Wpa_supplicant is still broken on my machine

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1

I have installed wpa_supplicant-2.11-2.fc40 on my mac which supposedly fixes the issues with broadcom and it’s still wouldn’t automatically scan.

I have run journalctl and it said scan failed;

brendenbogi@fedora-macbookpro:~$ journalctl --follow --unit wpa_supplicant.service 
Aug 08 23:32:54 fedora-macbookpro wpa_supplicant[2974]: dbus: fill_dict_with_properties dbus_interface=fi.w1.wpa_supplicant1.Interface.P2PDevice dbus_property=P2PDeviceConfig getter failed
Aug 08 23:32:54 fedora-macbookpro wpa_supplicant[2974]: wlp2s0: CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-FAILED ret=-22
Aug 08 23:32:58 fedora-macbookpro wpa_supplicant[2974]: wlp2s0: CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-FAILED ret=-22
Aug 08 23:33:01 fedora-macbookpro wpa_supplicant[2974]: wlp2s0: CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-FAILED ret=-22
Aug 08 23:33:03 fedora-macbookpro wpa_supplicant[2974]: wlp2s0: CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-FAILED ret=-22
Aug 08 23:33:10 fedora-macbookpro wpa_supplicant[2974]: wlp2s0: CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-FAILED ret=-22

Here’s my journalctl for NetworkManager;

brendenbogi@fedora-macbookpro:~$ journalctl --follow --unit NetworkManager
Aug 08 23:32:54 fedora-macbookpro NetworkManager[2967]: <info>  [1723134774.9129] modem-manager: ModemManager available
Aug 08 23:32:54 fedora-macbookpro systemd[1]: Started NetworkManager.service - Network Manager.
Aug 08 23:32:54 fedora-macbookpro NetworkManager[2967]: <info>  [1723134774.9263] device (lo): state change: ip-check -> secondaries (reason 'none', sys-iface-state: 'external')
Aug 08 23:32:54 fedora-macbookpro NetworkManager[2967]: <info>  [1723134774.9265] device (lo): state change: secondaries -> activated (reason 'none', sys-iface-state: 'external')
Aug 08 23:32:54 fedora-macbookpro NetworkManager[2967]: <info>  [1723134774.9270] device (lo): Activation: successful, device activated.
Aug 08 23:32:54 fedora-macbookpro NetworkManager[2967]: <info>  [1723134774.9756] device (wlp2s0): supplicant interface state: internal-starting -> disconnected
Aug 08 23:32:54 fedora-macbookpro NetworkManager[2967]: <info>  [1723134774.9756] device (wlp2s0): state change: unavailable -> disconnected (reason 'supplicant-available', sys-iface-state: 'managed')
Aug 08 23:32:55 fedora-macbookpro NetworkManager[2967]: <info>  [1723134775.4780] manager: startup complete
Aug 08 23:32:58 fedora-macbookpro NetworkManager[2967]: <info>  [1723134778.0654] agent-manager: agent[eab7b80c2563c7dd,:1.38/org.gnome.Shell.NetworkAgent/42]: agent registered
Aug 08 23:33:12 fedora-macbookpro NetworkManager[2967]: <info>  [1723134792.1824] agent-manager: agent[005e06b72df96cd8,:1.91/org.gnome.Shell.NetworkAgent/1000]: agent registered

It was working in version 2.10 and I am currently running said version. Is something wrong with my configuration? Or is it hardware issues?

2

Hi,
this is not a problem with your system…
I still have the same problem even with the 2.11-2.fc40 version

3

Same issue here.

I downgrade the package to previous version and reinstall the firmware package (broadcom) to solve the issue.

sudo dnf install -y wpa_supplicant-2.10-10.fc40
sudo dnf reinstall -y brcmfmac-firmware
4

You haven’t provided any details of your configuration. Please post the output from inxi -Fzxx.

I have an iMac with Broadcom with akmod-wl.x86_4 and wpa_supplicant-2.11-2.fc40.

% inxi -Nxx
Network:
  Device-1: Broadcom BCM4360 802.11ac Dual Band Wireless Network Adapter vendor: Apple driver: wl
    v: kernel pcie: speed: 2.5 GT/s lanes: 1 bus-ID: 03:00.0 chip-ID: 14e4:43a0
  Device-2: Broadcom NetXtreme BCM57766 Gigabit Ethernet PCIe driver: tg3 v: kernel pcie:
    speed: 2.5 GT/s lanes: 1 port: N/A bus-ID: 04:00.0 chip-ID: 14e4:1686

My iMac has a wired network connection and I normally do updates with the Cockpit Web Console, but after updates are installed I get state DORMANT:

% ip ad
[...]
3: wlp3s0: <NO-CARRIER,BROADCAST,MULTICAST,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 1500 qdisc fq_codel state DORMANT group default qlen 1000
    link/ether c8:e0:eb:44:d7:41 brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff

Removing and reloading the wl module gets wifi connected:

% history | grep 'doas.*wl'                    
  979  doas modprobe -r wl
  982  doas modprobe -v wl

You can also try sudo ip link set <wl_devicename> mode default (I use modprobe -v in case the -v reports a problem.

5

Great workaround for those not having a wired connection at hand (for performing the downgrade). For those happy with this approach (don’t want to downgrade wpa_supplicant), it has to be mentioned that reloading the wl module has to be performed after each reboot.

Also, as I have expected, the fix of wpa_supplicant is targeting brcmfmac , but not the non-free broadcom-wl, as per this comment to the bug report.

6

To automate the process: :

  1. Create a file for example cwn and fill it

#!/bin/sh

echo -e “123456789\n” | sudo -S iw dev wlp4s0 scan

  • replace 123456789 with sudo password
  • replace wlp4s0 with your interface name

  1. Mark cwn as executable sudo chmod +x wcn and move it to /bin

  2. Create a file for example WiFiDetect.desktop and fill it

[Desktop Entry]
Name=wifi-detect
Type=Application
Exec=sh -c ‘wcn’
X-GNOME-Autostart-enabled=true

  1. Mark WiFiDetect.desktop as executable and move it to .config/autostart

Note that the overall solution is a workaround!

Best regards!

7

I too have an issue with latest Wpa_supplicant on my Fedora40, but with Hotspot. Before latest update my Hotspot have worked without any problem. But latest Wpa_supplicant does not work with Fedora40. I have try brended Fedora41 - same issue. I have not done downgrade, I only test Hotspot on Live flash - work well. Please, put attention to my Hotspot issue:
Below you can see wpa_supplicant.service messages:
Aug 15 14:33:07 notebook wpa_supplicant[1451]: Failed to set beacon
parameters
Aug 15 14:33:07 notebook wpa_supplicant[1451]: Interface initialization
failed
Aug 15 14:33:07 notebook wpa_supplicant[1451]: wlp82s0: interface state
UNINITIALIZED->DISABLED
Aug 15 14:33:07 notebook wpa_supplicant[1451]: wlp82s0: AP-DISABLED
Aug 15 14:33:07 notebook wpa_supplicant[1451]: wlp82s0: Unable to setup
interface.
Aug 15 14:33:07 notebook wpa_supplicant[1451]: Failed to initialize AP
interface
Aug 15 14:33:07 notebook wpa_supplicant[1451]: wlp82s0: interface state
DISABLED->DISABLED
Aug 15 14:33:07 notebook wpa_supplicant[1451]: wlp82s0: AP-DISABLED
Aug 15 14:33:07 notebook wpa_supplicant[1451]: hostapd_free_hapd_data:
Interface wlp82s0 wasn’t started
Aug 15 14:33:07 notebook wpa_supplicant[1451]: wlp82s0: CTRL-EVENT-
DISCONNECTED bssid=4a:e4:40:d4:55:1b reason=3 locally_generated=1Aug 15
14:33:07 notebook wpa_supplicant[1451]: Failed to set beacon parameters
Aug 15 14:33:07 notebook wpa_supplicant[1451]: Interface initialization
failed
Aug 15 14:33:07 notebook wpa_supplicant[1451]: wlp82s0: interface state
UNINITIALIZED->DISABLED
Aug 15 14:33:07 notebook wpa_supplicant[1451]: wlp82s0: AP-DISABLED
Aug 15 14:33:07 notebook wpa_supplicant[1451]: wlp82s0: Unable to setup
interface.
Aug 15 14:33:07 notebook wpa_supplicant[1451]: Failed to initialize AP
interface
Aug 15 14:33:07 notebook wpa_supplicant[1451]: wlp82s0: interface state
DISABLED->DISABLED
Aug 15 14:33:07 notebook wpa_supplicant[1451]: wlp82s0: AP-DISABLED
Aug 15 14:33:07 notebook wpa_supplicant[1451]: hostapd_free_hapd_data:
Interface wlp82s0 wasn’t started
Aug 15 14:33:07 notebook wpa_supplicant[1451]: wlp82s0: CTRL-EVENT-
DISCONNECTED bssid=4a:e4:40:d4:55:1b reason=3 locally_generated=1

The problem appears after message in journalctl:
Aug 15 19:11:46 notebook wpa_supplicant[30404]: Note: nl80211 driver
interface is not designed to be used with ap_scan=2; this can result in
connection failures

Please, any idea

8

Hello,
with the last kernel-6.10.4-200.fc40.x86_64 and wpa_supplicant 1:2.11-3.fc40 the wifi still does not work.

Andrea

9

By hotspot do you mean internet sharing from a mobile device to your Fedora system? If yes, is it wireless or wired sharing?

What is your wireless adapter (lspci | grep -i wireless and/or inxi -Nxx)?

Which version of wpa_supplicant are you on (dnf list installed wpa_supplicant)?

Please post your outputs using preformatted text, by pressing the </> button or Ctrl+E key combination after selecting the pasted text.

If you’d prefer to straight out test your connection with the downgraded version of wpa_supplicant, you can achieve that by running sudo dnf downgrade wpa_supplicant from the terminal. You would need internet connection for that though.

10

| Mike B. mblasko
August 16 |

  • | - |

Alexandre Roumiantsev:

I too have an issue with latest Wpa_supplicant on my Fedora40, but with Hotspot. Before latest update my Hotspot have worked without any problem. But latest Wpa_supplicant does not work with Fedora40. I have try brended Fedora41 - same issue.

By hotspot do you mean internet sharing from a mobile device to your Fedora system? If yes, is it wireless or wired sharing?

Hotspot - My Fedora system share internet ( wired connection) to my other mobile devices.

What is your wireless adapter (lspci | grep -i wireless and/or inxi -Nxx)?

52:00.0 Network controller: Intel Corporation Wi-Fi 6 AX200 (rev 1a)52:00.0 Network controller: Intel Corporation Wi-Fi 6 AX200 (rev 1a)

Alexandre Roumiantsev:

I have not done downgrade, I only test Hotspot on Live flash - work well.

Which version of wpa_supplicant are you on (dnf list installed wpa_supplicant)?

Work well from Live flash: wpa_supplicant.x86_64 1:2.10-10.fc40
Does not work : wpa_supplicant.x86_64 1:2.11-3.fc40
Does not work : wpa_supplicant.x86_64 1:2.11-2.fc41

Please post your outputs using preformatted text, by pressing the </> button or Ctrl+E key combination after selecting the pasted text.

If you’d prefer to straight out test your connection with the downgraded version of wpa_supplicant, you can achieve that by running sudo dnf downgrade wpa_supplicant from the terminal. You would need internet connection for that though.

My opinion that it is not direct wpa_supplicant’s issue, but dependencies problem. I try upgrade Live flash instance wpa_supplicant to wpa_supplicant.x86_64 1:2.11-3.fc40 and get working hotspot system!!!

2 Likes
11

I see 2 diffferent behaviours. My systems have ethernet but are scattered across multiple buildings, so I manage them with cockpit. Some systems (booted after updates usiing cockpit so no local login) boot with the WiFi device showing “DISABLED”, others load the driver don’t get a WiFi device.

Logging in at the console, using iw dev <wifidevicename> scan, or reloading the driver module on systems with “DISABLED” enables wifi, so looks like a power management issue. That might be related to BIOS settings for network booting, which I usually disable but sometimes comes back with firmware or Windows updates.

12

Just to confirm that I also have this problem on a Thinkpad E330. Downgrading the package fixes the problem. Also, it looks as though the package will be rolled back from 2.11 to 2.10? I think I’m reading that correctly on Fedora Packages?

13

Hello
Only would like to inform that downgrade help revert HotSpot to working state for Fedora40 and branded Fedora41
Alexandre