[05:02] <tomreyn> is this missing / not applied on the 18.04.3 (LTSE/HWE kernel)? https://patchwork.kernel.org/patch/9585671/
[05:08] <tomreyn> there's a user reporting running into a "tpm_crb MSFT0101:00 [Firmware Bug]: ACPI region does not cover the entire command/response buffer" message on the 18.04.3 installer running on an 'Alienware R4' gaming laptop.
[05:09] <tomreyn> (and how / where would i properly check this myself in the future, not wasting other peoples' time on silly bios bugs)
[11:56] <gpiccoli> tomreyn, I've checked Bionic tree and this (kinda old) commit is there, in 4.15, 5.0, 5.3 ...
[11:56] <gpiccoli> Is this user reporting the issue running a Canonical bionic kernel?
[11:57] <gpiccoli> Also, if you have a Launchpad with this report, let me know the link. If not, you may want to suggest this user to open a LP bug =)
[15:09] <tomreyn> gpiccoli: thanks for checking! yes, the user was on a freshly installed ubuntu 18.04.3 with 5.0: https://termbin.com/e3zb
[15:10] <tomreyn> i'm not in touch with them anymore, so can't ask for a bug report now, i'm afraid. this dell alienware 17 R4 gaming laptop has a very buggy bios, though.
[15:11] <gpiccoli> It seems to hhehe
[15:11] <gpiccoli> tomreyn, the fact the message is showing, means the workaround is available, but failed
[15:12] <tomreyn> gpiccoli: oh crap, right, the patch actually introduces this message. sorry...
[15:12] <gpiccoli> basically, the quirk adds a couple of checks, and if they fail, it prints the message and is conservative about theregion
[15:13] <gpiccoli> np tomreyn =)
[15:13] <gpiccoli> glad it's figured out
[15:13]  * tomreyn blushes
[15:13] <gpiccoli> likely this user has a bugged BIOS as you said
[15:14] <tomreyn> yes, and it's the latest they have available for this model
[15:14] <tomreyn> we already tried to work around the acpi issues with acpi_osi, but i'm not sure it actually helped
[15:15] <gpiccoli> ugh, BIOS issues are always lame to work, vendors are quite difficult to provide data or quickly fix. Dell should be good, perhaps worth to involve them
[15:16] <tomreyn> someone poste don their forums about this and other problems in october, no response.
[15:17] <tomreyn> https://www.dell.com/community/Alienware/AW17r5-BIOS-Issues/td-p/7391290
[15:17] <gpiccoli> forums are somewhat bad for this, it's my experience also. Perhaps worth to seek vendor official support channels or even a dell kernel devel that works with acpi
[15:18] <gpiccoli> git log --oneline --author=\@dell drivers/acpi/ will give you some emails heheh
[15:18] <tomreyn> well, i woudn't have such contacts, and the forum would be the standard go-to for customers. either they care or they dont
[15:19] <gpiccoli> you can work a goodreport and post to acpi mailing-list, looping the dell developers, likely you'll get some response!
[15:19] <tomreyn> i'm not affected by this, so i don't think i'm the right person to do so. also, well, it's a "gaming laptop", those shoould not exist to begin with.
[15:20] <tomreyn> thanks for your help, though, i do appreciate it.
[15:22] <gpiccoli> haha I agree about "gaming" laptop, I'd not buy such things
[15:22] <gpiccoli> you're welcome tomreyn =)
[15:22] <gpiccoli> Anytime!
[15:22] <tomreyn> :) saying this is dangerous!
[15:23] <gpiccoli> hahah
[15:23]  * gpiccoli leaving IRC in 3..2..
[15:23] <gpiccoli> lol
[15:23] <tomreyn> :)