[ThinkPad E520] Wireless always softblocked

According to the output of `rfkill list`. This is an acer-wmi problem.

0: acer-wireless: Wireless LAN
 Soft blocked: yes
 Hard blocked: no

This bug report is based on Natty release. Does anyone know if the soft block works fine with Maverick release? If so, I just need to check every commit from .35 to .38

Soft block did not work with Maverick, looks like James Ferguson fixed it in an enablement system on 10.10. Not sure if the patch made it upstream.

I remember that. Once he says that acer-wmi blocking wifi with thinkpad E420, looks its the same situation. I told him the most simple way to solve this is to block acer-wmi.

Ok. So far what I know is that there are several exception rfkill handling in acer-wmi, I will try to put them in dkms format and see if they works.

Please try above three debs and see if one of them can solve the problem.

This will try all the rfkill exceptions of lastest acer-wmi.c

Installed each package and then rebooted, still seeing the softblock in place. nm-applet always seems to have wireless unchecked as well on each boot, even though I enable it each time.

Thanks for the testing.

If the softblock is still there and no way to disable is. It would be more difficult to solve it. I will try to find out if there are any hint to get real status of rfkill in acer-wmi

Plan to use tools from http://code.google.com/p/aceracpi/wiki/EmbeddedController

Let me read the script and tell how to use it correctly.

Hi,

Please download the acer_ec.pl attached and run command:

    sudo watch -n 1 perl acer_ec.pl regs

and push the rfkill hotkey several times, try to find out which register tells us the *real* rfkill status.

Thanks a lot.

Ref: http://<email address hidden>/msg01940.html

I'm not seeing any value in the registers change consistently to the rfkill hotkey.

That's bad news. Looks like the only way to fix this is to blacklist acer-wmi. I will check discussions on platform-x86 and see what's the proper way to blacklist.

http://people.canonical.com/~ikepanhc/lp/836865/

Please test the kernel in the above link and see if it fix the problem. If it works, I will send to upstream for review.

Ike, the kernel does not seem to have solved the issue.

blacklisting the module manually has fixed the issue

hmm, looks like I need to revise the patch, thanks for the test.

The patch looks ObviouslyCorrect(tm) :(

After install the kernel and reboot, could you please attach output of `dmesg`, `lsmod`, `rfkill list`, `cat /sys/class/dmi/id/board_vendor` and `cat /sys/class/dmi/id/product_name`.

Thanks a lot.

Hi Marc,

Could you try the kernel in below link and let me know if the kernel fix this issue.

  http://people.canonical.com/~ikepanhc/lp/836865-1/

and please attach the output of `dmesg` no matter its ok or not.

Thanks a lot.

... and output of `rfkill list` too

Still no go on the wireless functionality

Hi Marc

Checked the dmesg. It seems you are still using distro kernel.
Can you press left-shift when booting for grub prompt and make sure you select the test kernel please?

Ike,

New kernel is working, I cam able to connect to wireless APs now:
rfkill list
0: brcmwl-0: Wireless LAN
 Soft blocked: no
 Hard blocked: no

Noted that bug 826784 shall be duplicated one with Oneiric release

Patch sent to upstream mailing list for review.

http://<email address hidden>/msg02474.html

Acked from upstream maintainer, waiting for merge

http://<email address hidden>/msg02503.html

Hi Marc,

After upstream review, the patch is revised and use another method to prevent rfkill being registered. Please test the kernel at following URL and no matter it works fine or not, please attach output of `dmesg`

http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~ikepanhc/lp/836865-2/

Thanks a lot.

... and the output of `rfkill list` as well.

Thanks a lot.

find out needs to cherry-pick another commit.

Rebuild the kernel deb and put them at

 http://people.canonical.com/~ikepanhc/lp/836865-3/

Thanks a lot

For the details, please refer to https://bugs.launchpad.net/linux/+bug/668234/comments/11

Ike,

I'm not seeing the kernel (836865-3) resolve the issue. 2.6.38-13.52 is the kernel in use though, while your kernel is 2.6.38-12.51. Is the installed kernel the correct one?

Looks like the installation failed because there is newer kernel landed at Nov-28th.

I will build another kernel based on 2.6.38-13.52

Hi Marc,

I rebuild the kernel based on lastest update tag (Ubuntu-2.6.38-13.53)

You may find the kernel debs at http://people.canonical.com/~ikepanhc/lp/836865-5/

Please help me with the test:

  1. Have a clean install Ubuntu natty
  2. Install broadcom driver through jockey
  3. Install kernel debs at above link
  4. Reboot to use the new kernel deb
  5. Test and see if the wifi works
  6. Attach the output of `dmesg` and `rfkill list`

If the wifi does not work, Please blacklist acer-wmi and repeat 4-6 again.

Thanks a lot.

Hi Ike,

Wifi did not work the first time, or after blacklisting acer_wmi. rfkill list was blank (no output) each time as well.

Thanks Marc,

Looks like this approach also introduces regression.. bad

I will report this to mainainers and seek for other way to fix this.

Hi,

The last approach introduce regressions, so I am thinking an alternative approach. Since most of the report is on ideapads or thinkpads, and we have rfkill registered in ideapad-laptop, I think it will be fine not to register acer-wmi rfkill if we find ideapad/thinkpad device in DSDT.

Ref: http://<email address hidden>/msg02788.html

I have made the patch and built the test kernel, but I have no machine to check, could you help me check if this kernel fix this issue?

You can find the kernel at
   http://people.canonical.com/~ikepanhc/lp/lp836865-6/

This kernel is built as natty i386

Thanks a lot.

Installed the kernel, rfkill show acer-wireless being softblocked.

Thanks for testing.

I found the problem, forget to cherry-pick another commit

commit 1709adab0773616da7a8190f2762e599afb0a295
Author: Lee, Chun-Yi <email address hidden>
Date: Thu Aug 18 18:47:33 2011 +0800

    acer-wmi: check wireless capability flag before register rfkill

    There will be better to check the wireless capability flag
    (ACER_CAP_WIRELESS) before register wireless rfkill because maybe
    the machine doesn't have wifi module or the module removed by user.

    Tested on Acer Travelmate 8572
    Tested on Acer Aspire 4739Z

Will rebuild the test kernel.

Ok, the updated kernel debs are ready at

  http://people.canonical.com/~ikepanhc/lp/836865-7/

Thanks a lot.

Ike,

Still no luck with the latest kernel. Rfkill is still not showing anything, and blacklisting acer_wmi has no effect.

I think it will better that we works on one bug (bug 826784) until we have the fix accepted by upstream maintainer.