2.6.27-rc ... iwl3945 regression?

2.6.27-rc ... iwl3945 regression?

[David Brownell]

I haven't looked into this yet, maybe it's just a kernel config change
of some kind ...


Userspace is Ubuntu 8.04 with NetworkManager and nm-applet; nothing
changed there recently.

2.6.26 works as expected ... unless I have the RF switch at "off",
when I left-click the applet, I get a list of cells available.  And
it will spontaneously join the right one.  It Just Works (yay!).

But with 2.6.27-rc, that's not true.  Left-click shows me two "Wired"
networks, "Intel Corporation PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection"
replacing the list of cells I would expect.  Status of RF switch
at boot doesn't matter.

However, "iwlist scan" shows a dozen cells or so ... so the issue
would seem to be that somehow wlan0 or wmaster0 started to look like
wireful links, instead of wireless ones.  (Seen early in RC0, and
just now verified as being in RC3.)


Does this sound familiar to anyone?  Got a fix that's better than
sticking to a 2.6.26 kernel?  :)

- Dave

2.6.27-rc ... iwl3945 regression?

[David Brownell]

I haven't looked into this yet, maybe it's just a kernel config change
of some kind ...


Userspace is Ubuntu 8.04 with NetworkManager and nm-applet; nothing
changed there recently.

2.6.26 works as expected ... unless I have the RF switch at "off",
when I left-click the applet, I get a list of cells available.  And
it will spontaneously join the right one.  It Just Works (yay!).

But with 2.6.27-rc, that's not true.  Left-click shows me two "Wired"
networks, "Intel Corporation PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection"
replacing the list of cells I would expect.  Status of RF switch
at boot doesn't matter.

However, "iwlist scan" shows a dozen cells or so ... so the issue
would seem to be that somehow wlan0 or wmaster0 started to look like
wireful links, instead of wireless ones.  (Seen early in RC0, and
just now verified as being in RC3.)


Does this sound familiar to anyone?  Got a fix that's better than
sticking to a 2.6.26 kernel?  :)

- Dave

Re: 2.6.27-rc ... iwl3945 regression?

[Bernhard Michael [bam8]]

> But with 2.6.27-rc, that's not true.  Left-click shows me two "Wired"
> networks, "Intel Corporation PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection"
> replacing the list of cells I would expect.  Status of RF switch
> at boot doesn't matter.

You have to select "Wireless extensions sysfs files" 
(WIRELESS_EXT_SYSFS) in the kernel config.

AFIK the Network Manager (in Ubuntu 8.04) uses this entry to determine
whether an interface is wireless or not.

Michael

Re: 2.6.27-rc ... iwl3945 regression?

[Haavard Skinnemoen]

David Brownell <david-b@pacbell.net> wrote:
> Does this sound familiar to anyone?  Got a fix that's better than
> sticking to a 2.6.26 kernel?  :)

FWIW, I'm seeing the same thing with -rc4 and the b43 driver, so it's
probably not a regression in iwl3945. I guess it could be something in
mac80211?

I'm currently working around it by manually running iwconfig while
nm-applet is bringing the interface up. A bit annoying, but it
works...and it indicates that the driver works fine, but NetworkManager
doesn't know that it's supposed to do any wireless configuration before
bringing the interface up.

Haavard

Re: 2.6.27-rc ... iwl3945 regression?

[David Brownell]

On Thursday 28 August 2008, Haavard Skinnemoen wrote:
> David Brownell <david-b@pacbell.net> wrote:
> > Does this sound familiar to anyone?  Got a fix that's better than
> > sticking to a 2.6.26 kernel?  :)
> 
> FWIW, I'm seeing the same thing with -rc4 and the b43 driver, so it's
> probably not a regression in iwl3945. I guess it could be something in
> mac80211?

It was separately suggested that I ignore the advice about no
software needing it, and enable CONFIG_WIRELESS_EXT_SYSFS ...
that did the trick for me.

That Kconfig helptext needs updating so it's not completely wrong.

- Dave


> I'm currently working around it by manually running iwconfig while
> nm-applet is bringing the interface up. A bit annoying, but it
> works...and it indicates that the driver works fine, but NetworkManager
> doesn't know that it's supposed to do any wireless configuration before
> bringing the interface up.
> 
> Haavard
> 

Re: 2.6.27-rc ... iwl3945 regression?

[Haavard Skinnemoen]

On Thu, 28 Aug 2008 09:48:07 -0700
David Brownell <david-b@pacbell.net> wrote:

> > FWIW, I'm seeing the same thing with -rc4 and the b43 driver, so
> > it's probably not a regression in iwl3945. I guess it could be
> > something in mac80211?  
> 
> It was separately suggested that I ignore the advice about no
> software needing it, and enable CONFIG_WIRELESS_EXT_SYSFS ...
> that did the trick for me.

That did the trick for me too...great!

> That Kconfig helptext needs updating so it's not completely wrong.

Yeah, NetworkManager definitely counts as "any".

Haavard