Qualcomm Atheros QCA61x4 issues with Linux Topic is solved

[dedanna1029]

Just tried to install openSUSE Tumbleweed...

Figured out the problem. With openSUSE, it defaults to the Realtek for ADSL, and when I go to set up the wireless, it doesn't want to play. The thing is, it wants to set all this up before it's done its hardware probe. I noticed on boot that the atheros driver has a star at the end of it - nothing else does. I'm figuring that it's because it is either blacklisting it, or the driver is bunk. I have no option during installation to install Windows drivers - I could do I found with Linux, as the driver is on a separate small partition on this computer (duh, dedanna).

What do I gotta do? What distro will work on this damn thing???

[dedanna1029]

Specs are here, click "See more product details."

[viking60]

I cannot find the manufacturer of the wireless card there?

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lspci -k |grep net

might give you an idea.
or even better:

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inxi -n

If it is one of these then you are good to go

if not then you could use ndiswrwrappe to install Windows drivers.

It is hardly used anymore but some 3com and Broadcom cards still need it.

[dedanna1029]

Oh, it will need ndiswrapper - that's what Mageia wanted.

It's Qualcomm on the wireless. Qualcomm Atheros QCA61x4, that is according to Windows. Neither is in that first wave list, Qualcomm or Atheros.

I've just deleted my Linux partitions, so can't run any commands, plus before I did it hadn't installed inxi - I have to install it manually; can't without the wireless. I no longer have use of the ethernet cable.

The problem is, openSUSE doesn't give me option to install the Windows driver, at least not on installation.

Chipset: I have the 2.2GHz processor here, 8GBs RAM and the NVIDIA GeForce 840M (which Linux also isn't "seeing" - it just backlogs off the Intel graphics accelerator). Those, btw, are more full specs, but on the wireless again, no brand name.

A Lenovo Z70-80.

Edit: Here you go...



The second being the wireless drivers listed on the Lenovo system drive.

[dedanna1029]

What I think I'll do is put the driver on my external drive or a usb stick, and use the ndiswrapper method after everything else is installed... then update.

[viking60]

You should be able to use the ath9k kernel module (aka driver).
It supports

PCI: 168C:0023 Qualcomm Atheros AR5416 Wireless Network Adapter [AR5008 802.11(a)bgn]
PCI: 168C:0024 Qualcomm Atheros AR5418 Wireless Network Adapter [AR5008E 802.11(a)bgn] (PCI-Express)
PCI: 168C:0027 Qualcomm Atheros AR9160 Wireless Network Adapter [AR9001 802.11(a)bgn]
PCI: 168C:0029 Qualcomm Atheros AR922X Wireless Network Adapter
PCI: 168C:002A Qualcomm Atheros AR928X Wireless Network Adapter (PCI-Express)
PCI: 168C:002B Qualcomm Atheros AR9285 Wireless Network Adapter (PCI-Express)
PCI: 168C:002C Qualcomm Atheros AR2427 802.11bg Wireless Network Adapter (PCI-Express)
PCI: 168C:002D Qualcomm Atheros AR9227 Wireless Network Adapter
PCI: 168C:002E Qualcomm Atheros AR9287 Wireless Network Adapter (PCI-Express)
PCI: 168C:0030 Qualcomm Atheros AR93xx Wireless Network Adapter
PCI: 168C:0032 Qualcomm Atheros AR9485 Wireless Network Adapter
PCI: 168C:0033 Qualcomm Atheros AR9580 Wireless Network Adapter
PCI: 168C:0034 Qualcomm Atheros AR9462 Wireless Network Adapter
PCI: 168C:0036 Qualcomm Atheros QCA9565 / AR9565 Wireless Network Adapter
PCI: 168C:0037 Qualcomm Atheros AR9485 Wireless Network Adapter

Not exactly your card there but it might work (and I don't think the list is complete).

And it would make a big difference if you changed the header to Qualcomm Atheros QCA61x4 Wireless Network Adapter that way others might get help and can contribute.

It is probably easier to identify; even if it is exiting whether you will give up or not

What puzzles me is that OpenSuse could not identify that card automatically.

[dedanna1029]

It could identify it, just wouldn't use it; on boot it pegged it, but there was that star by it and then I couldn't add a wireless connection once in the desktop. Mageia wants the Windows driver with ndiswrapper; I'm sure that's the issue with everything I've tried so far. Still no wireless joy with Linux.

But then, I kind of expect it any more. Nothing else I've tried has ID'ed it either. There's always been an "Atheros issue" with the kernel. A fairly long history of it, from what I've read. Always. Bugs reported, all kinds of stuff.

I'm not sure what to do at this point. I remember when I installed Linux Mint to my old netbook. I installed it off a wireless connection, narry a problem with it (but then it wasn't Qualcomm/Atheros either).

I'm spinning my wheels over the wireless on this thing. Yes, the driver you mentioned *may* work, but then I wonder if there's been issues with that driver as well.

[dedanna1029]

http://askubuntu.com/questions/598935/q ... rk-adapter

https://wireless.wiki.kernel.org/en/use ... k/firmware

Manjaro, which also wouldn't work: https://forum.manjaro.org/index.php?topic=25200.0 - "not supported" - AJSlye: "The Qualcomm Atheros Device 0041 (rev 20) isn't currently supported."

https://www.reddit.com/r/linuxquestions ... t_as_arch/ - directly deals with my wireless component (won't be supported until Kernel 4.2).

Kali LInux: https://forums.kali.org/showthread.php? ... i-Wireless in particular: https://forums.kali.org/showthread.php? ... #post49462 - exact same issues I had with Mageia; "iwconfig says no wireless extensions for etho and lo
ifconfig just shows information about the ethernet adapter and lo (loopback)" - I'm not sure if you remember the code I posted on that.

Ssoooo... there's the problem. Not supported.

[viking60]

Aha it is under heavy development (ath10k) and will not be in the kernel until 4.2.

I do however have some encouraging news for you:

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inxi -S
System:    Host: viking-pc Kernel: 4.2.0-1-MANJARO x86_64 (64 bit) Desktop: Openbox 3.6.1
           Distro: ManjaroLinux 15.09-rc2 Bellatrix

[dedanna1029]

OK.

Sure makes me bummed for now though. I'm stuck with this Windows bulshit.

[dedanna1029]

I can not believe that Atheros has been supposedly "under heavily development" for how many years now, and they STILL don't have it done???

[viking60]

Eh... according to those links you have provided they are somewhat done (always new hardware always new drivers = never "done"). The kernel 4.2 should work with your wireless - depending a bit on your chipset.

https://wireless.wiki.kernel.org/en/use ... e#overview

Your card is supported by the ath10k driver it is mentioned in the list.