[elrepo] Anyway to install kmod-ath9k_htc without it forcing a kernel update?

Michael B michael-elrepo at inet-design.com
Tue Jul 1 11:07:14 EDT 2014 

On Tuesday 01 July 2014 1:52:56 am Manuel Wolfshant wrote:
> On 07/01/2014 09:33 AM, Phil Perry wrote:
> > On 01/07/14 03:46, Michael B wrote:
> >> Hi ElRepo,
> >>
> >> Well, I'm confused.  http://elrepo.org/tiki/kmod-ath9k_htc says:
> >>
> >> "This package provides the ath9k_htc kernel module for the Atheros
> >> AR7010/AR9271 series USB wireless network adapters.  It is built to
> >> depend upon the specific ABI provided by a range of releases of the same
> >> variant of the Linux kernel and not on any one specific build."
> >>
> >> Yet it is trying to force me to update my kernel within CentOS 6.x ...
> >>
> >> Am I doing some­thing wrong?  (The firmware installed fine.)  Should I
> >> just shove it in with a --skip-broken?  Is there an older package
> >> available for older kernels? (although I thought not having to do that
> >> was the whole point of using a kmod?)  Is there another repo for Atheros
> >> AR9271 USB pre- kernel.x86_64 0:2.6.32-431 somewhere?
> >>
> >> How does one get an Atheros AR9271 802.11n working on CentOS 6.3?
> >>
> >> Details below.
> >>
> >> Thanks,
> >> Michael
> >>
> >> Details (w/ snipping of clutter):
> >>
> >> michael at localhost [~]$ lsusb
> >> Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
> >> Bus 001 Device 005: ID 0cf3:9271 Atheros Communications, Inc. AR9271
> >> 802.11n
> >>
> >> michael at localhost [~]$ cat /etc/redhat-release && uname -a
> >> CentOS release 6.3 (Final)
> >> Linux localhost.localdomain 2.6.32-279.1.1.el6.x86_64 #1 SMP Tue Jul 10
> >> 13:47:21 UTC 2012 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux
> >>
> >> # # #
> >>
> >> After a plain "yum install kmod-ath9k_htc" wanted to force an update to
> >> kernel.x86_64 0:2.6.32-431.20.3.el6, I tried this.  Same errors (less
> >> verbose):
> >>
> >> root at localhost [~]$ yum --disablerepo="*" --enablerepo=elrepo install
> >> kmod-ath9k_htc
> >> {snip}
> >> Error: Package: kmod-ath9k_htc-0.0-4.el6.elrepo.x86_64 (elrepo)
> >>             Requires: kernel(ath_printk) = 0xd1f2f4e7
> >>             Installed: kernel-2.6.32-279.1.1.el6.x86_64 (@updates)
> >>                 kernel(ath_printk) = 0x900d9db9
> >> {snip}
> >> Error: Package: kmod-ath9k_htc-0.0-4.el6.elrepo.x86_64 (elrepo)
> >>             Requires: kernel(ieee80211_queue_work) = 0xbd9db48f
> >>             Installed: kernel-2.6.32-220.el6.x86_64
> >> (@anaconda-CentOS-201112091719.x86_64/6.2)
> >>                 kernel(ieee80211_queue_work) = 0x7c7c57fa
> >>             Installed: kernel-2.6.32-220.13.1.el6.x86_64 (@updates)
> >>                 kernel(ieee80211_queue_work) = 0x7c7c57fa
> >>             Installed: kernel-2.6.32-220.17.1.el6.x86_64 (@updates)
> >>                 kernel(ieee80211_queue_work) = 0x7c7c57fa
> >>             Installed: kernel-2.6.32-279.1.1.el6.x86_64 (@updates)
> >>                 kernel(ieee80211_queue_work) = 0x3507d36b
> >> Error: Package: kmod-ath9k_htc-0.0-4.el6.elrepo.x86_64 (elrepo)
> >>             Requires: kernel(ath9k_hw_ani_monitor) = 0x6746faf8
> >>             Installed: kernel-2.6.32-279.1.1.el6.x86_64 (@updates)
> >>                 kernel(ath9k_hw_ani_monitor) = 0xb06d271e
> >>   You could try using --skip-broken to work around the problem
> >>   You could try running: rpm -Va --nofiles -nodigest
> >>
> >>
> >> Other Reference:
> >>
> >> michael at localhost [~]$ yum info ath9k_htc-firmware
> >> {snip}
> >> Installed Packages
> >> Name        : ath9k_htc-firmware
> >> Arch        : noarch
> >> Version     : 1.3
> >> Release     : 1.el6.elrepo
> >> Size        : 121 k
> >> Repo        : installed
> >>
> >> >From repo   : elrepo
> >>
> >> Summary     : Firmware for Atheros AR7010/AR9271 series USB wireless
> >> network adapters
> >> URL         : http://linuxwireless.org/en/users/Drivers/ath9k_htc
> >> License     : Redistributable, no modification permitted
> >> Description : This package provides the firmware required for Atheros
> >> AR7010/AR9271
> >>
> >>              : series USB wireless network adapters using the ath9k_htc
> >>              : driver.
> >>
> >> michael at localhost [~]$ ll /lib/firmware/ht*
> >> -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 72992 May 12  2012 /lib/firmware/htc_7010.fw
> >> -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 51272 May 12  2012 /lib/firmware/htc_9271.fw
> >
> > Hi Michael,
> >
> > The current kmod-ath9k_htc package requires a minimum of
> > kernel-2.6.32-358.el6 from the 6.4 release. We are unable to support
> > this driver on older unsupported kernels.
> >
> > You will need to update your system if you wish to use this driver.
> >
> > In answer to your questions, no you are not doing anything wrong. In
> > most cases our packages will work across all Enterprise Linux kernel
> > releases, but in some cases the drivers use symbols that are not
> > whitelisted in the upstream kernel and these kernel symbols can change
> > between releases. If a driver uses such kernel symbols and these symbols
> > change between kernel releases (as in this case), then the driver will
> > not be backward compatible with older kernels from before the change.
> > Hence in this case this driver is currently compatible only with kernels
> >
> >> =  kernel-2.6.32-358.el6 (el6.4 onwards). Yum identified a newer kernel
> >
> > was required and tried to pull in the latest kernel as this meets the
> > requirements of the package.
> >
> > I'm wondering why you are unwilling/unable to update your system and are
> > still running a kernel (and probably lots of other stuff?) that is 16
> > months old and full of security vulnerabilities. Besides the obvious
> > security benefits, you'd also get a working driver for your hardware :-)
>
> I was tempted to say that we might have a candidate for a RHEL EUS
> subscription
> (https://access.redhat.com/site/support/policy/updates/errata/#Extended_Upd
>ate_Support ), but even 6.3 EUS ended June 30th. That is... yesterday.
>
>      wolfy
>

Thank you Phil and Manuel (wolfy),

> I'm wondering why you are unwilling/unable to update your system

Figured I'd get this question.  Short answer:  Clients.

The build in question is the dev box to support production environments that I 
don't have control over.  Clients aren't willing to pay for the production 
rebuild, recompiles, and (mostly) the resultant QA time, so this box is stuck 
at the lowest common denominator.

> If a driver uses such kernel symbols 
> and these symbols change between kernel releases

If I'm reading the tea leaves correctly, there was a major symbol change 
sometime between 6.3 and 6.4 and therefor almost all the drivers on ELRepo 
are going to have this issue?

Was there a package for the ath9k built prior to the symbol change?  And if 
so, where could I find it?

== And/Or ==

While this would be a long shot, would you happen to know which USB chipset(s) 
have packages available for 6.3?  (Bonus points for ones with external 
antennas!)

> Driver ABC working on kernel version XYZ

I had done a pretty extensive research to identify the Atheros as working on 
2.6.32, but the page (lost the link) didn't resolve deeper.  If I understand 
this ELRepo page correctly, http://elrepo.org/tiki/Driver+Versions , this 
would be the page to identify how old a kernel a given ELRepo driver will 
work on?

Is so, could someone add the ath9k_htc with the full kernel version(s)?

Probably need to go offline as I'd be willing to help clean it up; that page 
needs further columns to be actually useful:  Repository Channel, Bus, 
Firmware link, and probably some others I wouldn't mind helping with.

> http://elrepo.org/tiki/DeviceIDs

This page could use the command for USB identification:

[user at elrepo]$ /usr/bin/lsusb

> Red Hat Extended Update Support (EUS)

How much do they generally cost?  I'm reasonably sure Red Hat isn't adverse to 
taking money for the last set of updates...

Thanks,
Michael

More information about the elrepo mailing list