# prism54g - request_firmware failed 	( post #1)

## frogboy

I had my 3com card working fine yesterday. Now I just re-installed gentoo (2.6 dev kernel, same as before) and it can't uplaod the firmware.

I've tried everything. dmesg out put is:

eth1: islpci_open()

eth1:resetting device...

eth1:uploading firmware...

prism54:request_firmware() failed for 'is13890'

eth1:could not upload firmware ('osl3890')

lspci recognises the card as 000:03:00.0 Network controller: 3Com ............................

ALSO, I checked all the mor eoobvious stuff...

=================================================================

*) does "cat /proc/sys/kernel/hotplug" show something like "/sbin/hotplug"? YES

*) is /sbin/hotplug present? YES

*) is the "firmware" agent is present (call /sbin/hotplug without

any argument to show a list of available agents) YES

*) have you copied the firmware file into the folder expected by

firmware.agent? (usually "/usr/lib/hotplug/firmware/") YES

*) for 2.6.x you need to mount sysfs! I THINK SO. ls -F /sys returns:

block/ bus/ /class /devices /firmware /module /power

ONLY acpi is listed in firmware.

Other issues not directly related to firmware uploading:

*) [cardbus] have 'yenta_socket' module loaded in order to make cardbus

card visible to the kernel pci subsystem? (check with lspci(1) whether

device is visible to the kernel) YES, CARD IS RECOGNISED

===============================================================

Permissions on /usr/lib/hotplug/firmware/isl3890 are -rw-r--r--.

I don't know what else to try. It's weird that last time it worked as soon as I emerged the prism54 ebuild.  I've tried it with the Windows firware from the 3Com cd and from the Prism54.org website.  

I've tried as real root and su.  Now Ive run out of ideas!

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## dangertools

hotplug searches for the firmware in a different dir now, usually in /lib/firmware which is set since a few weeks now by default in /etc/hotplug/firmware.agent.

dangertools

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## frogboy

Cheers dangertools.  That would make sense if Knoppix was using the older file path.

========================================================================

Yeah!! solved it.  Well actually I haven't solved it but I got it working.  

1. Booted up Knoppix.

2. Copy over the firmware.agent file from /etc/hotplug in /KNOPPIX to the /etc/hotplug folder on the Gentoo install (on hda3 in my case, remember to mount the hd with read permissions).

3. Copy over the /usr/lib/hotplug/firmware/isl3890 file in /KNOPPIX to the equivalent folder on the Gentoo install.

In my case it was the firmware.agent that was shagged. EDIT:  probably not shageed but pointing to the wrong dir.  DAngertools, where did you find out about the change?

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## dangertools

hmm... Where did i find out about the change. What do you think? Perhaps looking into /etc/hotplug/firmware.agent for a change after prism stopped working?

dangertools

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## frogboy

thanks for the answer, but why the sarcasm?  I checked and this isn't even true for the latest firmware agent in portage and wasn't the reason that it wasn't working on my system.  

I think I'd speak for all noobies  - we all really appreciate people with more experience giving advice but no one likes someone being sarcastic just because thet think they know more than you

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## dangertools

The problem you had was that firmware.agent pointed out /lib/firmware and not /usr/lib/hotplug/firmware so my sarcasm is right. Just look into the file and you will find the line

```
FIRMWARE_DIR=/lib/firmware
```

which tells you that it doesn't point to /usr/lib/hotplug/firmware but to /lib/firmware, right? Noone will tell a noob that he is an idiot because he is a noob. I was one some time ago too, but searching a bit on your own should not be a problem. On the forums the question already got asked.

dangertools

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## frogboy

sarcasm is never right when teaching,  but I do really appreciate your help  Thank you.  Too be honest, coming from Windows I never even though of looking into that file.   It's one thing you really notice when you move to Linux that so much more is in nice plain text files.  Lesson learned. Cheers

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## norikage

thanks a lot dangertools !  I've been searching why my firmware would not load for at least 2 hours.  I didn't know about firmware.agent.  Now I can see the little green light on my card !  I knew something was wrong because with mandrake 10, my card was working, so my firmware was good.  Thanks a lot !

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