[hardy] rtl8187 doesn't load on 2.6.24 along with mac80211 and iwlwifi drivers

[ath]

I'm running an AMD64 Hardy daily livecd and after plugging in my trusty Realtek 8187 USB wireless interface (which worked perfectly under Gutsy) the kernel refuses to load the rtl8187 driver.

dmesg shows:
[ 745.940633] usb 7-4: new high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 5
[ 745.972752] usb 7-4: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice
[ 747.792974] rtl8187: Unknown symbol ieee80211_free_hw
[ 747.793028] rtl8187: Unknown symbol ieee80211_alloc_hw
[ 747.793057] rtl8187: Unknown symbol ieee80211_register_hw
[ 747.793119] rtl8187: Unknown symbol ieee80211_tx_status_irqsafe
[ 747.793361] rtl8187: Unknown symbol ieee80211_unregister_hw
[ 747.793429] rtl8187: Unknown symbol ieee80211_register_hwmode
[ 747.793461] rtl8187: Unknown symbol ieee80211_rx_irqsafe
[ 747.793503] rtl8187: Unknown symbol ieee80211_rts_duration

Trying to load every "ieee80211*" module didn't help...

[ath (alberto-botti)]

If I remember correctly, it used to work with 2.6.24-5.

[Leann Ogasawara (leannogasawara)]

Care to retest with the latest 2.6.24-10 kernel? If the issue still exists, per the kernel team's bug policy, can you please attach the following information. Please be sure to attach each file as a separate attachment.

* uname -a > uname-a.log
* cat /proc/version_signature > version.log
* dmesg > dmesg.log
* sudo lspci -vvnn > lspci-vvnn.log

For more information regarding the kernel team bug policy, please refer to https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelTeamBugPolicies . Thanks again and we appreciate your help and feedback.

[ath (alberto-botti)]

Looks like it works now with 2.6.24-10-generic, and it fixed a similar issue I was experiencing with the rt2500usb driver.
Thanks to you and all the kernel team for your help.

[Leann Ogasawara (leannogasawara)]

Hi ath,

Thanks for testing and the update. I'm glad to hear things are working now. I'll go ahead and close this report. Please continue to report any future bugs that you may find. Thanks!

[ath (alberto-botti)]

The bug is still here with 2.6.24-10-generic, it only manifests itself if the iwl4965 (or iwl3945, I guess) is already loaded (they are shipped in the linux-ubuntu-modules package). If they aren't, everything works as it should.

It looks like some symbol contained in the iwlwifi_mac80211 module clashes with those defined in the mac80211 module shipped with linux-image-linux-image-2.6.24-10-generic.

Attaching as requested (note that the dmesg dump is huge because of #190475)

[ath (alberto-botti)]

The bug is still present in the Hardy beta (kernel 2.6.24-12.22), is there any chance to fix it in time for the final Hardy release?

[aldebx (aldebx)]

I can confirm the bug is still present

uname -a > 2.6.24-12-generic #1 SMP Wed Mar 12 23:01:54 UTC 2008 i686 GNU/Linux

cat /proc/version_signature > Ubuntu 2.6.24-12.22-generic

dmsg >
usb 7-2: new high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 6
usb 7-2: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice
ieee80211_init: failed to initialize WME (err=-17)
rtl8187: Unknown symbol ieee80211_free_hw
rtl8187: Unknown symbol ieee80211_alloc_hw
rtl8187: Unknown symbol ieee80211_register_hw
rtl8187: Unknown symbol ieee80211_tx_status_irqsafe
rtl8187: Unknown symbol ieee80211_unregister_hw
rtl8187: Unknown symbol ieee80211_register_hwmode
rtl8187: Unknown symbol ieee80211_rx_irqsafe
rtl8187: Unknown symbol ieee80211_rts_duration

[da1l6 (da1l6)]

Still present in 2.6.24-16 (using hardy amd64), please fix before release!

$ uname -a
Linux kiba 2.6.24-16-generic #1 SMP Thu Apr 10 12:47:45 UTC 2008 x86_64 GNU/Linux

$ cat /proc/version_signature
Ubuntu 2.6.24-16.30-generic

$ dmesg > attachment

[ath (alberto-botti)]

Too late, Hardy is now well into kernel freeze...

[CrazySnowdog (crazysnowdog)]

Also having this problem, Its a shame as this NEEDS to be fixed, please please please, bug fixing gods, let us know you are at least thinking of us with a Realtek 8187 Wireless connection.

[ath (alberto-botti)]

The bug should only appear on a system with a recent Intel wireless card installed (Intel 3945 or 4965), so users with a Realtek 8187 as their only card shouldn't be affected.

As a workaround, you can try these commands:

sudo rmmod $(lsmod | cut -f 1 -d ' ' | grep iwl)
sudo modprobe rtl8187

they will unload the Intel wireless driver (and its uncompatible mac80211 stack) and load the driver for your Realtek card, which should work fine.

[aldebx (aldebx)]

Please...
I understand Hardy is frozen, however a fixed version of either rtl8187 or mac80211 why could it be pushed into the backports section?

[CrazySnowdog (crazysnowdog)]

alex@alex-laptop:~$ sudo rmmod $(lsmod | cut -f 1 -d ' ' | grep iwl)
[sudo] password for alex:
no module names given
Usage: rmmod [-fhswvV] modulename ...
 -f (or --force) forces a module unload, and may crash your
    machine. This requires the Forced Module Removal option
    when the kernel was compiled.
 -h (or --help) prints this help text
 -s (or --syslog) says use syslog, not stderr
 -v (or --verbose) enables more messages
 -V (or --version) prints the version code
 -w (or --wait) begins a module removal even if it is used
    and will stop new users from accessing the module (so it
    should eventually fall to zero).

I get this when typing the command : sudo rmmod $(lsmod | cut -f 1 -d ' ' | grep iwl)

Please explain? I currently have wireless working,sometimes, longer than 2 or 3 minuets a go! i dont know how, but the problem is that its going veryyyyy slow, about a quarter of what it should, and still stops recieving data after a while. Do you have any more ideas ATH? Thanks again for all your assistance.

[ath (alberto-botti)]

Alexbellisbrown: that's a different bug, then. This is about not being able to load the rtl8187 driver, but if you get a connection at all, it's certainly loaded.

I haven't tested my Realtek 8187 much lately, but seems to work pretty reliably once the driver is loaded.

[aldebx (aldebx)]

This is definitely OT, however you can simply see what intel driver you have by issuing
lsmod |grep iwl
and then remove the listed module via rmmod (or modprobe -r) this way
sudo modprobe -r iwlNNNN
or
sudo rmmod iwlNNNN
then
sudo modprobe rtl8187

BTW any chances to fix this bug in the backports???

[OliFre (freyermuth)]

Just filed an own bug only to realize this one reflects the same problem. Now marked as duplicate.
If there is no chance to fix it, you might try the driver based on the older stack ieee80211. Compiled fine here and works, however, I do not see this as satisfying solution.

[Leann Ogasawara (leannogasawara)]

The Ubuntu Kernel Team is planning to move to the 2.6.27 kernel for the upcoming Intrepid Ibex 8.10 release. As a result, the kernel team would appreciate it if you could please test this newer 2.6.27 Ubuntu kernel. There are one of two ways you should be able to test:

1) If you are comfortable installing packages on your own, the linux-image-2.6.27-* package is currently available for you to install and test.

--or--

2) The upcoming Alpha5 for Intrepid Ibex 8.10 will contain this newer 2.6.27 Ubuntu kernel. Alpha5 is set to be released Thursday Sept 4. Please watch http://www.ubuntu.com/testing for Alpha5 to be announced. You should then be able to test via a LiveCD.

Please let us know immediately if this newer 2.6.27 kernel resolves the bug reported here or if the issue remains. More importantly, please open a new bug report for each new bug/regression introduced by the 2.6.27 kernel and tag the bug report with 'linux-2.6.27'. Also, please specifically note if the issue does or does not appear in the 2.6.26 kernel. Thanks again, we really appreicate your help and feedback.

[mrbrdo (mrbrdo-gmail)]

2.6.24-21: experiencing this problem
2.6.27-7: works correctly (no more problem)
I guess you can close this, but it's still not working in fully updated 8.04.

[pelm (pelle-ekh)]

In today update on my hardy laptop with 2.6.24-21.42 (using 2.6.24-21-generic) the wireless network stopped working. With 2.6.24-19-generic it has always worked. The driver is rtl8187. It's a regression in the current kernel. Something must be done.

[CrazySnowdog (crazysnowdog)]

Same as above. The wifi has just totally disappeared. Im using a USB wifi card now. This was caused in todays update! Im also noticeing problems in my trackpad, ill try and sort that now. :)

[CrazySnowdog (crazysnowdog)]

Defo a problem with the kernel, ive just booted into 2.6.24.19 and all is back working (more or less) The wifi is also back, but with its normal problems. Why has it dissapeared completely in 2.6.24.21?

[pelm (pelle-ekh)]

Yes, after booting up with kernel 2.6.24-19-generic it is working again, like 'CrazySnowdog' says. It is surely a kernel regression. After trying to connect to the wireless network, network-manager is leaving me to insert the passkey again, but it can't connect. All this with kernel 2.6.24-21-generic.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Per a decision made by the Ubuntu Kernel Team, bugs will longer be assigned to the ubuntu-kernel-team in Launchpad as part of the bug triage process. The ubuntu-kernel-team is being unassigned from this bug report. Refer to https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelTeamBugPolicies for more information. Thanks.