mactel-support team mailing list archive

[Dennis Dirdjaja <dcd-ditsch@xxxxxx>]

This was also on the LKML: http://lkml.org/lkml/2008/9/12/351

** Also affects: mactel-support
   Importance: Undecided
       Status: New

** Changed in: linux (Ubuntu)
       Status: New => Confirmed

-- 
ath9k causes system lockup
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/289356
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Status in Mactel Support: New
Status in “linux” source package in Ubuntu: Confirmed

Bug description:
I've had repeated trouble with ath9k causing my system to lock up.  It's a macbook, late 2006 model, running 8.10.

lspci -v shows the following info:

02:00.0 Network controller: Atheros Communications Inc. AR5008 Wireless Network Adapter (rev 01)
        Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 17
        Memory at 90100000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=64K]
        Capabilities: [40] Power Management version 2
        Capabilities: [50] Message Signalled Interrupts: Mask- 64bit- Queue=0/0 Enable-
        Capabilities: [60] Express Legacy Endpoint, MSI 00
        Capabilities: [90] MSI-X: Enable- Mask- TabSize=1
        Capabilities: [100] Advanced Error Reporting <?>
        Capabilities: [140] Virtual Channel <?>
        Kernel driver in use: ath9k
        Kernel modules: ath9k

Kernel:
Linux uviol 2.6.27-7-generic #1 SMP Fri Oct 24 06:40:41 UTC 2008 x86_64 GNU/Linux


Symptoms are the wireless network fails to respond and I am unable to reconnect.  I get repeated popups asking for WPA2 password, and lots of messages like this in the log:

[72782.981155] ath9k_config: Unable to set channel
[72783.337281] ath_set_channel: unable to reset channel 60 (5300Mhz) flags 0x103
42 hal status 4294967277
[72783.337369] ath9k_config: Unable to set channel
[72783.693048] ath_set_channel: unable to reset channel 64 (5320Mhz) flags 0x103
42 hal status 4294967277
[72783.693164] ath9k_config: Unable to set channel
[72784.049049] ath_set_channel: unable to reset channel 149 (5745Mhz) flags 0x30
142 hal status 4294967277
[72784.049173] ath9k_config: Unable to set channel
[72784.336993] ath_set_channel: unable to reset channel 153 (5765Mhz) flags 0x50
142 hal status 4294967277


First time this happens, I can clear the problem by unloading and reloading the ath9k module.  It will occur again shortly afterward.  Second or third time around the ath9k module will unload and reload fine, but following this any process that tries accessing the device will hang (NetworkManager, 'ifconfig', etc.) and the system becomes more and more unresponsive until I have to power off.

This bug is a showstopper for me and rebooting twice daily has shot my workflow to bits, so I'm happy to help debug this in any way I can.