Airlock USB Storage Quirks on Ubuntu Laptop

Passport Prime
1

I was having issues using the airlock file storage on my Ubuntu laptop. I want to share how I solved it in my situation. Maybe others might find it helpful.

Problem

Airlock is identified by Linux but it drops in and out and is not usable.

Workaround

Prerequisite

Find out <VENDOR_ID> and <PRODUCT_ID> while Passport Prime is connected via USB.

lsusb

Temporarily unload the USB storage modules

sudo modprobe -r uas

sudo modprobe -r usb_storage

Test the quirk setting temporarily

sudo modprobe usb_storage quirks=<VENDOR_ID>:<PRODUCT_ID>:ult

Make the configuration permanent

echo “options usb-storage quirks=<VENDOR_ID>:<PRODUCT_ID>:ult” | sudo tee /etc/modprobe.d/<DEVICE_NAME>.conf

Rebuild the initramfs to apply changes at boot

sudo update-initramfs -u

Explanation of the storage quirk flags used:

  1. u: Ignore UAS (USB Attached SCSI Protocol) — most common fix for unstable USB 3.0 drives.
  2. t: Force US_FL_IGNORE_UAS / handle transport issues.
  3. l: Ignore multiple LUNs (Logical Unit Numbers).
2

Thanks for documenting this. To help us identify what Passport Prime is reacting to, could you please share:

lsb_release -a
uname -a
lsusb -t
sudo lsusb -v -d 1307:0165

It would also help to capture the failure by running the following, connecting Prime, and copying the new output produced when Airlock drops:

sudo journalctl -kf

Please also let us know:

  • Your laptop model and Prime firmware version

  • Whether you are using USB-A, USB-C, a hub or a dock

  • Whether Airlock is set to Read Only or Read & Write

  • Whether it fails while mounting, idle, reading or writing

  • Whether another port or cable changes the behavior

Please email them to hello@foundation.xyz and mention this forum thread. Feel free to redact any usernames or serial numbers first.

3

Thank you for your reply, QnA.

Today, I removed the quirks and rebooted because I wanted to provide you the data that you asked for. Strangely, mounting does work now even without the quirks.

I encountered the problems on KeyOS v.1.3.0 and updated the Prime in the meantime. Did KeyOS v1.3.1 fix USB related issues?

As far as I can tell, the airlock is now working fine in Read Only and in Read & Write mode. The only issue I have is that every mount seems to trigger the dirty bit. Properly ejecting does not prevent it.

sudo fsck /dev/sda
fsck from util-linux 2.41.3
fsck.fat 4.2 (2021-01-31)
There are differences between boot sector and its backup.
This is mostly harmless. Differences: (offset:original/backup)
65:01/00

  1. Copy original to backup
  2. Copy backup to original
  3. No action
    [123?q]? 1
    Dirty bit is set. Fs was not properly unmounted and some data may be corrupt.
  4. Remove dirty bit
  5. No action
    [12?q]? 1

*** Filesystem was changed ***
The changes have not yet been written, you can still choose to leave the
filesystem unmodified:

  1. Write changes
  2. Leave filesystem unchanged
    [12?q]? 1
    /dev/sda: 5 files, 5/1048000 clusters
4

Hey there - 1.3.1 did not have USB fixes, so what you are seeing is likely intermittent. However, I just noted both issues so they get addressed in the near future - thank you for the report!

5

Hi,

I’m having exactly the same disconnection issue on my side, on Debian Trixie, KeyOS 1.3.1. Airlock is properly detected but it keeps dropping in and out.
The security key is also sometimes not detected properly by Bitwarden . I have to unplug and replug the Prime for it to work.

6

Thanks, our engineers are investigating.