OK. Generally I feel like this person: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/sane-backends/+bug/85488/comments/... via https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/sane-backends/+bug/85488
I'm worried that we're looking at a driver issue, meaning, the bug infects all kinds of hardware, not just scanners and disks. If a device driver doesn't handle USB kernel suspend calls, then it breaks. That means a kernel upgrade alone won't solve the problem(s) but only upgrades to all affected drivers. (In our case the USB controller isn't even detected.)
So grml 1.0 is taking a high-risk move for rather low yield. It would have been better to push laptop goodies out to 2.6.21 and keep known-good functionality for "everything else."
I have to go now; I hope people will test USB hardware with 1.0 and/or that kernel upgrade you've posted.
Thanks. M.