SRU: https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/kernel-
team/2025-March/158335.html (trusty, xenial, bionic, focal, jammy,
noble, oracular, plucky, unstable)
** Description changed:
+ [SRU Justification]
+
+ [Impact]
+
+ Kernel module e1000e on load performs NVM checksum validation. This may
+ fails when the EEPROM got corrupted, but if bypassed the NIC still works
+ as it supposed to. This was once resolved for Presice in LP #1070182,
+ and carried all the way up until dropped in Trusty for unknown reason.
+
+ This patch adds the eeprom_bad_csum_allow module parameter for the
+ e1000 and e1000e drivers. This allows users of affected hardware
+ to bypass EEPROM/NVM checksum validation.
+
+ This patch was first sent to kernel mailing list as
+ https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/[email protected]/, but was
+ rejected for the favor of fixing the actual root cause in the EEPROM.
+ Then this was once accepted for Presice in LP #1070182, and had been
+ carried all the way up until dropped in Trusty for unknown reason.
+
+ [Fix]
+
+ Cherry pick commit fc650e376e72 ("UBUNTU: SAUCE: add
+ eeprom_bad_csum_allow module parameter") from linux/precise.
+
+ [Test Case]
+
+ 1. Boot the patched kernel. The dmesg should have following error
+ message on devices with corrupted NIC EEPROM:
+
+ e1000e 0000:00:19.0: >The NVM Checksum Is Not Valid
+ e1000e: probe of 0000:00:19.0 failed with error -5
+
+ 2. Unload the driver and reload with eeprom_bad_csum_allow=1:
+
+ $ sudo modprobe -r e1000e
+ $ sudo modprobe e1000e eeprom_bad_csum_allow=1
+
+ 3. Check if netdev is up:
+
+ $ ip link
+
+ [Where problems could occur]
+
+ From the discussion thread, skipping checksum validation works only as a
+ quick work-around, and the configurations stored in EEPROM still matter
+ in runtime. The adapter may still fail to work as expected.
+
+ [Other Info]
+
+ To pick up this patch for all living kernels. Nominate for Trusty,
+ Xenial, Bionic, Focal, Jammy, Noble, Oracular, Plucky and Unstable.
+
+ ============ original bug report ============
+
I work with the company that has obtained 300 used Dell Latitude 5420
laptops. They ware running Windows previously without problems. However
under Ubuntu (22.04; 24.10) there is a problem with Intel i219-LM (13)
NIC. Kernel module e1000e on load performs NVM checksum validation and
fails. Tested sample suggests about 70% of laptops are affected.
I modified e1000e module to bypass checksum and after that NIC works as
it supposed to. I tried to correct NVM using ethtool and intel provided
tool but it seems Dell locked writing to NVM on these laptops.
I searched internet and this is not the first time this problem has
occurred. There even used to be a patch adding module parameter to
force checksum bypass (https://patchwork.ozlabs.org/project/ubuntu-
kernel/patch/[email protected]/#470600). I wonder why
ubuntu kernel is no longer shipped with this patch? Can you add this
patch back or similar workaround?
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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/2102113
Title:
intel i219-LM on Dell 5420 with bad NVM checksum doesn't work with
e1000e driver
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