b43: force_pio must be set in your kernel conf

b43: force_pio must be set in your kernel conf

[Jan Engelhardt]

Hi,


I have here some typical windowscentric Dell laptop with a b43 chipset 
that refuses to work due to something with DMA.

lspci:
08:00.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4312 802.11b/g (rev 
01)
08:00.0 0280: 14e4:4315 (rev 01)

I installed the firmware using one of opensuse's scripts 
(install_bcm43xx_firmware, though it handles b43 and b43legacy according 
to the script's inner comments), which retrieves

wl_apsta_mimo.o from 
mirror2.openwrt.org/sources/broadcom-wl-4.150.10.5.tar.bz2

and runs fwcutter on it. In dmesg, I then find on modprobe b43 
verbose=3:

b43 ssb0:0: firmware: requesting b43/ucode15.fw
b43 ssb0:0: firmware: requesting b43/lp0initvals15.fw
b43 ssb0:0: firmware: requesting b43/lp0bsinitvals15.fw
b43-phy0: Loading firmware version 410.2160 (2007-05-26 15:32:10)
b43-phy0 debug: b2062: Using crystal tab entry 19200 kHz.
b43-phy0 debug: Chip initialized
b43-phy0 debug: 64-bit DMA initialized
b43-phy0 debug: QoS enabled
b43-phy0 debug: Wireless interface started
b43-phy0 debug: Adding Interface type 2
b43-phy0 ERROR: Fatal DMA error: 0x400, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0
b43-phy0 ERROR: This device does not support DMA on your system. Please 
use PIO instead.
b43-phy0 ERROR: CONFIG_B43_FORCE_PIO must be set in your kernel 
configuration.
ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): wlan0: link is not ready


So, can I get PIO mode for free without recompiling? (Since 
CONFIG_B43_PIO=y already.) What other info needs to be provided to help 
resolve this?

System is a 2.6.33.2-x86_64.


thanks,
Jan

Re: b43: force_pio must be set in your kernel conf

[Larry Finger]

On 05/06/2010 10:16 AM, Jan Engelhardt wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> 
> I have here some typical windowscentric Dell laptop with a b43 chipset 
> that refuses to work due to something with DMA.
> 
> lspci:
> 08:00.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4312 802.11b/g (rev 
> 01)
> 08:00.0 0280: 14e4:4315 (rev 01)
> 
> I installed the firmware using one of opensuse's scripts 
> (install_bcm43xx_firmware, though it handles b43 and b43legacy according 
> to the script's inner comments), which retrieves
> 
> wl_apsta_mimo.o from 
> mirror2.openwrt.org/sources/broadcom-wl-4.150.10.5.tar.bz2
> 
> and runs fwcutter on it. In dmesg, I then find on modprobe b43 
> verbose=3:
> 
> b43 ssb0:0: firmware: requesting b43/ucode15.fw
> b43 ssb0:0: firmware: requesting b43/lp0initvals15.fw
> b43 ssb0:0: firmware: requesting b43/lp0bsinitvals15.fw
> b43-phy0: Loading firmware version 410.2160 (2007-05-26 15:32:10)
> b43-phy0 debug: b2062: Using crystal tab entry 19200 kHz.
> b43-phy0 debug: Chip initialized
> b43-phy0 debug: 64-bit DMA initialized
> b43-phy0 debug: QoS enabled
> b43-phy0 debug: Wireless interface started
> b43-phy0 debug: Adding Interface type 2
> b43-phy0 ERROR: Fatal DMA error: 0x400, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0
> b43-phy0 ERROR: This device does not support DMA on your system. Please 
> use PIO instead.
> b43-phy0 ERROR: CONFIG_B43_FORCE_PIO must be set in your kernel 
> configuration.
> ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): wlan0: link is not ready
> 
> 
> So, can I get PIO mode for free without recompiling? (Since 
> CONFIG_B43_PIO=y already.) What other info needs to be provided to help 
> resolve this?
> 
> System is a 2.6.33.2-x86_64.

In the latest mainline kernel (2.6.34-rc6), the fallback to PIO is
automatic. For a 2.6.33 kernel, you will need to rebuild the kernel or
install the latest compat-wireless package. Your distro may already
provide it.

We are working on this problem. Keep watching this list for trial
patches. Unfortunately, none of the developers have a machine that
suffers from this problem. It seems to be associated with Intel
processors (mostly netbooks with Atom chips) and the Phoenix BIOS.

Larry

Re: b43: force_pio must be set in your kernel conf

[Jan Engelhardt]

On Thursday 2010-05-06 17:36, Larry Finger wrote:
>On 05/06/2010 10:16 AM, Jan Engelhardt wrote:

>> b43-phy0 ERROR: Fatal DMA error: 0x400, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0
>> b43-phy0 ERROR: This device does not support DMA on your system. Please 
>> use PIO instead.
>> b43-phy0 ERROR: CONFIG_B43_FORCE_PIO must be set in your kernel 
>> configuration.
>> ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): wlan0: link is not ready
>> 
>> So, can I get PIO mode for free without recompiling? (Since 
>> CONFIG_B43_PIO=y already.) What other info needs to be provided to help 
>> resolve this?
>> 
>> System is a 2.6.33.2-x86_64.
>
>In the latest mainline kernel (2.6.34-rc6), the fallback to PIO is
>automatic. For a 2.6.33 kernel, you will need to rebuild the kernel or
>install the latest compat-wireless package. Your distro may already
>provide it.
>
>We are working on this problem. Keep watching this list for trial
>patches. Unfortunately, none of the developers have a machine that
>suffers from this problem. It seems to be associated with Intel
>processors (mostly netbooks with Atom chips) and the Phoenix BIOS.

Seems so. 2.6.34 works, so everything's fine now.
Thanks!