hwclock error: "select() to /dev/rtc to wait for clock tick timed out"

silencestone · 02-04-2007, 09:59 AM

After any unexpected loss of power, the hardware and system clocks on my laptop need resetting. I do this with date -s and hwclock --systohc. The last time I did this, hwclock spat an error at me:

Code:

root@wolvix# hwclock --systohc
hwclock: select() to /dev/rtc to wait for clock tick timed out

And of course, the hardware clock doesn't change. I can't access it in the BIOS, and I get the same failure on any Live-cd tried so far. What could be the problem? How do I fix it?

studioj · 02-04-2007, 12:13 PM

looks like the rtc device driver is not up and functioning properly.
look at cat /proc/interrupts
try the option --directisa in the hwclock command

possible APIC problem ?

silencestone · 02-04-2007, 06:21 PM

This is the output of cat /proc/interrupts:

Code:

01:53:28|~#: cat /proc/interrupts
           CPU0
  0:    1999964          XT-PIC  timer
  1:      13538          XT-PIC  i8042
  2:          0          XT-PIC  cascade
  8:          0          XT-PIC  rtc
  9:          7          XT-PIC  acpi
 10:          6          XT-PIC  ohci_hcd:usb1, ohci_hcd:usb2, ehci_hcd:usb3
 11:    1665559          XT-PIC  yenta, yenta, Intel 82801CA-ICH3, wifi0, radeon@pci:0000:01:00.0
 12:      71638          XT-PIC  i8042
 14:      19339          XT-PIC  ide0
 15:         11          XT-PIC  ide1
NMI:          0
ERR:          0

rtc is listed at least...Then this:

Code:

06:53:08|~#: hwclock --directisa
Fri Jan  4 00:00:00 1980  -0.976821 seconds
06:53:17|~#: hwclock --directisa --systohc
06:53:31|~#: hwclock
Sun Feb  4 18:53:35 2007  -0.105998 seconds
06:53:34|~#: date
Sun Feb  4 18:54:02 EST 2007

So that seemed to work. Thank you, studioj!

Hopefully it sticks through a reboot: hwclock runs at every boot. If there's still something wrong with rtc or what have you, well I'll probably be back here.

studioj · 02-04-2007, 10:43 PM

yea your rtc IRQ 8 says it has gotten 0 interupts.
that just ain't right.

don't know a solution for you though sorry.
you can change your boot/shutdown scripts to include --directisa
still a nasty hack to cover up the problem but it will work the clock anyway.