getting the right and complete firmware

Anil Duggirala

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Jan 27, 2018, 1:00:04 PM1/27/18

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upon installing Debian stretch I got a notice about missing firmware (Atheros). I managed to find a package that, apperently, contained some of the missing firmware, since the list of missing firmware was diminished. I am still missing some firmware, I will find it eventually, but my question is: Can I be sure I have the correct and required firmware if I am not getting any errors from dmesg ? or upon boot?
Is there any tool that will help me address these issues?
thanks,

bw

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Jan 27, 2018, 2:10:05 PM1/27/18

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Hi Anil, I think that is a good question. Some people advise to install
the entire wad of firmware-linux-nonfree which pulls in quite a bit of
stuff nowadays. I don't even know what all it does install.

For myself, I don't install any firmware unless I get some error in dmesg
about something missing. It's pretty easy to find what you need, just
search for it at the packages.debian.org page, it's a pretty advanced
tool.

The best tool is probably just do what you are doing, check dmesg and then
ask here if something doesn't look right.

Good luck!

Bernd Gruber

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Jan 28, 2018, 12:10:05 PM1/28/18

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Hi Anil,

did you take a look at this:

https://www.debian.org/releases/stable/i386/ch06s04.html.en

Bernd

Anil Duggirala

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Jan 30, 2018, 5:10:05 AM1/30/18

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On Tue, Jan 30, 2018, at 5:01 AM, Anil Duggirala wrote:

> Thanks a lot. That clears up my first question. However, can someone
> tell me if they know how to get these:
>
> 8.880552] ath10k_pci 0000:03:00.0: firmware: failed to load ath10k/pre-
> cal-pci-0000:03:00.0.bin (-2)
> [ 8.880629] ath10k_pci 0000:03:00.0: Direct firmware load for ath10k/
> pre-cal-pci-0000:03:00.0.bin failed with error -2
> [ 8.880649] ath10k_pci 0000:03:00.0: firmware: failed to load ath10k/
> cal-pci-0000:03:00.0.bin (-2)
> [ 8.880714] ath10k_pci 0000:03:00.0: Direct firmware load for ath10k/
> cal-pci-0000:03:00.0.bin failed with error -2
> [ 8.881672] ath10k_pci 0000:03:00.0: firmware: failed to load ath10k/
> QCA6174/hw3.0/firmware-5.bin (-2)
> [ 8.881794] ath10k_pci 0000:03:00.0: Direct firmware load for ath10k/
> QCA6174/hw3.0/firmware-5.bin failed with error -2
> [ 8.881800] ath10k_pci 0000:03:00.0: could not fetch firmware file
> 'ath10k/QCA6174/hw3.0/firmware-5.bin': -2
>
> I have found these files but am not sure they will work (they are a *-6.bin).
> thanks again,
>

Sorry. I meant, "I have found these files" here https://github.com/kvalo/ath10k-firmware/tree/master/QCA6174/hw3.0 , "but am not sure they will work".

Anil Duggirala

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Jan 30, 2018, 5:10:05 AM1/30/18

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On Sun, Jan 28, 2018, at 11:46 AM, Bernd Gruber wrote:

Thanks a lot. That clears up my first question. However, can someone tell me if they know how to get these:

8.880552] ath10k_pci 0000:03:00.0: firmware: failed to load ath10k/pre-cal-pci-0000:03:00.0.bin (-2)
[ 8.880629] ath10k_pci 0000:03:00.0: Direct firmware load for ath10k/pre-cal-pci-0000:03:00.0.bin failed with error -2
[ 8.880649] ath10k_pci 0000:03:00.0: firmware: failed to load ath10k/cal-pci-0000:03:00.0.bin (-2)
[ 8.880714] ath10k_pci 0000:03:00.0: Direct firmware load for ath10k/cal-pci-0000:03:00.0.bin failed with error -2
[ 8.881672] ath10k_pci 0000:03:00.0: firmware: failed to load ath10k/QCA6174/hw3.0/firmware-5.bin (-2)
[ 8.881794] ath10k_pci 0000:03:00.0: Direct firmware load for ath10k/QCA6174/hw3.0/firmware-5.bin failed with error -2

Liam O'Toole

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Jan 30, 2018, 6:00:05 AM1/30/18

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A handy utility in these circumstances is provided by the apt-file[1] package:

~$ apt-file search firmware-5.bin
firmware-atheros: /lib/firmware/ath10k/QCA4019/hw1.0/firmware-5.bin

Then query the APT database with the package name:

~$ apt policy firmware-atheros
firmware-atheros:
Installed: (none)
Candidate: 20161130-3
Version table:
20161130-3 500
500 http://deb.debian.org/debian stretch/non-free amd64 Packages

So the firmware can be found in the firmware-atheros package from the non-free
repository[2] of stretch.

1: https://wiki.debian.org/apt-file
2: https://wiki.debian.org/SourcesList#Component

--

Liam

Brian

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Jan 30, 2018, 6:50:05 AM1/30/18

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On Tue 30 Jan 2018 at 05:01:48 -0500, Anil Duggirala wrote:

> Thanks a lot. That clears up my first question. However, can someone tell me if they know how to get these:
>
> 8.880552] ath10k_pci 0000:03:00.0: firmware: failed to load ath10k/pre-cal-pci-0000:03:00.0.bin (-2)
> [ 8.880629] ath10k_pci 0000:03:00.0: Direct firmware load for ath10k/pre-cal-pci-0000:03:00.0.bin failed with error -2
> [ 8.880649] ath10k_pci 0000:03:00.0: firmware: failed to load ath10k/cal-pci-0000:03:00.0.bin (-2)
> [ 8.880714] ath10k_pci 0000:03:00.0: Direct firmware load for ath10k/cal-pci-0000:03:00.0.bin failed with error -2
> [ 8.881672] ath10k_pci 0000:03:00.0: firmware: failed to load ath10k/QCA6174/hw3.0/firmware-5.bin (-2)
> [ 8.881794] ath10k_pci 0000:03:00.0: Direct firmware load for ath10k/QCA6174/hw3.0/firmware-5.bin failed with error -2
> [ 8.881800] ath10k_pci 0000:03:00.0: could not fetch firmware file 'ath10k/QCA6174/hw3.0/firmware-5.bin': -2
>
> I have found these files but am not sure they will work (they are a *-6.bin).
> thanks again,

On an unmodified stretch (yours is unmodified, isn't it)

/sbin/modinfo ath10k_pci

does not list any of these files in the firmware lines. So why should
the kernel want any of them?

--
Brian.

Anil Duggirala

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Feb 1, 2018, 1:20:05 PM2/1/18

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> On an unmodified stretch (yours is unmodified, isn't it)
>
> /sbin/modinfo ath10k_pci
>
> does not list any of these files in the firmware lines. So why should
> the kernel want any of them?
>

I believe I have done a standard stretch install, yet /sbin/modinfo
ath10k_pci :

filename:       /lib/modules/4.9.0-5-
amd64/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath10k/ath10k_pci.ko
firmware:       ath10k/QCA9377/hw1.0/board.bin
firmware:       ath10k/QCA9377/hw1.0/firmware-5.bin
firmware:       ath10k/QCA6174/hw3.0/board-2.bin
firmware:       ath10k/QCA6174/hw3.0/board.bin
firmware:       ath10k/QCA6174/hw3.0/firmware-5.bin
firmware:       ath10k/QCA6174/hw3.0/firmware-4.bin
firmware:       ath10k/QCA6174/hw2.1/board-2.bin
firmware:       ath10k/QCA6174/hw2.1/board.bin
firmware:       ath10k/QCA6174/hw2.1/firmware-5.bin
firmware:       ath10k/QCA6174/hw2.1/firmware-4.bin
firmware:       ath10k/QCA9887/hw1.0/board-2.bin
firmware:       ath10k/QCA9887/hw1.0/board.bin
firmware:       ath10k/QCA9887/hw1.0/firmware-5.bin
firmware:       ath10k/QCA988X/hw2.0/board-2.bin
firmware:       ath10k/QCA988X/hw2.0/board.bin
firmware:       ath10k/QCA988X/hw2.0/firmware-5.bin
firmware:       ath10k/QCA988X/hw2.0/firmware-4.bin
firmware:       ath10k/QCA988X/hw2.0/firmware-3.bin
firmware:       ath10k/QCA988X/hw2.0/firmware-2.bin
license:        Dual BSD/GPL
description:    Driver support for Qualcomm Atheros 802.11ac WLAN
PCIe/AHB devices
author:         Qualcomm Atheros
alias:          pci:v0000168Cd00000050sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
alias:          pci:v0000168Cd00000042sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
alias:          pci:v0000168Cd00000046sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
alias:          pci:v0000168Cd00000056sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
alias:          pci:v0000168Cd00000040sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
alias:          pci:v0000168Cd0000003Esv*sd*bc*sc*i*
alias:          pci:v0000168Cd00000041sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
alias:          pci:v0000168Cd0000003Csv*sd*bc*sc*i*
depends:        ath10k_core
intree:         Y
vermagic:       4.9.0-5-amd64 SMP mod_unload modversions
parm:           irq_mode:0: auto, 1: legacy, 2: msi (default: 0) (uint)
parm:           reset_mode:0: auto, 1: warm only (default: 0) (uint)

thanks for any help.

Anil Duggirala

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Feb 1, 2018, 1:30:05 PM2/1/18

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> ~$ apt-file search firmware-5.bin
> firmware-atheros: /lib/firmware/ath10k/QCA4019/hw1.0/firmware-5.bin

For some reason I am not able to run that command, even as root. And
that file is different to the one I am missing
(th10k/QCA6174/hw3.0/firmware-5.bin) right?

>
> Then query the APT database with the package name:
>
> ~$ apt policy firmware-atheros
> firmware-atheros:
> Installed: (none)
> Candidate: 20161130-3
> Version table:
> 20161130-3 500
> 500 http://deb.debian.org/debian stretch/non-free amd64
> Packages
>
> So the firmware can be found in the firmware-atheros package from the
> non-free
> repository[2] of stretch.
>
> 1: https://wiki.debian.org/apt-file
> 2: https://wiki.debian.org/SourcesList#Component

I have installed that package, actually fed it to the debian installer,
and have confirmed it is installed now.

thanks a lot,

Greg Wooledge

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Feb 1, 2018, 1:50:04 PM2/1/18

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On Thu, Feb 01, 2018 at 07:24:56PM +0100, Anil Duggirala wrote:
> > ~$ apt-file search firmware-5.bin
> > firmware-atheros: /lib/firmware/ath10k/QCA4019/hw1.0/firmware-5.bin
>
> For some reason I am not able to run that command, even as root.

apt-file is not installed by default. It's a separate package.

You can achieve similar results by searching for file names on
http://packages.debian.org/

Brian

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Feb 2, 2018, 8:10:06 AM2/2/18

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On Thu 01 Feb 2018 at 19:18:55 +0100, Anil Duggirala wrote:

> > On an unmodified stretch (yours is unmodified, isn't it)
> >
> > /sbin/modinfo ath10k_pci
> >
> > does not list any of these files in the firmware lines. So why should
> > the kernel want any of them?
> >
> I believe I have done a standard stretch install, yet /sbin/modinfo
> ath10k_pci :
>
> filename:       /lib/modules/4.9.0-5-
> amd64/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath10k/ath10k_pci.ko
> firmware:       ath10k/QCA9377/hw1.0/board.bin
> firmware:       ath10k/QCA9377/hw1.0/firmware-5.bin

[...]

I get this too.

If the device works with stretch's firmware-atheros I'd let things be.

--
Brian.

Anil Duggirala

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Feb 6, 2018, 9:40:04 PM2/6/18

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> > I believe I have done a standard stretch install, yet /sbin/modinfo
> > ath10k_pci :
> >
> > filename:       /lib/modules/4.9.0-5-
> > amd64/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath10k/ath10k_pci.ko
> > firmware:       ath10k/QCA9377/hw1.0/board.bin
> > firmware:       ath10k/QCA9377/hw1.0/firmware-5.bin
>
> [...]
>
> I get this too.
>
> If the device works with stretch's firmware-atheros I'd let things
> be.
>

I guess I will let things be then, for now. Is it possible that a
future update to firmware-atheros will solve the problem? Is this
driver bluetooth related? My wifi works, I have not tested bluetooth
though.