4.9 Kernel panic on ACS and intermittent ability to host AP

[Hsu, Ryan]

On 02/27/2017 05:21 AM, Chris Price wrote:
> I'm working with a QCA6174 chipset on a vanilla 4.9 kernel.
>
> I'm using the firmware from
> https://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/firmware/linux-firmware.git

Is this  a regression you saw and working with other kernel version but failed with 4.9?

Can you give it a try with the latest firmware - https://github.com/kvalo/ath10k-firmware.git

cp ath10k-firmware/QCA6174/hw3.0/4.4/firmware-5.bin_WLAN.RM.4.4-00022-QCARMSWPZ-2 /lib/firmware/ath10k/QCA6174/hw3.0/firmware-5.bin


> The card presents as follows:
> root at debian:~# lspci -v
> 02:00.0 Network controller: Qualcomm Atheros QCA6174 802.11ac Wireless
> Network Adapter (rev 32)
> Subsystem: AzureWave QCA6174 802.11ac Wireless Network Adapter
> Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 324
> Memory at df000000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=2M]
> Capabilities: [40] Power Management version 3
> Capabilities: [50] MSI: Enable+ Count=1/8 Maskable+ 64bit-
> Capabilities: [70] Express Endpoint, MSI 00
> Capabilities: [100] Advanced Error Reporting
> Capabilities: [148] Virtual Channel
> Capabilities: [168] Device Serial Number 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00
> Capabilities: [178] Latency Tolerance Reporting
> Capabilities: [180] L1 PM Substates
> Kernel driver in use: ath10k_pci
> Kernel modules: ath10k_pci
>
> I wish to host a 5GHz AP. My hostapd.conf file is as follows.
> root at debian:~# cat /etc/hostapd/hostapd1.conf
> interface=ap1
> driver=nl80211
> hw_mode=a
> channel=0
> ieee80211d=1
> country_code=CA
> ieee80211ac=1
> ssid=test5
> auth_algs=1
> wpa=2
> wpa_key_mgmt=WPA-PSK
> rsn_pairwise=CCMP
> wpa_passphrase=testtest
>
> When I try to start the AP, I either get the following output, or a
> kernel panic.
> root at debian:~# hostapd /etc/hostapd/hostapd1.conf
> Configuration file: /etc/hostapd/hostapd1.conf
> ap1: interface state UNINITIALIZED->COUNTRY_UPDATE
> ACS: Automatic channel selection started, this may take a bit
> ap1: interface state COUNTRY_UPDATE->ACS
> ap1: ACS-STARTED
> ACS: Unable to collect survey data
> ACS: All study options have failed

It seems like the scan result is empty? I tried my device without antenna that I could see the same error.
But with good RX reception, I could see that the ACS is always working on my 4.10 setup.

Can you give it a try if you just do the STA interface and scan?

Configuration file: /etc/acs_hostapd.conf
ACS: Automatic channel selection started, this may take a bit
wlan0: interface state UNINITIALIZED->ACS
wlan0: ACS-STARTED
wlan0: ACS-COMPLETED freq=5220 channel=44
Using interface wlan0 with hwaddr 00:03:7f:91:56:96 and ssid "test-ath10k"
wlan0: interface state ACS->ENABLED
wlan0: AP-ENABLED

hostapd_free_hapd_data: Interface wlan0 wasn't started
nl80211: deinit ifname=wlan0 disabled_11b_rates=0
wlan0: interface state DISABLED->DISABLED
wlan0: interface state DISABLED->DISABLED
wlan0: AP-DISABLED
hostapd_free_hapd_data: Interface wlan0 wasn't started

> Interface initialization failed
> ap1: interface state ACS->DISABLED
> ap1: AP-DISABLED
> ACS: Possibly channel configuration is invalid, please report this
> along with your config file.
> ACS: Failed to start
> ap1: AP-DISABLED
> hostapd_free_hapd_data: Interface ap1 wasn't started
> nl80211: deinit ifname=ap1 disabled_11b_rates=0
> ap1: interface state DISABLED->DISABLED
> ap1: interface state DISABLED->DISABLED
> ap1: AP-DISABLED
> hostapd_free_hapd_data: Interface ap1 wasn't started
>
> Here (http://pasteboard.co/DnVQHOycK.jpg) is a picture of the panic I
> get otherwise.
>
> I am occasionally able to start an access point if I pin the channel
> to 36. Otherwise, I get the following.

What is the other channel you failed? what is the output of the "iw reg get" show?
Can you share the kernel log as well?

> root at debian:~# hostapd /etc/hostapd/hostapd1.conf
> Configuration file: /etc/hostapd/hostapd1.conf
> ap1: interface state UNINITIALIZED->COUNTRY_UPDATE
> ap1: IEEE 802.11 Configured channel (36) not found from the channel
> list of current mode (2) IEEE 802.11a
> ap1: IEEE 802.11 Hardware does not support configured channel
> Could not select hw_mode and channel. (-3)
> ap1: interface state COUNTRY_UPDATE->DISABLED
> ap1: AP-DISABLED
> ap1: interface state DISABLED->DISABLED
> ap1: AP-DISABLED
> hostapd_free_hapd_data: Interface ap1 wasn't started
> nl80211: deinit ifname=ap1 disabled_11b_rates=0
>
> This latter problem, I suspect, is somehow related to interface
> combinations, because I have never seen the card work when I create
> multiple interfaces.

Is the other card also run with ath10k? what is the combination you've?
Are you running multiple hostapd or wpa_supplicant instance?


Ryan