Halt Does Not Work on Dell XPS 8300, but _does_ Work in QEMU

[Jake Thomas]

Hi! When I use the halt command on my Dell XPS 8300, it just gets
stuck there forever until I hit the power button.

Yet in QEMU, the halt command kills the vm quicker than you can blink!

After all the things I have thought to be bugs but aren't, I know to
check in help-grub before going to bug-grub.

Here's my lshw output, minus all drives except the internal one -
didn't think you'd apprecate me spamming the mailing list with my
scores of partitions:

archbang
    description: Desktop Computer
    product: XPS 8300 ()
    vendor: Dell Inc.
    serial: H5NJHQ1
    width: 64 bits
    capabilities: smbios-2.6 dmi-2.6 vsyscall32
    configuration: boot=normal chassis=desktop
uuid=44454C4C-3500-104E-804A-C8C04F485131
  *-core
       description: Motherboard
       product: 0Y2MRG
       vendor: Dell Inc.
       physical id: 0
       version: A00
       serial: ..CN7360413301RW.
       slot: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
     *-cpu
          description: CPU
          product: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-2600 CPU @ 3.40GHz
          vendor: Intel Corp.
          physical id: 4
          bus info: address@hidden
          version: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-2600 CPU @ 3.40GHz
          serial: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
          slot: CPU 1
          size: 3400MHz
          capacity: 3400MHz
          width: 64 bits
          clock: 100MHz
          capabilities: x86-64 fpu fpu_exception wp vme de pse tsc msr
pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush dts acpi mmx
fxsr sse sse2 ss ht tm pbe syscall nx rdtscp constant_tsc arch_perfmon
pebs bts rep_good nopl xtopology nonstop_tsc aperfmperf pni pclmulqdq
dtes64 monitor ds_cpl vmx smx est tm2 ssse3 cx16 xtpr pdcm pcid sse4_1
sse4_2 x2apic popcnt tsc_deadline_timer aes xsave avx lahf_lm ida arat
epb xsaveopt pln pts tpr_shadow vnmi flexpriority ept vpid
          configuration: cores=4 enabledcores=1 threads=2
        *-cache:0
             description: L1 cache
             physical id: 5
             slot: L1-Cache
             size: 256KiB
             capacity: 256KiB
             capabilities: internal write-through unified
        *-cache:1
             description: L2 cache
             physical id: 6
             slot: L2-Cache
             size: 1MiB
             capacity: 1MiB
             capabilities: internal write-through unified
        *-cache:2 DISABLED
             description: L3 cache
             physical id: 7
             slot: L3-Cache
             size: 8MiB
             capacity: 8MiB
             capabilities: internal write-back unified
     *-memory
          description: System Memory
          physical id: 20
          slot: System board or motherboard
          size: 8GiB
        *-bank:0
             description: SODIMM DDR3 Synchronous 1333 MHz (0.8 ns)
             product: M378B5773DH0-CH9
             vendor: Samsung
             physical id: 0
             serial: 66253CD
             slot: DIMM3
             size: 2GiB
             width: 64 bits
             clock: 1333MHz (0.8ns)
        *-bank:1
             description: SODIMM DDR3 Synchronous 1333 MHz (0.8 ns)
             product: M378B5773DH0-CH9
             vendor: Samsung
             physical id: 1
             serial: 66253CD
             slot: DIMM1
             size: 2GiB
             width: 64 bits
             clock: 1333MHz (0.8ns)
        *-bank:2
             description: SODIMM DDR3 Synchronous 1333 MHz (0.8 ns)
             product: M378B5773DH0-CH9
             vendor: Samsung
             physical id: 2
             serial: 66253B2
             slot: DIMM4
             size: 2GiB
             width: 64 bits
             clock: 1333MHz (0.8ns)
        *-bank:3
             description: SODIMM DDR3 Synchronous 1333 MHz (0.8 ns)
             product: M378B5773DH0-CH9
             vendor: Samsung
             physical id: 3
             serial: 66253B2
             slot: DIMM2
             size: 2GiB
             width: 64 bits
             clock: 1333MHz (0.8ns)
     *-firmware
          description: BIOS
          vendor: Dell Inc.
          physical id: 0
          version: A03
          date: 02/15/2011
          size: 64KiB
          capacity: 4032KiB
          capabilities: mca pci upgrade shadowing escd cdboot
bootselect socketedrom edd int13floppy1200 int13floppy720
int13floppy2880 int5printscreen int9keyboard int14serial int17printer
int10video acpi usb zipboot biosbootspecification
     *-pci
          description: Host bridge
          product: 2nd Generation Core Processor Family DRAM Controller
          vendor: Intel Corporation
          physical id: 100
          bus info: address@hidden:00:00.0
          version: 09
          width: 32 bits
          clock: 33MHz
        *-pci:0
             description: PCI bridge
             product: Xeon E3-1200/2nd Generation Core Processor
Family PCI Express Root Port
             vendor: Intel Corporation
             physical id: 1
             bus info: address@hidden:00:01.0
             version: 09
             width: 32 bits
             clock: 33MHz
             capabilities: pci pm msi pciexpress normal_decode
bus_master cap_list
             configuration: driver=pcieport
             resources: irq:40 ioport:e000(size=4096)
memory:fe600000-fe6fffff ioport:d0000000(size=268435456)
           *-display
                description: VGA compatible controller
                product: Redwood [Radeon HD 5670]
                vendor: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee ATI
                physical id: 0
                bus info: address@hidden:01:00.0
                version: 00
                width: 64 bits
                clock: 33MHz
                capabilities: pm pciexpress msi vga_controller
bus_master cap_list rom
                configuration: driver=radeon latency=0
                resources: irq:47 memory:d0000000-dfffffff
memory:fe620000-fe63ffff ioport:e000(size=256)
memory:fe600000-fe61ffff
           *-multimedia
                description: Audio device
                product: Redwood HDMI Audio [Radeon HD 5000 Series]
                vendor: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee ATI
                physical id: 0.1
                bus info: address@hidden:01:00.1
                version: 00
                width: 64 bits
                clock: 33MHz
                capabilities: pm pciexpress msi bus_master cap_list
                configuration: driver=snd_hda_intel latency=0
                resources: irq:46 memory:fe640000-fe643fff
        *-communication
             description: Communication controller
             product: 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family MEI Controller #1
             vendor: Intel Corporation
             physical id: 16
             bus info: address@hidden:00:16.0
             version: 04
             width: 64 bits
             clock: 33MHz
             capabilities: pm msi bus_master cap_list
             configuration: driver=mei latency=0
             resources: irq:45 memory:fe704000-fe70400f
        *-usb:0
             description: USB controller
             product: 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family USB Enhanced
Host Controller #2
             vendor: Intel Corporation
             physical id: 1a
             bus info: address@hidden:00:1a.0
             version: 05
             width: 32 bits
             clock: 33MHz
             capabilities: pm debug ehci bus_master cap_list
             configuration: driver=ehci_hcd latency=0
             resources: irq:16 memory:fe703000-fe7033ff
        *-pci:1
             description: PCI bridge
             product: 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family PCI Express
Root Port 1
             vendor: Intel Corporation
             physical id: 1c
             bus info: address@hidden:00:1c.0
             version: b5
             width: 32 bits
             clock: 33MHz
             capabilities: pci pciexpress msi pm normal_decode
bus_master cap_list
             configuration: driver=pcieport
             resources: irq:41 memory:fe500000-fe5fffff
           *-network
                description: Wireless interface
                product: BCM4313 802.11b/g/n Wireless LAN Controller
                vendor: Broadcom Corporation
                physical id: 0
                bus info: address@hidden:02:00.0
                logical name: eth0
                version: 01
                serial: c0:f8:da:66:04:90
                width: 64 bits
                clock: 33MHz
                capabilities: pm msi pciexpress bus_master cap_list
ethernet physical wireless
                configuration: broadcast=yes driver=wl0
driverversion=5.100.82.112 ip=192.168.1.27 latency=0 multicast=yes
wireless=IEEE 802.11abg
                resources: irq:16 memory:fe500000-fe503fff
        *-pci:2
             description: PCI bridge
             product: 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family PCI Express
Root Port 4
             vendor: Intel Corporation
             physical id: 1c.3
             bus info: address@hidden:00:1c.3
             version: b5
             width: 32 bits
             clock: 33MHz
             capabilities: pci pciexpress msi pm normal_decode
bus_master cap_list
             configuration: driver=pcieport
             resources: irq:42 memory:fe400000-fe4fffff
           *-network
                description: Ethernet interface
                product: NetLink BCM57788 Gigabit Ethernet PCIe
                vendor: Broadcom Corporation
                physical id: 0
                bus info: address@hidden:03:00.0
                logical name: eth1
                version: 01
                serial: 78:2b:cb:94:9f:17
                size: 10Mbit/s
                capacity: 1Gbit/s
                width: 64 bits
                clock: 33MHz
                capabilities: pm msi pciexpress bus_master cap_list
ethernet physical tp mii 10bt 10bt-fd 100bt 100bt-fd 1000bt 1000bt-fd
autonegotiation
                configuration: autonegotiation=on broadcast=yes
driver=tg3 driverversion=3.122 duplex=half firmware=sb latency=0
link=no multicast=yes port=MII speed=10Mbit/s
                resources: irq:48 memory:fe400000-fe40ffff
        *-pci:3
             description: PCI bridge
             product: 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family PCI Express
Root Port 5
             vendor: Intel Corporation
             physical id: 1c.4
             bus info: address@hidden:00:1c.4
             version: b5
             width: 32 bits
             clock: 33MHz
             capabilities: pci pciexpress msi pm normal_decode
bus_master cap_list
             configuration: driver=pcieport
             resources: irq:43 memory:fe300000-fe3fffff
           *-pci
                description: PCI bridge
                product: [SB X-Fi Xtreme Audio] CA0110-IBG PCI to PCIe Bridge
                vendor: Creative Labs
                physical id: 0
                bus info: address@hidden:04:00.0
                version: 00
                width: 64 bits
                clock: 33MHz
                capabilities: pci pm msi pciexpress normal_decode
bus_master cap_list
                resources: iomemory:228001f10-228001f0f memory:fe300000-fe3fffff
              *-multimedia
                   description: Audio device
                   product: [SB X-Fi Xtreme Audio] CA0110-IBG
                   vendor: Creative Labs
                   physical id: 0
                   bus info: address@hidden:05:00.0
                   version: 00
                   width: 32 bits
                   clock: 33MHz
                   capabilities: pm bus_master cap_list
                   configuration: driver=snd_hda_intel latency=32
maxlatency=20 mingnt=2
                   resources: irq:16 memory:fe300000-fe303fff
        *-usb:1
             description: USB controller
             product: 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family USB Enhanced
Host Controller #1
             vendor: Intel Corporation
             physical id: 1d
             bus info: address@hidden:00:1d.0
             version: 05
             width: 32 bits
             clock: 33MHz
             capabilities: pm debug ehci bus_master cap_list
             configuration: driver=ehci_hcd latency=0
             resources: irq:23 memory:fe702000-fe7023ff
        *-isa
             description: ISA bridge
             product: H67 Express Chipset Family LPC Controller
             vendor: Intel Corporation
             physical id: 1f
             bus info: address@hidden:00:1f.0
             version: 05
             width: 32 bits
             clock: 33MHz
             capabilities: isa bus_master cap_list
             configuration: latency=0
        *-storage
             description: SATA controller
             product: 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family SATA AHCI Controller
             vendor: Intel Corporation
             physical id: 1f.2
             bus info: address@hidden:00:1f.2
             version: 05
             width: 32 bits
             clock: 66MHz
             capabilities: storage msi pm ahci_1.0 bus_master cap_list
             configuration: driver=ahci latency=0
             resources: irq:44 ioport:f070(size=8) ioport:f060(size=4)
ioport:f050(size=8) ioport:f040(size=4) ioport:f020(size=32)
memory:fe701000-fe7017ff
        *-serial
             description: SMBus
             product: 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family SMBus Controller
             vendor: Intel Corporation
             physical id: 1f.3
             bus info: address@hidden:00:1f.3
             version: 05
             width: 64 bits
             clock: 33MHz
             configuration: driver=i801_smbus latency=0
             resources: irq:18 memory:fe700000-fe7000ff ioport:f000(size=32)
     *-scsi:0
          physical id: 1
          logical name: scsi0
          capabilities: emulated
        *-disk
             description: ATA Disk
             product: ST31500341AS
             vendor: Seagate
             physical id: 0.0.0
             bus info: address@hidden:0.0.0
             logical name: /dev/sda
             version: CC4G
             serial: 9VS51LLD
             size: 1397GiB (1500GB)
             capabilities: partitioned partitioned:dos
             configuration: ansiversion=5 sectorsize=512 signature=94f81ddc
           *-volume:0
                description: Windows FAT volume
                vendor: DELL 4.1
                physical id: 1
                bus info: address@hidden:0.0.0,1
                logical name: /dev/sda1
                version: FAT16
                serial: 5450-4444
                size: 39MiB
                capacity: 39MiB
                capabilities: primary fat initialized
                configuration: FATs=2 filesystem=fat label=DellUtility
           *-volume:1
                description: Windows NTFS volume
                physical id: 2
                bus info: address@hidden:0.0.0,2
                logical name: /dev/sda2
                version: 3.1
                serial: 6a95-802a
                size: 12GiB
                capacity: 12GiB
                capabilities: primary bootable ntfs initialized
                configuration: clustersize=4096 created=2011-05-30
12:21:07 filesystem=ntfs label=RECOVERY state=clean
           *-volume:2
                description: Windows NTFS volume
                physical id: 3
                bus info: address@hidden:0.0.0,3
                logical name: /dev/sda3
                version: 3.1
                serial: 440a010d-6faa-0647-a6dd-28770a10aacb
                size: 78GiB
                capacity: 78GiB
                capabilities: primary ntfs initialized
                configuration: clustersize=4096 created=2011-05-30
12:21:11 filesystem=ntfs label=OS modified_by_chkdsk=true
mounted_on_nt4=true resize_log_file=true state=dirty
upgrade_on_mount=true
           *-volume:3
                description: Extended partition
                physical id: 4
                bus info: address@hidden:0.0.0,4
                logical name: /dev/sda4
                size: 1306GiB
                capacity: 1306GiB
                capabilities: primary extended partitioned partitioned:extended
              *-logicalvolume:0
                   description: Linux filesystem partition
                   physical id: 5
                   logical name: /dev/sda5
                   logical name: /media/6a32eaf6-4ede-4982-ba12-270c7aa46157
                   capacity: 1304GiB
                   configuration: mount.fstype=ext3
mount.options=rw,nosuid,nodev,relatime,user_xattr,acl,barrier=1,nodelalloc,data=ordered
state=mounted
              *-logicalvolume:1
                   description: Linux swap / Solaris partition
                   physical id: 6
                   logical name: /dev/sda6
                   capacity: 2499MiB
                   capabilities: nofs