Bug 440478

Same on i686

...this is triggered by a new kernel, yet you report it against the firmware
package? Reassigning to the kernel maintainers. Please confirm if this is still
happening with the latest F-8 updated kernel.

(In reply to comment #2)
> ...this is triggered by a new kernel, yet you report it against the firmware
> package? Reassigning to the kernel maintainers. Please confirm if this is 
still
> happening with the latest F-8 updated kernel.

Yes, it is still happening with 2.6.24.4-64.fc8.  I have also tried 
2.6.24.5-85.fc8 from Koji, and that is the same.

A

Flashing lights are used to indicate traffic and other status of the device -- 
this is perfectly normal.

If it's not a bug, then it's a feature regression. The problem remains.

For those of us who have the light right in front of the LCD it's a pita.

Please create an option for a steady light (e.g. reintroduce the previous bug
:-) ) when the radio is on.

(In reply to comment #4)
> Flashing lights are used to indicate traffic and other status of the 
device -- 
> this is perfectly normal.

Well someone should file a bug against Intel's Windows driver, because in that 
OS, the light is on and steady when the radio is on and off otherwise :-)

Seriously, with respect, I don't think that is correct (do you have 
documentation to confirm?).  Yes, I know that many NICs use a light to 
indicate status activity, but not in this case, for several reasons:

a) the flashing bears no relation that I can tell to network activity: it 
seems random;
b) it is not like an activity light on a wired NIC: it is much slower, with 
flashes variably at between about 0,5 and 2 Hz, with roughly equal 
mark-to-space ratio;
c) the manufacturer's drivers' behaviour, mentioned above; and
d) no-one would have created something quite so annoying.  This is a *bright* 
blue flashing light right in the user's line-of-sight.

A

Oh, and the Intel-developed Linux ipw3945 driver also had the light steady on 
or off.

A

Perhaps you are unaware that Intel develops this driver?

I did not know that!

Anyway, I have done some research.  Looking at the wireless manual for my
computer (HP nx7400), which you can get at
http://bizsupport.austin.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c00820096/c00820096.pdf

to quote:

"The wireless light indicates the overall power state of your wireless devices,
not the status of individual devices. If the wireless light is blue, at least
one wireless device is turned on. If the wireless light is turned off, all
wireless devices are turned off."

I think that is clear.  Flashing is wrong: it is a bug.

Thanks for your attention.

HTH
A

You are welcome to your opinion about whether or not it should flash.  
However, you will forgive me if I do not cede to HP the decision as to how 
everyone's LEDs should work. :-)

I'll leave this open for now as a reminder to bug (no pun intended) Intel 
about whether or not the current behavior is annoying.  FWIW, I think at least 
some flashing to indicate wireless activity is completely appropriate.  I will 
allow for the possibility that the current flashing parameters are 
undesirable.

Dell has it as non-flashing:
http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/latd820/en/ug/about.htm#wp1174420

:-P

*** Bug 449733 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

Well, I'm sorry this behavior is not to your taste.  But I don't think we are
going to change it.

Oh, well.  Time for some kernel hacking for me, then :-o

A