10ec:8171 [Compaq Presario CQ62-227TU] RTL8192se kernel driver unstable in low power mode

[David Cameron Staples]

Behaviour noticed immediately after kernel upgrade from 3.0.0-31 to 32.

When laptop is connected to power, all is as it should be.

When laptop is disconnected from mains, and running on battery, the wireless will continue working for a while (less than a minute), then drop out and Network Manager will attempt to reconnect to the WLAN. It will fail (timing out) forever until Network manager gives up.

No indication or cause of failure is given in any logs, or in dmesg.

When the module has failed, then running "sudo rmmod rtl8192se rtlwifi mac80211 cfg80211 && sudo modprobe rtl8192se" in a terminal will re-enable wireless, but it will inevitably drop out again just as it did before. Reconnecting mains power will also restore stability. (That is, if the wireless has failed, reattaching mains power will not of itself restore it, but if the kernel module is rmmod/modprobe-d back in, it will remain working correctly, and not drop out again so long as it is on mains power.)

I have since checked under 3.0.0.31 again, and this problem does not occur.

It looks like the rtl8192se module is unstable when the Power Management settings are on battery mode in this kernel version.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.10
Package: linux-image-3.0.0-32-generic-pae 3.0.0-32.50
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.0.0-32.50-generic-pae 3.0.65
Uname: Linux 3.0.0-32-generic-pae i686
AlsaVersion: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.24.
ApportVersion: 1.23-0ubuntu4.1
Architecture: i386
ArecordDevices:
 **** List of CAPTURE Hardware Devices ****
 card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 0: ALC270 Analog [ALC270 Analog]
   Subdevices: 1/1
   Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: staples 1867 F.... xfce4-volumed
                      staples 1899 f.... xfce4-mixer-plu
                      staples 1909 F.... pulseaudio
Card0.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:0 'Intel'/'HDA Intel at 0xd4500000 irq 45'
   Mixer name : 'Intel Cantiga HDMI'
   Components : 'HDA:10ec0270,103c1484,00100100 HDA:80862802,80860101,00100000'
   Controls : 20
   Simple ctrls : 11
Date: Fri Mar 15 15:47:41 2013
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=11661010-43bb-4686-b55f-775986dab970
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 10.10 "Maverick Meerkat" - Release i386 (20101007)
MachineType: Hewlett-Packard Presario CQ62 Notebook PC
ProcEnviron:
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 LANG=en_AU.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.0.0-32-generic-pae root=UUID=8e115c9a-6781-4a65-b122-f3406384055c ro splash
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-3.0.0-32-generic-pae N/A
 linux-backports-modules-3.0.0-32-generic-pae N/A
 linux-firmware 1.60.1
SourcePackage: linux
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to oneiric on 2012-06-04 (284 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 04/26/2010
dmi.bios.vendor: Hewlett-Packard
dmi.bios.version: F.15
dmi.board.asset.tag: Base Board Asset Tag
dmi.board.name: 1484
dmi.board.vendor: Hewlett-Packard
dmi.board.version: 77.18
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: Hewlett-Packard
dmi.chassis.version: N/A
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnHewlett-Packard:bvrF.15:bd04/26/2010:svnHewlett-Packard:pnPresarioCQ62NotebookPC:pvr049B110000202810000020000:rvnHewlett-Packard:rn1484:rvr77.18:cvnHewlett-Packard:ct10:cvrN/A:
dmi.product.name: Presario CQ62 Notebook PC
dmi.product.version: 049B110000202810000020000
dmi.sys.vendor: Hewlett-Packard

[Brad Figg (brad-figg)]

This change was made by a bot.

[Joseph Salisbury (jsalisbury)]

Would it be possible for you to test the latest upstream kernel? Refer to https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelMainlineBuilds . Please test the latest v3.9 kernel[0] (Not a kernel in the daily directory) and install both the linux-image and linux-image-extra .deb packages.

If this bug is fixed in the mainline kernel, please add the following tag 'kernel-fixed-upstream'.

If the mainline kernel does not fix this bug, please add the tag: 'kernel-bug-exists-upstream'.

If you are unable to test the mainline kernel, for example it will not boot, please add the tag: 'kernel-unable-to-test-upstream'.
Once testing of the upstream kernel is complete, please mark this bug as "Confirmed".

Thanks in advance.

[0] http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v3.9-rc2-raring/

[David Cameron Staples (catsidhe)]

$ uname -a
Linux faustus 3.9.0-030900rc2-generic #201303102035 SMP Mon Mar 11 00:44:44 UTC 2013 i686 i686 i386 GNU/Linux

Install of 3.9.0 kernel made dkms complain about virtualbox, but I only very rarely use that, so it's not an issue.

New behaviour: On boot into this kernel, the buggy behaviour was evident from the start: Network Manager showed connection to the right network, but it wasn't authenticated: ?field.comment=$ uname -a
Linux faustus 3.9.0-030900rc2-generic #201303102035 SMP Mon Mar 11 00:44:44 UTC 2013 i686 i686 i386 GNU/Linux

Install of 3.9.0 kernel made dkms complain about virtualbox, but I only very rarely use that, so it's not an issue.

New behaviour: On boot into this kernel, the buggy behaviour was evident from the start: Network Manager showed connection to the right network, but it wasn't authenticated (I've attached the output from dmesg: this is at 51s.)

I did the rmmod/modprobe of rtl8192se as before, and network connected immediately (I am on battery power and connected through the wireless right now. (The results of this action can be seen in the dmesg output at 175s and on.)

[David Cameron Staples (catsidhe)]

Booted back into 3.0.0.31-pae, wireless had same behaviour as in 3.9: did not start correctly on boot, works after rmmod/modprobe of rtl8192se module.

dmesg of this session attached.

[ar (arjenmeijernl)]

See also bug #1175554.

[ar (arjenmeijernl)]

New driver is available, but not yet distributed in Ubuntu?. https://patchwork.kernel.org/patch/2183481/

Patchwork [RFC/RFT,06/27] rtlwifi: rtl8192se: Update driver to match vendor driver of 2013.02.07

Project: linux-wireless : patches : project info : other projects
about
Submitter Larry Finger
Date Feb. 26, 2013, 12:13 a.m.
Message ID <email address hidden>
Download mbox | patch
Permalink /patch/2183481/
Larry Finger - Feb. 26, 2013, 12:13 a.m.

Signed-off-by: Larry Finger <email address hidden>

---
 drivers/net/wireless/rtlwifi/rtl8192se/def.h | 7 -
 drivers/net/wireless/rtlwifi/rtl8192se/dm.c | 35 +++-
 drivers/net/wireless/rtlwifi/rtl8192se/hw.c | 124 +++++++----
 drivers/net/wireless/rtlwifi/rtl8192se/hw.h | 3 +-
 drivers/net/wireless/rtlwifi/rtl8192se/phy.c | 61 ++++--
 drivers/net/wireless/rtlwifi/rtl8192se/phy.h | 1 +
 drivers/net/wireless/rtlwifi/rtl8192se/sw.c | 1 +
 drivers/net/wireless/rtlwifi/rtl8192se/trx.c | 296 +++------------------------
 8 files changed, 181 insertions(+), 347 deletions(-)

[penalvch (penalvch)]

David Cameron Staples, could you please provide the full computer model from sticker (ex. Compaq Presario CQ62-201AU Notebook PC)?

[David Cameron Staples (catsidhe)]

Compaq Presario CQ62-227TU

I since upgraded to 12.04.2, but the kernels in that line are still showing this behaviour. (Last one checked: 3.2.0-51.77)

I still have the 3.9.0-030900rc2 generic kernel installed from earlier testing, and the wireless connectivity does work under this kernel. (There is an annoying tendency for the ethernet connection to keep trying to connect even though there's no ethernet plugged in, but that's merely an annoyance.)

[penalvch (penalvch)]

David Cameron Staples, could you please confirm this issue exists with the latest development release of Ubuntu? ISO images are available from http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/daily-live/current/ . If the issue remains, could you please run the following command in the development release from a Terminal (Applications->Accessories->Terminal), as it will automatically gather and attach updated debug information to this report:

apport-collect -p linux <replace-with-bug-number>

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for linux (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]