Public bug reported:
On Panther Lake (IPU7.5), the intel_ipu7 module is included in the
dracut-built initramfs, but its firmware intel/ipu/ipu7ptl_fw.bin is
not. The driver loads about 1 s into boot, fails to load its firmware,
doesn't retry, and the camera stays dead for the whole session:
intel-ipu7 0000:00:05.0: firmware cpd file: intel/ipu/ipu7ptl_fw.bin
intel-ipu7 0000:00:05.0: Direct firmware load for intel/ipu/ipu7ptl_fw.bin
failed with error -2
intel-ipu7 0000:00:05.0: error -ENOENT: Requesting signed firmware
intel/ipu/ipu7ptl_fw.bin failed
intel-ipu7 0000:00:05.0: probe with driver intel-ipu7 failed with error -2
...
i2c i2c-OVTI08F4:00: deferred probe pending: ov08x40: waiting for fwnode graph
endpoint
The firmware is installed
(/usr/lib/firmware/intel/ipu/ipu7ptl_fw.bin.zst, from linux-firmware-
intel-graphics); it just isn't in the initramfs.
**Cause**
None of the IPU7 modules declares its firmware with MODULE_FIRMWARE():
$ modinfo -F firmware intel_ipu7 # (empty)
$ modinfo -F firmware intel_ipu7_isys # (empty)
$ modinfo -F firmware intel_ipu7_psys # (empty)
dracut decides which firmware to include from modinfo -F firmware, so it
packs the module without the file. The names are defined in
drivers/staging/media/ipu7/ipu7.h (IPU7_FIRMWARE_NAME,
IPU7P5_FIRMWARE_NAME, IPU8_FIRMWARE_NAME) and used in ipu7.c, but
mainline has no MODULE_FIRMWARE lines for them either.
**Evidence that the load timing decides it**
Across six boots of the same kernel and firmware, every boot where
intel-ipu7 probed at about 1 s (from the initramfs) failed with -ENOENT,
and every boot where it probed at 10–19 s (loaded by udev from the root
filesystem) worked. The switch happened with the initramfs rebuild
triggered by the dracut security update on 2026-09-15 (110-11 →
110-11ubuntu0.1). I don't know why the earlier initramfs didn't include
the module.
Re-probing after boot brings the camera up immediately, which confirms
nothing else is wrong:
echo 0000:00:05.0 | sudo tee /sys/bus/pci/drivers/intel-ipu7/bind
**Suggested fix**
- Maybe better: add the firmware declarations to the driver (upstream, in
ipu7.c), so every initramfs generator includes the file:
MODULE_FIRMWARE(IPU7_FIRMWARE_NAME);
MODULE_FIRMWARE(IPU7P5_FIRMWARE_NAME);
MODULE_FIRMWARE(IPU8_FIRMWARE_NAME);
- Meanwhile, Ubuntu-side: a dracut config that keeps intel_ipu7 out of the
initramfs (omit_drivers+=" intel_ipu7 "), or one that installs the IPU
firmware. Nothing in early boot needs this driver.
Local workaround in use: /etc/dracut.conf.d/90-ipu7-late-load.conf
containing omit_drivers+=" intel_ipu7 ", then update-initramfs -u -k
all. The camera works after every boot since.
System: Dell XPS 16 DA16260 (Panther Lake), SKU 0DBA, BIOS 1.9.0, kernel
7.0.0-1013-oem, dracut 110-11ubuntu0.1, linux-firmware-intel-graphics
20260319.git217ca6e4-0ubuntu2.1.
ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 26.04
Package: linux-oem-26.04 (not installed)
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 7.0.0-1013.13-oem 7.0.14
Uname: Linux 7.0.0-1013-oem x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.34.1-0ubuntu0.1
Architecture: amd64
CasperMD5CheckResult: pass
CurrentDesktop: GNOME
Date: Wed Sep 23 16:13:15 2026
InstallationDate: Installed on 2026-06-02 (113 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 26.04 "Resolute Raccoon" - Release amd64 (20260423.1)
ProcEnviron:
LANG=es_ES.UTF-8
PATH=(custom, no user)
SHELL=/bin/bash
TERM=xterm-ghostty
XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
SourcePackage: linux-meta-oem-7.0
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
** Affects: linux-meta-oem-7.0 (Ubuntu)
Importance: Undecided
Status: New
** Tags: amd64 apport-bug resolute wayland-session
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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/2168147
Title:
intel_ipu7 is packed into the initramfs without its firmware: IPU7
camera dead after boot (ipu7ptl_fw.bin -ENOENT)
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