Ubuntu
bcmwl package

14e4:4331 [MacBookPro8,1] broadcom-sta kernel crashes

Bug #1387199 reported by Nico Schlömer
20
This bug affects 4 people
Affects Status Importance Assigned to Milestone
bcmwl (Ubuntu)
Triaged
High
Unassigned

Bug Description

1) lsb_release -rd
Description: Ubuntu 14.10
Release: 14.10

2) apt-cache policy bcmwl-kernel-source
bcmwl-kernel-source:
  Installed: 6.30.223.248+bdcom-0ubuntu1
  Candidate: 6.30.223.248+bdcom-0ubuntu1
  Package pin: (not found)
  Version table:
 *** 6.30.223.248+bdcom-0ubuntu1 1001
        500 http://ubuntu.mirror.tudos.de/ubuntu/ utopic/restricted amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

3) What is expected to happen in is that the wl does not crash.

4) What happens insted in Saucy, Trusty, and now Utopic, about once per hour, the `wl` kernel module of `bcmwl-kernel-source` crashes. `/var/log/syslog` contains:
Oct 29 15:10:19 fuji kernel: [73721.579735] 0000000000000009 ffff880262bdbdd0 ffffffff8277fcbc 0000000000000000
Oct 29 15:10:19 fuji kernel: [73721.579738] ffff880262bdbe08 ffffffff8206fd8d ffff880260aa5000 ffff8801367e0840
Oct 29 15:10:19 fuji kernel: [73721.579742] 00000000000000a2 ffff8801facf9d80 ffff880261f28a78 ffff880262bdbe18
Oct 29 15:10:19 fuji kernel: [73721.579745] Call Trace:
Oct 29 15:10:19 fuji kernel: [73721.579755] [<ffffffff8277fcbc>] dump_stack+0x45/0x56
Oct 29 15:10:19 fuji kernel: [73721.579760] [<ffffffff8206fd8d>] warn_slowpath_common+0x7d/0xa0
Oct 29 15:10:19 fuji kernel: [73721.579764] [<ffffffff8206fe6a>] warn_slowpath_null+0x1a/0x20
Oct 29 15:10:19 fuji kernel: [73721.579780] [<ffffffffc030b981>] cfg80211_roamed+0x91/0xa0 [cfg80211]
Oct 29 15:10:19 fuji kernel: [73721.579828] [<ffffffffc06958cb>] wl_notify_roaming_status+0xcb/0x150 [wl]
Oct 29 15:10:19 fuji kernel: [73721.579870] [<ffffffffc0692602>] wl_event_handler+0x62/0x260 [wl]
Oct 29 15:10:19 fuji kernel: [73721.579911] [<ffffffffc06925a0>] ? wl_free_wdev.isra.23+0x80/0x80 [wl]
Oct 29 15:10:19 fuji kernel: [73721.579915] [<ffffffff82094aeb>] kthread+0xdb/0x100
Oct 29 15:10:19 fuji kernel: [73721.579920] [<ffffffff82094a10>] ? kthread_create_on_node+0x1c0/0x1c0
Oct 29 15:10:19 fuji kernel: [73721.579924] [<ffffffff82787c3c>] ret_from_fork+0x7c/0xb0
Oct 29 15:10:19 fuji kernel: [73721.579928] [<ffffffff82094a10>] ? kthread_create_on_node+0x1c0/0x1c0
Oct 29 15:10:19 fuji kernel: [73721.579930] ---[ end trace f2631d4af0f9ba2d ]---

lspci -vvnn | grep -A 11 Network
03:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Broadcom Corporation BCM4331 802.11a/b/g/n [14e4:4331] (rev 02)
 Subsystem: Apple Inc. AirPort Extreme [106b:00d6]
 Control: I/O- Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx-
 Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=fast >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR- INTx-
 Latency: 0, Cache Line Size: 256 bytes
 Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 17
 Region 0: Memory at a0600000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16K]
 Capabilities: <access denied>
 Kernel driver in use: wl

04:00.0 FireWire (IEEE 1394) [0c00]: LSI Corporation FW643 [TrueFire] PCIe 1394b Controller [11c1:5901] (rev 08) (prog-if 10 [OHCI])
 Subsystem: LSI Corporation FW643 [TrueFire] PCIe 1394b Controller [11c1:5900]

uname -a
Linux fuji 3.16.0-23-generic #31-Ubuntu SMP Tue Oct 21 17:56:17 UTC 2014 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

sudo dmidecode -s bios-version
   MBP81.88Z.0047.B27.1201241646

sudo dmidecode -s bios-release-date
01/24/12

See original description
Revision history for this message
penalvch (penalvch) wrote : Re: 14e4:4331 broadcom-sta kernel crashes

Nico Schlömer, thank you for reporting this and helping make Ubuntu better. Please answer the following questions:
+ Did this problem not occur in a release prior to Utopic?
+ Does using the open source b43 driver provide a WORKAROUND as outlined in https://help.ubuntu.com/community/WifiDocs/Driver/bcm43xx ?

tags: added: amd64 utopic
summary: - broadcom-sta kernel crashes
+ 14e4:4331 broadcom-sta kernel crashes
Changed in bcmwl (Ubuntu):
importance: Undecided → High
status: New → Incomplete
Revision history for this message
Nico Schlömer (nschloe) wrote :

> + Did this problem not occur in a release prior to Utopic?

Yes, it did occur in trusty and saucy. It did not occur in raring.

> + Does using the open source b43 driver provide a WORKAROUND

With b43, although without kernel crashes, I'm getting far less throughput than with `bcmwl-kernel-source`. Hence, it's not a workaround I can use.

Revision history for this message
penalvch (penalvch) wrote :

Nico Schlömer, regarding your comments:
>"With b43, although without kernel crashes, I'm getting far less throughput than with `bcmwl-kernel-source`. Hence, it's not a workaround I can use."

Could you please provide specific metrics to define "far less throughput"?

As well, please feel free to file a bug report about this throughput issue by having it actively in use, and execute via a terminal:
ubuntu-bug firmware-b43-installer

Please feel free to subscribe me to this new report.

tags: added: regression-release saucy trusty
Revision history for this message
Nico Schlömer (nschloe) wrote :

> As well, please feel free to file a bug report about this throughput issue

Indeed, the issues with the b43 driver are separate from the one described in this bug report. Let's discuss those in a new report.

Revision history for this message
Nico Schlömer (nschloe) wrote :

This is with a MacBook Pro (13-inch, Early 2011, MacBookPro8,1).

penalvch (penalvch)
summary: - 14e4:4331 broadcom-sta kernel crashes
+ 14e4:4331 [MacBookPro8,1] broadcom-sta kernel crashes
description: updated
Revision history for this message
penalvch (penalvch) wrote :

Nico Schlömer, the issue you are reporting is an upstream one. Could you please report this problem to Broadcom directly following https://help.ubuntu.com/community/WifiDocs/Driver/bcm43xx#Broadcom_STA_Wireless_driver ?

Thank you for your understanding.

Changed in bcmwl (Ubuntu):
status: Incomplete → Triaged
Revision history for this message
Gerry Boland (gerboland) wrote :

For the record, I've a MacBook Pro 8,1 using broadcom 4331 chip. I find the bcmwl 6.30 driver consistently unreliable, packets just stop sending randomly and only solution is module unload & reload. I've had much more success (not perfect tho, but 99% reliable) with the older 6.20 driver.

I spent a little time forward porting 6.20 to vivid kernel (3.19). If you're curious, you can give it a go here:
http://people.canonical.com/~gerboland/bcmwl-kernel-source_6.20.155.1+bdcom-1ubuntu0_amd64.deb

I am back to my 99% reliable wifi as a result. If it helps you, do let me know!
-G

P.S. the package version is older than the vivid supplied one, so you'll need to pin (apt-mark hold) it to prevent it being upgraded.

Revision history for this message
Nico Schlömer (nschloe) wrote :

@Gerry Cool! Would you mind putting this in a repository?

Revision history for this message
Gerry Boland (gerboland) wrote :

@Nico: If I get some positive feedback, I'll consider it.

Revision history for this message
Nico Schlömer (nschloe) wrote :

@Gerry count me in for a +1.

Revision history for this message
Gerry Boland (gerboland) wrote :

Hey again folks,
I've forward ported the 6.20 version of the bcmwl driver to work with Xenial, as I also find 6.30 is unusably unstable on Xenial. I'm just pushing the source here:
lp:~gerboland/+junk/bcmwl_kernel_source-6.20/
It's rough & ready, but should work.

I will put a pre-built package here for those on amd64:
http://people.canonical.com/~gerboland/xenial/bcmwl-kernel-source_6.20.155.1+bdcom-0ubuntu7_amd64.deb

Again, don't forget to apt-mark hold it, as it is older than that in the distro.
Please let me know if you've any problems
-G

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