Bug 42867 - Regression : b43 kernel module locks system at modprobe is no firmware is found
Summary: Regression : b43 kernel module locks system at modprobe is no firmware is found
Status: RESOLVED CODE_FIX
Alias: None
Product: Drivers
Classification: Unclassified
Component: network-wireless (show other bugs)
Hardware: All Linux
: P1 normal
Assignee: Larry Finger
URL:
Keywords:
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2012-03-05 08:10 UTC by Jose
Modified: 2012-05-09 18:36 UTC (History)
2 users (show)

See Also:
Kernel Version:
Subsystem:
Regression: No
Bisected commit-id:

Attachments
Patch to load firmware asynchronously (5.22 KB, patch)
2012-03-05 16:59 UTC, Larry Finger 		Details | Diff
Add an attachment (proposed patch, testcase, etc.)

Description Jose 2012-03-05 08:10:19 UTC 
With kernel 2.6.38 (distribution Mageia 1) b43 complains about firmware files not found, but it does not lock.

With kernel 3.2.9 (distribution Mageia 2 beta) modprobing b43 locks everything (even magickeys are dead). Installing the firmware files needed by my device (opensource openfwwf ucode5.fw) solves the lock, and everything works.
Comment 1 John W. Linville 2012-03-05 16:47:07 UTC 
I'm guessing that this relates to the new udev changes that Larry has been dealing with on the mailing list...?
Comment 2 Larry Finger 2012-03-05 16:59:25 UTC 
Created attachment 72543 [details]
Patch to load firmware asynchronously

Does this patch prevent the system lockup?
Comment 3 Jose 2012-03-07 07:14:40 UTC 
In fact my distro upgraded to 3.3-rc6 and the lockup is not there anymore.

As I don't have a build system to test your patch, I just close as resolved by new version.

Thank you for your attention.
Comment 4 Jose 2012-03-11 20:05:38 UTC 
In fact I tested badly : the lockup is still there when firmware file is missing.

The good news is that now I could test your patch against 3.3.0-rc7, and it fixed the lockup :

[   65.515983] Broadcom 43xx driver loaded [ Features: PMNLS ]
[   65.538956] b43-phy0 ERROR: Firmware file "b43/ucode5.fw" not found
[   65.538963] b43-phy0 ERROR: Firmware file "b43-open/ucode5.fw" not found
[   65.538971] b43-phy0 ERROR: You must go to http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Drivers/b43#devicefirmware and download the correct firmware for this driver version. Please carefully read all instructions on this website.

So please apply this patch in the main tree.
Comment 5 Jose 2012-05-08 05:33:40 UTC 
Thank you, and may I ask which kernel version will bring this fix?
This could help future bug reporters.
Comment 6 Larry Finger 2012-05-09 18:08:42 UTC 
Your testing in Comment #3 indicates that the fix is in kernel 3.3.0+. That matches the git log for mainline. The release is at line 75480 of the log, and the patch starts at line 86254.
Comment 7 Jose 2012-05-09 18:36:32 UTC 
(In reply to comment #6)
> Your testing in Comment #3 indicates that the fix is in kernel 3.3.0+. That
> matches the git log for mainline. The release is at line 75480 of the log,
> and
> the patch starts at line 86254.

Sorry, comment #3 was wrong as indicated in comment #4. Right now, with kernel 3.3.4 the bug is still there if I do not apply the patch you attached in #2. As I can't see that patch applied in 

http://git.kernel.org/?p=linux/kernel/git/stable/linux-stable.git;a=history;f=drivers/net/wireless/b43/b43.h;h=16e8f8058155464d1537f4bfc3b6bdc3af344f75;hb=eb641120479de7ee703fabb5e6ee0ec7947474ba

I think it may have been forgotten?
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