Update on the Intel e1000e Linux Bug
A bug in the series 2.6.27-rc Linux kernel can permanently damage Intel's e1000e Gigabit Ethernet card. Linux distributor Mandriva offers a few suggestions -- and not only to its own customers.
The kernel bug had been reported earlier against the Beta 1 versions of openSUSE 11.1 and SUSE Linux Enterprise 11. The openSUSE project had warned against using these versions with CPUs containing the Intel e1000e network card.
The French firm Mandriva has now publicized further details on its official blog. In Mandriva's case the bug affected all pre-releases of their Mandriva Linux 2009, but not any of their stable Linux releases or the final Mandriva Linux 2009.
Apparently ICH8 and ICH9 chipsets with the Intel 82566 and 82567 network interfaces were affected. Mandriva offers a few tips to remedy this in their blog. The first is to find the affected chipset by issuing the lspci command as root:
lspci | grep 8256[67]
Then issue the lsmod command to determine if the network adapter is using the e1000e card:
/sbin/lsmod | grep e1000e
If any output is returned, the hardware is affected and the content of the EEPROM might be overwritten, causing damage to the card. To avoid this, Mandriva suggests issuing a command to back up the EEPROM data to a file for safekeeping:
ethtool -e ethX > savemyeep.txt
Comments
comments powered by DisqusSubscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
System76 Releases COSMIC Alpha 7
With scores of bug fixes and a really cool workspaces feature, COSMIC is looking to soon migrate from alpha to beta.
-
OpenMandriva Lx 6.0 Available for Installation
The latest release of OpenMandriva has arrived with a new kernel, an updated Plasma desktop, and a server edition.
-
TrueNAS 25.04 Arrives with Thousands of Changes
One of the most popular Linux-based NAS solutions has rolled out the latest edition, based on Ubuntu 25.04.
-
Fedora 42 Available with Two New Spins
The latest release from the Fedora Project includes the usual updates, a new kernel, an official KDE Plasma spin, and a new System76 spin.
-
So Long, ArcoLinux
The ArcoLinux distribution is the latest Linux distribution to shut down.
-
What Open Source Pros Look for in a Job Role
Learn what professionals in technical and non-technical roles say is most important when seeking a new position.
-
Asahi Linux Runs into Issues with M4 Support
Due to Apple Silicon changes, the Asahi Linux project is at odds with adding support for the M4 chips.
-
Plasma 6.3.4 Now Available
Although not a major release, Plasma 6.3.4 does fix some bugs and offer a subtle change for the Plasma sidebar.
-
Linux Kernel 6.15 First Release Candidate Now Available
Linux Torvalds has announced that the release candidate for the final release of the Linux 6.15 series is now available.
-
Akamai Will Host kernel.org
The organization dedicated to cloud-based solutions has agreed to host kernel.org to deliver long-term stability for the development team.
ethtool -E can't be used
Re-flashing the BIOS didn't help. The BIOS can be flashed successfully ensuring that no BIOS area is compromised, but the NVM seems to be excluded by the flash procedure.
Is anybody aware of an utility that can reprogram the NVM? Intel site seems quite empty of information about this.
Re: How to restore the dumped eeprom?
Re: How to restore the dumped eeprom?
there's probably a better way, but you can definitely use a 'for' loop and solve the problem that way
How to restore the dumped eeprom?