Downgrade the 10.2.5 USB drivers to end kernel panics

May 02, '03 09:36:00AM

Contributed by: el bid

The USB kernel panic in 10.2.5 seems to be a pretty universal problem. No word from Apple yet that I can discern, except the instruction to disconnect the offending hub. However, hope is at hand. Buried in the iMac (Flat Panel) discussion group at apple.com is a comment by A. Brody that the USB kernel panic issue in 10.2.5 can be fixed by retrograding the IOUSBFamily kernel extension. You can download the IOUSBFamily installation software to install an older version of the driver.

I'm going to wait a while before posting this, as my previous suggestion about putting the offending hub on the far side of a known-good hub was premature. This procedure does seem to delay the kernel panic, but it doesn't fix it. A. Brody's suggestion sounds a lot more promising.

If you can read this post, my G4 running 10.2.5 with the retro IOUSB stuff and an offending hub attached will have been up for at least an hour and a half.

[robg adds: As I described in a previous hint, I resolved my kernel panics with a new USB hub -- I haven't had a single one since swapping the hub...]

Comments (5)


Mac OS X Hints
http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20030430064613322