ata3.00: failed command: FLUSH CACHE

Whobe · 2016-03-13 15:16:24

Hi,

Fresh install of archlinux on virtualbox 5.0.16 with system updates applied.

I've been trying to sort this out for days, but google only shows general information about device controller failures and nothing I've tried is effective.

The system periodically freezes for about 20 seconds or so. The pattern appears to be random, but usually associated with disk activity.
I keep getting these messages:

[ 368.468656] ata3.00: exception Emask 0x0 SAct 0x0 SErr 0x0 action 0x6 frozen
[ 368.473136] ata3.00: failed command: FLUSH CACHE
[ 368.478534] ata3.00: cmd e7/00:00:00:00:00/00:00:00:00:00/a0 tag 3
res 40/00:00:00:00:00/00:00:00:00:00/00 Emask 0x4 (timeout)
[ 368.481689] ata3.00: status: { DRDY }
[ 368.482669] ata3: hard resetting link
[ 368.804556] ata3: SATA link up 3.0 Gbps (SStatus 123 SControl 300)
[ 368.805330] ata3.00: configured for UDMA/133
[ 368.805336] ata3.00: retrying FLUSH 0xe7 Emask 0x4
[ 369.502651] ata3.00: device reported invalid CHS sector 0
[ 369.502685] ata3: EH complete

#pacman -Qs kernel
local/dkms 2.2.0.3+git151023-6
Dynamic Kernel Modules System
local/iptables 1.4.21-3
Linux kernel packet control tool
local/kmod 22-1
Linux kernel module management tools and library
local/libdrm 2.4.67-1
Userspace interface to kernel DRM services
local/linux 4.4.5-1 (base)
The Linux kernel and modules
local/linux-api-headers 4.4.1-1
Kernel headers sanitized for use in userspace
local/linux-headers 4.4.5-1
Header files and scripts for building modules for Linux kernel
local/mtdev 1.1.5-1
A stand-alone library which transforms all variants of kernel MT events to the slotted type B protocol

Is there anything other info I should supply?

Can someone point me in the right direction please?

Hugh

Whobe · 2016-03-16 07:47:42

So, this problem leads to filesystem corruption and so on.
Everything else seems to work fine.
I'm very disappointed with the the response.
I guess arch isn't ready for use with Virtualbox

headkase · 2016-03-16 08:02:41

Arch packages upstream. If VirtualBox doesn't provide a sane "machine" for the standard kernel to run on then it is a VirtualBox problem and not an Arch problem. If you install Arch on the bare metal and get the same problem then it is likely an upstream kernel problem. Assuming you had the VirtualBox modules properly installed in your virtual machine of course.

Whobe · 2016-03-16 08:32:03

From what little information was available online, this problem has been fixed in other distributions.
I don't have this problem in Fedora, Ubuntu or any other guest.
I believe there was a patch and it was due to a faulty controller implementation. I'd assumed this hadn't made it to this distro yet.
The only other possibility could be the way I installed linux-headers and the way pacman needs it's package db refreshed.
Anyway, thanks for the response headkase. I'll try a fresh install to see if that makes a difference.

Whobe · 2016-03-17 12:33:48

The solution seems to be enable "host i/o cache" for the sata device in Virtualbox.
Might be worth adding to the Vbox troubleshooting section of the wiki until the patch has been ported to Arch.

WorMzy · 2016-03-17 12:47:11

You keep mentioning a patch, would you mind sharing it?

Also, if you have resolved your issue, please mark your thread as solved by edition your first post and amending the topic title.

Arch Linux

#1 2016-03-13 15:16:24

ata3.00: failed command: FLUSH CACHE

#2 2016-03-16 07:47:42

Re: ata3.00: failed command: FLUSH CACHE

#3 2016-03-16 08:02:41

Re: ata3.00: failed command: FLUSH CACHE

#4 2016-03-16 08:32:03

Re: ata3.00: failed command: FLUSH CACHE

#5 2016-03-17 12:33:48

Re: ata3.00: failed command: FLUSH CACHE

#6 2016-03-17 12:47:11

Re: ata3.00: failed command: FLUSH CACHE

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