RaLink RT5390 not working in LTS kernel [solved]

Incite-Admins · 2012-01-09 23:18:17

Hi Everyone,

Due to an issue in the main-stream kernel since 3.1.6 I've had to switch to the linux26-lts kernel and I'm running the catalyst driver so I have brightness and feature control.

My issue is that when I was running the newer kernel and Gnome3 my wireless worked no problem. However since switching it doesn't "see" it.

~#lspci
03 :00.0 Network controller: Ralink corp. RT5390 Wireless 802.11n 1T/1R PCIe
~#ip link wlan0 up
Command "wlan0" is unknown, try "ip link help"
~#iwconfig
lo         no wireless extensions

eth0     no wireless extensions
~#modprobe rt2x00
FATAL: Module rt2x00 not found
~#dmesg | grep algorithm
~#ls /etc/modprobe.d
modprobe.conf
~#cat /etc/modprobe.d/modprobe.conf
#
# /etc/modprobe.d/modprobe.conf
#
blacklist radeon
~#ls /lib/modules/'uname -r'/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/rt2x00
rt2400pci.ko.gz   rt2800usb.ko.gz   rt2x00usb.ko.gz
rt2500pci.ko.gz   rt2x00lib.ko.gz     rt61pci.ko.gz
rt2500usb.ko.gz  rt2x00pci.ko.gz    rt73usb.ko.gz
~#modprobe rt61pci
[ 1281.142029] cfg80211 :  Calling CRDA to update world regulatory domain
~#iwconfig
lo         no wireless extensions

eth0     no wireless extensions
~#modprobe rt2x00pci
~#modprobe rt2x00lib
~#modprobe rt2500pci
~#modprobe rt2400pci
~#iwconfig
lo         no wireless extensions

eth0     no wireless extensions

I know it can do it because I had wireless in Gnome 3 and kernel 3.1.5 and the linux-firmware list has been updated since then. How do I make it work with the LTS kernel?

Thanks for your help.

Last edited by Incite-Admins (2012-01-10 22:09:16)

alphaniner · 2012-01-09 23:58:01

As much as I loathe XFCE, it is not the problem here. You should change your title to "RaLink RT5390 not working with lts kernel but works with 3.1.6" or something.

Gusar · 2012-01-10 00:07:30

As alphaniner says, please change the thread title, your "issue" is exclusively with the kernel. I put that in quotes, because there's no issue here, the explanation is very simple - the lts kernel is too old, it's rt2800pci driver doesn't support 53xx cards. It has the rt2860sta driver though, maybe that one works.

Incite-Admins · 2012-01-10 00:48:09

To be honest I don't WANT to use either. Kernels 3.1.6 & .7 & 3.2 turn my laptop screen off so I couldn't do anything, and the catalyst driver has crap Gnome 3 support yet.

Kernel 3.1.8 seems to have fixed the issue though and go figure wireless is back. Hopefully ATI will get good gnome 3 support soon

Is there anyway I can keep a "backup" kernel saved? Sort of like Fedora or Ubuntu do where you can select your previous kernel in grub if something goes wrong. I tried the fallback but it seemed to use the same kernel and had the same issues.

.:B:. · 2012-01-10 01:09:09

You'll have little choice - my Intel Gigabit NIC doesn't work with the LTS kernel either, so I had to switch my server from the LTS kernel to the mainline one. You could try hacking in support, but that will take longer and be more unreliable than just biting the bullet - using the mainline kernel again and fixing your problems there.

Listen to Gusar, and check if that driver supports your chip at all.

Last edited by .:B:. (2012-01-10 01:09:36)

Incite-Admins · 2012-01-10 01:41:37

I tried loading every module in the rt group and it still didn't recognize the device. As I said the 3.1.8 kernel gave my screen back so I'm using that now.

I ment more if I upgrade to 3.1.9 and my screen disappears again, is there a way to boot 3.1.8 again?

I figure I could edit menu.lst and add an "Arch previous kernel" entry and any time a kernel update is available just copy the existing initramfs and vmlinuz images into the ones "previous kernel" points to.

.:B:. · 2012-01-10 04:50:37

You cannot keep both packages, they will conflict. You could keep both kernels though, since the module paths differ now between minor and patchlevel releases. If you notice an upgrade, just rename the files in /boot (kernel & RAM image) and back up your /lib/modules/$(uname -r)/ dir, put it back afterwards, and you should be fine.

Gusar · 2012-01-10 09:12:45

Incite-Admins wrote:

I tried loading every module in the rt group and it still didn't recognize the device.

rt2860sta isn't with the other rt drivers. It's, as the name implies, in staging. It was removed in kernel 3.0 in favor of the rt drivers, but the lts kernel still has it.

Incite-Admins · 2012-01-10 22:08:49

Thanks for your help guys. I'll try that kernel files trick. Sadly the rt2860sta didn't work, that's for the help though Gusar!

Arch Linux

#1 2012-01-09 23:18:17

RaLink RT5390 not working in LTS kernel [solved]

#2 2012-01-09 23:58:01

Re: RaLink RT5390 not working in LTS kernel [solved]

#3 2012-01-10 00:07:30

Re: RaLink RT5390 not working in LTS kernel [solved]

#4 2012-01-10 00:48:09

Re: RaLink RT5390 not working in LTS kernel [solved]

#5 2012-01-10 01:09:09

Re: RaLink RT5390 not working in LTS kernel [solved]

#6 2012-01-10 01:41:37

Re: RaLink RT5390 not working in LTS kernel [solved]

#7 2012-01-10 04:50:37

Re: RaLink RT5390 not working in LTS kernel [solved]

#8 2012-01-10 09:12:45

Re: RaLink RT5390 not working in LTS kernel [solved]

#9 2012-01-10 22:08:49

Re: RaLink RT5390 not working in LTS kernel [solved]

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