ath_hal, ath5k, ath_pci, once and for all, what are each of them?

[eks]

Hello,

I had Hardy with madwifi drivers working on a HP Pavilion DV6000. From "lspci -v" it has a:

03:00.0 Ethernet controller: Atheros Communications Inc. AR242x 802.11abg Wireless PCI Express Adapter (rev 01)
	Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device 137b
	Flags: fast devsel, IRQ 16
	Memory at f2000000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=64K]
	Capabilities: <access denied>
	Kernel modules: ath5k, ath_pci

I've followed many suggestions on this thread, but still cannot get wifi to work. But with linux-backport-modules it has a ath5k, which did not had at first. I've searched on /etc/modprobe.d and it had many other files which blacklisted either ath_hal or ath_pci. I've commented all of them, but on boot it still is not able to start neither.

From a resumed "dmesg":

[   32.760704] ath_hal: module license 'Proprietary' taints kernel.
[   32.773391] ath_hal: 0.9.18.0 (AR5210, AR5211, AR5212, RF5111, RF5112, RF2413, RF5413)
[   32.801073] wlan: 0.9.4
[   32.824514] ath_pci: 0.9.4
[   32.824977] ACPI: PCI Interrupt Link [LK1E] enabled at IRQ 16
[   32.824989] ath_pci 0000:03:00.0: PCI INT A -> Link[LK1E] -> GSI 16 (level, low) -> IRQ 16
[   32.825016] ath_pci 0000:03:00.0: setting latency timer to 64
[   32.850745] wifi%d: unable to attach hardware: 'Hardware revision not supported' (HAL status 13)
[   32.866829] ath_pci 0000:03:00.0: PCI INT A disabled
[   33.705535] ath5k_pci 0000:03:00.0: enabling device (0000 -> 0002)
[   33.705547] ath5k_pci 0000:03:00.0: PCI INT A -> Link[LK1E] -> GSI 16 (level, low) -> IRQ 16
[   33.705558] ath5k_pci 0000:03:00.0: setting latency timer to 64
[   33.706330] ath5k_pci 0000:03:00.0: registered as 'phy0'
[   33.716292] ath5k phy0: failed to wakeup the MAC Chip
[   33.716421] ath5k_pci 0000:03:00.0: PCI INT A disabled
[   33.716433] ath5k_pci: probe of 0000:03:00.0 failed with error -5

If i just knew what the heck each of this modules were, and/or where they came from. For example, is any of them proprietary (I assume ath_hal is, right)? Which is the one with the new kernel? Which works with this card?

I've upgraded my wife's laptop to Intrepid so wifi would hopefully not break anymore on a new kernel update, but... sigh.....

Any help would be appreciated.


eks

[pasencorelui]

madwifi.org is unreachable. is there another way to get madwifi-hal-0.10.5.6 ? Is someone can share or indicate a mirror to get it?

Thank's

[eks]

Well, I've made it working, somehow, by blacklisting ath_hal and ath_pci, leaving just ath5k. On Hardy I was using a manually installed madwifi driver, I think it might had left some residues on /etc/modprobe.d. There was a madwifi file where ath5k was being blacklisted.

So, if you are on Intrepid and still cannot use wifi with an Atheros card (I think you should be able to without manually installing any driver), you need to do two things, 1) install linux-backport-modules and 2) blacklist ath_pci and ath_hal.

To install the backport modules, just search for it on Synaptic or use apt-get, it's called linux-backports-modules-intrepid. Then on System/Administration/Hardware Drivers make sure Atheros driver is activated.

To blacklist the old modules, do this:

gksudo gedit /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist

And add:

blacklist ath_hal
blacklist ath_pci

At the bottom of the file, and reboot.

IF after this steps you still cannot make it work, you probably have something left still blacklisting ath5k, thus making it not to load. You should search all the files on /etc/modprobe.d for all lines that had:

blacklist ath5k

And add a # before the start of the line, thus making it into a comment. If you, like me, is coming from a Hardy upgrade that had madwifi driver installed you will probably be on this situation.

The easier way to do this is have a Nautilus open as root and check for each file on that directory. You can do that with "gksudo nautilus" on alt+f2, but you should be EXTREMELY CAREFULL while doing this. If an admin doesn't like me saying this, please tell me and I will edit this post.

And while you are at it, or anyone else, could please explain the differences between all ath_pci, ath_hal and ath5k modules?

I really would like to understand what each of this modules are and where do they come from (ath5k comes from the backport-modules package, but where are the others??).

[Arabiest]

well this work for Ubuntu 8.10 too to get the wireless working?

[eks]

well this work for Ubuntu 8.10 too to get the wireless working?

I think it works ONLY on 8.10 (Intrepid Ibex). And only with Atheros wifi cards.

[jgrabenbauer]

Thank you so much. I have been surfing forums for a couple of months, and until now, I was never even close to having my wireless working! I am extremely thankful for this post.

Thanks!

Compaq Presario A900 with Atheros Communications Inc. AR242x 802.11abg Wireless PCI Express Adapter (rev 01)

[ddennis69]

Well, I've made it working, somehow, by blacklisting ath_hal and ath_pci, leaving just ath5k. On Hardy I was using a manually installed madwifi driver, I think it might had left some residues on /etc/modprobe.d. There was a madwifi file where ath5k was being blacklisted.

So, if you are on Intrepid and still cannot use wifi with an Atheros card (I think you should be able to without manually installing any driver), you need to do two things, 1) install linux-backport-modules and 2) blacklist ath_pci and ath_hal.

To install the backport modules, just search for it on Synaptic or use apt-get, it's called linux-backports-modules-intrepid. Then on System/Administration/Hardware Drivers make sure Atheros driver is activated.

To blacklist the old modules, do this:

gksudo gedit /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist

And add:

blacklist ath_hal
blacklist ath_pci

At the bottom of the file, and reboot.

IF after this steps you still cannot make it work, you probably have something left still blacklisting ath5k, thus making it not to load. You should search all the files on /etc/modprobe.d for all lines that had:

blacklist ath5k

And add a # before the start of the line, thus making it into a comment. If you, like me, is coming from a Hardy upgrade that had madwifi driver installed you will probably be on this situation.

The easier way to do this is have a Nautilus open as root and check for each file on that directory. You can do that with "gksudo nautilus" on alt+f2, but you should be EXTREMELY CAREFULL while doing this. If an admin doesn't like me saying this, please tell me and I will edit this post.

And while you are at it, or anyone else, could please explain the differences between all ath_pci, ath_hal and ath5k modules?

I really would like to understand what each of this modules are and where do they come from (ath5k comes from the backport-modules package, but where are the others??).

when I check under system/hardware drivers it shows that the drivers are activated but not in use. is this normal, or how do i go about getting those drivers to be used?

[xobo]

Hello,

I am new to Linux. I installed Ubuntu 8.10 on Presario laptop. for a while I have managed to make the wireless Atheros card work. But now it doesn't work again. I need to know how I install the package linux-backport-modules. even after updating the software I still get the message:-

Couldn't find package linux-backport-modules.

Can anyone please tell me how to install it?/where can I get that?
thank you.

[xobo]

For some reasons after the recent automatic update of Ubunto, suddenly the wireless Athros works again. It could well be that the update supply all the needed missing packages.

Thank you,

[cupevampe]

thanks eks man, this worked for me

i got a fujitsusiemens amilo pi 2515 if it can be of help to anyone

thx again