iwlwifi issues

luckySimba · n00b Joined: 23 Dec 2022 Posts: 59

so i've read the iwlwifi wiki on gentoo, i've researched this issue for a bit now and i cannot get my iwlwifi to load. here is the output of dmesg

grknight · Retired Dev Joined: 20 Feb 2015 Posts: 1659

luckySimba · n00b Joined: 23 Dec 2022 Posts: 59

grknight · Retired Dev Joined: 20 Feb 2015 Posts: 1659

This is not loading an initramfs because of

luckySimba · n00b Joined: 23 Dec 2022 Posts: 59

luckySimba · n00b Joined: 23 Dec 2022 Posts: 59

i don't understand it still says it can't access gzip despite I made hte changes that you suggested

here is my .config

https://pastebin.com/RFynejpC

luckySimba · n00b Joined: 23 Dec 2022 Posts: 59

do you think this would work better if i built the driver into my kernel then loaded firmware using kernel blobs in the kernel?

luckySimba · n00b Joined: 23 Dec 2022 Posts: 59

Ok sorry I know I’m sounding like an idiot

I finally got this bad boy loaded. The only issue is. The only way it loads is if I modorobe manually post boot. Any idea why it wouldn’t load

I’m merely asking for direction about my research

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Sat Dec 31, 2022 1:27 pm Post subject:

luckySimba,

Pastebin dmesg please.
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NeddySeagoon

Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail.

luckySimba · n00b Joined: 23 Dec 2022 Posts: 59

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2023 11:48 am Post subject:

luckySimba,

luckySimba · n00b Joined: 23 Dec 2022 Posts: 59

pietinger · Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2023 7:55 pm Post subject:

luckySimba · n00b Joined: 23 Dec 2022 Posts: 59

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2023 8:13 pm Post subject:

luckySimba,

If you are an openrc user, make the /etc/conf.d/net/ file start wpa_supplicant. Then you start WiFi in the normal way my adding in to the default runlevel
You still need to configure it.

For your i915, either make it a module and put all the firmware it needs into /lib/firmware, so it all comes together after root is mounted.
Or build the code and required firmware into the kernel so that it all comes together before root is mounted.

Microcode has to be built in, so you may as well go the built in route for both.
You can pass parameters to either built in or loadable modules, so that's not a factor in your choice.
_________________
Regards,

NeddySeagoon

Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail.

luckySimba · n00b Joined: 23 Dec 2022 Posts: 59

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2023 10:14 pm Post subject:

luckySimba,

Yes. What matters is that all the parts required to start a driver are available at the same time.
There are three ways.

1. All in the kernel binary - its started before root is mounted.
2. All on the root filesystem. its started after root is mounted.
3. All in the initrd. I don't know how to organise that.

I use both 1 and 2 but my initrd's are all user space tools only, so I only make them once in the life of the equipment. Well, after they work, which is never first time.
_________________
Regards,

NeddySeagoon

Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail.

pietinger · Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2023 10:37 pm Post subject:

luckySimba,

I recommend to set your wifi modules as <M>odules into your kernel. Why ?

Some modules have a nice "tactic" ... it try to load - let's say version 60 - which DOESNT exist right now. Then it try to load version 59 (doesnt exist) ... and so on, until it reaches version 51 which is in /lib/firmware and this will be loaded now. Now ask why this "crazy" behaviour ?

If a company want their module to load firmware version 52 and company have coded to load 51 in their module, company must change the module ... to be able to load version 52 ... this means company have to wait for next kernel version ...

With this "tactic" company can leave their module like they want and company must only provide a new firmware version. It will be loaded automatically and NO change to module is necessary.

Guess, what is easier for the company of your module/firmware ... ;-)

Now, what does that mean for you ?

If you put your firmware into kernel you must always look if there is a newer version of firmware available (*). If you just let your module load its firmware from /lib/firmware at boot-time ... you have nothing to do anymore ;-)

P.S.: * Dont worry, our intel i915 module doesnt have this "tactic". If there comes a new firmware version, our i915 module will shout in system-log for it.

luckySimba · n00b Joined: 23 Dec 2022 Posts: 59

ok so i did the kernel blobs for i915 firmware. I feel like it didn't make much of a difference

regarding iwlwifi i had wpa loading via /etc/conf.d/net already prior to me logging in after boot there is a list of loaded daemons. it becomes clear that wpa tries to load prior to the wireless card so it times out and doesnt start, leaving me having to start int manually after boot. any ideas here?

here is the newest dmesg

https://pastebin.com/mtD6RPDd

it takes FOREVER to load tbe wireless card. like 2 minutes later it will show up in ip a on its own. i thien have to load wpa manually

luckySimba · n00b Joined: 23 Dec 2022 Posts: 59

FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF YESSSS!!!

i finally got it huc, guc and dmc all three had to be direct loaded into kernel and now i have a 5 second boot time!!!!!! a true GENTOO fastest of all the penguins

peep this DMESG boys

https://pastebin.com/1cWcuFeg

i just dont understand why the F my iwlwifi won't load until 223 seconds. motherF, i have no idea why it doesn't load earlier, i can't wrap my head around this

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Mon Jan 02, 2023 11:18 am Post subject:

luckySimba,

luckySimba · n00b Joined: 23 Dec 2022 Posts: 59

luckySimba · n00b Joined: 23 Dec 2022 Posts: 59

one more update.

so just as an experiment i looked at intel's own website and which firmware they indicate to use, its acutally diff than the one that is being loaded by kernel

anyway i loaded this into firmware blobs and it is totally ignored, as if i didn't put it in there at all

to me, this indiacates that the wifi card loading is being delegated to something other than the kernel. im guessing wpa supplicant?

thoughts?

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Mon Jan 02, 2023 8:42 pm Post subject:

luckySimba,

A long time ago udev used to do firmware loading, rather than the kernel.
Then udev dropped firmware loading which lead to a heated exchange between Linus and Lennart.
Only the kernel does firmware loading now.

The kernel module will only load the firmware its told to look for.
_________________
Regards,

NeddySeagoon

Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail.

Hu · Moderator Joined: 06 Mar 2007 Posts: 21624

Firmware loading is handled by the kernel. If it is not working, then it is not yet configured correctly. On a kernel where it failed to load the firmware, and dmesg says so, what is the output of dmesg | grep so-a0-hr-b0-6 ; namei -l /lib/firmware/iwlwifi-so-a0-hr-b0-6{6,5,4}.ucode ; emerge --pretend --verbose sys-kernel/linux-firmware? As I read your dmesg output, those are the only files your kernel tries to load. If Intel is showing something else, they may be thinking of a different kernel version than the one you are using. What files is Intel reporting, and where did you see them recommend that?