Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200 (iwlwifi) unstable with linux-firmware 1.199

[Frode Nordahl]

After upgrading from linux-firmware 1.198 to 1.199 my connectivity became unstable and I could see repeating hardware resets in `dmesg` output.

Downgrading to linux-firmware 1.198 again resolved the issue.

Note: this bug was filed after downgrading the package, but hopefully apport would have caught the kernel logs from previous boot as well.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 21.10
Package: linux-firmware 1.199
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.11.0-16.17-generic 5.11.12
Uname: Linux 5.11.0-16-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: zfs zunicode zavl icp zcommon znvpair nvidia_modeset nvidia
ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu67
Architecture: amd64
CasperMD5CheckResult: unknown
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
Date: Fri Jul 23 15:25:46 2021
Dependencies:

InstallationDate: Installed on 2021-01-18 (185 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 21.04 "Hirsute Hippo" - Alpha amd64 (20201230)
MachineType: ASUS System Product Name
PackageArchitecture: all
ProcFB: 0 EFI VGA
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/vmlinuz-5.11.0-16-generic root=/dev/mapper/vgubuntu-root ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-5.11.0-16-generic N/A
 linux-backports-modules-5.11.0-16-generic N/A
 linux-firmware 1.198
SourcePackage: linux-firmware
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 01/15/2021
dmi.bios.release: 14.2
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: 1402
dmi.board.asset.tag: Default string
dmi.board.name: ROG ZENITH II EXTREME ALPHA
dmi.board.vendor: ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC.
dmi.board.version: Rev 1.xx
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: Default string
dmi.chassis.type: 3
dmi.chassis.vendor: Default string
dmi.chassis.version: Default string
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvr1402:bd01/15/2021:br14.2:svnASUS:pnSystemProductName:pvrSystemVersion:rvnASUSTeKCOMPUTERINC.:rnROGZENITHIIEXTREMEALPHA:rvrRev1.xx:cvnDefaultstring:ct3:cvrDefaultstring:
dmi.product.family: To be filled by O.E.M.
dmi.product.name: System Product Name
dmi.product.sku: SKU
dmi.product.version: System Version
dmi.sys.vendor: ASUS

[Frode Nordahl (fnordahl)]

Attaching the kern.log from previous boot which shows the issues.

[Frode Nordahl (fnordahl)]

Apparently the kern.log just shows boot, adding syslog excerpt with the kernel messages

[Alex Tu (alextu)]

Just take a quick look on this issue.

from #2,
Jul 17 07:05:54 frode-threadripper kernel: [ 8.847048] iwlwifi 0000:48:00.0: loaded firmware version 59.601f3a66.0 cc-a0-59.ucode op_mode iwlmvm

from #1 dmesg,
[ 8.920438] iwlwifi 0000:48:00.0: loaded firmware version 59.601f3a66.0 cc-a0-59.ucode op_mode iwlmvm

Looks both boot time (pass and failed) are using the same version of iwlwifi firmware.

Compare to linux-firmware 1.199 and 1.198:
https://git.launchpad.net/~ubuntu-kernel/ubuntu/+source/linux-firmware/commit/?h=impish&id=19185cb1aeb67563dd18f00963f388ceaaa29fcd

looks the only firmware change related to iwlwifi is this one:
+ - iwlwifi: add ty firmware from Core63-43

But there is a bluetooth firmware change for Intel AX200 which not sure will it impact the wifi module on the same chip(after all, the firmware is blackbox binary from IHV):
+ - linux-firmware: Update firmware file for Intel Bluetooth AX200

Could you please add one of the 2 firmware manually to check if the issue can be reproduced?

[Alex Tu (alextu)]

btw, pick up the different firmware binary related to iwlwifi here.

$ git diff Ubuntu-1.199 Ubuntu-1.198
https://paste.ubuntu.com/p/t3bpy68MMp/

```
Binary files a/iwlwifi-ty-a0-gf-a0.pnvm and b/iwlwifi-ty-a0-gf-a0.pnvm differ

# and a lot of files in intel/ibt differ

```

[Frode Nordahl (fnordahl)]

Circling back to this, I did make an attempt with linux-firmware 1.198 as base and then copying in just the firmwares that appeared relevant to the hardware in question from 1.199. However I was no longer able to reproduce the issue.

Now I have installed the 1.199 package again and I have had no issues after one full day of use.

I wonder if this only occurred on the first boot with the new firmware, or if some other external activity caused the issue?

I'm going to mark this as incomplete for now as I can no longer reproduce, feel free to downgrade to Invalid if you deem that appropriate.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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