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Linux USB frequent reconnects – workaround

I’ve been running into problems recently (since several months ago at least), with USB hardware on my Thinkpad T40 running Ubuntu Hoary Dapper; in particular, every time I plug in my iPod or one of my USB hard disks nowadays, I get this:

[5008549.187000] usb 4-3: USB disconnect, address 14
[5008550.143000] usb 4-3: new high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 18
[5008552.643000] usb 4-3: new high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 27
[5008557.393000] usb 4-3: new high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 43
[5008557.893000] usb 4-3: new high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 44
[5008558.643000] usb 4-3: new high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 46
[5008558.895000] ehci_hcd 0000:00:1d.7: port 3 reset error -110
[5008558.896000] hub 4-0:1.0: hub_port_status failed (err = -32)
[5008559.893000] usb 4-3: new high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 48
[5008562.643000] usb 4-3: new high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 58
[5008563.143000] usb 4-3: new high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 59
[5008563.643000] usb 4-3: new high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 60
[5008570.143000] usb 4-3: new high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 85

This repeats ad infinitum until the USB device is disconnected.

I had this down as a hardware issue (since it started happening just after warranty expiration ;), but some accidental googling revealed several other cases — and a workaround:

sudo modprobe -r ehci-hcd

Run that repeatedly, each time replugging the device and monitoring dmesg via watch -n 1 ‘dmesg | tail’ in a window, until the device is finally recognised as a USB hard disk. It generally seems to take 3 or 4 attempts, in my experience.

This LKML thread suggests hardware changes can cause it, but this hardware hasn’t changed in years. Annoying.

Anyway, this is ongoing. This tip seems to help, but it might be just treating a symptom, I don’t know — just posting for google and posterity… and to moan, of course :(

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