SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 8 (SLES8) may hang when both a USB CD-ROM and a floppy disk are attached - IBM eServer xSeries 336

Resolving The Problem

RETAIN tip: H182734  

SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 8 (SLES8) may hang during install or bootup on an IBM eServer xSeries 336 when using both a USB CD-ROM and a USB floppy disk in certain USB ports.

The system may be an IBM eServer xSeries 336, type 8837 or 8838, any model.
 
The system is configured with the following RSA option:  

• IBM Remote Supervisor Adapter II - Slimline, option part number 73P9341

The following NOS is affected:

• SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 8 for x86

Note: This does not imply that the network operating system will work under all combinations of hardware and software. Please see the ServerProven compatibility page for more information.

This problem is fixed in SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9 (SLES9).

To avoid a system hang, attach the USB CD-ROM to the front USB port and the USB floppy to the rear USB port furthest from the PS/2 connectors when installing or booting.

In the xSeries 336, there are two USB 1.x controllers. One of these controllers (closest to the PS/2 connectors) shares an interrupt with the mass storage device while the second one does not. The interrupt sharing between the USB controller and the mass storage device causes SLES8 to hang during install or during bootup at starting hotplugging services.