Wireless network don't work in ad-hoc mode with Atheros AR5212 since kernel 2.6.15-27-386

[Marco Carvalho]

Binary package hint: linux-image-2.6.20-16-386

The kernel 2.6.15-27-386 is the last kernel that ad-hoc mode worked with Atheros AR5212.

Check this out:

In kernel 2.6.15-27-386:

marco@purusha:~$ lspci
[...]
00:0b.0 Ethernet controller: Atheros Communications, Inc. AR5212 802.11abg NIC (rev 01)
[...]

marco@purusha:~$ iwconfig
ath0 IEEE 802.11g ESSID:"MarcoSara"
          Mode:Ad-Hoc Frequency:2.422 GHz Cell: 02:13:46:94:20:9D
          Bit Rate:0 kb/s Tx-Power:18 dBm Sensitivity=0/3
          Retry:off RTS thr:off Fragment thr:off
          Power Management:off
          Link Quality=69/94 Signal level=-26 dBm Noise level=-95 dBm
          Rx invalid nwid:13 Rx invalid crypt:0 Rx invalid frag:0
          Tx excessive retries:176 Invalid misc:176 Missed beacon:0

Just work Fine!
But in after kernels don't. I Have tested with all past kernels including the kernel 2.6.20-16-generic, no success.

Check this out in kernel 2.6.20-16-generic, but others have same results:

marco@purusha:~$ iwconfig
ath0 IEEE 802.11g ESSID:"MarcoSara" Nickname:""
          Mode:Managed Frequency:2.437 GHz Access Point: Not-Associated
          Bit Rate:0 kb/s Tx-Power:18 dBm Sensitivity=0/3
          Retry:off RTS thr:off Fragment thr:off
          Power Management:off
          Link Quality=0/94 Signal level=-96 dBm Noise level=-96 dBm
          Rx invalid nwid:0 Rx invalid crypt:0 Rx invalid frag:0
          Tx excessive retries:0 Invalid misc:0 Missed beacon:0

Only mode acepted is "Managed", see:

marco@purusha:~$ sudo iwconfig ath0 mode ad-hoc
Password:
Error for wireless request "Set Mode" (8B06) :
    SET failed on device ath0 ; Invalid argument.

root@purusha:~# iwconfig ath0 mode Master
Error for wireless request "Set Mode" (8B06) :
    SET failed on device ath0 ; Invalid argument.

root@purusha:~# iwconfig ath0 mode Repeater
Error for wireless request "Set Mode" (8B06) :
    SET failed on device ath0 ; Invalid argument.

root@purusha:~# iwconfig ath0 mode Secondary
Error for wireless request "Set Mode" (8B06) :
    SET failed on device ath0 ; Invalid argument.

root@purusha:~# iwconfig ath0 mode Monitor
Error for wireless request "Set Mode" (8B06) :
    SET failed on device ath0 ; Invalid argument.

root@purusha:~# iwconfig ath0 mode Auto
Error for wireless request "Set Mode" (8B06) :
    SET failed on device ath0 ; Invalid argument.

Including the AUTO mode is disabled. I don't Know what to do. Check my modules loaded:

root@purusha:~# lsmod
Module Size Used by
binfmt_misc 11272 1
rfcomm 37660 0
l2cap 22276 5 rfcomm
bluetooth 51300 4 rfcomm,l2cap
nfsd 214384 13
exportfs 5632 1 nfsd
lockd 63112 2 nfsd
sunrpc 155452 8 nfsd,lockd
ppdev 9220 0
speedstep_lib 5124 0
cpufreq_userspace 4116 0
cpufreq_stats 5508 0
cpufreq_powersave 1792 0
cpufreq_ondemand 7676 0
freq_table 4740 2 cpufreq_stats,cpufreq_ondemand
cpufreq_conservative 6560 0
tc1100_wmi 7172 0
pcc_acpi 12160 0
dev_acpi 11140 0
sony_acpi 5388 0
video 15492 0
sbs 14752 0
i2c_ec 4992 1 sbs
dock 9216 0
button 7696 0
battery 9860 0
container 4352 0
ac 5124 0
asus_acpi 16412 0
backlight 6016 1 asus_acpi
xt_tcpudp 3328 2
ipt_MASQUERADE 3456 1
iptable_nat 7684 1
nf_nat 17964 2 ipt_MASQUERADE,iptable_nat
nf_conntrack_ipv4 17932 2 iptable_nat
nf_conntrack 59864 4 ipt_MASQUERADE,iptable_nat,nf_nat,nf_conntrack_ipv4
nfnetlink 6680 3 nf_nat,nf_conntrack_ipv4,nf_conntrack
ip_tables 12232 1 iptable_nat
x_tables 15108 4 xt_tcpudp,ipt_MASQUERADE,iptable_nat,ip_tables
ipv6 252512 14
lp 11332 0
wlan_wep 7040 1
snd_intel8x0 32796 1
snd_ac97_codec 97184 1 snd_intel8x0
ac97_bus 2304 1 snd_ac97_codec
snd_pcm_oss 43264 0
snd_mixer_oss 16512 1 snd_pcm_oss
wlan_scan_sta 13696 1
snd_pcm 76680 3 snd_intel8x0,snd_ac97_codec,snd_pcm_oss
ath_rate_sample 13184 1
snd_seq_dummy 3844 0
snd_seq_oss 31616 0
snd_seq_midi 8576 0
snd_rawmidi 24448 1 snd_seq_midi
snd_seq_midi_event 7424 2 snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi
ath_pci 95392 0
psmouse 37640 0
snd_seq 49648 6 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi,snd_seq_midi_event
snd_timer 22276 2 snd_pcm,snd_seq
snd_seq_device 8204 5
snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq
serio_raw 6916 0
xpad 8964 0
parport_pc 34980 1
parport 35272 3 ppdev,lp,parport_pc
pcspkr 3072 0
rtc 13104 0
snd 51716 12 snd_intel8x0,snd_ac97_codec,snd_pcm_oss,snd_mixer_oss,snd_pcm,snd_seq_oss,snd_r$
soundcore 7520 1 snd
snd_page_alloc 9992 2 snd_intel8x0,snd_pcm
wlan 203076 5 wlan_wep,wlan_scan_sta,ath_rate_sample,ath_pci
ath_hal 191696 3 ath_rate_sample,ath_pci
sis_agp 8708 1
agpgart 34096 1 sis_agp
i2c_sis96x 5508 0
i2c_core 21776 2 i2c_ec,i2c_sis96x
shpchp 33300 0
pci_hotplug 31160 1 shpchp
af_packet 20872 4
tsdev 7872 0
evdev 10112 4
joydev 9920 0
usbhid 25056 0
hid 25728 1 usbhid
ext3 129288 1
jbd 53032 1 ext3
mbcache 8196 1 ext3
ide_cd 31648 0
cdrom 36512 1 ide_cd
ide_disk 16000 3
pata_sis 13324 0
ata_generic 8196 0
libata 125208 2 pata_sis,ata_generic
scsi_mod 141580 1 libata
sis5513 13832 0 [permanent]
floppy 58020 0
sis900 23296 0
mii 5632 1 sis900
generic 4228 0 [permanent]
ehci_hcd 32780 0
ohci_hcd 21252 0
usbcore 131480 5 xpad,usbhid,ehci_hcd,ohci_hcd
raid10 24704 0
raid456 123408 0
xor 15752 1 raid456
raid1 23936 0
raid0 8704 0
multipath 8832 0
linear 6400 0
md_mod 77076 7 raid10,raid456,raid1,raid0,multipath,linear
thermal 13832 0
processor 22956 1 thermal
fan 4740 0
dm_mod 57164 4
fbcon 41760 0
tileblit 2688 1 fbcon
softcursor 2304 1 bitblit
vesafb 8196 0
capability 5000 0
commoncap 7296 1 capability

This list of modules are the list in a kernel that wireless in ad-hoc mode doesn't work. But in Kernel kernel 2.6.15-27-386 that works this modules are loaded too:

wlan 203076 5 wlan_wep,wlan_scan_sta,ath_rate_sample,ath_pci
ath_hal 191696 3 ath_rate_sample,ath_pci
wlan_scan_sta 13696 1

My /etc/network/interfaces:
auto eth0
iface eth0 inet dhcp

auto ath0
iface ath0 inet static
address 192.168.0.1
netmask 255.255.255.0
wireless-essid MarcoSara
wireless-mode ad-hoc
wireless-channel 9
wireless-key AA00BB11CC

Do you know how to fix it ? Thanks!

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Beginning with the Hardy Heron 8.04 development cycle, all open Ubuntu kernel bugs need to be reported against the "linux" kernel package. We are automatically migrating this bug to the new "linux" package. However, development has already began for the upcoming Intrepid Ibex 8.10 release. It would be helpful if you could test the upcoming release and verify if this is still an issue - http://www.ubuntu.com/testing . If the issue still exists, please update this report by changing the Status of the "linux" task from "Incomplete" to "New". We appreciate your patience and understanding as we make this transition. Thanks!

[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.

[Michele Mangili (mangilimic)]

We are closing this bug report because it lacks the information we need to investigate the problem, as described in the previous comments. Please reopen it if you can give us the missing information, and don't hesitate to submit bug reports in the future. To reopen the bug report you can click on the current status, under the Status column, and change the Status back to "New". Thanks again!