# [solved]ath5k driver not working in my 3.4.3 kernel

## haai

hi all,

the last time i updated my system from kernel 3.1.0 to 3.4.3 and now i have a problem to get my atk5k wirelesscard working.

03:00.0 Ethernet controller: Atheros Communications Inc. AR5212 802.11abg NIC (rev 01)

        Subsystem: IBM ThinkPad 11a/b/g Wireless LAN Mini Express Adapter (AR5BXB6)

I compiled all in the kernel as described in the

http://en.gentoo-wiki.com/wiki/Atheros_5xxx

BTW i compiled it the same way i did as in 3.1.0 kernel.

So my dmesg output is not listing and ath stuff.

lspci -k gives no information about kernel driver in use.

i dont know what to do cause i compiled it in the kernel but the card is not found  :Sad: 

does anyone advice what to do? i want my wlan card get back working (: should i provide more informations? thanks for every comment about it, i appreciate it

-haaiLast edited by haai on Wed Jul 18, 2012 7:52 am; edited 1 time in total

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## khayyam

haai ...

I'm also using 3.4.3 and I have no issues with ath5k, so its probably not the kernel. When you rebuilt the kernel did you use the old .config and run 'make oldconfig'? Check 'Device Drivers => Network divice support => Wireless LAN => Atheros Wireless Cards => Atheros 5xxx wireless cards support' and make sure its enabled, and also 'Atheros 5xxx PCI bus support' (you can use 'make menuconfig' to do this).

The config should have the following enabled:

```
% awk '/ATH5K/' /usr/src/linux/.config

CONFIG_ATH5K=m

# CONFIG_ATH5K_DEBUG is not set

CONFIG_ATH5K_PCI=y
```

I'm perhaps being over obvious, but you didn't mention checking the .config and so it may be simply a case of omiting it during configuring.

HTH & best

khay

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## haai

 *khayyam wrote:*   

> haai ...
> 
> I'm also using 3.4.3 and I have no issues with ath5k, so its probably not the kernel. When you rebuilt the kernel did you use the old .config and run 'make oldconfig'? Check 'Device Drivers => Network divice support => Wireless LAN => Atheros Wireless Cards => Atheros 5xxx wireless cards support' and make sure its enabled, and also 'Atheros 5xxx PCI bus support' (you can use 'make menuconfig' to do this).
> 
> The config should have the following enabled:
> ...

 

hi hkay,

thank for your post. I used the genkernel with --menuconfig all and checked all i needed as i did before. i did it more than 1 time  :Smile:  i dont know. i definetly checked the atheros config. i build it in the kernel and not as module. but nothing. and btw i, when i build it as module no module is created. it has to be in the path /lib/modules/3.4.3-gentoo/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/ath5k.ko, right? but the funny thing is there other wireless mods i have had deactivated.... o.O

i also checked the config.gz in proc but there is noch CONFIG_ATH5K?!?...

-haai

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## khayyam

haai ...

OK, I don't use genkernel ... I suggest you cd /usr/src/linux and 'make menuconfig' ... you can then look under 'Device Drivers => Network divice support => Wireless LAN => Atheros Wireless Cards, and see if its actually enabled.

OR, if you have your old kernel .config you could copy it to /usr/src/linux and run 'make oldconfig' (answering the questions as they are posed).

If I were you I would do the following:

```
% cd /usr/src/linux

% make mrproper

% cp /path/to/oldkernel/.config .config

% make oldconfig

% make menuconfig    # and check athk5 is enabled

% make && make modules_install

% mount /boot

% make install    # or optionally copy arch/x86/boot/bzImage to /boot
```

You then edit your grub.conf you reflect the changes, and reboot.

your welcome! & best ...

khay

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## ultraslinky

I can confirm that ath5k is working under 3.4.3, i'm using it right now  :Smile:  very probably just a configuration issue.

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## haai

 *ultraslinky wrote:*   

> I can confirm that ath5k is working under 3.4.3, i'm using it right now  very probably just a configuration issue.

 

OK, first of all thanks for your comments. I was busy the last time with exams and remember that post right now...

Yes i can confirm too. It is working on 3.4.3  :Smile: 

As khayyam suggested, i did a kernel compilation without genkernel and now everything is fine! No problem, WLAN card is working and i havent a initramfs anymore  :Smile: 

Well despite that, i really doesnt know what was the problem with genkernel! I compiled the same options and only the relevant options for that specific card. Nevertheless, genkernel compiled module sources of WLAN modules i had definitly deactivated. And this was not my first genkernel-kernel compilation... Curious thing. I dont know what was the reason but thats not the problem anymore.

Thanks for commenting and giving me the tip for manual compilation, khayyam  :Smile: 

~haai

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## khayyam

 *haai wrote:*   

> [...] i really doesnt know what was the problem with genkernel! I compiled the same options and only the relevant options for that specific card. Nevertheless, genkernel compiled module sources of WLAN modules i had definitly deactivated. And this was not my first genkernel-kernel compilation... Curious thing. I dont know what was the reason but thats not the problem anymore.

 

haai ... I've never used genkernel and so know next to nothing about how it goes about configuring the kernel, when I look at the output of lsmod and see what is enabled, I can't but think that its almost arbitrary. 

 *haai wrote:*   

> Thanks for commenting and giving me the tip for manual compilation, khayyam

 

... again, you welcome, best ...

khay

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