Re: [PATCH] wifi: ath12k: enable WIPHY_FLAG_DISABLE_WEXT

[Jeff Johnson <quic_jjohnson@quicinc.com>]

On 4/11/2024 9:56 AM, Kalle Valo wrote:
> From: Kalle Valo <quic_kvalo@quicinc.com>
> 
> ath12k will support Multi-Link Operation (MLO) in the future but not yet. A
> major change with MLO is that cfg80211 will disable Wireless Extension (WEXT)
> user space interface. To avoid having inconsistent user experience, first
> supporting WEXT and later not, disable WEXT already now.
> 
> Now ath12k claims that WEXT is not supported:
> 
> $ iwconfig wlan0
> wlan0     no wireless extensions.
> 
> Tested-on: WCN7850 hw2.0 PCI WLAN.HMT.1.0.c5-00481-QCAHMTSWPL_V1.0_V2.0_SILICONZ-3
> 
> Signed-off-by: Kalle Valo <quic_kvalo@quicinc.com>
> ---
>  drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath12k/mac.c | 6 ++++++
>  1 file changed, 6 insertions(+)
> 
> diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath12k/mac.c b/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath12k/mac.c
> index f15dcd75157d..e989628d7d72 100644
> --- a/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath12k/mac.c
> +++ b/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath12k/mac.c
> @@ -8556,6 +8556,12 @@ static int ath12k_mac_hw_register(struct ath12k_hw *ah)
>  	wiphy->features |= NL80211_FEATURE_AP_MODE_CHAN_WIDTH_CHANGE |
>  				   NL80211_FEATURE_AP_SCAN;
>  
> +	/* MLO is not yet supported so disable Wireless Extensions for now
> +	 * to make sure ath12k users don't use it. This flag can be removed
> +	 * once WIPHY_FLAG_SUPPORTS_MLO is enabled.
> +	 */
> +	wiphy->flags |= WIPHY_FLAG_DISABLE_WEXT;
> +
>  	hw->queues = ATH12K_HW_MAX_QUEUES;
>  	wiphy->tx_queue_len = ATH12K_QUEUE_LEN;
>  	hw->offchannel_tx_hw_queue = ATH12K_HW_MAX_QUEUES - 1;
> 
> base-commit: 363e7193eaf258fe7f04e8db560bd8a282a12cd9

Currently on my version of Ubuntu when I switch to Hotspot mode I'm seeing:
[   55.189623] warning: `iwconfig' uses wireless extensions which will stop
working for Wi-Fi 7 hardware; use nl80211

So are userspace folks aware of the need to move away from iwconfig?
Is there a Ubuntu / Network Manager fix fir this?

/jeff

/jeff