Wireless causes unrecoverable system hang

[Seth]

Currently running an Acer Aspire 5250 (laptop) with a built in Atheros Ar9485 wireless device. I installed Ubuntu 11.04 and then upgraded to 11.10 using an ethernet connection. Upon removing the ethernet cable and using the default wireless drivers and network manager, the wireless device will scan and connect to a network but the entire computer will hang up, becoming entirely unresponsive shortly thereafter and must be restarted by holding down the power button. If started without an ethernet connection, before even logging in, the system will default scan for a wireless network and again becomes unresponsive. I am fairly certain the problem is rooted in the ath9k drivers but have found no other alternative. While using a hardwired network connect the laptop otherwise runs perfectly.
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AlsaVersion: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.24.
AplayDevices:
 **** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
 card 0: SB [HDA ATI SB], device 0: CONEXANT Analog [CONEXANT Analog]
   Subdevices: 1/1
   Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
ApportVersion: 1.23-0ubuntu4
Architecture: amd64
ArecordDevices:
 **** List of CAPTURE Hardware Devices ****
 card 0: SB [HDA ATI SB], device 0: CONEXANT Analog [CONEXANT Analog]
   Subdevices: 1/1
   Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: seth 1493 F.... pulseaudio
CRDA: Error: [Errno 2] No such file or directory
Card0.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:0 'SB'/'HDA ATI SB at 0xd0440000 irq 16'
   Mixer name : 'Conexant CX20588'
   Components : 'HDA:14f1506c,10250602,00100002'
   Controls : 13
   Simple ctrls : 8
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.10
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=a292b4f8-ac02-41dc-8a2d-df490c60dd9e
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" - Release amd64 (20110427.1)
Lsusb:
 Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
 Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
 Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
 Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
 Bus 002 Device 002: ID 064e:d214 Suyin Corp.
MachineType: Acer Aspire 5250
Package: linux (not installed)
ProcEnviron:
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.0.0-15-generic root=UUID=d5ffd064-c740-4b94-8d65-4652604a2e65 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.0.0-15.25-generic 3.0.13
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-3.0.0-15-generic N/A
 linux-backports-modules-3.0.0-15-generic N/A
 linux-firmware 1.60
RfKill:
 0: phy0: Wireless LAN
  Soft blocked: no
  Hard blocked: no
Tags: oneiric running-unity
Uname: Linux 3.0.0-15-generic x86_64
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to oneiric on 2012-01-15 (18 days ago)
UserGroups: adm admin cdrom dialout lpadmin plugdev sambashare
dmi.bios.date: 09/07/2011
dmi.bios.vendor: Acer
dmi.bios.version: V1.05
dmi.board.asset.tag: Base Board Asset Tag
dmi.board.name: HMA51-BZ
dmi.board.vendor: Acer
dmi.board.version: Base Board Version
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: Acer
dmi.chassis.version: V1.05
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAcer:bvrV1.05:bd09/07/2011:svnAcer:pnAspire5250:pvrV1.05:rvnAcer:rnHMA51-BZ:rvrBaseBoardVersion:cvnAcer:ct10:cvrV1.05:
dmi.product.name: Aspire 5250
dmi.product.version: V1.05
dmi.sys.vendor: Acer

[Brad Figg (brad-figg)]

This bug is missing log files that will aid in diagnosing the problem. From a terminal window please run:

apport-collect 924087

and then change the status of the bug to 'Confirmed'.

If, due to the nature of the issue you have encountered, you are unable to run this command, please add a comment stating that fact and change the bug status to 'Confirmed'.

This change has been made by an automated script, maintained by the Ubuntu Kernel Team.

[Seth (sethrallen)]

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[Seth (sethrallen)]

ok i ran the command and changed the status to confirmed.

[Seth (sethrallen)]

anything? do i need to run any more commands, provide more information? or has this bug fallen off the radar?

[Seth (sethrallen)]

*SOLVED* I rolled back to 10.10 and installed compat-wireless 2.6-35(?) with ath5k and ath9k. I had heard (and later confirmed) that linuxwireless.org was working on a a new release of ath9k that addresses the issue with this card model

http://linuxwireless.org/en/users/Drivers/ath9k/todo#AR9485_support

As of 2/26/2012 they had not fixed it yet. Nonetheless my problem is solved.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Seth, this bug report is being closed due to your last comment regarding this being fixed. For future reference you can manage the status of your own bugs by clicking on the current status in the yellow line and then choosing a new status in the revealed drop down box. You can learn more about bug statuses at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bugs/Status. Thank you again for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. Please submit any future bugs you may find.

[nardis_Miles1 (edwardsa)]

I have to ask why this is considered solved. 10.10 will be orphaned in a few weeks. Are you saying that this problem is solved in 12.04?

[Seth (sethrallen)]

I have no idea why it is listed as solved. Some admin came by and changed the status a while back. This problem is by no means 100% solved. If you look at the question i posted about this before the bug report I just recently elaborated more.
Link to the question: https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-nettool/+question/185159

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Seth, could you please capture the oops following https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelTeam/KernelTeamBugPolicies#Capturing_OOPs ? As well, please be sure to confirm this issue exists with the latest development release of Ubuntu. ISO CD images are available from http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/daily/current/ . If the issue remains, please run the following command from a Terminal (Applications->Accessories->Terminal). It will automatically gather and attach updated debug information to this report.

apport-collect -p linux <replace-with-bug-number>

Also, if you could test the latest upstream kernel available that would be great. It will allow additional upstream developers to examine the issue. Refer to https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelMainlineBuilds . Once you've tested the upstream kernel, please remove the 'needs-upstream-testing' tag. This can be done by clicking on the yellow pencil icon next to the tag located at the bottom of the bug description and deleting the 'needs-upstream-testing' text. Please let us know your results.

Thanks in advance.

[Seth (sethrallen)]

I originally installed 11.04, then switched to 11.10, and even tried a development release of 12.04 and had this problem on all of those versions of Ubuntu. I previously ran the apport command (the information collected is posted above) I'm not sure if I have tried downloading the latest upstream kernel. Unfortunately my ubuntu partion was somehow accidentally deleted by a guest using my computer.

[Jonathan Byrne (jonathan-yamame)]

I can confirm this bug exists in 12.04 release Live CD (both 32-bit and 64-bit). I picked up an Acer Aspire One 722-828 as one of the two shortlisted machines for my daughter. Booting from the Live CD works great until I enable wireless, then it hangs and has to be shut down with the power button.

Also, it only sees my wireless-G network, not my N network. Suboptimal, since I'm trying really hard to phase out my G network. I'm going to order the other machine, an HP DMZ1, and see how that goes. The Acer is going back in the box and probably back to Costco.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Jonathan Byrne, if you are having a problem in Ubuntu, please execute the following via the Terminal and feel free to subscribe me to it:
ubuntu-bug linux

Thanks!

[Jiri Grönroos (jiri-gronroos)]

Still happens on linux-image-generic (= 3.2.0.24.26) on Acer 5250.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Jiri Grönroos, if you are having a problem in Ubuntu, please execute the following via the Terminal and feel free to subscribe me to it:
ubuntu-bug linux

Thanks!

[Jiri Grönroos (jiri-gronroos)]

Christopher M. Penalver, I'd like to help with this issue. However, I'm unable to help because the computer locks up instantly after lightdm-greeter loads. I'm unable to login using lightdm or VTs, computer just locks with the latest kernel from -proposed. WLAN chip can't be disabled from BIOS and pressing FN+F3 (toggle wlan status) instantly after lightdm-greeter loaded didn't disable WLAN.

The computer was fine when I installed 12.04 LTS on it at home. Wlan worked well with 2.437 GHz/DHCP/WPA2-PSK [AES]. Then I travelled and the lock-ups started immediately after trying to connect to different WLANs.

I believe this issue originates to ath9k and its failure to handle different channels/frequencies and network setups. I'm not able to help with this issue anymore since I gave that Acer Aspire 5250-E302G25Mikk laptop away. To me 12.04 LTS seems to be completly broken on that laptop and its "Acer Nplify 802.11b/g/n" WLAN chip. Blame ath9k and Acer for picking those bad components into their laptops.

[Jiri Grönroos (jiri-gronroos)]

Comment #2 in bug 951709 might have a workaround. Since I don't have Atheros AR9485 chip anymore, I can't test if it works.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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