Bug 5682

Summary: System boot locks up when b43 firmware is not installed on systems with BCM4318 wireless LAN controller.
Product: Mageia Reporter: Jeffrey Laramie <jalaramie>
Component: RPM PackagesAssignee: Thomas Backlund <tmb>
Status: RESOLVED FIXED QA Contact:
Severity: critical    
Priority: Normal CC: tmb
Version: Cauldron   
Target Milestone: ---   
Hardware: x86_64   
OS: Linux   
Whiteboard:
Source RPM: kernel CVE:
Status comment:

Description Jeffrey Laramie 2012-04-29 19:05:29 CEST 
Description of problem:
After a successful installation of Mageia 2 on a laptop with the BCM4318 chip the system locks up on boot. The BCM4318 is not recognized by the installation program so you cannot install the b43 firmware package during installation.

Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable):
b43-openfwwf-5.2-2

How reproducible:
1. Do a standard Mageia 2 installation and reboot.

2. After installation run drakconnect from the safe mode command line and try to configure any NIC on the system. When you try to save the configuration the system hangs when testing the connection.

3. If you can get to a desktop, run drakx11 or the corresponding module in MCC. Configuring any NIC on the system will cause the system to hang.

Workaround:
1. From the boot menu *immediately* boot into safe mode. Waiting even a fraction of a second may allow the system to lock up on boot.

2. Once you have a command line, copy the following files to a USB drive. Mount it on the laptop and use urpmi to install these packages:

   b43-fwcutter-015-1.mga2.x86_64.rpm
   b43-openfwwf-5.2-2.mga2.noarch.rpm
   b43-tools-0-0.7.git20090125.mga2.x86_64.rpm

I didn't test to see if you need all of them, but it won't hurt to install them anyway.

You may also wish to install the packages for dhcp if they weren't already installed during the original installation.

   dhcp-client-4.2.3P2-4.mga2.x86_64.rpm
   dhcp-common-4.2.3P2-4.mga2.x86_64.rpm

3. Use drakx11 or MCC to configure the wireless NIC which should now be visable to the system.

4. Reboot and all should be good.

I don't know how many users have this chip or how important it is in the big picture, but any time an installation fails to boot we will lose potential users/contributors so I'm marking it as critical.
Comment 1 Jeffrey Laramie 2012-04-29 19:10:32 CEST 
In case it isn't clear, under "How reproducible" I'm not listing 3 steps to reproduce, but listing 3 distinctly different ways to reproduce the bug.
Comment 2 Manuel Hiebel 2012-05-01 00:08:35 CEST 
still valid with the update of yesterday ?

>system hangs when testing the connection.

that mean ?

Keywords: (none) => NEEDINFO

Comment 3 Jeffrey Laramie 2012-05-01 00:37:11 CEST 
(In reply to comment #2)
> still valid with the update of yesterday ?

I haven't tried to install again since I filed the bug. Which update do you want me to test?

 
> >system hangs when testing the connection.
> 
> that mean ?

When you get to the last screen of drakconnect it asks you if you want to start the connection. "Start connection" is selected and if you select "Next" it tests your connection and tries to activate the card. The system locks up at that point.

Jeff
Comment 4 Manuel Hiebel 2012-05-01 00:42:20 CEST 
>I haven't tried to install again since I filed the bug. Which update do you
>want me to test?
drakx-net, but you know that cauldron is going better when you make all update ?

(like in all distro)

>The system locks up at that point.
mh strange, or I don't understand what you really mean.
any error in /var/log/messages ?
Comment 5 Jeffrey Laramie 2012-05-01 01:27:56 CEST 
(In reply to comment #4)
> >I haven't tried to install again since I filed the bug. Which update do you
> >want me to test?
> drakx-net, but you know that cauldron is going better when you make all update
> ?

Because I have lots of systems I maintain a local repository which I sync every day with a cron job and sync manually before I do an installation. After installation every installed system updates itself once a day. The last update to drakx-net that I have is drakx-net-1.8-1 updated on 04/25. There have been no updates to drakx-net since I installed that system. 

> 
> >The system locks up at that point.
> mh strange, or I don't understand what you really mean.
> any error in /var/log/messages ?

The system simply freezes at that point. When I boot using safe mode (to get a command line) it doesn't open any log files so there are no errors recorded.
Comment 6 Manuel Hiebel 2012-05-01 22:12:35 CEST 
seems you cron script is broken or you have an outdated mirror

http://rpmfind.net//linux/RPM/mageia/cauldron/x86_64/media/core/release/drakx-net-1.10-1.mga2.noarch.html
Comment 7 Jeffrey Laramie 2012-05-02 15:59:21 CEST 
(In reply to comment #6)
> seems you cron script is broken or you have an outdated mirror
> 
> http://rpmfind.net//linux/RPM/mageia/cauldron/x86_64/media/core/release/drakx-net-1.10-1.mga2.noarch.html

I checked my cron job log and the mirror I use to sync (kernel.org) didn't have that update as of 23:00 EDT yesterday. It's there now, so I'll update my local mirror and try a fresh install as soon as I get a chance.

Jeff
Comment 8 Jeffrey Laramie 2012-05-02 20:21:47 CEST 
A fresh install using the new drakx-net package gives a slight improvement. If I boot into safe mode I can now always get to the command line. How quickly you initiate the boot sequence no longer makes a difference. However using the default boot option, the system still hangs with a blank screen just like before.
Comment 9 Thomas Backlund 2012-05-04 23:54:50 CEST 
This issue will be fixed in upstream 3.3.5 kernel wich will be the release kernel for Mga2

CC: (none) => tmb

Thomas Backlund 2012-05-05 00:04:30 CEST

Keywords: NEEDINFO => (none)
Assignee: bugsquad => tmb
Source RPM: b43-openfwwf-5.2-2.mga2.noarch.rpm => kernel

Comment 10 Jeffrey Laramie 2012-05-05 01:09:28 CEST 
(In reply to comment #9)
> This issue will be fixed in upstream 3.3.5 kernel wich will be the release
> kernel for Mga2

Great news! Thanks.

Jeff
Comment 11 Thomas Backlund 2012-05-10 23:11:55 CEST 
kernel-3.3.5-1.mga2 available on primary mirror

Status: NEW => RESOLVED
Resolution: (none) => FIXED