Bug 473428 (JimMarch)

Summary: Sharing a connection over Broadcom 43xx WiFi with WPA security causes a kernel panic
Product: [Fedora] Fedora Reporter: Jim March <1.jim.march>
Component: kernelAssignee: Kernel Maintainer List <kernel-maint>
Status: CLOSED CANTFIX QA Contact: Fedora Extras Quality Assurance <extras-qa>
Severity: high Docs Contact:
Priority: medium    
Version: 10CC: 1.jim.march, adam, dcbw, kernel-maint, quintela, wtogami
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Hardware: x86_64   
OS: Linux   
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Fixed In Version: Doc Type: Bug Fix
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Last Closed: 2008-11-28 17:48:28 UTC Type: ---
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oVirt Team: --- RHEL 7.3 requirements from Atomic Host:
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Description Jim March 2008-11-28 13:32:48 UTC 
Description of problem:

I have a cellular modem on my laptop that works perfectly with no configuration tweaks needed in a brand new Fedora 10 install.  The cellmodem is a Kyocera KPC680 on the Verizon network.  Trying to share that connection over WiFi with WPA security causes a kernel panic - flashing capslock and numlock lights, everything else dead as a doornail.  If I share with no security or WEP, no problem.

Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable):

This is Network Manager 7 as initially shipped with Fedora 10.  There have been no updates to NM7 as of this writing.

How reproducible:

Absolutely 100% - turn on sharing with WPA security, instant bye-bye.

Steps to Reproduce:
1. Set up the cellular modem connection (auto mobile broadband CDMA).
2. Create new wireless network.
3. Give network a name and WPA security type with password.
4. Kablooey.
  
Actual results:

kernel panic.

Expected results:

Shared connection with WPA security...

Additional info:

My WiFi card is what came stock with this Dell 1525 lappy - it's a Broadcom 4312 internal mini-PCI-express card.  To get it running, I used the "broadcom-wl" as found here:

http://www.cenolan.com/2008/11/rpm-install-broadcom-wireless-sta-driver-fedora/

Directions for building the same thing from source will tell you more about what this driver is:

http://www.cenolan.com/2008/10/installing-the-broadcom-sta-driver-fedora-9/

I can use this WiFi card and driver to access existing WiFi networks with no problem, including WPA security.

The issue is likely either within Network Manager 7, or it's that Broadcom driver.  As soon as I can try this with another WiFi card I'll report back.
Comment 1 Dan Williams 2008-11-28 17:48:28 UTC 
Kernel panics are kernel/driver problems, not NetworkManager problems.

Second, there's nothing we can do if you're using a binary driver, because the source code for that driver is not available.  The Broadcom wl.o driver is not upstream in the kernel, and is not open-source.  You'll probably get better luck if you use the open-source drivers provided in the kernel instead.

You probably don't have firmware for the card:

sudo yum install b43-fwcutter

then from the "You are using the b43 driver from linux-2.6.25 or newer" section of this page (http://linuxwireless.org/en/users/Drivers/b43) grab the firmware file and run the cutter.  The firmware files need to be placed in /lib/firmware.