Wireless networking unavailable/does not work

[shinyblue]

After an upgrade to the linux-image-3.2.0-56-generic kernel on Ubuntu 12.04.3 LTS, my laptop had no wifi. No lights, nothing in network manager to even acknowledge the existance of a wireless capability.

On rebooting into the previous kernel linux-image-3.2.0-55-generic it works again (and thus I am able to report this!).

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
Package: linux-image-3.2.0-56-generic 3.2.0-56.86
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-55.85-generic 3.2.51
Uname: Linux 3.2.0-55-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: wl
AlsaVersion: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.24.
ApportVersion: 2.0.1-0ubuntu17.6
Architecture: amd64
ArecordDevices:
 **** List of CAPTURE Hardware Devices ****
 card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 0: ALC269VB Analog [ALC269VB Analog]
   Subdevices: 1/1
   Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: rich 2542 F.... pulseaudio
Card0.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:0 'PCH'/'HDA Intel PCH at 0xc0600000 irq 48'
   Mixer name : 'Intel CougarPoint HDMI'
   Components : 'HDA:10ec0269,10250513,00100100 HDA:80862805,80860101,00100000'
   Controls : 27
   Simple ctrls : 13
Date: Tue Nov 26 09:20:14 2013
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=cdc83e00-ab58-4d15-8c00-1767e317ff39
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.04 LTS "Precise Pangolin" - Release amd64 (20120425)
MachineType: Acer Aspire 5750
MarkForUpload: True
ProcFB: 0 inteldrmfb
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-55-generic root=UUID=72d863fd-0e78-4313-96b2-e194ebe1d127 ro crashkernel=384M-2G:64M,2G-:128M quiet splash acpi_backlight=vendor vt.handoff=7
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-3.2.0-55-generic N/A
 linux-backports-modules-3.2.0-55-generic N/A
 linux-firmware 1.79.7
SourcePackage: linux
StagingDrivers: mei
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 08/09/2012
dmi.bios.vendor: Acer
dmi.bios.version: V1.21
dmi.board.asset.tag: Base Board Asset Tag
dmi.board.name: SJV70_HR
dmi.board.vendor: Acer
dmi.board.version: Base Board Version
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: Acer
dmi.chassis.version: V1.21
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAcer:bvrV1.21:bd08/09/2012:svnAcer:pnAspire5750:pvrV1.21:rvnAcer:rnSJV70_HR:rvrBaseBoardVersion:cvnAcer:ct10:cvrV1.21:
dmi.product.name: Aspire 5750
dmi.product.version: V1.21
dmi.sys.vendor: Acer

[Brad Figg (brad-figg)]

This change was made by a bot.

[Joseph Salisbury (jsalisbury)]

There were very few changes between 3.2.0-55 and 3.2.0-56, so a bisect should be pretty fast. Can you first test the 3.2.0-57 kernel to see if it is already fixed there? You can install that kernel by installing both the linux-image and linux-image-extra .deb packages. If the bug is not fixed in 3.2.0-57, we can start a bisect between 3.2.0-55 and 3.2.0-56,.

[0] https://launchpad.net/~canonical-kernel-team/+archive/ppa/+build/5226178

[shinyblue (shinyblue)]

Tried those both:

Linux 3.2.0-57-virtual #87-Ubuntu SMP Tue Nov 12 21:53:49 UTC 2013 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

Linux 3.2.0-57-generic #87-Ubuntu SMP Tue Nov 12 21:35:10 UTC 2013 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

And neither worked.
Back on -55 now in order to submit this report

[Joseph Salisbury (jsalisbury)]

I started a kernel bisect between 3.2.0-55 and 3.2.0-56. The kernel bisect will require testing of about 3-5 test kernels.

I built the first test kernel, up to the following commit:
c1bb8de6dfdd093200b069e927767e11253c6050

The test kernel can be downloaded from:
http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~jsalisbury/lp1255022

Can you test that kernel and report back if it has the bug or not. I will build the next test kernel based on your test results.

Thanks in advance

[shinyblue (shinyblue)]

Wifi works with that one: Linux reech 3.2.0-56-generic #86~lp1255022Commitc1bb8de SMP Wed Nov 27 17:43:16 UTC 2013 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

Thanks.

[shinyblue (shinyblue)]

That said, using that kernel, I've had times when it's locked up - acting like I have no network connection but not saying disconnected. turning wifi off and on again (via network manager) brought it back again. Couuld be coincidence, but never needed to do this before.

[Joseph Salisbury (jsalisbury)]

I built the next test kernel, up to the following commit:
99a1224fd2b5d50a19977d5bbc0341793a16dcc7

The test kernel can be downloaded from:
http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~jsalisbury/lp1255022

Can you test that kernel and report back if it has the bug or not. I will build the next test kernel based on your test results.

Thanks in advance

[shinyblue (shinyblue)]

Working with: Linux reech 3.2.0-56-generic #86~lp1255022Commit99a1224 SMP Mon Dec 2 18:06:59 UTC 2013 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

[Joseph Salisbury (jsalisbury)]

I built the next test kernel, up to the following commit:
f418e2b549ccfcddb71e72a95f5556566ce55db7

The test kernel can be downloaded from:
http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~jsalisbury/lp1255022

Can you test that kernel and report back if it has the bug or not. I will build the next test kernel based on your test results.

Thanks in advance

[shinyblue (shinyblue)]

Works with: Linux reech 3.2.0-56-generic #86~lp1255022Commitf418e2b SMP Tue Dec 3 18:59:33 UTC 2013 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

[Joseph Salisbury (jsalisbury)]

I built the next test kernel, up to the following commit:
ae6f307419e7c30eac9749795ee2e4c82e090045

The test kernel can be downloaded from:
http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~jsalisbury/lp1255022

Can you test that kernel and report back if it has the bug or not. I will build the next test kernel based on your test results.

Thanks in advance

[shinyblue (shinyblue)]

Working with Linux reech 3.2.0-56-generic #86~lp1255022Commitae6f307 SMP Tue Dec 3 20:16:27 UTC 2013 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

[Joseph Salisbury (jsalisbury)]

Thanks for the update. I would have expected that kernel to have the bug, since it includes all of the commits added in 3.2.0-56. Can you give the kernel from here a try:

https://launchpad.net/~canonical-kernel-team/+archive/ppa/+build/5146620

[shinyblue (shinyblue)]

Well this is embarrassing. So not only does the last one you made work, but I re-tested the stock kernels and they now work as well:

Linux reech 3.2.0-57-generic #87-Ubuntu SMP Tue Nov 12 21:35:10 UTC 2013 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux
Linux reech 3.2.0-56-generic #86-Ubuntu SMP Wed Oct 23 09:20:45 UTC 2013 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux
Linux reech 3.2.0-56-generic #86-Ubuntu SMP Wed Oct 23 09:20:45 UTC 2013 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

I don't really understand what could have happened, it was definitely repeatable behaviour (did it several times) with the original report.

Thanks anyway, and sorry for any time wasting that's due to anything I should have done differently. Guess you can close this now.

[Joseph Salisbury (jsalisbury)]

That's great news. Thanks for all the help testing. I'll mark this as invalid for now. Just move it back to Confirmed if the bug does come back.

Thanks again!