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Loading fallback firmware in rtl8723be and rtl8821ae fails

PATCH Superseded Sven Joachim 3 participants 5 messages Jul 28, 2017 – Aug 3, 2017 Realtek wireless driver (rtlwifi family)

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Sven Joachim

author
#0 lore raw

After upgrading my laptop to kernel 4.12 I found that the firmware for my WiFi card was no longer loaded, rendering the WiFi non-functional. In the dmesg are (only) these related lines:

[    6.854609] rtl8723be: Using firmware rtlwifi/rtl8723befw_36.bin
[    6.854990] rtl8723be 0000:02:00.0: Direct firmware load for rtlwifi/rtl8723befw_36.bin failed with error -2
[    6.854993] rtlwifi: Selected firmware is not available

Now, by commit f70e4df2b384d21e36a7c30a591639592692e0ec ("Add code to read new versions of firmware"), supposedly rtlwifi/rtl8723befw.bin should be loaded if rtlwifi/rtl8723befw_36.bin is not available, but that does not actually work.

AFAICS the problem is that request_firmware_nowait() does not wait for the firmware to show up and returns 0 even if the file is not there, so the code to load the fallback file will never be reached.

Cheers,
Sven

author
#1 lore raw

PATCH 1/1 rtlwifi: Fix fallback firmware loading

Commit f70e4df2 ("rtlwifi: Add code to read new versions of firmware") added code to load an old firmware file if the new one is not available. Unfortunately that code is never reached because request_firmware_nowait() does not wait for the firmware to show up and returns 0 even if the file is not there.

Use the existing fallback mechanism introduced by commit 62009b7f ("rtlwifi: rtl8192cu: Add new firmware") instead.

Fixes f70e4df2b384d21e36a7c30a591639592692e0ec
Cc [email protected]
Signed-off-by Sven Joachim <[email protected]>
---
 drivers/net/wireless/realtek/rtlwifi/rtl8723be/sw.c | 13 +++----------
 drivers/net/wireless/realtek/rtlwifi/rtl8821ae/sw.c | 13 +++----------
 2 files changed, 6 insertions(+), 20 deletions(-)
drivers/net/wireless/realtek/rtlwifi/rtl8723be/sw.c +3 -10
index f9d10f1e7cf8..1c2d5f6dd3ff 100644
@@ -187,16 +187,8 @@ int rtl8723be_init_sw_vars(struct ieee80211_hw *hw)
 				      rtlpriv->io.dev, GFP_KERNEL, hw,
 				      rtl_fw_cb);
 	if (err) {
-		/* Failed to get firmware. Check if old version available */
-		fw_name = "rtlwifi/rtl8723befw.bin";
-		pr_info("Using firmware %s\n", fw_name);
-		err = request_firmware_nowait(THIS_MODULE, 1, fw_name,
-					      rtlpriv->io.dev, GFP_KERNEL, hw,
-					      rtl_fw_cb);
-		if (err) {
-			pr_err("Failed to request firmware!\n");
-			return 1;
-		}
+		pr_err("Failed to request firmware!\n");
+		return 1;
 	}
 	return 0;
 }

@@ -287,6 +279,7 @@ static const struct rtl_hal_cfg rtl8723be_hal_cfg = {
 	.bar_id = 2,
 	.write_readback = true,
 	.name = "rtl8723be_pci",
+	.alt_fw_name = "rtlwifi/rtl8723befw.bin",
 	.ops = &rtl8723be_hal_ops,
 	.mod_params = &rtl8723be_mod_params,
 	.maps[SYS_ISO_CTRL] = REG_SYS_ISO_CTRL,
drivers/net/wireless/realtek/rtlwifi/rtl8821ae/sw.c +3 -10
index d71d2776ca03..0801576bfa89 100644
@@ -214,16 +214,8 @@ int rtl8821ae_init_sw_vars(struct ieee80211_hw *hw)
 				      rtlpriv->io.dev, GFP_KERNEL, hw,
 				      rtl_fw_cb);
 	if (err) {
-		/* Failed to get firmware. Check if old version available */
-		fw_name = "rtlwifi/rtl8821aefw.bin";
-		pr_info("Using firmware %s\n", fw_name);
-		err = request_firmware_nowait(THIS_MODULE, 1, fw_name,
-					      rtlpriv->io.dev, GFP_KERNEL, hw,
-					      rtl_fw_cb);
-		if (err) {
-			pr_err("Failed to request normal firmware!\n");
-			return 1;
-		}
+		pr_err("Failed to request normal firmware!\n");
+		return 1;
 	}
 	/*load wowlan firmware*/
 	pr_info("Using firmware %s\n", wowlan_fw_name);

@@ -325,6 +317,7 @@ static const struct rtl_hal_cfg rtl8821ae_hal_cfg = {
 	.bar_id = 2,
 	.write_readback = true,
 	.name = "rtl8821ae_pci",
+	.alt_fw_name = "rtlwifi/rtl8821aefw.bin",
 	.ops = &rtl8821ae_hal_ops,
 	.mod_params = &rtl8821ae_mod_params,
 	.maps[SYS_ISO_CTRL] = REG_SYS_ISO_CTRL,
Signature · 1 line
2.13.3
NAK
#2 lore raw

Re: [PATCH] rtlwifi: Fix fallback firmware loading

Quoted 6 lines · Sven Joachim

Commit f70e4df2 ("rtlwifi: Add code to read new versions of firmware") added code to load an old firmware file if the new one is not available. Unfortunately that code is never reached because request_firmware_nowait() does not wait for the firmware to show up and returns 0 even if the file is not there.

Quoted 6 lines

Use the existing fallback mechanism introduced by commit 62009b7f ("rtlwifi: rtl8192cu: Add new firmware") instead.

Fixes f70e4df2b384d21e36a7c30a591639592692e0ec
Cc [email protected]
Signed-off-by Sven Joachim <[email protected]>

Your solution seems to be correct; however, your patch fails to apply. Make certain that you have the latest pull on the wireless-drivers-next repo. In particular, it needs commit f2764f61fa105 by Souptik Jarder, which changed the error return.

NACK.

Larry

author
#3 lore raw

PATCH v2 1/1 rtlwifi: Fix fallback firmware loading

Commit f70e4df2b384 ("rtlwifi: Add code to read new versions of firmware") added code to load an old firmware file if the new one is not available. Unfortunately that code is never reached because request_firmware_nowait() does not wait for the firmware to show up and returns 0 even if the file is not there.

Use the existing fallback mechanism introduced by commit 62009b7f1279 ("rtlwifi: rtl8192cu: Add new firmware") instead.

Fixes f70e4df2b384 ("rtlwifi: Add code to read new versions of firmware")
Cc [email protected]
Signed-off-by Sven Joachim <[email protected]>
---
 drivers/net/wireless/realtek/rtlwifi/rtl8723be/sw.c | 17 +++++------------
 drivers/net/wireless/realtek/rtlwifi/rtl8821ae/sw.c | 17 +++++------------
 2 files changed, 10 insertions(+), 24 deletions(-)
drivers/net/wireless/realtek/rtlwifi/rtl8723be/sw.c +5 -12
index 56c05c4e1499..f47d839f388d 100644
@@ -187,18 +187,10 @@ int rtl8723be_init_sw_vars(struct ieee80211_hw *hw)
 				      rtlpriv->io.dev, GFP_KERNEL, hw,
 				      rtl_fw_cb);
 	if (err) {
-		/* Failed to get firmware. Check if old version available */
-		fw_name = "rtlwifi/rtl8723befw.bin";
-		pr_info("Using firmware %s\n", fw_name);
-		err = request_firmware_nowait(THIS_MODULE, 1, fw_name,
-					      rtlpriv->io.dev, GFP_KERNEL, hw,
-					      rtl_fw_cb);
-		if (err) {
-			pr_err("Failed to request firmware!\n");
-			vfree(rtlpriv->rtlhal.pfirmware);
-			rtlpriv->rtlhal.pfirmware = NULL;
-			return 1;
-		}
+		pr_err("Failed to request firmware!\n");
+		vfree(rtlpriv->rtlhal.pfirmware);
+		rtlpriv->rtlhal.pfirmware = NULL;
+		return 1;
 	}
 	return 0;
 }

@@ -289,6 +281,7 @@ static const struct rtl_hal_cfg rtl8723be_hal_cfg = {
 	.bar_id = 2,
 	.write_readback = true,
 	.name = "rtl8723be_pci",
+	.alt_fw_name = "rtlwifi/rtl8723befw.bin",
 	.ops = &rtl8723be_hal_ops,
 	.mod_params = &rtl8723be_mod_params,
 	.maps[SYS_ISO_CTRL] = REG_SYS_ISO_CTRL,
drivers/net/wireless/realtek/rtlwifi/rtl8821ae/sw.c +5 -12
index ec2d577ba85b..5925edf7877f 100644
@@ -216,18 +216,10 @@ int rtl8821ae_init_sw_vars(struct ieee80211_hw *hw)
 				      rtlpriv->io.dev, GFP_KERNEL, hw,
 				      rtl_fw_cb);
 	if (err) {
-		/* Failed to get firmware. Check if old version available */
-		fw_name = "rtlwifi/rtl8821aefw.bin";
-		pr_info("Using firmware %s\n", fw_name);
-		err = request_firmware_nowait(THIS_MODULE, 1, fw_name,
-					      rtlpriv->io.dev, GFP_KERNEL, hw,
-					      rtl_fw_cb);
-		if (err) {
-			pr_err("Failed to request normal firmware!\n");
-			vfree(rtlpriv->rtlhal.wowlan_firmware);
-			vfree(rtlpriv->rtlhal.pfirmware);
-			return 1;
-		}
+		pr_err("Failed to request normal firmware!\n");
+		vfree(rtlpriv->rtlhal.wowlan_firmware);
+		vfree(rtlpriv->rtlhal.pfirmware);
+		return 1;
 	}
 	/*load wowlan firmware*/
 	pr_info("Using firmware %s\n", wowlan_fw_name);

@@ -331,6 +323,7 @@ static const struct rtl_hal_cfg rtl8821ae_hal_cfg = {
 	.bar_id = 2,
 	.write_readback = true,
 	.name = "rtl8821ae_pci",
+	.alt_fw_name = "rtlwifi/rtl8821aefw.bin",
 	.ops = &rtl8821ae_hal_ops,
 	.mod_params = &rtl8821ae_mod_params,
 	.maps[SYS_ISO_CTRL] = REG_SYS_ISO_CTRL,
Signature · 1 line
2.13.3
#4 lore raw

Re: [v2] rtlwifi: Fix fallback firmware loading

Quoted 6 lines · Sven Joachim

Commit f70e4df2b384 ("rtlwifi: Add code to read new versions of firmware") added code to load an old firmware file if the new one is not available. Unfortunately that code is never reached because request_firmware_nowait() does not wait for the firmware to show up and returns 0 even if the file is not there.

Quoted 6 lines

Use the existing fallback mechanism introduced by commit 62009b7f1279 ("rtlwifi: rtl8192cu: Add new firmware") instead.

Fixes f70e4df2b384 ("rtlwifi: Add code to read new versions of firmware")
Cc [email protected]
Signed-off-by Sven Joachim <[email protected]>

Patch applied to wireless-drivers-next.git, thanks.

1d9b168d8ea9 rtlwifi: Fix fallback firmware loading

Signature · 3 lines
https://patchwork.kernel.org/patch/9872413/

https://wireless.wiki.kernel.org/en/developers/documentation/submittingpatches