspci, ethtool, kernel configs
On Thu, 4 Jan 2007 08:49:49 -0800 bugme-daemon@bugzilla.kernel.org wrote: > http://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=7770 > > Summary: Network connection randomly drops > Kernel Version: 2.6.19 onward > Status: NEW > Severity: normal > Owner: acme@conectiva.com.br > Submitter: prusnik@gmail.com > > > Most recent kernel where this bug did *NOT* occur: 2.6.19-rc4 > Distribution: ubuntu 6.10, 64 bit > Hardware Environment: ASUS M2N-E (MCP55), AMD X2 4200+ > Software Environment: normal linux distro with a custom kernel > Problem Description: > It started when I compiled the stable 2.6.19 kernel (first after rc4). The > network connection to the router just dropped and I can find no reason why it is > so. I have to revive the connection via /etc/init.d/networking restart command > and the connection is there again. At first I was doing remote connection > (tsclient in ubuntu) on another ubuntu dapper machine. The connection would > randomly terminate. I assumed it was the program, but then I did a further test. > I used mc (midnight commander) to copy some large files (a couple ubuntu iso-s) > to this machine (which acts as a file server) via NFS (and via router) and > back. The connection would drop! The event is more frequent if I transfer the > files from that computer than vice versa. > I then rerun linux with 2.6.19-rc4 kernel and transfers were stable without a > single connection drop. I then assumed it should be the newer forcedeth driver > to blame but apparently it isn't. I put the 0.57 driver into the 2.6.20-rc3 and > the problem persists. I even tried this patch from the bug #7684 but this didn't > help either. > > Steps to reproduce: > Hopefully with this hardware I mentioned, plain ubuntu 6.10 64 bit installation > with a kernel higher than 2.6.19-rc4. Config and other status files are in the > attachment. >
It apparently was a configuration error. I compiled kernels from 2.6.19-rc5 onwards with the config of rc4, stripped of all obsoleted and deprecated items in the network configuration (including network devices) and the copying tests went through without a single connection drop. Apologies for any inconveniences. Am attaching the 2.6.19 config if anyone has dugg into this.
Created attachment 10038 [details] the working config for 2.6.19
In case anyone will be reading this: it was the NAPI that was causing connection drops. After I disabled it in the kernel config and recompiled the kernel it was ok. The comment for NAPI say it's experimental so I guess it still needs a bit of debugging.
Created attachment 11599 [details] linux-2.6.20-gentoo-r8/.config If needed, here is my kernel .config for linux-2.6.20-gentoo-r8
I always keep experimental features away from my kernel and same with NAPI for forcedeth. But I enable NAPI for the Intel card where it is shown as non-experimental.