iwlwifi is not being loaded into the kernel on boot

[tim.tadh]

After upgrading some packages today the iwlwifi module stopped loading automatically after reboot which meant my wifi stopped working. No idea what package update caused it but here is what was updated (from the dpkg log)

2015-02-17 10:03:59 upgrade libdrm2:i386 2.4.56-1~ubuntu1 2.4.56-1~ubuntu2
2015-02-17 10:03:59 upgrade libdrm2:amd64 2.4.56-1~ubuntu1 2.4.56-1~ubuntu2
2015-02-17 10:03:59 upgrade libdrm-intel1:i386 2.4.56-1~ubuntu1 2.4.56-1~ubuntu2
2015-02-17 10:03:59 upgrade libdrm-intel1:amd64 2.4.56-1~ubuntu1 2.4.56-1~ubuntu2
2015-02-17 10:03:59 upgrade libdrm-nouveau2:i386 2.4.56-1~ubuntu1 2.4.56-1~ubuntu2
2015-02-17 10:03:59 upgrade libdrm-nouveau2:amd64 2.4.56-1~ubuntu1 2.4.56-1~ubuntu2
2015-02-17 10:03:59 upgrade libdrm-radeon1:i386 2.4.56-1~ubuntu1 2.4.56-1~ubuntu2
2015-02-17 10:04:00 upgrade libdrm-radeon1:amd64 2.4.56-1~ubuntu1 2.4.56-1~ubuntu2
2015-02-17 10:04:00 upgrade x11proto-core-dev:all 7.0.26-1~ubuntu1 7.0.26-1~ubuntu2
2015-02-17 10:04:00 upgrade xserver-common:all 2:1.15.1-0ubuntu2.6 2:1.15.1-0ubuntu2.7
2015-02-17 10:04:00 upgrade xserver-xorg-core:amd64 2:1.15.1-0ubuntu2.6 2:1.15.1-0ubuntu2.7
2015-02-17 10:04:00 upgrade xtrans-dev:all 1.3.4-1~ubuntu1 1.3.4-1~ubuntu2
2015-02-17 11:23:09 upgrade udev:amd64 204-5ubuntu20.9 204-5ubuntu20.10
2015-02-17 11:23:10 upgrade libudev1:i386 204-5ubuntu20.9 204-5ubuntu20.10
2015-02-17 11:23:10 upgrade libudev1:amd64 204-5ubuntu20.9 204-5ubuntu20.10
2015-02-17 11:23:10 upgrade libpam-systemd:amd64 204-5ubuntu20.9 204-5ubuntu20.10
2015-02-17 11:23:10 upgrade systemd-services:amd64 204-5ubuntu20.9 204-5ubuntu20.10
2015-02-17 11:23:11 upgrade libsystemd-daemon0:amd64 204-5ubuntu20.9 204-5ubuntu20.10
2015-02-17 11:23:11 upgrade libsystemd-login0:amd64 204-5ubuntu20.9 204-5ubuntu20.10
2015-02-17 11:23:11 upgrade gnome-keyring:amd64 3.10.1-1ubuntu4.1 3.10.1-1ubuntu4.2
2015-02-17 11:23:11 upgrade libfreetype6-dev:amd64 2.5.2-1ubuntu2.2 2.5.2-1ubuntu2.3
2015-02-17 11:23:11 upgrade libfreetype6:amd64 2.5.2-1ubuntu2.2 2.5.2-1ubuntu2.3
2015-02-17 11:23:12 upgrade libgudev-1.0-0:amd64 1:204-5ubuntu20.9 1:204-5ubuntu20.10
2015-02-17 11:23:12 upgrade lightdm:amd64 1.10.3-0ubuntu2 1.10.4-0ubuntu2
2015-02-17 11:23:12 upgrade python3-problem-report:all 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.6 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.7
2015-02-17 11:23:12 upgrade python3-apport:all 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.6 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.7
2015-02-17 11:23:13 upgrade apport:all 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.6 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.7
2015-02-17 11:23:13 upgrade apport-kde:all 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.6 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.7
2015-02-17 11:23:13 upgrade firefox:amd64 37.0~a2~hg20150126r240345-0ubuntu1~umd1~trusty 37.0~a2~hg20150213r240669-0ubuntu1~umd1~trusty
2015-02-17 11:23:16 upgrade firefox-locale-en:amd64 37.0~a2~hg20150126r240345-0ubuntu1~umd1~trusty 37.0~a2~hg20150213r240669-0ubuntu1~umd1~trusty
2015-02-17 11:23:16 upgrade firefox-trunk:amd64 38.0~a1~hg20150204r227385-0ubuntu1~umd1~trusty 38.0~a1~hg20150213r229008-0ubuntu1~umd1~trusty
2015-02-17 11:23:20 upgrade liblightdm-gobject-1-0:amd64 1.10.3-0ubuntu2 1.10.4-0ubuntu2
2015-02-17 11:23:20 upgrade liblightdm-qt-3-0:amd64 1.10.3-0ubuntu2 1.10.4-0ubuntu2
2015-02-17 11:23:20 upgrade x11-common:all 1:7.7+1ubuntu8 1:7.7+1ubuntu8.1
2015-02-17 11:23:20 upgrade xserver-xorg-video-all:amd64 1:7.7+1ubuntu8 1:7.7+1ubuntu8.1
2015-02-17 11:23:21 upgrade xserver-xorg-input-all:amd64 1:7.7+1ubuntu8 1:7.7+1ubuntu8.1
2015-02-17 11:23:21 upgrade xserver-xorg:amd64 1:7.7+1ubuntu8 1:7.7+1ubuntu8.1
2015-02-17 11:23:21 upgrade xorg:amd64 1:7.7+1ubuntu8 1:7.7+1ubuntu8.1

Other stuff:

$ lsb_release -rd
Description: Ubuntu 14.04.1 LTS
Release: 14.04

$ apt-cache policy linux-firmware
linux-firmware:
  Installed: 1.127.11
  Candidate: 1.127.11
  Version table:
 *** 1.127.11 0
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty-updates/main amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
     1.127.10 0
        500 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty-security/main amd64 Packages
     1.127 0
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty/main amd64 Packages

The wifi should work on boot. Eg. I should not have to: sudo modprobe iwlwifi

The wifi did not work. The interface was not available.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.04
Package: linux-firmware 1.127.11
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.13.0-45.74-generic 3.13.11-ckt13
Uname: Linux 3.13.0-45-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.7
Architecture: amd64
CurrentDesktop: KDE
Date: Tue Feb 17 14:46:53 2015
Dependencies:

InstallationDate: Installed on 2014-04-21 (302 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Kubuntu 14.04 LTS "Trusty Tahr" - Release amd64 (20140416.1)
PackageArchitecture: all
SourcePackage: linux-firmware
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[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 v3.19 kernel[0].

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/v3.19-vivid/

[Brad Figg (brad-figg)]

This bug is missing log files that will aid in diagnosing the problem. From a terminal window please run:

apport-collect 1422884

and then change the status of the bug to 'Confirmed'.

If, due to the nature of the issue you have encountered, you are unable to run this command, please add a comment stating that fact and change the bug status to 'Confirmed'.

This change has been made by an automated script, maintained by the Ubuntu Kernel Team.

[tim.tadh (tim-tadh)]

When I installed python-apport to do the apport-collect it generated a new boot image. I rebooted and the problem fixed itself. So I guess it was a very temporary problem. Thanks for the quick triage. I will reopen if it re-occurs.