# linux 2.6.33 breaks network card driver

## lefsha

After new kernel booting RTL8111/8168B PCI express Gigabit ethernet card doesn't work anymore.

Switching back to 2.6.32r6 solves the problem. Config file is the same.

Any chance to make realtek work under new kernel?

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## nick_already_taken

I would follow this guide:

http://dev.gentoo.org/~mpagano/genpatches/bugs.htm

Perhaps it is a kernel regression, that should be reported upstream?

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## d2_racing

In fact, if you still have the bug, then report the bug to the upstream.

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## curmudgeon5

Same here with Wireless WiFi Link 5100 (iwlagn driver)

But this doesn't seem to be a Gentoo-specific problem: http://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=49561

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## jms.gentoo

did compile 2.6.33 didn´t work for me with ath9k (Wireless )

iwconf shows...nothing

I didn´ t investigate further (no time), had done minor change in the .conf (can´t exclude this as cause but doubt it)and also had nvidia with driver for 2.6.33

note:ath9k works great with 2.6.32-gentoo-r6

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## d2_racing

There's something wrong for sure, maybe the best is to wait from the upstream for a new patch.

Wait and see.

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## darkphader

gentoo-sources or vanilla-sources ?

if vanilla, maybe a patch in gentoo-sources fixes it

if gentoo, maybe a gentoo patch breaks it

also, sometimes when jumping versions 'make oldconfig' isn't totally valid and a new config has to be started from scratch

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## krinn

 *darkphader wrote:*   

> also, sometimes when jumping versions 'make oldconfig' isn't totally valid and a new config has to be started from scratch

 

Agree:

if A in old config now use B as new dependency of A in the newer kernel, then make oldconfig will alter A but will leave B in an unknow state.

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## rahulthewall

 *curmudgeon5 wrote:*   

> Same here with Wireless WiFi Link 5100 (iwlagn driver)
> 
> But this doesn't seem to be a Gentoo-specific problem: http://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=49561

 

Did you enable the following option:

```

Networking Support

                            -> Wireless

                                            ->  cfg80211 wireless extensions compatibility

```

I had to enable this option to get my Intel 3945 to work on 2.6.33.

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## curmudgeon5

 *rahulthewall wrote:*   

>  *curmudgeon5 wrote:*   Same here with Wireless WiFi Link 5100 (iwlagn driver)
> 
> But this doesn't seem to be a Gentoo-specific problem: http://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=49561 
> 
> Did you enable the following option:
> ...

 

Thanks a lot! It did the trick!   :Very Happy: 

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## hielvc

In my case " Linux amdx4b40 2.6.33-gentoo #9 SMP Fri Mar 5 04:09:28 PST 2010 x86_64 AMD Phenom(tm) II X4 B40 Processor AuthenticAMD GNU/Linux" >>an AMD Athion II x3 440 with the 4th core turned on. gentoo-sources-2.6.33 did build RTL8111/8168B, but udev/hal played their little joke and called it net.eth2. Heh effing heh  :Twisted Evil:  After starting " /etc/init.d/net.eth2 start " all was fine.

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## Cyberwizzard

 *curmudgeon5 wrote:*   

>  *rahulthewall wrote:*    *curmudgeon5 wrote:*   Same here with Wireless WiFi Link 5100 (iwlagn driver)
> 
> But this doesn't seem to be a Gentoo-specific problem: http://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=49561 
> 
> Did you enable the following option:
> ...

 

Same here for a Intel 4965 in a XPS 1530M  :Smile: 

@hielvc: look in /etc/udev/rules.d/70-persistent-net.rules - that file contains the device name that udev will give it. Edit that back to eth0, reboot and don't forget to start net.eth0 instead of net.eth2  :Smile: 

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## nick_already_taken

 *curmudgeon5 wrote:*   

> 
> 
> Thanks a lot! It did the trick!  

 

Fine, that it is working now. Don't forget to mark the topic as [SOLVED]

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## d2_racing

@hielvc:  The best for your problem is this :

```

# rm /etc/udev/rules.d/70-persistent-net.rules

# reboot

```

Now if you still have eth2, then we will need to double check why you are still linked to the wrong interface.

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## curmudgeon5

 *nick_already_taken wrote:*   

>  *curmudgeon5 wrote:*   
> 
> Thanks a lot! It did the trick!   
> 
> Fine, that it is working now. Don't forget to mark the topic as [SOLVED]

 

I swear I would do so, if I'd be the one who started this out   :Wink: 

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## d2_racing

In fact  :Razz: 

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## luciano

Hmm I believe I'm having a related issue here. I just updated to 2.6.33 from 2.6.31-r6. And now my iw4965 (iwlagn) is misbehaving in several ways.

Strangely, the rc scripts don't start up correctly - it says 'starting netplug on wlan0' instead of 'starting wpa_supplicant on wlan0' as it does with 2.6.31. Not sure why. 

I'm able to work around this by manually bringing up the interface and starting wpa_supplicant from the shell.  But I'm really puzzled as to why the rc scripts don't start it up or throw up an error. Is anyone else having this same problem?

Furthermore, I found that for any of this to work, I had to disable the wireless extensions compat kernel feature, mentioned above.

Finally, I found that sometimes when I stop the interface (I think with the init script), a soft rfkill switch is enabled. I can see this with "rfkill list". This wasn't happening before ... and also I don't understand why the kill switch is being set. Is it part of the scripts?

Any feedback appreciated!

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## Cyberwizzard

Without the wireless extensions the kernel should see your wifi card as a normal NIC (at least it did for me) - perhaps that is why netplug is used instead of wpa_supplicant?

What does iwconfig say?

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## d2_racing

Maybe udev creates a udev rule that corrupt your interface.

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## nick_already_taken

 *curmudgeon5 wrote:*   

>  *nick_already_taken wrote:*    *curmudgeon5 wrote:*   
> 
> Thanks a lot! It did the trick!   
> 
> Fine, that it is working now. Don't forget to mark the topic as [SOLVED] 
> ...

 

Aehm, you know whom I wanted to talk too...  :Rolling Eyes:   :Smile: 

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## luciano

 *Cyberwizzard wrote:*   

> Without the wireless extensions the kernel should see your wifi card as a normal NIC (at least it did for me) - perhaps that is why netplug is used instead of wpa_supplicant? 

 

I see. Thanks for explaining. It works now, after I turned the extensions back on, and also found that I had to enable CONFIG_WIRELESS_EXT_SYSFS

which was a new item.

I dont' quite understand why these items are deprecated though, if they are used by e.g. wpa_supplicant. How is the new api (or whatever you call it) different in 2.6.33 to warrant these options to be added for 'backward compatibility'?

For example:

CONFIG_CFG80211_WEXT:                                                   │  

  │                                                                         │  

  │ Enable this option if you need old userspace for wireless               │  

  │ extensions with cfg80211-based drivers.

or

CONFIG_WIRELESS_EXT_SYSFS:                                              │  

  │                                                                         │  

  │ This option enables the deprecated wireless statistics                  │  

  │ files in /sys/class/net/*/wireless/. The same information               │  

  │ is available via the ioctls as well.    

??

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## Cyberwizzard

The second option does not ring any bells but the first one was the one that made me skip it at first, thinking that my iwlagn was probably not in need of the 'deprecated' 'old userspace for wireless extensions' but it seems  to be required none the less...

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## luciano

 *Cyberwizzard wrote:*   

> The second option does not ring any bells but the first one was the one that made me skip it at first, thinking that my iwlagn was probably not in need of the 'deprecated' 'old userspace for wireless extensions' but it seems  to be required none the less...

 

The second one depends on the first one; I think it is turned on by default if you select the first one. That's probably why you didn't notice!

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