persistant rfkill hardware blocked problem

tzbit · 2018-06-10 02:26:20

I thought it apt to post in the newbie corner as I just installed Arch for the first time yesterday. Since then I've had nothing but trouble with rfkill hardware blocking me. when I began with the archISO a while back it wouldn't let me bring the card up with ip link set [mydevice] up because of rfkill being hardware blocked. the machine has had windows on it until now and never an issue with the wireless card. just recently I thought I'd try my luck with installing again. by some miracle rfkill was neither soft nor hard blocking my device so I proceeded to use wifi-menu and installed arch with the basic packages of "base, base-devel" as well as vim, NetworkManager and dialog for wifi-menu. after rebooting into my machine on the hard drive I am met with rfkill once again ruining my fun. heading back to the archISO I'm met with rfkill as well. there are no physical switches of any kind on the laptop (an Acer aspire 4752)

I've already followed the advice of
https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=181194
and
https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=207376
attempting to leave the laptop for roughly an hour with no power to speak of, checking the bios for anything related to wifi, it has no settings whatsoever.

with the laptop in the state it is, it proves difficult to get exact outputs from commands without me typing them personally. I've been pulling my hair out trying to get this to work ever since I first discovered the rfkill problem. I can provide more information on request and would appreciate any and all help on this topic. thank you very much for helping a newb like me.

Last edited by tzbit (2018-06-10 03:21:49)

jasonwryan · 2018-06-10 03:16:09

Please edit your thread title and have it reflect your actual issue, not your frustration with it: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Co … ow_to_post

seth · 2018-06-10 06:31:14

The Acer Aspire 4752 should™ have the wifi switch on Fn+F3 (switching the hardblock on phy0)
I actually think this holds for all acer notebooks, certainly Aspires.

If that's for some weird reason not the case on your particular model, please provide at least the outputs of rfkill, lsmod and dmesg. You can store them on disk or a usb key to transfer them to a system you can bring online (while you could also tether or use the wired connection)

Also: do you still have a windows installation on the device? ("has had windows on it until now" sounds ambigious, sorry)

tzbit · 2018-06-10 07:04:20

I have indeed tried Fn+F3 which enables and disables a software block but does not touch the hardware block.
the "until now" was meant to tell that I have overwritten windows to install arch. currently arch is the only OS on the device. my apologies for the ambiguity, I am still new to forum posting in general. in regards to dmesg I'm not sure if you want the entire output of that, which I will post to a pastebin and link but I will grep iwlwifi and post that as it seems to be what most people do.

full dmesg https://pastebin.com/MiCjHc3V

# dmesg | grep iwlwifi
[    7.605024] iwlwifi 0000:02:00.0: can't disable ASPM; OS doesn't have ASPM control
[    7.955175] iwlwifi 0000:02:00.0: loaded firmware version 18.168.6.1 op_mode iwldvm
[    8.561746] iwlwifi 0000:02:00.0: CONFIG_IWLWIFI_DEBUG disabled
[    8.561748] iwlwifi 0000:02:00.0: CONFIG_IWLWIFI_DEBUGFS disabled
[    8.561749] iwlwifi 0000:02:00.0: CONFIG_IWLWIFI_DEVICE_TRACING enabled
[    8.561752] iwlwifi 0000:02:00.0: Detected Intel(R) Centrino(R) Advanced-N 6205 AGN, REV=0xB0
[    8.574501] iwlwifi 0000:02:00.0: reporting RF_KILL (radio disabled)
[    8.574549] iwlwifi 0000:02:00.0: RF_KILL bit toggled to disable radio.
[    8.627589] iwlwifi 0000:02:00.0 wlp2s0: renamed from wlan0
[   12.537417] iwlwifi 0000:02:00.0: RF_KILL bit toggled to disable radio.

# rfkill list
0: acer-wireless: Wireless LAN
	Soft blocked: no
	Hard blocked: no
1: phy0: Wireless LAN
	Soft blocked: no
	Hard blocked: yes

# lsmod
Module                  Size  Used by
intel_rapl             24576  0
x86_pkg_temp_thermal    16384  0
intel_powerclamp       16384  0
arc4                   16384  2
iwldvm                208896  0
coretemp               16384  0
kvm_intel             221184  0
kvm                   708608  1 kvm_intel
mac80211              892928  1 iwldvm
irqbypass              16384  1 kvm
crct10dif_pclmul       16384  0
snd_hda_codec_hdmi     57344  1
snd_hda_codec_realtek   110592  1
snd_hda_codec_generic    86016  1 snd_hda_codec_realtek
crc32_pclmul           16384  0
joydev                 24576  0
ghash_clmulni_intel    16384  0
mousedev               24576  0
pcbc                   16384  0
aesni_intel           188416  0
i915                 1941504  2
aes_x86_64             20480  1 aesni_intel
uvcvideo              102400  0
videobuf2_vmalloc      16384  1 uvcvideo
videobuf2_memops       16384  1 videobuf2_vmalloc
tg3                   184320  0
iTCO_wdt               16384  0
snd_hda_intel          45056  0
iTCO_vendor_support    16384  1 iTCO_wdt
videobuf2_v4l2         28672  1 uvcvideo
videobuf2_core         45056  2 uvcvideo,videobuf2_v4l2
videodev              204800  3 uvcvideo,videobuf2_core,videobuf2_v4l2
crypto_simd            16384  1 aesni_intel
i2c_algo_bit           16384  1 i915
media                  45056  2 uvcvideo,videodev
acer_wmi               24576  0
snd_hda_codec         151552  4 snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec_hdmi,snd_hda_codec_generic,snd_hda_codec_realtek
wmi_bmof               16384  0
drm_kms_helper        192512  1 i915
sparse_keymap          16384  1 acer_wmi
snd_hda_core           90112  5 snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec,snd_hda_codec_hdmi,snd_hda_codec_generic,snd_hda_codec_realtek
iwlwifi               307200  1 iwldvm
snd_hwdep              16384  1 snd_hda_codec
snd_pcm               118784  4 snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec,snd_hda_core,snd_hda_codec_hdmi
snd_timer              36864  1 snd_pcm
snd                    90112  8 snd_hda_intel,snd_hwdep,snd_hda_codec,snd_timer,snd_hda_codec_hdmi,snd_hda_codec_generic,snd_hda_codec_realtek,snd_pcm
drm                   438272  3 i915,drm_kms_helper
glue_helper            16384  1 aesni_intel
cryptd                 28672  3 crypto_simd,ghash_clmulni_intel,aesni_intel
psmouse               167936  0
evdev                  20480  4
input_leds             16384  0
intel_cstate           16384  0
intel_rapl_perf        16384  0
cfg80211              724992  3 iwlwifi,mac80211,iwldvm
mac_hid                16384  0
pcspkr                 16384  0
ptp                    20480  1 tg3
soundcore              16384  1 snd
pps_core               20480  1 ptp
mei_me                 45056  0
intel_gtt              24576  1 i915
libphy                 69632  1 tg3
ac                     16384  0
rfkill                 28672  3 acer_wmi,cfg80211
mei                   114688  1 mei_me
thermal                20480  0
battery                20480  0
agpgart                49152  2 intel_gtt,drm
video                  45056  2 acer_wmi,i915
syscopyarea            16384  1 drm_kms_helper
sysfillrect            16384  1 drm_kms_helper
sysimgblt              16384  1 drm_kms_helper
fb_sys_fops            16384  1 drm_kms_helper
i2c_i801               28672  0
lpc_ich                28672  0
shpchp                 40960  0
wmi                    28672  2 wmi_bmof,acer_wmi
button                 16384  1 i915
sch_fq_codel           20480  2
ip_tables              28672  0
x_tables               45056  1 ip_tables
ext4                  712704  3
crc32c_generic         16384  0
crc16                  16384  1 ext4
mbcache                16384  1 ext4
jbd2                  118784  1 ext4
fscrypto               32768  1 ext4
sr_mod                 28672  0
cdrom                  69632  1 sr_mod
sd_mod                 61440  6
uas                    28672  0
usb_storage            73728  2 uas
serio_raw              16384  0
atkbd                  32768  0
libps2                 16384  2 atkbd,psmouse
sdhci_pci              36864  0
sdhci                  57344  1 sdhci_pci
led_class              16384  4 sdhci,input_leds,acer_wmi,iwldvm
mmc_core              167936  2 sdhci,sdhci_pci
ahci                   40960  3
libahci                40960  1 ahci
libata                278528  2 ahci,libahci
ehci_pci               16384  0
crc32c_intel           24576  6
ehci_hcd               94208  1 ehci_pci
scsi_mod              208896  5 sd_mod,usb_storage,libata,uas,sr_mod
usbcore               286720  5 uvcvideo,usb_storage,ehci_hcd,uas,ehci_pci
usb_common             16384  1 usbcore
i8042                  32768  1 acer_wmi
serio                  28672  6 serio_raw,atkbd,psmouse,i8042

thank you for your response and interest in helping.

seth · 2018-06-10 09:40:06

Why is this the lts kernel? Did you try the main one? (Notably since the install iso seems to work)

Is this the original wifi chip? (iirc acer had rather atheros chips in 2011 and there's no BT chip?)

Random ideas:
- blacklist acer_wmi (this will have side effects, but is worth a try - ensure it's not loaded despite, in doubt use the install/false method)
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Ke … acklisting
- pass force_cam to iwldvm
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Ke … le_options

tzbit · 2018-06-10 20:16:34

I was unaware until you pointed it out to me that I have the lts kernel. I'm unaware of why it is as such or how to change to the main one as you stated. As for the iso, it stopped working the same time the normal machine did.

It is indeed the stock wifi chip. I have never had Bluetooth on this machine.

I have already tried the blacklisting of wmi and acer_wmi, neither of which have helped. Finally I'm not sure I understand the arrival you've linked me to "pass force_cam" I used the command

modprobe iwldvm force_cam=1

the way the artical states, 1 with no result, 2 with no clue what the values of the module are.

Thank you for continuing to help me.

Last edited by tzbit (2018-06-10 20:21:04)

seth · 2018-06-11 13:57:53

systool -vm iwldvm

will print the status of the loaded module - usually that includes parameters (but there're some modules that don't print them)

I was unaware until you pointed it out to me that I have the lts kernel. I'm unaware of why it is as such or how to change to the main one as you stated.

What *exactly* did you install? Antergos or so? Please link the actual iso that you've used for installation.

tzbit · 2018-06-11 15:21:53

I have had the arch iso for quite a while now. the version on the ISO I currently have an installed from is archlinux-2018.04.01-x86_64
I will do a full reinstall with the latest ISO http://mirror.cedille.club/archlinux/iso/2018.06.01/ to ensure that I have the latest version. as there is nothing important on here I don't see a reason to keep it.

as for force_cam, looking at systool

Parameters:
  force_cam             = "Y"

Update: I am now running the main kernel after a reinstall of the system. nothing has changed except my kernel version.
After blacklisting wmi the system still shows hard blocked on phy0.

Last edited by tzbit (2018-06-11 16:45:32)

Arch Linux

#1 2018-06-10 02:26:20

persistant rfkill hardware blocked problem

#2 2018-06-10 03:16:09

Re: persistant rfkill hardware blocked problem

#3 2018-06-10 06:31:14

Re: persistant rfkill hardware blocked problem

#4 2018-06-10 07:04:20

Re: persistant rfkill hardware blocked problem

#5 2018-06-10 09:40:06

Re: persistant rfkill hardware blocked problem

#6 2018-06-10 20:16:34

Re: persistant rfkill hardware blocked problem

#7 2018-06-11 13:57:53

Re: persistant rfkill hardware blocked problem

#8 2018-06-11 15:21:53

Re: persistant rfkill hardware blocked problem

Board footer