# Installing ar9271-firmware problems

## DiscoDave

Hi Guys,

New to Gentoo, but have fairly small experience working with Ubuntu.

I am trying to get my ar9271 wireless nic working with Gentoo. I am working with an ARM board and version of Gentoo.

```
"net-wireless/ar9271-firmware ("net-wireless/ar9271-firmware" is blocking sys-kernel/linux-firmware-20121030)

 * Error: The above package list contains packages which cannot be

 * installed at the same time on the same system.

  (net-wireless/ar9271-firmware-1.3::gentoo, ebuild scheduled for merge) pulled in by

    ar9271-firmware

  (sys-kernel/linux-firmware-20121030::gentoo, installed) pulled in by

    sys-kernel/linux-firmware required by @selected
```

Can anyone shed some light on this for me? Also, when the driver fully installs, will it start at boot time automatically, or do I have to set a flag for it somewhere?

Thanking everyone for help with this.

Kindest Regards,

Dave

----------

## NeddySeagoon

DiscoDave,

Welcome to Gentoo.

You already have  sys-kernel/linux-firmware-20121030 installed.  If you look in /lib/firmware, you will probably find that it provides the same files as net-wireless/ar9271-firmware.

Thats not allowed. Packages that do the same thing with the same files may not both be installed at the same time.

Indeed, I have ar9271.fw as I have sys-kernel/linux-firmware-2012103.  You do not need to install net-wireless/ar9271-firmware.

This interface will not start at boot automatically.  You need to add it to the default runlevel for that.

----------

## DiscoDave

just to update. Ive managed to install the drivers by uninstalling linux-firmware first. The usb device is showing up when I type lsusb but the device does mot seem to be working. Can anyone shed some light on this for me?

----------

## NeddySeagoon

DiscoDave,

That works too.  You have removed firmware for lots of devices you won't have.

Does the interface show up in 

```
ifconfig -a
```

You may find a line or two in dmesg about wlan0 and firemware loading ... as long as it doesn't say  failed.

If the firmware is ok and the firmware is in ifconfig, then you can make a symlink for the interface in 

/etc/int.d/ named net.<ifname> which points to net.lo

then start the device with 

```
/etc/init.d/net.<ifname> start
```

It will attempt to use dhcp to get the setup IP addresses.

----------

## Gusar

Depending on which kernel version you have, what you have might be the wrong firmware. You should do what NeddySeagoon says, use linux-firmware. It contains Atheros firmware for all kernel versions. In particular, newer kernels need htc_9271.fw

<mini_rant>Why does Gentoo even provide separate firmware packages? It only causes problems like in this thread. Only firmwares that aren't part of linux-firmware should have their own package</mini_rant>

----------

## NeddySeagoon

Gusar,

linux-firmware is newer than most -firmware packages and just occasionally the -firmware packages update faster then linux-firmware.

----------

## DiscoDave

Hi guys,

Thanks for all help this far. It is genuinely appreciated.

The output of ifconfig -a shows the following :

```

[    2.290000] usb 1-2.1: new high-speed USB device number 3 using s5p-ehci

[    2.400000] usb 1-2.1: New USB device found, idVendor=0424, idProduct=9514

[    2.400000] usb 1-2.1: New USB device strings: Mfr=0, Product=0, SerialNumber=0

[    2.415000] hub 1-2.1:1.0: USB hub found

[    2.415000] hub 1-2.1:1.0: 5 ports detected

[    2.505000] usb 1-2.2: new high-speed USB device number 4 using s5p-ehci

[    2.630000] usb 1-2.2: New USB device found, idVendor=0846, idProduct=9030

[    2.630000] usb 1-2.2: New USB device strings: Mfr=16, Product=32, SerialNumber=48

[    2.635000] usb 1-2.2: Product: WNA1100

[    2.640000] usb 1-2.2: Manufacturer: NETGEAR WNA

[    2.645000] usb 1-2.2: SerialNumber: 12345

[    2.735000] usb 1-2.1.1: new high-speed USB device number 5 using s5p-ehci

[    2.840000] usb 1-2.1.1: New USB device found, idVendor=0424, idProduct=ec00

[    2.840000] usb 1-2.1.1: New USB device strings: Mfr=0, Product=0, SerialNumber=0

[    3.265000] udevd[1304]: starting version 171

[    3.460000] input: gpio-keys as /devices/platform/gpio-keys.0/input/input0

[    3.490000] s5p-mixer s5p-mixer: start latency exceeded, new value 667 ns

[    3.490000] s5p-mixer s5p-mixer: state restore latency exceeded, new value 44000 ns

[    3.490000] s5p-mixer s5p-mixer: stop latency exceeded, new value 833 ns

[    3.490000] s5p-mixer s5p-mixer: start latency exceeded, new value 875 ns

[    3.490000] s5p-mixer s5p-mixer: state save latency exceeded, new value 8708 ns

[    4.015000] smsc95xx v1.0.4

[    4.070000] smsc95xx 1-2.1.1:1.0: eth0: register 'smsc95xx' at usb-s5p-ehci-2.1.1, smsc95xx USB 2.0 Ethernet, 0a:36:76:87:1e:7f

[    4.070000] usbcore: registered new interface driver smsc95xx

[    4.540000] usb 1-2.2: ath9k_htc: Firmware htc_9271.fw requested

[    4.540000] usbcore: registered new interface driver ath9k_htc

[    4.875000] usb 1-2.2: ath9k_htc: Transferred FW: htc_9271.fw, size: 51272

[    5.880000] ath9k_htc 1-2.2:1.0: ath9k_htc: Target is unresponsive

[    5.880000] ath9k_htc: Failed to initialize the device

[    5.890000] usb 1-2.2: ath9k_htc: USB layer deinitialized

[    7.920000]  [MAX98090] max98090_set_playback_speaker_headset(111)

[    8.285000] NET: Registered protocol family 10

[    8.285000] IPv6: ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): eth0: link is not ready

[    8.670000] IPv6: ADDRCONF(NETDEV_CHANGE): eth0: link becomes ready

[    8.670000] smsc95xx 1-2.1.1:1.0: eth0: link up, 100Mbps, full-duplex, lpa 0x45E1

[ 7352.410000] Unhandled fault: external abort on non-linefetch (0x018) at 0xb6f06000

```

Im a noob - but to me it seems that the device is failing to start. I can confirim that the device does work on a windows machine and with Ubuntu.

All help, as always, much appreciated.

Cheers,

Dave

----------

## NeddySeagoon

DiscoDave,

Tell us about your USB device tree and how all of your USB devices are powered.

Tell us the ratings (output voltage and current) of your power supply(s)

Your WiFi will want 500mA. Thats the entire allowance from a USB root hub.

----------

