"Wi-fi disabled by hardware switch" permanently on Lenovo Yoga 2 13

[Daniel d'Andrada]

I've a Lenovo Yoga 2 13" and installed Wily from a thumb drive (no upgrade).

Can't use wifi at all. The indicator panel says "Wi-fi disabled by hardware switch". Pressing the "airplane mode" key makes no difference.

Once I blacklisted ideapad_laptop kernel module, I did get wi-fi back. But after a couple of minutes it would become slow and unreliable to be point of being unusable.

It came as a surprise as I was previously using Vivid on this laptop and wi-fi worked out of the box with it, never giving me any problems.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 15.10
Package: linux-image-4.2.0-14-generic 4.2.0-14.16
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.2.0-14.16-generic 4.2.2
Uname: Linux 4.2.0-14-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.19-0ubuntu1
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC1: dandrader 2057 F.... pulseaudio
 /dev/snd/controlC0: dandrader 2057 F.... pulseaudio
CurrentDesktop: Unity
Date: Tue Oct 6 18:13:39 2015
EcryptfsInUse: Yes
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=75aae517-7579-4767-950c-75b06face626
InstallationDate: Installed on 2015-10-02 (4 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 15.10 "Wily Werewolf" - Alpha amd64 (20150918)
MachineType: LENOVO ZIVY0
ProcFB: 0 inteldrmfb
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-4.2.0-14-generic root=UUID=ede92ad6-f711-45c1-9c1a-68ba94618135 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-4.2.0-14-generic N/A
 linux-backports-modules-4.2.0-14-generic N/A
 linux-firmware 1.148
SourcePackage: linux
UdevLog: Error: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: '/var/log/udev'
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 10/16/2014
dmi.bios.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.bios.version: 96CN29WW(V1.15)
dmi.board.asset.tag: 31900002WIN8 PRO
dmi.board.name: INVALID
dmi.board.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.board.version: 31900002WIN8 PRO MBR IPG
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: 31900002WIN8 PRO
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.chassis.version: INVALID
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnLENOVO:bvr96CN29WW(V1.15):bd10/16/2014:svnLENOVO:pnZIVY0:pvrINVALID:rvnLENOVO:rnINVALID:rvr31900002WIN8PROMBRIPG:cvnLENOVO:ct10:cvrINVALID:
dmi.product.name: ZIVY0
dmi.product.version: INVALID
dmi.sys.vendor: LENOVO

[Brad Figg (brad-figg)]

This change was made by a bot.

[Daniel d'Andrada (dandrader)]

I wiped out Windows 8 from the laptop and the method for updating the BIOS is via a Window 8 application. Never imagined the BIOS would be updated that way... :-(

[Daniel d'Andrada (dandrader)]

I managed to get Win8 back into it again so I could update the BIOS. It's the latest one now (1.17).

Bug persists though :(

One thing I think I should mention is that between its Vivid (when all was working fine) and its Wily (what I have now) incarnations I had it sent back to Lenovo factory for repairs due to a broken USB 3.0 port (the blue tab broke off, common issue with this model). So they repaired the USB port but also reflashed/reset the BIOS and HDD as well (as usual). It's the same motherboard though as the mac address remained the same.

Output of "sudo dmidecode -s bios-version && sudo dmidecode -s bios-release-date":
96CN31WW(V1.17)
07/21/2015

[Daniel d'Andrada (dandrader)]

Ah, another thing is that after it returned from the factory one of the keys in its keyboard no longer works as well (even under Win 8)... Maybe another telltale sign?

[Daniel d'Andrada (dandrader)]

After a chat with Lenovo support I got that key working on Win 8. So now it doesn't work only in Ubuntu.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Daniel d'Andrada, could you please test the latest upstream kernel available from the very top line at the top of the page from http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/?C=N;O=D (the release names are irrelevant for testing, and please do not test the daily folder)? Install instructions are available at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Kernel/MainlineBuilds . This will allow additional upstream developers to examine the issue.

If the latest kernel did not allow you to test to the issue (ex. you couldn't boot into the OS) please make a comment in your report about this, and continue to test the next most recent kernel version until you can test to the issue. Once you've tested the upstream kernel, please comment on which kernel version specifically you tested. If this issue is fixed in the mainline kernel, please add the following tags by clicking on the yellow circle with a black pencil icon, next to the word Tags, located at the bottom of the report description:
kernel-fixed-upstream
kernel-fixed-upstream-X.Y-rcZ

Where X, Y, and Z are numbers corresponding to the kernel version.

If the mainline kernel does not fix the issue, please add the following tags:
kernel-bug-exists-upstream
kernel-bug-exists-upstream-X.Y-rcZ

Please note, an error to install the kernel does not fit the criteria of kernel-bug-exists-upstream.

Once testing of the latest upstream kernel is complete, please mark this report's Status as Confirmed. Please let us know your results.

Thank you for your understanding.

[Daniel d'Andrada (dandrader)]

Tested with kernel 4.3-rc4-unstable. Bug is still there.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Daniel d'Andrada, the issue you are reporting is an upstream one. Could you please report this problem following the instructions verbatim at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bugs/Upstream/kernel to the appropriate venue (platform-driver-x86 CC Ike Panhc)?

Please provide a direct URL to your newly made report when it becomes available so that it may be tracked.

Thank you for your understanding.

[Daniel d'Andrada (dandrader)]

http://www.spinics.net/lists/platform-driver-x86/msg07596.html