Modifing and installing ath10k driver for kernel 4.0

Modifing and installing ath10k driver for kernel 4.0

[Costa Molero Edgar]

Hi all,

In order to use the latest firmware version (10.2.4.48) for my access point  I installed the kernel version 4.0 in my Ubuntu 14.04 LTS laptop.

The problem is that with the ath10k driver it comes the option debug is not enabled, and my domain regulatory database do not allow me to use 80Mhz channels.

Before upgrading the kernel, I was using the latest backports release 3.19-r1-1-1. To install that driver I downloaded it then I enabled all the configuration options I needed for my project (debug, debugfs, etc) and I also modified the regulatory database by changing the content of the file /net/wireless/db.txt.

I never compiled a linux kernel. And therefore I don't quite understand what should I do know to modify the current driver version. (I just want to change the db.txt file and enable debug) Then I want to compile the driver and install it. Could some one give me some hints ?

Should not the driver source code be located at that  directory ? /usr/src/linux-headers-4.0.0-040000-generic/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath10k# , and also the db.txt located here :/usr/src/linux-headers-4.0.0-040000-generic/net/wireless# .

Sorry for the long question and hope someone can guide me a little bit.

Edgar
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Re: Modifing and installing ath10k driver for kernel 4.0

[Michal Kazior]

On 23 April 2015 at 17:16, Costa Molero  Edgar <cedgar@student.ethz.ch> wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> In order to use the latest firmware version (10.2.4.48) for my access point  I installed the kernel version 4.0 in my Ubuntu 14.04 LTS laptop.
>
> The problem is that with the ath10k driver it comes the option debug is not enabled, and my domain regulatory database do not allow me to use 80Mhz channels.
>
> Before upgrading the kernel, I was using the latest backports release 3.19-r1-1-1. To install that driver I downloaded it then I enabled all the configuration options I needed for my project (debug, debugfs, etc) and I also modified the regulatory database by changing the content of the file /net/wireless/db.txt.
>
> I never compiled a linux kernel. And therefore I don't quite understand what should I do know to modify the current driver version. (I just want to change the db.txt file and enable debug) Then I want to compile the driver and install it. Could some one give me some hints ?
>
> Should not the driver source code be located at that  directory ? /usr/src/linux-headers-4.0.0-040000-generic/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath10k# , and also the db.txt located here :/usr/src/linux-headers-4.0.0-040000-generic/net/wireless# .

This directory, as the path name implies, contains just kernel
headers. These are generally used whfor compiling DKMS (additional
out-of-tree modules, e.g. nvidia gpu blob).

If you want to compile an entire kernel I suggest you look into your
distro wiki. All distros have different ways of doing things if you
want to keep your installation clean.

You can still use backports though. All you need is to build backports
package yourself[1] from whatever kernel tree you desire, e.g.
github.com/kvalo/ath instead of using the pre-built one.

[1]: https://backports.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/Documentation/backports/hacking


Michał

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Re: Modifing and installing ath10k driver for kernel 4.0

[Kalle Valo]

Michal Kazior <michal.kazior@tieto.com> writes:

> You can still use backports though. All you need is to build backports
> package yourself[1] from whatever kernel tree you desire, e.g.
> github.com/kvalo/ath instead of using the pre-built one.
>
> [1]: https://backports.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/Documentation/backports/hacking

I also wrote something about ath10k and backports:

https://wireless.wiki.kernel.org/en/users/drivers/ath10k/backports

-- 
Kalle Valo

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RE: Modifing and installing ath10k driver for kernel 4.0

[Costa Molero Edgar]

> You can still use backports though. All you need is to build backports
> package yourself[1] from whatever kernel tree you desire, e.g.
> github.com/kvalo/ath instead of using the pre-built one.
>
> [1]: https://backports.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/Documentation/backports/hacking

> I also wrote something about ath10k and backports:

> https://wireless.wiki.kernel.org/en/users/drivers/ath10k/backports


Thanks, for the answers. 

I already tried before writing my message to compile my custom ath10k backports. However when I was following your guide I was not able to create the backports output tree. The gentree.py script was giving me a dependency problem :

You need to have installed: spatch >= 1.0.0-rc24
Try installing the package: coccinelle

So, I did installed the latest coccinelle version but the dependency was still there. After one day struggling I found that its a bug and can be solved with this patch :

---
 lib/bpreqs.py |    2 +-
 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/lib/bpreqs.py b/lib/bpreqs.py
index 6c46670..4399c6d 100644
--- a/lib/bpreqs.py
+++ b/lib/bpreqs.py
 <at>  <at>  -98,7 +98,7  <at>  <at>  class Req:
                 if (rc == ""):
                     rc = 0
                 else:
-                    rc = int(rc) - 20
+                    rc = int(rc) - 40
                 extra = int(rc)
             else:
                 extra = int(rel_specs['EXTRAVERSION']) + 10
--

I still have a question regarding backports, and kernel releases. I am quite new in all this world so that's why I was a little bit confused.  Correct me if I am wrong. Backports are used to install the newest (or whatever version ) of drivers in the current kernel you have, right ? So you get the same result than compiling the entire kernel with your modified driver ? 

Edgar

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Re: Modifing and installing ath10k driver for kernel 4.0

[Michal Kazior]

On 29 April 2015 at 14:53, Costa Molero  Edgar <cedgar@student.ethz.ch> wrote:
>> You can still use backports though. All you need is to build backports
>> package yourself[1] from whatever kernel tree you desire, e.g.
>> github.com/kvalo/ath instead of using the pre-built one.
>>
>> [1]: https://backports.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/Documentation/backports/hacking
>
>> I also wrote something about ath10k and backports:
>
>> https://wireless.wiki.kernel.org/en/users/drivers/ath10k/backports
>
>
> Thanks, for the answers.
>
> I already tried before writing my message to compile my custom ath10k backports. However when I was following your guide I was not able to create the backports output tree. The gentree.py script was giving me a dependency problem :
>
> You need to have installed: spatch >= 1.0.0-rc24
> Try installing the package: coccinelle
>
> So, I did installed the latest coccinelle version but the dependency was still there. After one day struggling I found that its a bug and can be solved with this patch :
>
> ---
>  lib/bpreqs.py |    2 +-
>  1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-)
>
> diff --git a/lib/bpreqs.py b/lib/bpreqs.py
> index 6c46670..4399c6d 100644
> --- a/lib/bpreqs.py
> +++ b/lib/bpreqs.py
>  <at>  <at>  -98,7 +98,7  <at>  <at>  class Req:
>                  if (rc == ""):
>                      rc = 0
>                  else:
> -                    rc = int(rc) - 20
> +                    rc = int(rc) - 40
>                  extra = int(rc)
>              else:
>                  extra = int(rel_specs['EXTRAVERSION']) + 10
> --
>
> I still have a question regarding backports, and kernel releases. I am quite new in all this world so that's why I was a little bit confused.  Correct me if I am wrong. Backports are used to install the newest (or whatever version ) of drivers in the current kernel you have, right ? So you get the same result than compiling the entire kernel with your modified driver ?

It really depends on what you define as a "result". But basically what
you're saying is correct - backports allow you to use newer drivers
with older kernels.

There tends to be some churn across kernel subsystems so it's not
uncommon for driver to depend on other changes in kernel, e.g. ath10k
depends on mac80211 which depends on cfg80211 which depends on netlink
(this is very simplified, there are also some little kernel utilities
and helper functions, pci subsystem, etc that drivers can depend on).
Also dependencies can be code and behavioral. The latter means that,
e.g. even if using ath10k directory from kernel A in kernel B doesn't
yield compilation warnings/errors it doesn't mean it will work
*correctly*.


Michal

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