BUG: 4.12 Unable to boot from MacBook Air mid-2012 using internal SD Card Reader (that worked in older Tails)

My preferred laptop for Tails is a MacBook Air mid-2012. This is because it is one of the last MacBook Airs that works fully with TailOS including WiFi, USB 3.0, and integrated SD Card (my just slightly 2013 MacBook Air will boot TailsOS, but WiFi does not function).

I typically boot with a low-form factor SD Card, which has worked great through a summer 2020 version of Tails (the one with the Firefox security issue, but I don't have the specific version number).

When I booted TailsOS this week, it told me that I needed to upgrade to 4.12 due to the Firefox security issue, and I did so. There were no errors in the upgrade process.

However, when I try to boot Tail now, it gets past grub and up to the third dot on the boot progress screen, but gets no further. Turning on Troubleshooting Mode, I see that it is loading essential drivers, says boot complete, then it still clears screen, and get stuck on the third dot again. I don't get the "Start Tails" window. Sometimes (but not always) it will eventually say:

SQUASHFS error: Failed to read block 0x4660891: -5
SQUASHFS error: Unable to read metadata cache entry [4660981f]
SQUASHFS error: Failed to read node 0x16f840338

followed by many variants of this, the other items fail and it gets stuck.

At first I thought the SD media was bad, so I tried installing fresh from the .iso using Etcher on a new SD card. It too has the exact same problem, at the same third dot before the Start Tails window.

I then tried one of the USB 3.0 ports with a new USB stick and fresh install of Tails using Etcher. It boots fine!

The problem appeared to be 4.12 with the internal SD slot and not my MacBook. The problem didn't appear to be the media, and I've tested other SD cards with MacOS and it showed no errors, so it didn't appear to be the SD reader device itself.

I then found an old USB stick (I give them out like candy) with an older TailOS on it (build 4.7 20200601 — is this Tails 3.0.5?), and booted it. I ignored the upgrade warning, and did a Reinstall of TailsOS cloned from this USB version to the same SD card that I had installed 4.12 onto just before.

After doing this and booting from the same SD Card (that had 4.12 on it previously), I have no errors: I get the Start Tails window, and I can start Tails.

Thus this bug is definitely in Tails, and not in a bad SD card nor a bad SD reader — this is a new bug, and reproducible.

(I did investigate if I could downgrade my primary SD card to this older working version of Tails, but apparently you can't do this with the Tails installer, only upgrade. There are persistent files on that SD card I'd like to recover.)

Some additional details:

  • Computer:

    • Model Name: MacBook Air
    • Model Identifier: MacBook Air5,2
    • Model Number: MD846LL/A
    • Processor: Intel Core i7
    • Memory: 8GB
    • SSD: 512GB

  • Internal SD Reader:

    • Product ID: 0x8404
    • Vendor ID: 0x05ac (Apple Inc.)
    • Version: 3.10
    • Serial Number: 0000000000310
    • Speed: Up to 480 Mb/sec
    • Manufacturer: Apple
    • Location ID: 0x1d183000 / 4

I've no Linux hardware experience, but am comfortable at the command line. So if there are some other specific commands you'd like me to run, or other tips on fixing the 4.12 version, let me know.

I'm really hoping you can fix this bug, as this is one of the best laptops for Tails that is very commonly and cheaply available used, that work(ed) great with Tails with no compromises. I've bought several over the last few years to give to support my privacy and human rights advocacy (I'm co-author of TLS 1.0 and involved in human rights identity advocacy today in W3C standards).

-- Christopher Allen ChristopherA@LifeWithAlacrity.com