Kernel's module "option" doesn't support Alcatel X060 GSM modem

[Orestes Mas]

I've an Alcatel X060 3G usb modem which doesn't work with ubuntu Jaunty nor karmic.

The problem is

a) This device needs a "mode switching" after connection, to activate the modem device. Before switching this device has an idVendor="0x1BBB" and idProduct="0xF000", so internally it's identical to an Alcatel X200.

b) After that, Networkmanager, doesn't recognise the modem. After further investigations it turns out that, after mode switching this device has an idVendor="0x1BBB" and idProduct="0x0000", but no kernel module (mainly "option" module) is handling these id's.

I've recompiled a stock 2.6.30.1 kernel, with these idVendor & idProduct added into /usr/src/linux-2.6.30.1/drivers/usb/serial/option.c, and since then my modem is recognised and works well with NetworkManager.

So, please, can you include this modification in your future kernels? Also I'd appreciate that you report this problem upstream. I'm not very used to deal with kernel developers ;-)

[Leann Ogasawara (leannogasawara)]

Hi Orestes Mas,

This bug was reported against the linux-meta package when it likely should have been reported against the linux package instead. I'm transitioning this to the linux kernel package so that the appropriate teams are notified and made aware of this issue. Thanks.

[Javier Martín (jmartinj)]

I have compiled a kernel with support for the X060 in the option.c driver. You can install it from my PPA. I would submit the patch if I knew how and where. Anyway, the PPA is:

http://launchpad.net/~jmartinj/+archive/javi

Also in that PPA is a version of network manager that fixes a problem by which the device will appear twice in NM (bug #392869).

[Leann Ogasawara (leannogasawara)]

Hi Javier,

Thanks for writing the patch and pushing a test kernel to your PPA, it's very much appreciated. The following wiki will help you with knowing where and how to submit the patch. https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelTeam/KernelPatches . Please let us know if you have any questions. We probably want testing feedback from Orestes first before submitting.

@Orestes, could you please test Javier's kernel and let us know your results? Thanks.

[Orestes Mas (orestes)]

@Leann: Unfortunately, I'm not able to test it soon because I lent it to a friend who's now on holidays. But I compiled a kernel for him as indicated above, and the modem worked for him, so with two positive reports I consider the X060 support safe and working.

This friend has an Asus eeePC, and I have tested it with a regular notebook, so at least support works for the Intel Core 2 and Intel Atom platforms.

I'll test Javier's kernel ASAP.

[Javier Martín (jmartinj)]

@Leann: I already proposed the patch upstream a few weeks ago but so far it looks to me like it's been silently rejected. I'll peruse the wiki above and try again.

[Javier Martín (jmartinj)]

The patch has made it upstream!

http://git.kernel.org/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git;a=commit;h=48c348cc939aaa3a07d4938669f2f315152e895e

[^_Pepe_^ (jose-angel-fernandez-freire)]

So? (sorry, but I have no kernel skills enough)

Can we expect native support in next kernel versions?

Thanks
^_Pepe_^
(Alcatel X060 user)

[Orestes Mas (orestes)]

In fact, module "option" is able to support this modem right now, but it doesn't know so, because the modem ID isn't bundled into the module.

The patch simply tells the kernel to use the "option" module to handle the Alcatel X060.

So yes, expect this modem to be automatically recognised and handled by the kernel (with some aid of NetworkManager) in kernel future releases (2.6.31?)

[Leann Ogasawara (leannogasawara)]

Javier, thanks for getting this patch upstream!

It's since made it's way into the Karmic kernel since we recently rebased with upstream. As a result I'm marking this bug Fix Released against Karmic. Thanks!

ogasawara@yoji:~/ubuntu-karmic$ git log -p 48c348cc939aaa3a07d4938669f2f315152e895e
commit 48c348cc939aaa3a07d4938669f2f315152e895e
Author: Javier Martin <email address hidden>
Date: Thu Jul 23 04:03:43 2009 +0200

    USB: option.c to support Alcatel X060S/X200 broadband modems

    Added support for the Alcatel X060S/X200 broadband modems to the option
    driver. The device starts in cd-rom emulation mode (1bbb:f000) and
    requires the use of the usb_modeswitch tool to switch it to modem mode
    (1bbb:0000).

    Signed-off-by: Javier Martin <email address hidden>
    Signed-off-by: Greg Kroah-Hartman <email address hidden>