wireless Atheros Network adapter disabled and not scanning.

[jcushman20112012]

IPv4 Settings:
Address: 192.168.1.100
Prefix: 24 (255.255.255.0)
Gateway: 192.168.1.1 - router ip address (its default)

DNS: 192.168.2.1 - DSL modem ip address - had to be changed years ago..don't remember why.

/etc/network/interfaces is now back to what it used to be:
auto lo iface lo inet loopback

sudo service network-manager restart - done

rfkill list all
1: phy0: Wireless LAN
Soft blocked: no
Hard blocked: yes

That about covers the last reply..oh yeah the laptop is a
Compaq CQ50-215NR Presario with an AMD Athlon X2 64 processor or so
the sticker says..

[chili555]

rfkill list all
1: phy0: Wireless LAN
Soft blocked: no
Hard blocked: yes

This must be overcome before we can make any progress. Does pressing the wireless button change anything?

rfkill list all

Press wireless button.

rfkill list all

Does the LED turn on or off or change color or smoke or spark??

Please see attached.

[jcushman20112012]

rfkill list all - before button press..(button is blue)

1: phy0: Wireless LAN
Soft blocked: no
Hard blocked: yes

pushed button..still blue

rfkill list all

1: phy0: Wireless LAN
Soft blocked: no
Hard blocked: yes

[chili555]

Please try:

sudo modprobe -r ath5k
sudo modprobe ath5k no_hw_rfkill_switch=Y
sudo rfkill unblock all
rfkill list all

Also, please run and post:

ls /etc/modprobe.d

[jcushman20112012]

sudo modprobe -r ath5k

WARNING: All config files need .conf: /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base, it will be ignored in a future release.
WARNING: All config files need .conf: /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist, it will be ignored in a future release.

sudo modprobe ath5k no_hw_rfkill_switch=Y

WARNING: All config files need .conf: /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base, it will be ignored in a future release.
WARNING: All config files need .conf: /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist, it will be ignored in a future release.
FATAL: Error inserting ath5k (/lib/modules/2.6.32-43-generic/updates/compat-wireless-2.6.34/ath5k.ko): Unknown symbol in module, or unknown parameter (see dmesg)

sudo rfkill unblock all

jean@jean-laptop:~$ sudo rfkill unblock all

rfkill list all

jean@jean-laptop:~$ rfkill list all

ls /etc/modprobe.d

alsa-base blacklist.conf blacklist-oss.conf
alsa-base.conf blacklist.conf.dpkg-old blacklist-oss.dpkg-bak
ath5k.conf blacklist-firewire.conf blacklist-watchdog.conf
blacklist blacklist-framebuffer.conf libpisock9.conf
blacklist-ath_pci.conf blacklist-modem.conf nvidia-kernel-nkc.conf

ps...The wireless network section in Network Manager has disappeared altogether..

[chili555]

Yikes.

Let's fix one problem at a time.

WARNING: All config files need .conf: /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base, it will be ignored in a future release.

You have a file called alsa-base and one called alsa-base.conf. You only need one: alsa-base.conf. Please see what is in the wrong one:

cat /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base

Write it down somewhere. Now look in the other file:

cat /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base.conf

Does the item you wrote down appear in the correct .conf file? If no, and you are sure you need it, then let's add it:

sudo su
echo whateveryoufound >> /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base.conf
exit

Do the same with blacklist and blacklist.conf. If what is in blacklist has anything to do with wireless, please stop and ask me.

Once you are quite sure you have correctly consolidated the files, you can remove the improper files:

sudo rm /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base
sudo rm /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist

If in the slightest doubt, stop and ask me.

Now the hard one:

FATAL: Error inserting ath5k (/lib/modules/2.6.32-43-generic/updates/compat-wireless-2.6.34/ath5k.ko): Unknown symbol in module, or unknown parameter (see dmesg)

It appears that you tried to compile the compat-wireless package. Have you done so since you started this thread? I don't understand because you had ath5k loaded just fine at post #1:

lsmod

Module Size Used by
ath5k 122927 0
mac80211 225491 1 ath5k
ath 8041 1 ath5k
cfg80211 144650 3 ath5k,mac80211,ath
led_class 2864 1 ath5k
<snip>

What's going on?

[jcushman20112012]

1.
sudo rm /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist -- done

2.the alsa-base seems to have alot in it. Seems to be mostly about
sound. I have no idea if I need any of the differences. It'd be nice
just to rename the file to have a "-old" at the end of it..or comment out
each line..

3. It appears that you tried to compile the compat-wireless package. Have you done so since you started this thread? I don't understand because you had ath5k loaded just fine at post #1:

No I haven't, at least not knowingly. I'll run
ls /etc/modprobe.d now to see what it says..
alsa-base blacklist.conf.dpkg-old blacklist-oss.dpkg-bak
alsa-base.conf blacklist-firewire.conf blacklist-watchdog.conf
ath5k.conf blacklist-framebuffer.conf libpisock9.conf
blacklist-ath_pci.conf blacklist-modem.conf nvidia-kernel-nkc.conf
blacklist.conf blacklist-oss.conf

next..
sudo modprobe -r ath5k
[sudo] password for jean:
WARNING: All config files need .conf: /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base, it will be ignored in a future release.

next..

sudo modprobe ath5k no_hw_rfkill_switch=Y
WARNING: All config files need .conf: /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base, it will be ignored in a future release.

jean@jean-laptop:~$ sudo rfkill unblock all
jean@jean-laptop:~$ rfkill list all
2: phy0: Wireless LAN
Soft blocked: no
Hard blocked: yes

btw.. here's lsmod again..
Module Size Used by
ath5k 122927 0
mac80211 225491 1 ath5k
ath 8041 1 ath5k
cfg80211 144650 3 ath5k,mac80211,ath
led_class 2864 1 ath5k
nls_iso8859_1 3249 2
nls_cp437 4919 2
vfat 8933 2
fat 47767 1 vfat
usbhid 36110 0
hid 67288 1 usbhid
isofs 29250 0
udf 79365 0
crc_itu_t 1371 1 udf
binfmt_misc 6587 1
dm_crypt 11331 0
ppdev 5259 0
snd_hda_codec_nvhdmi 3840 1
snd_hda_codec_conexant 22705 1
joydev 8740 0
snd_hda_intel 22069 2
snd_hda_codec 74297 3 snd_hda_codec_nvhdmi,snd_hda_codec_conexant,snd_hd a_intel
snd_hwdep 5412 1 snd_hda_codec
arc4 1153 2
snd_pcm_oss 35308 0
snd_mixer_oss 13746 1 snd_pcm_oss
snd_pcm 70694 3 snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec,snd_pcm_oss
snd_seq_dummy 1338 0
snd_seq_oss 26722 0
snd_seq_midi 4557 0
snd_rawmidi 19056 1 snd_seq_midi
snd_seq_midi_event 6003 2 snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi
snd_seq 47263 6 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi,snd_seq_mid i_event
snd_timer 19130 2 snd_pcm,snd_seq
snd_seq_device 5700 5 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi,snd_rawmidi ,snd_seq
snd 54244 16 snd_hda_codec_conexant,snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec ,snd_hwdep,snd_pcm_oss,snd_mixer_oss,snd_pcm,snd_s eq_oss,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq,snd_timer,snd_seq_devic e
psmouse 63677 0
serio_raw 3978 0
soundcore 6620 1 snd
snd_page_alloc 7076 2 snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm
i2c_nforce2 5199 0
shpchp 28835 0
lp 7028 0
parport 32635 2 ppdev,lp
dm_raid45 81647 0
xor 15028 1 dm_raid45
fbcon 35102 71
tileblit 1999 1 fbcon
font 7557 1 fbcon
bitblit 4707 1 fbcon
softcursor 1189 1 bitblit
vga16fb 11385 0
vgastate 8961 1 vga16fb
usb_storage 40033 5
nouveau 467048 2
ttm 49847 1 nouveau
drm_kms_helper 29329 1 nouveau
drm 163779 4 nouveau,ttm,drm_kms_helper
agpgart 31724 2 ttm,drm
i2c_algo_bit 5028 1 nouveau
ahci 32680 1
forcedeth 49556 0
pata_amd 8766 0
video 17375 0
output 1871 1 video

to get ath5k listed again I used..
sudo modprobe ath5k

think that's all...you asked..

[chili555]

2.the alsa-base seems to have alot in it. Seems to be mostly about
sound. I have no idea if I need any of the differences. It'd be nice
just to rename the file to have a "-old" at the end of it..or comment out
each line..

You certainly don't need an alsa-base file and an alsa-base.conf file. I suggest you copy alsa-base to a text document in your home directory:

sudo cp /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base ~/alsa.txt

Now open the file alsa.txt with any text editor. Minimize it while you do:

sudo gedit /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base.conf

Maximize the alsa.txt file and copy all the text: Edit > Select All > Copy. Paste it in to the file alsa-base.conf. Proofread it carefully to be sure everything copied over correctly. Save and close gedit. Now we can rename the alsa-base file:

sudo mv /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base.old

to get ath5k listed again I used..
sudo modprobe ath5k

I don't understand this. It was listed:

ath5k 122927 0
mac80211 225491 1 ath5k
ath 8041 1 ath5k
cfg80211 144650 3 ath5k,mac80211,ath
led_class 2864 1 ath5k

We still haven't found any way to change the wireless to not be hard blocked.