Re: BCM4313 14e4:4727 was working fine, now failing - Ubuntu Linux

On 09/15/14 16:54, Marc & Karen Vincent wrote:

HelloSeth and Arend,

Thanks for getting back to me so quickly.

I hope that this gives some pointers -

    * dmesg output attached as requested. The lines 30.649061 and
      30.649285 (ref brcms) appear as error messages on the screen
      during the boot process. The line 23.809659 seems to confirm the
      presence of the brcms and bcma modules
    *  From a check back through the system logs Linux updated on Friday
      12th after which the wireless failed, it was with the same
      3.13.0.xx that the Ubuntu 14.04 LTS upgrade installed on Saturday 13th
    *  From the logs of the Saturday 13th upgrade the previous version
      of Linux appears to have been 3.2.0.68.81 and wireless had
      definitely worked without modifications prior to this. Also, no
      attempt was made to fix the wireless BEFORE the LTS Ubuntu upgrade
      (wired), which incidentally was from 12.04 LTS and was problem free
    * Purging of bcmwl-kernel-source package was recommended on the
      majority of the Ubuntu forum solutions to ensure unwanted modules
      were not present and conflicting. I am not aware of it being active
    * This is the link for the contents of the package linux firmware
      nonfree which should provide the information re the drivers that
      are being installed through it
      http://packages.ubuntu.com/trusty/kernel/linux-firmware-nonfree
    * This is the link to the 'module to use/blacklist' answer which
      seemed to summarise what everyone was saying
      https://help.ubuntu.com/community/WifiDocs/Driver/bcm43xx#Known_Issues

I have taken copies of the log files for the system updates completed in
the week prior to, and including, the LTS Ubuntu upgrade. As you can
imagine these are big so if you need any details from them perhaps you
would like to give me a filter so you only get the bits you need.

Many thanks for looking into this. Hopefully it will be obvious to you
what changed!

From your dotted list above I can only conclude that is worked with 3.2.x and started failing with 3.13.x. I think I also asked for debugfs information. Can you run the following command and provide output to me:

$ cat /sys/kernel/debug/brcmsmac/*/hardware

Regards,
Arend

Karen


-----Original Message-----
From: Seth Forshee <redacted>
To: Arend van Spriel <redacted>; Karen Vincent <redacted>
CC: brcm80211-dev-list <redacted>; linux-wireless
[off-list ref]
Sent: Mon, 15 Sep 2014 12:41
Subject: Re: BCM4313 14e4:4727 was working fine, now failing - Ubuntu Linux

On Mon, Sep 15, 2014 at 10:15:57AM+0200, Arend van Spriel wrote:

quoted

 +  linux-wireless, Seth

 On 14-09-14 16:36, Karen Vincent wrote:
 >  Hello,
 >
 >  I am trying to fix a wireless connectivity problem on a Lenovo G585 which

has

quoted

 >  BCM4313 14e4:4727 (rev 01) running on Ubuntu 14.04
 >
 >  This was working fine, then following a Linux headers upgrade last week it
 >  started to play up (connection failing or repeatedly dropping)

 Hi Karen,

 I assume the upgrade involved a kernel upgrade and not just the headers.
 It would be very interesting to know the package versions before and
 after this particular upgrade. I added Seth as he may know whether the
 packaging software in Ubuntu keeps any log with that info.

There's both /var/log/dpkg.log* and /var/log/apt/* which contain some
history of what packages were upgraded and when. I know that
/var/log/apt/* shows both the old and new package versions for any given
upgrade, so you might start there.

The subsequent upgrade to a newer release will probably make it harder
to find, but everything there should include dates and times when the
packages were upgraded which ought to help. Hopefully the relevant data
hasn't rotated out of the logs yet.

quoted

 >  As a LTS Ubuntu upgrade was due anyway I decided to complete this first and

then

quoted

 >  see if this resolved the wireless issues. Ubuntu 14.04 successfully

installed

quoted

 >  (using ethernet wired connection) but the wireless problem remains

 Would you happen to know the kernel version before the upgrade as this
 surely looks like a regression.

 >  Having checked the various online forums I have
 >  * run the various updates including -pciids
 >  * purged bcmwl-kernel-source

 Are you aware that this was actually used?

 >  * installed linux-firmware-nonfree

 Uhm, what is this package?

I don't know the exact details, but I think it basically includes device
firmware which are distributible in some fashion but also have some
limitations on distribution/redistribution. The firmware which brcmsmac
uses is included in the linux-firmware package though and not that one.

quoted

 >  * blacklisted the b43 and wl modules (the latter giving"modprobe: FATAL:

Module

quoted

 >  wl not found"  although given I was trying to blacklist it anyway I figured

this

quoted

 >  did not matter)
 >  * checked the module requirement for BCM4313 14e4:4727 = bcma, which is

showing

quoted

 >  on the module list
 >
 >  As bcma is the recognised and non-blacklisted module I am puzzled to know

why

quoted

 >  the wireless card still will not connect. And yes, I did reboot after each

step!

quoted

 Could you send me a kernel log from system start, ie. run 'dmesg' on the
 terminal.

 >  A check on the forums and your website suggests 3 possibilities:
 >  * there is a missing dependency for bcma, perhaps something that is present

in

quoted

 >  brcms? One of the forum 'solutions' suggests this
 >  * there is a firmware update that I need to ensure is on my system, although

a

quoted

 >  look at the lists on your website has nothing for :4727
 >  * BCM4313 14e4:4727 is simply not going to work on the updated Linux headers

-

quoted

 >  mine is currently 3.13.0 - 35 - generic, on a 32-bit system - your page
 >  http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Drivers/brcm80211#Supported_Chips  hints

that

quoted

 >  not all 4313 chips will function
 >
 >  I do not know if this 'bug' - for which there seems to be much evidence on

the

quoted

 >  forums as a dependency conflict - is still live, is going to be fixed or is

a

quoted

 >  'wait and see' issue, but any assistance in pointing me in the right

direction

quoted

 >  would be useful.
 >
 >  I am a private user trying to keep the family laptops going rather than a
 >  professional technician but I can work through logical processes and have no

quoted

 >  problems using terminal commands etc

 We will make an effort. The bcm4313 keeps nagging as there are many
 variations of that card being used and brcmsmac may be missing some
 essential piece for it.

 Regards,
 Arend

 >  Even if it is just a 'sorry, unlucky to have this combo, cannot help' it

would

quoted

 >  save me a lot of time trying to get it sorted!