Several problems with Surface Pro 4

[jhuesser]

Hello

We want to image some Surface Pro 4, because we already have a fog server runnig for desktop clients, we want to give it a try. I was on an older trunk and had some problems, so i upgraded to the latest Running Version 1.3.0-RC-7 SVN Revision: 5946

Unfortunally that didn’t help. So a few things I’ve done after reading a lot of forum posts.

• fog.reginput Boot Options: mode=manreg has_usb_nic=1 isdebug=yes
• FOG_KERNEL_DEBUG ebabled and Log Level 7
• Manually added the host to the fog server
• Exit type = REFIND_EFI
• use ipxe.efi
• replaced tftp files with these https://sourceforge.net/p/freeghost/code/5835/tree/trunk/packages/tftp/

What is working

• If no task is assigned I can boot into the PXE menu

What is not working

• If i select an entry the display just goes dark, nothing happens
• If i select Boot from harddisk REFIND_EFI starts, i need to press a key and then windows tries to boot but get stuck at the windows logo. (no problem if i boot without pxe)
• If a task is assigned it get stuck at

bzImage... ok
init.xz... ok

• Perform Full Host Registration and Inventory & Quick registration doesn’t work (Select menu entry -> screen goes dark; Quick registration -> chainload failed).

Any help would be appreciated!

[jhuesser]

This is the output of the dmesgcommand, once in Ubuntu on the SP4 and once in FOS.

(I wanted to upload it here, Got an error “You have not enough privileges”)

dmesg output on google drive

[Wayne Workman]

#wiki worthy

[Tom Elliott]

@jdd49 I’ve saved this on my bookmarks list and updated the kernels to have the reflected patch changes within the current 4.7.1 kernels.

Thanks for posting.

[jdd49]

@Tom-Elliott
Not sure if you got the keyboard issue figured out or what drivers / patches you added, but I have successfully used this in the past for SP4
https://github.com/cransom/surface-pro-3-nixos/blob/master/multitouch.patch

[Sebastian Roth]

@jhuesser said:

Should i execute dmesg on a ubuntu bootet on the SP4 or in the FOS Engine?

Both will give us some good information although I think that running those on the FOG system would give us a better idea what works and what not.

[jhuesser]

@Quazz Will do it tomorrow, right now the Surface is getting imaged, and it takes a bit long (old USB HUB)

[Quazz]

@jhuesser So the NIC can get DHCP in debug_mode now?

Am I right, if i used the USB keyboard at the beginning, there is no need to modify the initrd to remove the keyboard interaction?

Yes

Should i execute dmesg on a ubuntu bootet on the SP4 or in the FOS Engine?

I think either works, but likely more convenient to boot ubuntu to transfer the output. Make sure the keyboard dock is connected on boot so the information is collected.

[jhuesser]

Here are the steps wich resolved the issues:

@jhuesser said in Several problems with Surface Pro 4:

• If i select an entry the display just goes dark, nothing happens

Use intel7156.efi

• If i select Boot from harddisk REFIND_EFI starts, i need to press a key and then windows tries to boot but get stuck at the windows logo. (no problem if i boot without pxe)

Use intel7156.efi

• If a task is assigned it get stuck at

bzImage... ok
init.xz... ok

Use intel7156.efi

• Perform Full Host Registration and Inventory & Quick registration doesn’t work (Select menu entry -> screen goes dark; Quick registration -> chainload failed).

manually add the host and add has_usb_nic=1 to the host settings. (also for dhcp error in FOS)

@jhuesser said in Several problems with Surface Pro 4:

@george1421 It doesn’t recognize the keyboard at this point. (…)

Use an USB-Keyboard with an USB-Hub

@Sebastian-Roth Am I right, if i used the USB keyboard at the beginning, there is no need to modify the initrd to remove the keyboard interaction?

@Tom-Elliott said in Several problems with Surface Pro 4:

@george1421 lshw lsusb lspci dmesg

Personally, dmesg will probably be of more use as even if the kernel doesn’t have drivers we should see the device in the list on load up.

Should i execute dmesg on a ubuntu bootet on the SP4 or in the FOS Engine?

[Quazz]

From what I gather:

Not working: keyboard in FOS engine, NIC in debug mode?

Working: iPXE menu, capture/deploy

Needed: has_usb_nic=1 kernel parameter. intel7156.efi or realtek7156.efi (or other 7156 ipxe bootfile depending on your USB NIC)

Please add/modify as needed.

[Wayne Workman]

@jhuesser Can you summarize exactly what is needed for the Surface Pro 4 please? This thread is really, really long - and we need a summary that is reproducible and clear.

[Sebastian Roth]

@jhuesser Great to hear! Would be awesome if you could provide the information Tom asked as well.

[jhuesser]

Btw, could succesfully up- and download an image for SP4!

[Tom Elliott]

@george1421 lshw lsusb lspci dmesg

Personally, dmesg will probably be of more use as even if the kernel doesn’t have drivers we should see the device in the list on load up.

[george1421]

@Tom-Elliott I’m speculating that either the surface pro has some yet unknown pci bridge or usb bridge or keyboard controller. That is getting in the way. Do you know of a way (other than lspci) to identify/list unknown hardware?

[Tom Elliott]

@george1421 I’m currently building the 4.7.1 kernels and hopefully I’ve added a ton more drivers. I Doubt it will work for the Surface KB but I’m hoping at least to get more support all around.

[george1421]

@jhuesser Thank you on the feedback.

Since a commercial distro is having trouble with the keyboard then in a way thats a good thing. The linux guys may be working on it. The point here is that the FOS engine uses the 4.7 linux kernel (which is pretty current) and the commercial distros are typically many versions behind because they are aiming for stability not bleeding edge hardware support.

[jhuesser]

@george1421 It’s the surface pro 4 with the smallest computer power.https://www.microsoft.com/surface/en-us/devices/surface-pro-4#techspec-block the one with the Intel® Core™ m3

I’ve one booted the ubuntu live USB stick. It didn’t recognized the keyboard (and the touchscreen, but that’s not important for FOG i guess).

[george1421]

@jhuesser OK now that you have it working with an external keyboard can we collect some additional details on this surface pro 4? Is there a sub version that we need to be aware of (remember I’m ignorant of the surface pro tablets). So is there like a surface pro 4 model XXXXX or something like that. I would expect the linux kernel developers will add support for this internal keyboard at some time in the future. Eventually it may make it into the FOS engine.

I’m kind of surprised that others that have imaged the surface pro 4 with FOG didn’t report keyboard issues before now. That is what is making me think there are different models to the surface pro.4. It would be interesting to see if a commercial linux distribution would have the same issue. Something current like ubuntu desktop live would answer that.

Either way I’m glad you have it worked out and can move forward.

[jhuesser]

@Tom-Elliott I’ve used an USB-Keyboard with an USB-Hub and it works!

if i register the other surface with the full host registration i still need the keyboard to enter the details, but as i said with the USB Keyboard it’s fine just as @Sebastian-Roth said in chat. Currently I’m uploading the image, hope that works, so marking this as solved

Thank you all for your help!