[fixed in alpha6] hardy install alpha5 loops: broadcom: no firmware file

[johnwren]

Binary package hint: wireless-tools

Hardy alpha 4 running off verified hardy-desktop-i386 image
On Dell Latitude D531 laptop
infinite loop during installation
Laptop has broadcom BCM94311MCG wlan mini-PCI and netXtreme BCM5755M gigabit ethernet
Connected on ethernet (RJ45 port) via DHCP, no wireless in range
Initial error report:
32.209565 PCI: Cannot allocate resource region 5 of device 0000:00:12.0
Then infinite loop, repeated messages:
[157.817529] b43-phy0 ERROR: Firmware file "b43/ucode5.fw" not found or load failed.
[159.573837] go to http://linuxwireless.org/en/users/Drivers/b43#devicefirmware and download the correct firmware (version4).
eventualy: [1002.585609] evdev: no more fee evdev devices

number in [ ] increments for as long as you wait
Status: critical or major blocker?

[Growlor (da-computa-guy)]

I am getting the same error loop (same 2 messages repeating) he mentioned above with the Alpha 4 AM64 desktop CD (I checked the MD5 sum and ran the CD verification successfully before posting.) The initial error may be the same too, but I only wrote down the other 2 messages when I was taking notes (that's the bad part about boot-up errors: I had to actually write something down instead of copying and pasting, so you sometimes miss things.)
PC model is: Acer Extensa 5420-5687
My wireless hardware is:
Wireless brand and model: 05:00.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM94311MCG wlan mini-PCI (rev 01)
Wireless chipset: 05:00.0 0280: 14e4:4311 (rev 01)

Hope this helps,
Growlor

[Jesse Book Jr (jesse-book)]

Got the same error using a Gateway MX6448 laptop. All worked flawless in 7.10. No love in Alpha 4. Also tried to manually download files that error references, and manually run bcm43xx-fwcutter on both broadcom-wl-4.80.17.0 and broadcom-wl-4.80.53.0 versions. still no love.
[ 463.509705] input: b43-phy0 as /devices/virtual/input/input23
[ 463.558627] b43-phy0 ERROR: Firmware file "b43/ucode5.fw" not found or load failed.
[ 463.558635] b43-phy0 ERROR: You must go to http://linuxwireless.org/en/users/Drivers/b43#devicefirmware and download the correct firmware (version 4).

from lspci
05:00.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM94311MCG wlan mini-PCI (rev 01)

Jesse

[Tomislav Marčinković (tmarcink)]

Hello!

I got the same error, I'm using a HP NX6110 laptop with Broadcom Corporation BCM4306 wireless card. Everything worked great in 7.10 but in hardy alpha 4 stoped. I downloaded files that error references, and manually run bcm43xx-fwcutter on wl_apsta-3.130.20.0.o, but that didn't help, i get this error looping.

[ 949.312699] input: b43-phy0 as /devices/virtual/input/input25
[ 474.362628] b43-phy0 ERROR: Firmware file "b43/ucode5.fw" not found or load failed.
[ 474.362636] b43-phy0 ERROR: You must go to http://linuxwireless.org/en/users/Drivers/b43#devicefirmware and download the correct firmware (version 4).

from lspci
02:04.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4306 802.11b/g Wireless LAN Controller (rev 03)

[crasher5 (anchakarov)]

Confirmation on HP Pavilion dv5222nr. I would love to just rip out that wireless during the installation!

[crasher5 (anchakarov)]

What actually worked for me was... I installed 7.10, enabled the restricted driver for the wireless and then i updated to Hardy through the terminal: update-manager -d
A lame workaround, but at least worked for me!

[snowdream (yanghui)]

i have the same error using a ACER Travelmate4520 laptop.
anybody know how to do next?

[Aleksey1977 (aleksey1977)]

I have tried Hardy Alpha4 and Alpha5 on my laptop (Averatec 3255), same error.

[johnwren (johnwren)]

I can confirm this still happens with hardy alpha five. I've also created a new (and parallel) bug report [filed under alpha 5] here: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ubiquity/+bug/194661

[Brian Murray (brian-murray)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. It isn't clear to me when all of you experience this bug. Is it when booting the Live CD or are you able to get to the desktop environment and then you encounter this? Thanks in advance.

[Colin Watson (cjwatson)]

I am similarly confused. I have a b43 system and this doesn't seem to prevent the installer from starting (although I haven't tried a full installation run on this system recently).

[johnwren (johnwren)]

Brian,
The problem with alpha 4 (and 5) was that the live install CD never really comes up. It starts just fine, and runs on my Dell D531 laptop (2GB mem, dual AMD processors) for about 2-3 minutes, then starts looping with the error. I have waited up to 15 minutes for it to complete the start-up, but it never gets there. If there is any information that I can provide please let me know. I am an average linux user, but have some programming background. My apologies for filing the duplicate bug. I am learning how to use launchpad, and this is the first alpha testing program I have participated in.
Thanks
john

[ACHendershot (achendershot)]

Same thing happened to me on ubuntu 8.04 alpha 5. Dell XPS laptop with Wireless 1350 WLAN MiniPCI Card
I was running alpha 5 just fine. (wireless didnt' work for some reason showed some networks wouldn't connect to mine WPA Personal PSK)
I ran updates (wired update) and then now it won't boot. it stops at white screen like it tries to load desktop, then when i hit the power button it gave me that error while it was shutting down.
So now it won't boot after running today's updates. 27 feb

[Colin Watson (cjwatson)]

From the sound of things it isn't even really getting as far as the installer. I think this is probably a kernel bug, although it could also be a problem with desktop initialisation depending on exactly when it hangs.

Shame I can't seem to reproduce this myself ...

[johnwren (johnwren)]

More information. The missing b43 may be a red herring. I started a gutsy i386 install on the system and paid careful attention to the timing. The ubuntu 'splash' screen with the orange rectangle moving back and forth starts in about 30 seconds, the status bar (showing progress of the ubuntu startup) at about 80 seconds, and the system is fully up in about 240 seconds (running off the CD). The interesting thing is that gutsy reports the same error about the missing broadcom file (see copy of dmesg attached), but comes up just fine.

Timing with either of the first two hardy options (try ubuntu or install ubuntu) is roughly the same:
0 seconds loading linux kernel
20 seconds 'splash' screen shows ubuntu and the orange rectangle moving back and forth.
120 seconds screen show progress bar growing from the left
150 seconds screen goes blank
160 seconds messages start to appear 'running load init scripts' (there were more, but I can't write fast enough)
170 seconds message re missing b43 file as above
180 seconds login appears (I didn't notice this before -- also I can CTL-ALT F2 etc to bring up a login
190 seconds until forever -- message re b43 repeats

Perhaps the real problem is something with xorg.conf? The system responds to a CTL-ALT-DEL and displays 'stopping GNOME display manager'

As I can log in and look at files, is there a way to manually mount a usb thumb-drive, and or to establish a net connection to any of my other screens (hard-wired on a local network) to copy some debugging files? Right now I can look at files, but can't copy them off the machine

I hope this helps
John

[johnwren (johnwren)]

The second last paragraph above should be changed to read 'is there a way to manually mount a usb thumb-drive and/or to establish a net connection to any of my other systems...' I have a small home network of four computers, all of which can dual boot windoze and either ubuntu (gutsy) or suse 10.2

[Brian Murray (brian-murray)]

johnwren - I gather that an i386 image works fine but an amd64 image fails to boot - is that correct? It would also be helpful if you could add the full output of 'lspci -vvnn' as an attachment to your bug report. It doesn't matter whether you do this from Gutsy or Hardy. Thanks in advance.

[johnwren (johnwren)]

I have not tried an i86_64 version of hardy. All of the testing I have done is with the i386 image. Here is the output of the 'lspci -vvnn' done under the gutsy i386 install disk. So the i386 image does not install, and I have no information about the amd64. (The amd64 gutsy works fine on this laptop, as does the i386.) If it will help, I will download a 64 bit version of hardy and try that as well.

[Stroud Custer (stroudcuster-3)]

I have a similar problem on a Compaq R400. I'm running the 32 bit kernel (because I need 32 bit Java). Everything works fine on Gutsy, however it is looking for the *.fw files under different names than hardy Under gutsy, there are a set of bcm43xx* files in /lib/firmware/<kernel version> ,but these files appear in /lib/firmware in hardy.

[Stroud Custer (stroudcuster-3)]

Forgot to mention on Compaq R4000, I didn't have a problem with the install, but the wireless card will not active.

[gunashekar (gunashekar)]

I have Broadcom Corporation BCM94311MCG wlan mini-PCI (rev 02) and have upgraed to Hardy alpha 6 from 7.10 . My wireless has stopped working since.

[Jan Frybort (jan.frybort)]

Still doesn't work out of the box with Alpha 6 (live CD nor clean install). My Wifi card is Broadcom BCM4318. I followed the instructions on http://linuxwireless.org/en/users/Drivers/b43#devicefirmware. I used broadcom-wl-4.80.53.0.tar.bz2 for my card. The procedure described on the above mentioned webpage worked and it created several files in /lib/firmware. Problem was that this directory was accessible only for root user. When I changed the right to 755 the wifi card started to work.

[gunashekar (gunashekar)]

Thanks Jan.

On Fri, Mar 7, 2008 at 7:46 PM, Jan Frybort <email address hidden> wrote:

> Still doesn't work out of the box with Alpha 6 (live CD nor clean
> install). My Wifi card is Broadcom BCM4318. I followed the instructions
> on http://linuxwireless.org/en/users/Drivers/b43#devicefirmware. I used
> broadcom-wl-4.80.53.0.tar.bz2 for my card. The procedure described on
> the above mentioned webpage worked and it created several files in
> /lib/firmware. Problem was that this directory was accessible only for
> root user. When I changed the right to 755 the wifi card started to
> work.
>
> --
> hardy install alpha5 loops: broadcom: no firmware file
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/188282
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.
>

--
C.R.Gunasekar
21, Padmavati Nagar, Station Road
Agraharam, KORATTUR
Chennai - India- 600076
Ph ([phone] Mob: [phone]

[JE (mr-johne)]

Just installed Alpha 6 and found the same issue.

Blacklisted b43 and ssb and commented out the blacklist for bcm43xx made the bcm43xx to load.
That did not let me install firmware from the restricted driver manager. How can I install the firmware manually for bcm43xx.

[Jan Frybort (jan.frybort)]

I'm afraid this is not a forum, but I would recommend following the
procedure described here:
http://linuxwireless.org/en/users/Drivers/b43#fw-bcm43xx. Check the rights
of the /lib/b43 (or any similar) directory.
Jan

2008/3/7, JE <email address hidden>:
>
> Just installed Alpha 6 and found the same issue.
>
> Blacklisted b43 and ssb and commented out the blacklist for bcm43xx made
> the bcm43xx to load.
> That did not let me install firmware from the restricted driver manager.
> How can I install the firmware manually for bcm43xx.
>
>
> --
>
> hardy install alpha5 loops: broadcom: no firmware file
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/188282
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.
>

[johnwren (johnwren)]

There seem to be at least two bugs being discussed and reported in this thread. My original posting was on a failure for hardy alpha4 to install (it could not comple te the initial installation steps prior to starting the install dialog under i386). The reported messages on the lack of the broadcom firmware seemed to suggest a problem with the wireless. This was confirmed in alpha 5.

However, alpha 6 does correctly bring up the installation sequence (although I stopped it at the partition editor, as I am involved in another task on my Dell D531 laptop, and need it for about a week.) Therefore, I think this bug should be marked as 'fixed in alpha6'. I am posting this on the Dell 531 laptop running hardy alpha6 in the 'try out ubuntu without making any changes to your system mode'. In case it will help the debugging team, I have attached dmesg and lspci txt files done under hardy i386 alpha6 on this machine.

The problem with the missing firmeware files is still there (see the dmesg output), as it was under gutsy (see an earlier message on this thread).

That said, comments made by different posters above suggest that there may still be problems with the wireless and broadcom, but that was not the thrust of the initial bug report.

One thing I did note during the install, is that the world map which displays (the second or third step in the install sequence -- where you set the default time zone) is very VERY touchy. As soon as I mouse over it expands to a detail level -- which makes it very hard to select where you are. I finished the selection of the time zone using the drop box of cities. I will install alpha6 on another desktop I have, and if this problem repeats will file a separated bug report.

My thanks to all who have worked on this problem, and to the kernel team and/or install team that solved the problem.

[johnwren (johnwren)]

re fixed in alpha 6 (above post) It looks like the dmesg output was missed. Here it is

[johnwren (johnwren)]

It appears I am partially brain-dead today. Here is the lspci output.

[junk2319 (junk2319)]

Alright, I may have a solution.

I have an acer extensa 4420 - 5237
I originally couldn't get 7.10 installed on the laptop.

With help Iwas able to solve it in my post on ubuntu forums

Its a combo of the ati x1250 driver and the wireless NIC.

heres the link http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=706928

Now today I downloaded the newest x64 Alpha from the ubuntu main alpha site.

I didnt expect the live cd to work but it did. I was able to install correctly and boot normally

However couldnt get wireless to work so I simply...or not so much
went into terminal and typed (while Ihad an internet connection)

sudo atp-get install bcm43xx-fwcutter

It downloaded the driver gave me a message and I installed it . I was then able to go into the hardware drivers and it prompted me to download the newest 64 bit version of the right NIC driver. My wireless is working perfectly now...AND my ati X1250 is in 3d mode too...cool

If you have any questions email or post back in here

[Growlor (da-computa-guy)]

I can confirm that I am now getting past this problem (the endless error message looping preventing the GUI from coming-up) in alpha 6 (the desktop AM64 version was what I tested on) using the live boot CD mode.
I think I still saw the error message, but it didn't keep repeating as before, so I will try to see if I can get my wireless working now (and open a new/different bug report if I can't get it to work.) I am able to get to the GUI and poke around now.
Thanks to whoever fixed this!

John

[Aleksey1977 (aleksey1977)]

I am still experiencing the problem with 8.04 beta, everything fails same as before (boot from livecd, choose English, choose try without installing, see marquee, see progress bar go almost all the way to the right, and then the problem occurs). However, afterwards, I was able to login with CTRL-ALT-F2 and use the command line. When I try startx, I get "no screens found error". Therefore, I really looks to me like johnwren was right about this bug being a red herring.

My computer is an Averatec 3255, a relatively old AthlonXP notebook, not 64-bit in any way.

[ctsdownloads (matt-hartley)]

I concur with Aleksey1977, I am using an Averatec 3200, Broadcom chipset, same exact problem, can login via command line, but startx is a no go. 32 Bit 8.04 beta is used here. So it is safe to say confirmed by another Averatec owner.

[ctsdownloads (matt-hartley)]

Ubuntu Gutsy releases today and the exact error remains, unchanged and intact - the b43-phy0 loop error sage continues. Would really appreciate a work-a-round.

[ctsdownloads (matt-hartley)]

Ubuntu Heron releases today and the exact error remains, unchanged and intact - the b43-phy0 loop error sage continues. Would really appreciate a work-a-round.

[Aleksey1977 (aleksey1977)]

I've managed to start X (on Averatec 3255) in the following manner

1) Ctrl-Alt-F2
2) Use command line to start any editor for /etc/X11/xorg.conf
3) In Monitor section, add the following two lines:
    HorizSync 31.5 - 50
    VertSync 40-90
4) Save xorg.conf and exit the editor
5) startx

X starts fine, even though I still did not manage to install Hardy (but that's likely to be a different issue altogether). Anyways, it is now certain that this bug is NOT what was causing X to fail.

[Aleksey1977 (aleksey1977)]

In my last comment, the two lines should be:
    HorizSync 31.5 - 50
    VertRefresh 40-90

[Colin Watson (cjwatson)]

As previously mentioned, this doesn't seem to be a ubiquity bug at all, since the system doesn't actually get as far as trying to run the installer, so I'm marking that task invalid. I hope somebody else can help to narrow down what's going on.

[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.

[Steve Langasek (vorlon)]

I'm not sure what the bug is here (since there are multiple comments with possibly unrelated symptoms), but it doesn't appear to be an issue with wireless-tools since wireless-tools are only the userspace tools used for managing the wireless devices - they're not involved with firmware loading at all. Marking 'invalid' for wireless-tools, leaving the kernel task open.

[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.

[Brad Figg (brad-figg)]

This bug was filed against a series that is no longer supported and so is being marked as Won't Fix. If this issue still exists in a supported series, please file a new bug.

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