Bug#611015: Intel has updated their released microcode, not compatible with iwlagn API in Squeeze
Package: firmware-iwlwifi
Version: 0.28
Filing this here since the contact is the kernel team and there is no
package for the iwlagn kernel module, which seems to be the true
source of the problem. Installing Squeeze without a wired network
prompts the user to install a non-free firmware file called
iwlwifi-6000-4.ucode. This file has two locations I found with some
deep searching
1) At http://intellinuxwireless.org/?n=Downloads where the latest
release is available for download in gzip format
2) By downloading the source package for firmware-nonfree, locating
the correct microcode and copying it to /lib/firmware on the local
filesystem
The version information for the correct API between iwlagn and the
microcode is inconsistant and not stated anywhere in the package
documentation. The latest release from Intel is not compatible with
the iwlagn API in Squeeze, requiring the user to discover the correct
version elsewhere before installing the microcode to enable networking
for debian-installer. The end result is that debian-installer is not
able to install Debian because it cannot find the correct networking
driver. The only solution to aquire the correct networking driver is
to have network access from a device other than wlan0 which may not be
possible.
Below is the kernel log rejecting the latest Intel release, version 9.221.4.1
Jan 24 14:48:04 lee-vostu kernel: [ 2578.363047] iwlagn 0000:03:00.0:
firmware: requesting iwlwifi-6000-4.ucode
Jan 24 14:48:04 lee-vostu kernel: [ 2578.605478] iwlagn 0000:03:00.0:
Driver unable to support your firmware API. Driver supports v4,
firmware is v119.
Jan 24 14:48:04 lee-vostu kernel: [ 2578.605632] iwlagn 0000:03:00.0:
Could not read microcode: -22
After aquiring networking access elsewhere and downloading the
firmware-iwlwifi package, the log line which loads the firmware
successfully with the correct version, which is how I discovered the
Intel release was the incorrect version.
Jan 24 15:09:00 lee-vostu kernel: [ 23.917702] iwlagn 0000:03:00.0:
firmware: requesting iwlwifi-6000-4.ucode
Jan 24 15:09:00 lee-vostu kernel: [ 24.123455] iwlagn 0000:03:00.0:
loaded firmware version 9.193.4.1
System info:
Kernel: Linux lee-vostu 2.6.32-5-686-bigmem #1 SMP Wed Jan 12 04:40:25
UTC 2011 i686 GNU/Linux
libc6: 2.11.2-9
Network controller: Intel Corporation Centrino Ultimate-N 6300 (rev 35)
Computer model: Thinkpad T410s
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