ar9271 works on debian 9 64bit main?

13 risposte [Ultimo contenuto]
tonlee
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Iscritto: 09/08/2014

Gdebi installed http://packages.trisquel.info/belenos/all/open-ath9k-htc-firmware/download on
debian 8 main 64bit. It worked.

Now I have installed debian 9 main 64bit. Ar9271 wifi does not work in debian 9 main 64bit. Gdebi installed http://packages.trisquel.info/belenos/all/open-ath9k-htc-firmware/download. No error messages. Available wifi routers do display. Entering the psswd the usb wifi card starts
connecting. The usb wifi card is not able to get a connection. Assume psswd is correct.
I do.

Have you managed to get an usb ar9172 wifi card to run on debian 9 main 64bit? Thank you.

Legimet
Offline
Iscritto: 12/10/2013

This is a known bug, I'm not sure in what. The workaround is to add the following lines to your /etc/NetworkManager/NetworkManager.conf:

[device]
wifi.scan-rand-mac-address=no

MAC address randomization during scanning doesn't work, so you will have to sacrifice some privacy.

Also, I would suggest getting a newer version of the firmware by installing firmware-ath9k-htc (from Debian sid main).

tonlee
Offline
Iscritto: 09/08/2014

> MAC address randomization during scanning
What is this?

> This is a known bug
But only about debian 9? On debian 8 no address randomization error?

> This is a known bug
I want to file a report to debian about the firmware not being in
debian 9 main 64bit and if you install the firmware debian
package, it does not work. What should I write debian?

> (from Debian sid main).
Is debian sid main a libre software repository?

> firmware-ath9k-htc
Version 1.3 1 is not the latest version?
Where can I download the latest fw file?
Which version is the latest version?

The firmware file is libre software. I have looked at the source
software in an editor. It is about 1100 lines of code. Is
editing the software in order to get it compatible with
debian 9 that difficult, that it reasons, that no one has
done the editing? Or no skilled programmar has been aware of
the error?

Legimet
Offline
Iscritto: 12/10/2013

> What is this?

It is a privacy feature. You can read about it here: https://blogs.gnome.org/thaller/2016/08/26/mac-address-spoofing-in-networkmanager-1-4-0/. This feature is enabled in Debian 9, but not in Debian 8. Unfortunately it breaks ath9k-htc USB adapters.

> I want to file a report to debian about the firmware not being in debian 9 main 64bit and if you install the firmware debian package, it does not work. What should I write debian?

It takes time to package stuff. It takes a long time just for someone to volunteer to do it. The firmware reached the Debian repos after the stretch freeze, so it was too late for Debian 9. Also, I don't know which source code you're looking at, but it is a lot more than 1100 lines (not that this matters).

> Version 1.3 1 is not the latest version?
> Where can I download the latest fw file?
> Which version is the latest version?

No, the latest version is 1.4.0. It is included in the main (AKA free software only repo) of Debian sid (unstable). If you want to install it, just run this in a root shell:

dpkg -P open-ath9k-htc-firmware
TMP=$(mktemp -p /etc/apt/sources.list.d --suffix=.list)
echo 'deb http://deb.debian.org/debian sid main' >> "$TMP"
apt update
apt install firmware-ath9k-htc
rm "$TMP"
apt update

tonlee
Offline
Iscritto: 09/08/2014

The ar9271 is the only libre software usb wifi card. Should debian not make sure there is an
usb wifi card which is debian 9 64bit main compatible?

Those who make source software to debian software must they also master how
to edit the source software?

> lot more than 1100 lines
If you download
http://packages.trisquel.info/belenos/all/open-ath9k-htc-firmware/download
and extract the debian package, you get a file named htc_9271.fw. That file
is about 1100 lines. I think you can do without the htc_7010.fw file.

>version is 1.4.0
Can you download the firmware file or debian software?

Legimet
Offline
Iscritto: 12/10/2013

First, remember that Debian is run by volunteers. The firmware entered Debian after the freeze, so it isn't possible for it to be in stretch. It will, however, be in Debian 10 'buster'.

> Those who make source software to debian software must they also master how
to edit the source software?

I don't understand this sentence of yours.

> you get a file named htc_9271.fw. That file is about 1100 lines. I think you can do without the htc_7010.fw file.

But that is the binary, not the human-readable source code! The source code is much longer.

> Can you download the firmware file or debian software?

I just gave you the instructions, just run those commands. I tell you to do it this way because apt does signature-checking, as opposed to just downloading the .deb file from packages.debian.org.

tonlee
Offline
Iscritto: 09/08/2014

Thank you.

>[device]

wifi.scan-rand-mac-address=no

Do I use sudo nano to edit the file?

>opposed to just downloading the .deb file from packages.debian.org

I prefer if I could get the download link.
Then I can have a backup of the software on my computer.

>I don't understand this sentence of yours.

I do not know what packaging for debian implies.
Is it a requirement to know how to edit the source software which is turned into a debian package?
Must you know what every line in the source software does?

>But that is the binary, not the human-readable source code!
Have you downloaded http://packages.trisquel.info/belenos/all/open-ath9k-htc-firmware/download and extracted the debian file, then opened htc_9271.fw in an editor? Looks as if it can be edited as it is.

Legimet
Offline
Iscritto: 12/10/2013

> Do I use sudo nano to edit the file?
Sure, you can do that.

> I prefer if I could get the download link.
OK, instead of using "apt install" you can use "apt download" to give you the .deb file.

> Is it a requirement to know how to edit the source software which is turned into a debian package?
> Must you know what every line in the source software does?
No. You can read more about Debian packaging here: https://wiki.debian.org/Packaging#What_is_a_.22package.22.3F.

> Looks as if it can be edited as it is.
Really? I mean, anyone can edit a binary file, but you wouldn't realistically expect anyone to modify the software that way.

tonlee
Offline
Iscritto: 09/08/2014

Thanks.

>dpkg -P open-ath9k-htc-firmware

TMP=$(mktemp -p /etc/apt/sources.list.d --suffix=.list)

echo 'deb http://deb.debian.org/debian sid main' >> "$TMP"

apt update

apt install firmware-ath9k-htc

rm "$TMP"

apt update

I do not know how to make it work. When I wrote the commands I got error messages.

You cannot download the package on https://www.debian.org/distrib/packages?

I installed the open-ath9k-htc-firmware_1.3-1_all.deb package and sudo nano edited
[device]

wifi.scan-rand-mac-address=no
into the /etc/NetworkManager/NetworkManager.conf file. Then the ar9271 usb wifi card did not connect to the router.
[device]

wifi.scan-rand-mac-address=no
does not work with
open-ath9k-htc-firmware_1.3-1_all.deb?

Legimet
Offline
Iscritto: 12/10/2013

What error messages? You have to run it as root. YOu can open a root shell with "sudo -s".
Yes, you can download the .deb file from packages.debian.org, but apt verifies the signature.

tonlee
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Iscritto: 09/08/2014
Magic Banana

I am a member!

I am a translator!

Offline
Iscritto: 07/24/2010

It is.

tonlee
Offline
Iscritto: 09/08/2014

Thank you. I installed it. Edited /etc/NetworkManager/NetworkManager.conf. The wifi card works. >Really? I mean, anyone can edit a binary file, but you wouldn't realistically expect anyone to modify the software that way. Why not, if it makes the ar9271 wifi card run?

Magic Banana

I am a member!

I am a translator!

Offline
Iscritto: 07/24/2010

Because it is *extremely* hard to understand what a program does by reading the binary (only low-level instructions to the processor, no high-level constructs such as loops, no variable/function names, no comment, etc.). It basically impossible unless the program is tiny.