2.6.27rc4 & iwl3945: wlan0 is not a wireless interface

somedrew · 2008-08-26 05:48:58

oh noes...
I'm having some problems getting my wireless working with 2.6.27rc4. I'm using the iwl3945 drivers and *should* have everything required selected in my config (used the same one since 2.6.21ish save for new options), but when trying to bring up my wireless card with either netcfg2 or manually with iwconfig i'm getting a "wlan0 is not a wireless interface"
Google has not been helpful and I'm just wondering if anyone might be able to shed some light on this?

.config wrote:

# Wireless
#
CONFIG_CFG80211=m
CONFIG_NL80211=y
CONFIG_WIRELESS_EXT=y
# CONFIG_WIRELESS_EXT_SYSFS is not set
CONFIG_MAC80211=m
# Wireless LAN
#
CONFIG_WLAN_80211=y
CONFIG_IWLWIFI=m
CONFIG_IWLCORE=m
CONFIG_IWL3945=m

cheers,

bbs · 2008-08-26 09:05:46

yo -- can you post whats in your /lib/firmware plz? -- you should have a 3945-ucode -- i also need exact error messages when you try stuff like:

iwconfig wlan0 essid crazylegs && dhcpcd wlan0

even if i can't come back personally to help -- this is imperative to resolve your issues i think

/jT

Profjim · 2008-08-26 14:58:33

In 2.6.27 I think they removed the /sys/class/net/wlan0/wireless folder, and some scripts may have been relying on that to determine whether the interface is in fact a wireless interface. I know that current versions of netcfg do that. I don't know about iwconfig. In netcfg's case, you'll have to either downgrade your kernel, wait for a new netcfg script, or go into the /usr/lib/network/*.subr libraries for netcfg and comment out/change the check for whether the interface is wireless. Current versions of netcfg rely on iwconfig for wep-encrypted profiles, though, so if you've got a problem with iwconfig that's not going to be enough. A workaround might be to write your own wpa_supplicant.conf script (wpa_supplicant can be told to do wep instead of wpa), and tell your netcfg profile to use that. Then you may not need to worry about the problem with iwconfig, and will only need to get netcfg to ignore the missing /sys/class/net/wlan0/wireless directory. It's really only looking for that directory as a sanity check, to make sure you've given it a real wireless interface.

I can't promise off the top of my head that when you give netcfg your own wpa_supplicant script, it never uses iwconfig. It may also depend on what version of netcfg you're using. Scan the files /usr/lib/network/{network,wireless}.subr to check.

Easiest is to stick with kernel 2.6.26 until these tools are updated to work with 2.6.27. But I recognize you may have good reasons not to do that.

bangkok_manouel · 2008-08-26 15:09:43

Profjim wrote:

In 2.6.27 I think they removed the /sys/class/net/wlan0/wireless folder, and some scripts may have been relying on that to determine whether the interface is in fact a wireless interface. I know that current versions of netcfg do that. I don't know about iwconfig. In netcfg's case, you'll have to either downgrade your kernel, wait for a new netcfg script, or go into the /usr/lib/network/*.subr libraries for netcfg and comment out/change the check for whether the interface is wireless. Current versions of netcfg rely on iwconfig for wep-encrypted profiles, though, so if you've got a problem with iwconfig that's not going to be enough. A workaround might be to write your own wpa_supplicant.conf script (wpa_supplicant can be told to do wep instead of wpa), and tell your netcfg profile to use that. Then you may not need to worry about the problem with iwconfig, and will only need to get netcfg to ignore the missing /sys/class/net/wlan0/wireless directory. It's really only looking for that directory as a sanity check, to make sure you've given it a real wireless interface.
I can't promise off the top of my head that when you give netcfg your own wpa_supplicant script, it never uses iwconfig. It may also depend on what version of netcfg you're using. Scan the files /usr/lib/network/{network,wireless}.subr to check.
Easiest is to stick with kernel 2.6.26 until these tools are updated to work with 2.6.27. But I recognize you may have good reasons not to do that.

FWIW, i'm using iwl3945+netcfg (wpa) with a kernel i pulled from git (torvalds' tree) less than 24 hours ago so i don't think that's the problem.

Profjim · 2008-08-26 15:49:24

You don't think what's the problem? They did remove the /sys/class/net/wlan0/wireless folders in some 2.6.27 builds, and netcfg at least does expect that folder to be there. More recent 2.6.27 builds may have added that folder back; I dunno.

somedrew · 2008-08-26 23:09:55

bbs wrote:

yo -- can you post whats in your /lib/firmware plz? -- you should have a 3945-ucode -- i also need exact error messages when you try stuff like:

Thanks for the input! I think I jumped the gun a little though because iwconfig is working, the problem is solely with netcfg2.

Profjim wrote:

In 2.6.27 I think they removed the /sys/class/net/wlan0/wireless folder, and some scripts may have been relying on that to determine whether the interface is in fact a wireless interface. I know that current versions of netcfg do that...

Wow, you're amazing: this was exactly it!
I managed to get netcfg working by enabling support for CONFIG_WIRELESS_EXT_SYSFS.

CONFIG_WIRELESS_EXT_SYSFS:                                                                                                                                                                                
  │                                                                                                                                                                                                            
  │ This option enables the deprecated wireless statistics                                                                                                                                                     
  │ files in /sys/class/net/*/wireless/. The same information                                                                                                                                                  
  │ is available via the ioctls as well.                                                                                                                                                                     
  │                                                                                                                                                                                                            
  │ Say Y if you have programs using it (we don't know of any).

Thanks for the quick help everyone!

rooloo · 2008-08-26 23:16:22

somedrew wrote:

bbs wrote:
yo -- can you post whats in your /lib/firmware plz? -- you should have a 3945-ucode -- i also need exact error messages when you try stuff like:
Thanks for the input! I think I jumped the gun a little though because iwconfig is working, the problem is solely with netcfg2.
Profjim wrote:
In 2.6.27 I think they removed the /sys/class/net/wlan0/wireless folder, and some scripts may have been relying on that to determine whether the interface is in fact a wireless interface. I know that current versions of netcfg do that...
Wow, you're amazing: this was exactly it!
I managed to get netcfg working by enabling support for CONFIG_WIRELESS_EXT_SYSFS.
CONFIG_WIRELESS_EXT_SYSFS:                                                                                                                                                                                
  │                                                                                                                                                                                                            
  │ This option enables the deprecated wireless statistics                                                                                                                                                     
  │ files in /sys/class/net/*/wireless/. The same information                                                                                                                                                  
  │ is available via the ioctls as well.                                                                                                                                                                     
  │                                                                                                                                                                                                            
  │ Say Y if you have programs using it (we don't know of any).
Thanks for the quick help everyone!

please file a bug then with the appropriate bug tracker, the kernel seems to think this is depreciatred and as you have found out, it shouldn't be depreciated so quickly without first resolving the issue.

Profjim · 2008-08-26 23:29:24

iphitus (netcfg dev) knows about the issue. I think there will be other ways to determine whether an interface is wireless, so he can just update netcfg. It may be useful to let the kernel devs know we were looking for that directory. But I don't know that they should do any differently than they're now doing.

Last edited by Profjim (2008-08-26 23:30:37)

rooloo · 2008-08-27 00:35:34

Profjim wrote:

iphitus (netcfg dev) knows about the issue. I think there will be other ways to determine whether an interface is wireless, so he can just update netcfg. It may be useful to let the kernel devs know we were looking for that directory. But I don't know that they should do any differently than they're now doing.

I am not saying the kernel dev's are wrong, but recently there has been discussion by iphitus that the appropriate bugs are not being reported. All I asked was that the OP filed a bug report on the appropriate bug tracker so the bug/issue can be tracked and resolved the proper way.

As iphitus said, nothing will get fixed unless the community does it's job and report these issues.

edit: if the bug has already been filed, then confirm the status of the bug and the issue you used to resolve it. That is how a community distribution should and needs to work.

Last edited by rooloo (2008-08-27 00:36:41)

Profjim · 2008-08-27 01:17:59

You're right rooloo, didn't mean to suggest the bug shouldn't be reported.

For arch: there's already FS#11219 and iphitus knows about it (we emailed about the issue).

For kernel devs: yes they should get feedback from us that removing this dir breaks some of our scripts. I don't know that they'll care but they should be told. I tried to report it myself but I'm X-less atm and the kernel bugtracker search doesn't seem to work with elinks. Someone?

bangkok_manouel · 2008-08-27 01:26:23

I just checked and CONFIG_WIRELESS_EXT_SYSFS is enabled in my kernel conf (i do not remember having set up this by myself) so that's why i had no issue. sorry for being misleading here.

somedrew · 2008-08-27 01:28:00

rooloo wrote:

All I asked was that the OP filed a bug report on the appropriate bug tracker so the bug/issue can be tracked and resolved the proper way.
edit: if the bug has already been filed, then confirm the status of the bug and the issue you used to resolve it. That is how a community distribution should and needs to work.

I completely agree with the above, just wondering if I should file the report based on:

1)CONFIG_WIRELESS_EXT_SYSFS is enabled by default(I mistakenly disabled it based on the kconfig description thinking it wasn't needed).
2)It is marked as deprecated but according to http://lkml.org/lkml/2008/7/24/70 it will remain as an option until 2010
3)Stock arch kernels correctly have it enabled
4)It affects more usespace applications than netcfg: older HAL versions and network manager, at least, require it.

If it's still prudent to make this noted by posting a report I'll write one up (best to do it against the kernel as opposed to netcfg?), I just don't want to add unnecessary noise to the tracker.

cheers,

EDIT: oops..sorry didn't notice this:

Profjim wrote:

For arch: there's already FS#11219 and iphitus knows about it (we emailed about the issue).

As for the kernel, I believe it's been reported that the kconfig description isn't accurate in the some apps _do_ depend on the option in the above lkml thread - would it be worth it to add the arch-specific scripts dependencies to that?

Last edited by somedrew (2008-08-27 01:40:55)

rooloo · 2008-08-27 01:43:24

The only advantage to notifying the kernel devs. They will start to notice arch users and arch linux software in the linux community. That in the end can only contribute to the strength of this distribution.

Arch Linux

#1 2008-08-26 05:48:58

2.6.27rc4 & iwl3945: wlan0 is not a wireless interface

#2 2008-08-26 09:05:46

Re: 2.6.27rc4 & iwl3945: wlan0 is not a wireless interface

#3 2008-08-26 14:58:33

Re: 2.6.27rc4 & iwl3945: wlan0 is not a wireless interface

#4 2008-08-26 15:09:43

Re: 2.6.27rc4 & iwl3945: wlan0 is not a wireless interface

#5 2008-08-26 15:49:24

Re: 2.6.27rc4 & iwl3945: wlan0 is not a wireless interface

#6 2008-08-26 23:09:55

Re: 2.6.27rc4 & iwl3945: wlan0 is not a wireless interface

#7 2008-08-26 23:16:22

Re: 2.6.27rc4 & iwl3945: wlan0 is not a wireless interface

#8 2008-08-26 23:29:24

Re: 2.6.27rc4 & iwl3945: wlan0 is not a wireless interface

#9 2008-08-27 00:35:34

Re: 2.6.27rc4 & iwl3945: wlan0 is not a wireless interface

#10 2008-08-27 01:17:59

Re: 2.6.27rc4 & iwl3945: wlan0 is not a wireless interface

#11 2008-08-27 01:26:23

Re: 2.6.27rc4 & iwl3945: wlan0 is not a wireless interface

#12 2008-08-27 01:28:00

Re: 2.6.27rc4 & iwl3945: wlan0 is not a wireless interface

#13 2008-08-27 01:43:24

Re: 2.6.27rc4 & iwl3945: wlan0 is not a wireless interface

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