I am trying to try out BSD after using and finally being bored of Linux for 3 years. So I would appreciate your help in getting me to the other side. During FreeBSD installation on my HP Laptop without ethernet and with 4GB of RAM, I have encountered a WIFI issue. `pciconf -l | grep rtw` outputs: `rtw880@pci0:1:0:0: class=0x028000 rev=0x00 vendor=0x10ec device=0x822 subvendor=0x103c subdevice=0x85f7` I have followed Bug 272145 so far. There are a couple of old bug reports about this, but I rather wanted to start a new thread about it. The issue occurs after the available networks are listed and I fill the password. I tried this with `FreeBSD-15.0-CURRENT-amd64-20250710-78935fa40eee-278643-memstick.img`, but the installer I think crashes and goes to the debugger prompt after I enter the prompt. However for `FreeBSD14.3-RELEASE-amd64-memstick.img`, after filling in the password, the following errors start filling the installer screen intermittently just as given below: ``` rtw880: failed to send h2c command rtw880: failed to poll iqk status bit rtw880: failed to do dpk calibration rtw880: failed to do dpk calibration rtw880: [TXGAPK] unknown channel 234!! ``` During the installation I tried hopping to a shell and editing the `/boot/loader.conf` on vi to add `compat.linuxkpi.skb.mem_limit=1`, but I could not edit "read only filesystem". I will try the last approach from within the installation maybe that will work around the filesystem mutability, but I don't think that is the problem as I already wrote, I have 4GB of RAM. How should I get going from here? Your guidance would help me make the leap from Linux to BSD, thanks.
The sysctl should be set already on the install media; there are files in /boot/loader.conf.d/ which will set it. I cannot say what's going on with the installer for the 15 image; there is a lot of work going on with the installer currently; you may want to explain the error in more detail in a dedicated PR assigned to "sysinstall@". The problem you are encountering is that driver/firmware something funky happens. I remember seeing this a longer time ago but I think no one ever tracked it down. I have a suspicion these days but haven't gotten around to try/test that. If this is 100% reproducible for you I might try to come up with a patch for 15-CURRENT which you could test?
Yes, I would be willing to test any patches to this issue in 15-CURRENT. I am ready to provide further info about this issue. Right now the only insight I have is that the installer crashes and falls to the debugger prompt. What other details should I include in a PR to "sysinstall@freebsd.org"?
(In reply to Vishal Paudel from comment #2) Great. I'll try to craft a patch during the week (no promises yet as my stack of changes to upstream is too deep already). When you say the "installer crashes" and you end up at the debugger prompt, you mean the kernel panics? In that case maybe post a screenshot here first (if you cannot transcribe or don't have a serial console, try a photo) and we can see if it is also rtw88 related; if not we'll redirect it accordingly.
Created attachment 262135 [details] A photo of the WIFI rtw880 related Kernel Panic on 15-LATEST
(In reply to Bjoern A. Zeeb from comment #3) I have attached a photo of the Kernel Panic resulting from hitting enter on "[auto]" option on rtw88 on the wifi page on the freebsd installer for "15-LATEST".
(In reply to Vishal Paudel from comment #5) Thanks. That is indeed one for me and not for the installer. Two things to fix then. I'll get back to you as I get to it.
Created attachment 262136 [details] A photo of the "[manual]" option WIFI rtw880 related Kernel Panic on 15-LATEST
(In reply to Bjoern A. Zeeb from comment #6) Ok all the best. Meanwhile, I will try fiddling around in the console with the wifi-less freebsd 15-LATEST installation.
A commit in branch main references this bug: URL: https://cgit.FreeBSD.org/src/commit/?id=b568711f8ef1afd7c86ea2d8bd2f94f399f54dc1 commit b568711f8ef1afd7c86ea2d8bd2f94f399f54dc1 Author: Bjoern A. Zeeb <bz@FreeBSD.org> AuthorDate: 2025-11-10 19:41:08 +0000 Commit: Bjoern A. Zeeb <bz@FreeBSD.org> CommitDate: 2025-11-10 19:41:08 +0000 LinuxKPI: 802.11: clear CONF_IDLE earlier When starting to scan and ending a scan we clear/set the hardware to idle. Similarly we set the hw to idle when we remove the channel context but when starting we only set it to non-idle when we went from assoc to run. This apparently was not a problem most of the time as the switch from a failed hardware scan to a software scan was racing against net80211. ad4ddc83ebf8 fixed that specifically for rtw88 and while we were more consistently scanning, this broke authentication as the setting of idle at the end of the scan was now happening reliably. Move the unsetting of idle from assoc_to_run to scan_to_auth for when we create the chanctx to keep it symmetrical. This makes authentication work again for rtw88. This likely also fixes the problems in the listed PRs. iwlwifi(4) mvm and mld driver parts do not use this information at all and were never affected. Sponsored by: The FreeBSD Foundation MFC after: 3 days Reported by: Oleg Nauman (oleg.nauman gmail.com) PR: 290850, 288186, 281979 PR: 272145 (the non skb-mem-limit parts) sys/compat/linuxkpi/common/src/linux_80211.c | 6 ++++-- 1 file changed, 4 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)
A commit in branch stable/15 references this bug: URL: https://cgit.FreeBSD.org/src/commit/?id=a77abd53e83c4357ad8a8006a6e89759e65e3a5b commit a77abd53e83c4357ad8a8006a6e89759e65e3a5b Author: Bjoern A. Zeeb <bz@FreeBSD.org> AuthorDate: 2025-11-10 19:41:08 +0000 Commit: Bjoern A. Zeeb <bz@FreeBSD.org> CommitDate: 2025-11-12 15:41:24 +0000 LinuxKPI: 802.11: clear CONF_IDLE earlier When starting to scan and ending a scan we clear/set the hardware to idle. Similarly we set the hw to idle when we remove the channel context but when starting we only set it to non-idle when we went from assoc to run. This apparently was not a problem most of the time as the switch from a failed hardware scan to a software scan was racing against net80211. ad4ddc83ebf8 fixed that specifically for rtw88 and while we were more consistently scanning, this broke authentication as the setting of idle at the end of the scan was now happening reliably. Move the unsetting of idle from assoc_to_run to scan_to_auth for when we create the chanctx to keep it symmetrical. This makes authentication work again for rtw88 (though not for everyone due to other possible problems with net80211). This likely also fixes the problems in the listed PRs. iwlwifi(4) mvm and mld driver parts do not use this information at all and were never affected. Sponsored by: The FreeBSD Foundation PR: 290850, 288186, 281979 PR: 272145 (the non skb-mem-limit parts) (cherry picked from commit b568711f8ef1afd7c86ea2d8bd2f94f399f54dc1) sys/compat/linuxkpi/common/src/linux_80211.c | 6 ++++-- 1 file changed, 4 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)
Hi Bjoern A. Zeeb. Let me know if this is ready, when this is ready. I'll be willing to test on my end as well.
(In reply to Vishal Paudel from comment #11) If you can test main or stable/15 that would be highly appreciated though any further fixes are likely too late by now for 15.0-RELEASE. For me all problems went away with 3 cards but Oleg reports he still cannot authenticate (due to other reasons I think from the log he sent). So any feedback will be highly appreciated.
A commit in branch releng/15.0 references this bug: URL: https://cgit.FreeBSD.org/src/commit/?id=f490eae83f7f90de8be5d1dea593227dbfb98f36 commit f490eae83f7f90de8be5d1dea593227dbfb98f36 Author: Bjoern A. Zeeb <bz@FreeBSD.org> AuthorDate: 2025-11-10 19:41:08 +0000 Commit: Colin Percival <cperciva@FreeBSD.org> CommitDate: 2025-11-12 18:46:14 +0000 LinuxKPI: 802.11: clear CONF_IDLE earlier When starting to scan and ending a scan we clear/set the hardware to idle. Similarly we set the hw to idle when we remove the channel context but when starting we only set it to non-idle when we went from assoc to run. This apparently was not a problem most of the time as the switch from a failed hardware scan to a software scan was racing against net80211. ad4ddc83ebf8 fixed that specifically for rtw88 and while we were more consistently scanning, this broke authentication as the setting of idle at the end of the scan was now happening reliably. Move the unsetting of idle from assoc_to_run to scan_to_auth for when we create the chanctx to keep it symmetrical. This makes authentication work again for rtw88 (though not for everyone due to other possible problems with net80211). This likely also fixes the problems in the listed PRs. iwlwifi(4) mvm and mld driver parts do not use this information at all and were never affected. Approved by: re (cperciva) Sponsored by: The FreeBSD Foundation PR: 290850, 288186, 281979 PR: 272145 (the non skb-mem-limit parts) (cherry picked from commit b568711f8ef1afd7c86ea2d8bd2f94f399f54dc1) (cherry picked from commit a77abd53e83c4357ad8a8006a6e89759e65e3a5b) sys/compat/linuxkpi/common/src/linux_80211.c | 6 ++++-- 1 file changed, 4 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)