Linux Format forums

[JohnParr]

I have an annoying issue with the wireless adapter in my Acer Aspire 5040. This laptop has a button on the front that lights up when the wireless adapter is powered on. It’s currently set up to run 4 operating systems:

Windows XP: Wireless works perfectly but it has to run at start-up a piece of Acer software (that sets the actions of several special keys) for the wireless adapter to power on.

Lucid Puppy 5.2: Wireless works perfectly. Wireless adapter powers on every boot.

Ubuntu 11.04: Wireless adapter powers on sometimes if booted from a shutdown state. If the adapter does not power on it is possible to get it to power on by performing a shutdown and restart. If I do this the adapter powers on during the shutdown process and remains on for the restart. This is 100% repeatable and wireless works perfectly from this point.

Ubuntu 12.04: The wireless adapter never powers on if booted from a shutdown state. The shutdown and restart workaround that gets it going under Ubuntu 11.04 does not work under Ubuntu 12.04. However it does work if I shutdown one of the other operating systems and restart Ubuntu 12.04.

Once the wireless adapter is powered on it always works fine so I don’t think this is a networking driver issue. The intermittent behaviour under Ubuntu 11.04 suggests to me it might be a timing issue where something needs to happen before something else. Ubuntu 12.04 certainly boots much quicker than Ubuntu 11.04 but then I have only just installed it.

"rfkill list all" reports no blocks

The Wireless adapter is an Atheros AR5005G and uses the ath5k driver and something called acer_wmi.

There must be a Linux solution because Puppy works fine. I would be very grateful for any suggestions.

[JohnParr]

I found a partial solution to this problem. I had to go back to an earlier kernel. Everything still works with 3.0.36. Have not tried anything more recent yet.