[Server-devel] XO1.5 as Access Point using thinfirm

[James Cameron]

On Tue, Jun 16, 2015 at 02:45:58PM -0400, George Hunt wrote:
> Thanks to James Cameron's work on FC22 kernel,

Just to clarify, my work was on porting the latest kernel to the
XO-1.5, not on Fedora 22.  I've done no tests of Fedora 22.

> I have an image of XSCE running in an SD card on an XO1.5.
> 
> The regular libertas driver works as a client.
> 
> There is documentation for using a special driver, and special
> firmware at
> 
> http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Libertas_Thinfirmware_HOWTO:
> http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Thinfirm_1.5
> http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Test_Report

On the XO-1.5, XO-1.75 and XO-4 version 9.0.7.p2 of the thin firmware
is embedded in the Open Firmware dropin filesystem, in case you ever
need it and don't have internet handy;

	ok copy rom:sd8686.bin u:\lbtf_sdio.bin

It is used by Open Firmware for NANDblaster and wireless access.

You can test this firmware and the hardware by typing;

	ok select /wlan:force
	ok d# 11 " xoap" start-ap

A network xoap should then be visible on other laptops.

The test network has no associate, authenticate, or DHCP service, so
it is not particularly useful alone.

The purpose of this test network is to make sure your hardware and
firmware is working.

You can add associate and authenticate support by rebooting and typing:

	ok select /wlan:force
	ok do-ap

This kind of access point is useful for antenna and packet testing.
See http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Antenna_testing

You can also test the later firmware by setting an environment
variable before the select command;

	ok setenv wlan-fw u:\p3.bin

Once you have verified working hardware, firmware, and both antenna,
you're all set to test in the operating system.  ;-)

(The second antenna becomes way more critical when using an XO as
access point or NANDblaster transmitter.  The coax can be damaged
without visible evidence.)

> Which I have attempted to follow. I have added config items(below)
> and created a new kernel.
> Questions;
> 
>  1. The libertas_tf module loads via modprobe (after rmmod libertas
>     cfg80211) Does this mean that it has found the firmware?

Don't know.  Look at the interrupt count for the device in
/proc/interrupts; if there are lots of interrupts, I'd say the module
has communicated with the wireless card.  After that it's a matter of
looking at the module source and enabling debug modes.

>  2. After blacklisting libertas, and a reboot, there is a new device
>     sit0, which may indicate that the proper network driver is not
>     being found/ loaded.(dmesg is quiet about libertastf)

I agree.  It may be that the kernel support for this isn't as tested
in 4.1 as it was in previous versions.  Thanks for investigating.

>  3. Are there incompatabilities between libertas_sdio and
>     libertas_usb -- should it be one or the other?

The design of the kernel modules supports both the USB8388 wireless
card on the XO-1, and the SD8686 wireless card on the XO-1.5.

Unless you plan to use the (deprecated, unavailable) external USB83833
active antenna devices, you can omit the USB support.

I doubt it will have any effect.

-- 
James Cameron
http://quozl.linux.org.au/