"acpi=off noapic" Why?

I've recently started using TI9 and have found that to restore I need to use the "acpi=off noapic" workaround otherwise my PC just starts to a hung blank screen.

Firstly, I find this strange as I have a very common and standard AMD/Nforce4 platform. Does anybody know what causes this problem and why the workaround is needed? Also, is this likely to be just an interim solution and the product will work out-of-the-box in a later release?

Secondly, there are 3 ways you can start a restore and this workaround only works in 2 of them:
1. Boot from CD - OK if you get a revised ISO image from support.
2. Boot via F11 - OK if you edit F11.cfg before creating the secure zone.
3. Restore via Windows of system partition that requires a reboot - the workaround cannot be used here and support have confirmed that it cannot be done at this time. This is annoying as I prefer to have a restore done quickly via a task in Windows but now have to boot using F11 and work through the GUI.

Anbody got anything to add to this? Thanks

 

Hello b00sfuk,

acpi=off is a Linux command that switches off <Advanced Configuration and Power Interface>, whilst noapic is the Linux command that disables the <Advanced Programmable Interrupt Controller>.

ACPI and APIC aren't disabled by default because on the majority of systems (especially non laptops) they do not cause a problem.

As new builds incorporate new/updated Linux drivers into the boot rescue environment then that could well be the case. Build 3567 no longer requires that my wife use this workaround on her Acer Aspire 1691 laptop.

If you log into your Acronis account, contact Support and explain that you need to use the acpi=off noapic workaround they will normally provide you with a special boot rescue CD ISO that has those commands coded into it.

In the meantime, you can save yourself a little time by adding the acpi=off noapic parameters to the Acronis f11.cfg file as detailed in this <previous Acronis Support reply>.

Regards

 

Thanks, I understand what you have said and I'd already gone through support who confirmed what I summarised (though they just said they would let me know of any further developments and not that it would be fixed for certain in a later build). The key point I was trying to make as that this workaround does NOT work with the option (3) I stated, so editing f11.cfg does not work if you want to restore directly from Windows with a reboot (only for booting with F11 into the startup manager).

Also I've not had linux on this box for some time (and I've upgraded to an X2 CPU since) but when I did it ran fine out of the box (with ACPI and APIC enabled - as it does under XP where I think it mainly provides power mgmt and IRQ sharing?)

 

Hi b00sfuk,

I'm afraid the rescue environment doesn't contain a full Linux distribution; it uses Acronis' own, specially tailored, cut down Linux kernel. Hence probable reason why the additional ACPI and APIC parameters are required for your particular hardware combination.

Regards

 

Hi Menorcaman,
Thanks for the clear explanation. However, I often wonder why your last statement can't be turned around. That is, why can't the approach be: ACPI and APIC are not enabled by default because they may cause a problem and are not required for backup/restore operations ? A large number of problem posts and related user frustration on this forum could disappear if this was the case.

I don't know if what I suggest is technically a good idea but if the fix is to kill it, I question why we have it in the first place?

 

What a great suggestion.

Maybe Acronis support like to comment?

 

Hi there Seekforever,

I suspect that, for the big majority of users out there (especially laptop owners), leaving their ACPI and APIC functional (even in the Linux rescue environment) is more important than meeting the needs of the minority of users that post a problem with it here. After all, for those minority users, there is a workaround and they can also obtain a suitably hard coded CD ISO .

Best regards