The new IWL driver for Linux does not support some encryptions

[Luke12]

Using Ubuntu Hardy Beta, AMD64, constantly updated.
Since I switched to Hardy beta, I have no more been able to connect to my campus wireless network. Connection specifics:

Type: WPA2 Enterprise
Security: Peap
Encryption: Dynamic WEP
Second Phase: MSCHAPV2
Required: Login, Password, CA certificate

As NetworkManager was fully capable of connecting to this network in Gutsy, and it seems it has not changed that much in Hardy, I guess the problem lies in the underlying driver (which is far from perfect, considering that for example the led is still not supported).
I know that this issue is not something easily fixed by Ubuntu developers and that I probably should report it to people who actually are working on this, but I have no idea of where or how to report this issue.

This is obviously a break-or-make issue for me. Considering that my city (Verona, Italy) has one of the biggest LUGs of the country, and that the University chose Ubuntu LTS as default system on their desktop machines, it would quite a bad thing if by this LTS this would still be an issue! :-) So please spread the voice to people who matter.

[Leann Ogasawara (leannogasawara)]

Hi Luke12,

An updated version of iwlwifi (version 1.2.25) was recently pulled into linux-backports-modules-2.6.24-14.11: https://edge.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux-backports-modules-2.6.24 . Care to try installing the linux-backports-modules package with the updated iwlwifi version to see if this helps resolve the issue you are seeing? Please let us know your results. Thanks.

[Luke12 (luca-venturini)]

No problem at all! I am installing it right now and I'll give it a try
tomorrow morning. ASAP I'll post my results - thanks for the tip in any
case!

Leann Ogasawara ha scritto:
> Hi Luke12,
>
> An updated version of iwlwifi (version 1.2.25) was recently pulled into
> linux-backports-modules-2.6.24-14.11:
> https://edge.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux-backports-modules-2.6.24
> . Care to try installing the linux-backports-modules package with the
> updated iwlwifi version to see if this helps resolve the issue you are
> seeing? Please let us know your results. Thanks.
>
> ** Changed in: linux (Ubuntu)
> Status: New => Incomplete
>

[Luke12 (luca-venturini)]

No luck, sadly. At least, however, now I have LED support. By the way, how come this patched module is in the backports package instead of the main one?

[Luke12 (luca-venturini)]

According to Reinette Chatre, the bug is in the mac80211 module, not in the iwlwifi driver:

http://www.intellinuxwireless.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=1507

[Leann Ogasawara (leannogasawara)]

Hi Luke,

Sorry for the delayed response. I don't suppose you have a link to the patch they're referencing in the upstream bug report? Thanks.

[Luke12 (luca-venturini)]

Hi Leann,
 no problem at all. The patch will be released, when ready, at

http://linuxwireless.sipsolutions.net/download/compat-wireless-2.6/compat-wireless-2.6.tar.bz2

which is updated daily. However, to the best of my knowledge, they are
still working on it. I tried the modules in this package two days ago,
and I was not even able to load the compiled modules - which makes me
think they are working on this, heavily, or so I hope.

Glad to be helpful, and I hope you guys will get this fixed soon :-)

Leann Ogasawara ha scritto:
> Hi Luke,
>
> Sorry for the delayed response. I don't suppose you have a link to the
> patch they're referencing in the upstream bug report? Thanks.
>
> ** Also affects: linux via
> http://www.intellinuxwireless.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=1507
> Importance: Unknown
> Status: Unknown
>
> ** Changed in: linux (Ubuntu)
> Importance: Undecided => Medium
> Assignee: (unassigned) => Ubuntu Kernel Team (ubuntu-kernel-team)
> Status: Incomplete => Triaged
>

[Luke12 (luca-venturini)]

It seems that the problem has been fixed upstream. By monday I will try this out using both a live cd (Intrepid) and the compat-wireless drivers (Hardy). Let us hope Linux has got rid of this bug :-)

[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.

[Luke12 (luca-venturini)]

Dear Ogasawara,
                            I am doing that right now. I have no chance
to really test the wireless bug until next week (when I will be back on
campus) but I can surely point to any other problems coming my way.
Luckily this will be not the first time I install (and eventually
regress) an up-to-date kernel.
Wish me luck, Nvidia might put up a serious fight here :-)

Il giorno gio, 28/08/2008 alle 18.00 +0000, Leann Ogasawara ha scritto:

> 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.
>
> ** Tags added: cft-2.6.27
>

[Luke12 (luca-venturini)]

Well, what can I say, it was a complete disaster. First of all, the kernel stopped cold while booting after installation, at the "Loading hardware drivers" step. I deduced, correctly, that this happened because xserver-xorg packages where not up-to-date and configured to work with this kernel ... so I installed them ... only to incur into bug 259004. Not only that, I cannot seem to be able to connect via cable now, I must have upgraded a package too many.

All in all, disaster stroke my box ... guess I could have to reinstall everything ... what's worst, I was not able to determine whether the iwl drivers functioned or not. Sorry about this :-(

Guess I will try to patch my box, otherwise I will format/reinstall (yuppidoo). And I'll wait for Alpha 5 before any more testing ...

[Luke12 (luca-venturini)]

Update: using Compat Wireless drivers (latest updated 6th of August) does not fix the problem. Indeed, they actually crash keyboard using after resume from suspend. I will try with Alpha 5 live cd next week.

[Luke12 (luca-venturini)]

Ok, I tried the alpha with the new kernel today. The bug is NOT fixed: while I can connect using the ipw driver in hardy, the same settings in the alpha do not allow for the connection to be established.

If there is some particular testing I can do to spread some light on the matter, please do ask, I have the alpha 5 cd with me and I will be more than happy to help.

[Luke12 (luca-venturini)]

Even worse news: I tried the most up-to-date compat wireless drivers
(old version for kernels <2.6.27, 07 september) and with those drivers
connection still did not function. Bug not fixed upstream I fear. :-( I
am notifying the intel developers right now.

[Luke12 (luca-venturini)]

Ok, a bunch of news for this bug. Namely, it does support the encryption of my campus network, but there seems to be some incompatibility issues among the driver, Network Manager, and the dhcp client used by Ubuntu (dhclient). I am able to connect shutting down NetworkManager, killing dhclient and wpasupplicant, then connecting using wpa_supplicant from cli and finally restarting the dhcpclient.

Hope someone sorts this out - but the driver is functioning now (albeit the compat-wireless version has no led support :-) ).

Back to ipw3945 for now, but I really do hope you can make iwl3945 shine for the end of October :-)

[Luke12 (luca-venturini)]

I confirm the UI bug with both compat-wireless and network-manager 0.7 up-to-date. Should this bug (regarding the driver) be closed and a new one (regarding network-manager) be opened?

[Luke12 (luca-venturini)]

Confirmed in alpha 6 using a live cd today. Opening a new bug.

[Luke12 (luca-venturini)]

And *drums roll* it is finally over! I am happily writing this comment using a Beta CD, connected to the campus wireless network. Kudos and thanks to everyone who helped solve this heinous bug!

[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.