Re: [Regression 4.15-rc2] New messages `tpm tpm0: A TPM error (2314) occurred continue selftest`

From: Paul Menzel
Date: Fri Dec 15 2017 - 10:38:16 EST


Dear Mario,


On 12/15/17 16:24, Mario.Limonciello@xxxxxxxx wrote:
-----Original Message-----
From: Paul Menzel [mailto:pmenzel@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Friday, December 15, 2017 9:11 AM
To: Limonciello, Mario <Mario_Limonciello@xxxxxxxx>; Alexander Steffen
<Alexander.Steffen@xxxxxxxxxxxx>; Jason Gunthorpe <jgg@xxxxxxxx>
Cc: linux-integrity@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx; linux-kernel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx;
rafael.j.wysocki@xxxxxxxxx; len.brown@xxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [Regression 4.15-rc2] New messages `tpm tpm0: A TPM error (2314)
occurred continue selftest`

Dear Mario,


On 12/15/17 15:39, Mario.Limonciello@xxxxxxxx wrote:
-----Original Message-----
From: Paul Menzel [mailto:pmenzel@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Friday, December 15, 2017 5:54 AM
To: Limonciello, Mario <Mario_Limonciello@xxxxxxxx>; Alexander Steffen
<Alexander.Steffen@xxxxxxxxxxxx>; Jason Gunthorpe <jgg@xxxxxxxx>
Cc: linux-integrity@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx; linux-kernel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx; Rafael J.
Wysocki <rafael.j.wysocki@xxxxxxxxx>; Len Brown <len.brown@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [Regression 4.15-rc2] New messages `tpm tpm0: A TPM error (2314)
occurred continue selftest`

[â]

Mario, thank you for your quick reaction.

[â]

1. Can you reproduce this issue too?

I haven't seen this, but if this is a regression I also have not run anything
later than 4.15-rc1 right now.

Well as far as I understood it, itâs not a regression, and there is now
just better error reporting. Did you ever get the TPM to work?

I don't personally use a TPM with Linux on the XPS 9360, but TPM was
tested by our partners when the XPS 9360 was enabled for Ubuntu.

Itâd be great to know how it was tested, as currently it doesnât work here. I included the output in my reply to Alexander just now.

2. How do I find out, what TPM firmware version is installed?

fwupd will tell you. Documentation (and code) here:
https://github.com/hughsie/fwupd/tree/master/plugins/dell

Unfortuntately itâs not listed with fwupd 0.7.0-0ubuntu4.3 in Ubuntu
16.04.3 LTS installed by Dell.

If you're unwilling to upgrade to a newer userspace, you can write
a simple application that can use the new dell-smbios from 4.15 interface to look this up.

Is the newer userspace officially supported by Dell. Because I really like to avoid the time-waste with the Dell support again, if I do not use their installed OS. Sometimes the Dell support even claims the installed Ubuntu flavor does not get any support by Dell.

Most of the work is already done (see
https://github.com/torvalds/linux/blob/master/tools/wmi/dell-smbios-example.c#L179)

You'll just need to add some parsing around the output (see fwupd code) to
tell the version. If you do this, please feel free to submit it platform-x86, it may be useful
for someone else in this sample application too.

Given you don't have a newer fwupd on your system you won't be able to "easily" flash
the newer TPM firmware.

I assume you donât make these decisions, but please relay to your superiors that working functionality in the recommended/shipped OS is really what customers expect buying a device with GNU/Linux support. In my opinion, Dell and Canonical really need to step up there.


Kind regards,

Paul

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