Disable built-in WiFi card so that USB WiFi device gets used.

Tue Jul 30 22:17:55 UTC 2013

On 30/07/13 19:07, poma wrote:
> On 30.07.2013 06:51, Rolf Turner wrote:
>> On 30/07/13 14:45, poma wrote:
>>> On 30.07.2013 00:03, Rolf Turner wrote:
>>>> Thanks "poma" (???) and Harald.  It sounds like you may have solved my
>>>> problem .... but I'm afraid that your advice is too cryptic for my poor
>>>> feeble
>>>> brain.  Can either of you (or someone else) spell out in tedious detail
>>>> just
>>>> what I need to do?  I cannot figure out whether things written in your
>>>> messages
>>>> are commands that I issue at the command line or lines that I need to
>>>> insert
>>>> into certain files.  And if so, which files?  I'm sure it's all obvious
>>>> to you guys,
>>>> but it leaves me floundering.
>>>>
>>>> Some specific questions:
>>>>
>>>> (1) "poma's" original posting referred to the directory /boot/extlinux
>>>> and a file therein called extlinux.conf.  On my system there is no
>>>> directory
>>>> "extlinux" in /boot.  The only subdirectories of /boot are "efi", "grub"
>>>> and
>>>> "grub2".
>>>>
>>>> Should I create the directory /boot/extlinux and the file
>>>> /boot/extlinux/extlinux.conf?
>>>> Or is there some other incantation that I should invoke?
>>>>
>>>> (2) Likewise the original posting refers to <drivername>. How do I
>>>> find/figure out
>>>> the *name* of the driver associated with the internal WiFi card? This
>>>> may sound
>>>> clueless, but I guess I am clueless.
>>>>
>>>> (3) I did "man 7 dracut.cmdline" and found the reference to
>>>> "rd.driver.blacklist"
>>>> but I could not fathom what it was saying.
>>>>
>>>> (4) The original posting contains:
>>>>> e.g.
>>>>> /boot/extlinux/extlinux.conf
>>>>> append … rd.driver.blacklist=<drivername>
>>>> Is the line "append … rd.driver.blacklist=<drivername>" to be placed
>>>> in the file /boot/extlinux/extlinux.conf?  (After I figure out what to
>>>> substitute
>>>> for "<drivername>" of course.) Are the three dots "..." literal? Or
>>>> are are they a filler for something that I need to insert?  If so, what
>>>> do I need to insert?  I haven't a clue!
>>>>
>>>> (5) I have found the file /boot/grub2/grub.cfg alright.  But it has a
>>>> header
>>>> saying "DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE".  It goes on to say:
>>>>> # It is automatically generated by grub2-mkconfig using templates
>>>>> # from /etc/grub.d and settings from /etc/default/grub
>>>> So do I need to edit /etc/default/grub?  Or what?
>>>>
>>>> (6) In respect of "poma's" follow-up posting:  Do I create a file
>>>> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.<modulename>.conf (after having figured
>>>> out what "<modulename>" should be) and place in it the line:
>>>>
>>>>      blacklist <modulename>
>>>>
>>>> (again after having figured out what "<modulename>" should be) ?
>>>>
>>>> (7) In /etc/modprobe.d there is already a file called
>>>> "blacklist.conf" in
>>>> which there are many many lines such as:
>>>>
>>>>> # watchdog drivers
>>>>> blacklist i8xx_tco
>>>>>
>>>>> # framebuffer drivers
>>>>> blacklist aty128fb
>>>>> blacklist atyfb
>>>>> blacklist radeonfb
>>>>> blacklist i810fb
>>>>> blacklist cirrusfb
>>>>        .........
>>>>
>>>> Could I just put "blacklist <modulename>" into that file?
>>>>
>>>> (8) "poma" says " However OP should upgrade, anyway."  I'm sure that
>>>> I should.  But the thought terrifies me.  After all that I have read on
>>>> this
>>>> list recently about problems with Fedora 19, with fedup, with "yum
>>>> upgrade".
>>>> I have understood almost none of the discourse but it seems to indicate
>>>> that upgrading is essentially impossible unless you *really* know
>>>> what you
>>>> are doing.  And I don't.
>>>>
>>>> Is there a simple (hah!) recipe by means of which I could upgrade?  E.g.
>>>> could I just type
>>>>
>>>>       sudo fedup
>>>>
>>>> at the command line?  Or perhaps
>>>>
>>>>       sudo yum upgrade
>>>>
>>>> ???  If either would work, what are the implications of using the one
>>>> rather
>>>> than the other?
>>>>
>>>> Thanks for any insight.
>>>>
>>>>       cheers,
>>>>
>>>>           Rolf Turner
>>>>
>>>>
>>> Step by step. ;)
>>>
>>> This is the hyperlink:
>>> https://support.mozillamessaging.com/en-US/kb/reply-above-or-below-quoted-text
>>>
>>> Below quoted text, s'il vous plaît.
>>>
>>> This is the command - c/p into reply s'il vous plaît:
>>> $ lspci -knn
>>>
>>>
>>> poma
>>>
>>
>> Here we go.  (It is all Greek to me! :-) )
>>
>>> 00:00.0 Host bridge [0600]: Intel Corporation Ivy Bridge DRAM
>>> Controller [8086:0154] (rev 09)
>>>      Subsystem: Toshiba America Info Systems Device [1179:fb31]
>>> 00:01.0 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation Ivy Bridge PCI Express
>>> Root Port [8086:0151] (rev 09)
>>>      Kernel driver in use: pcieport
>>> 00:14.0 USB Controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation Panther Point USB
>>> xHCI Host Controller [8086:1e31] (rev 04)
>>>      Subsystem: Toshiba America Info Systems Device [1179:fb31]
>>>      Kernel driver in use: xhci_hcd
>>> 00:16.0 Communication controller [0780]: Intel Corporation Panther
>>> Point MEI Controller #1 [8086:1e3a] (rev 04)
>>>      Subsystem: Toshiba America Info Systems Device [1179:fb31]
>>> 00:1a.0 USB Controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation Panther Point USB
>>> Enhanced Host Controller #2 [8086:1e2d] (rev 04)
>>>      Subsystem: Toshiba America Info Systems Device [1179:fb31]
>>>      Kernel driver in use: ehci_hcd
>>> 00:1b.0 Audio device [0403]: Intel Corporation Panther Point High
>>> Definition Audio Controller [8086:1e20] (rev 04)
>>>      Subsystem: Toshiba America Info Systems Device [1179:fb30]
>>>      Kernel driver in use: snd_hda_intel
>>> 00:1c.0 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation Panther Point PCI Express
>>> Root Port 1 [8086:1e10] (rev c4)
>>>      Kernel driver in use: pcieport
>>> 00:1c.1 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation Panther Point PCI Express
>>> Root Port 2 [8086:1e12] (rev c4)
>>>      Kernel driver in use: pcieport
>>> 00:1c.2 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation Panther Point PCI Express
>>> Root Port 3 [8086:1e14] (rev c4)
>>>      Kernel driver in use: pcieport
>>> 00:1d.0 USB Controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation Panther Point USB
>>> Enhanced Host Controller #1 [8086:1e26] (rev 04)
>>>      Subsystem: Toshiba America Info Systems Device [1179:fb31]
>>>      Kernel driver in use: ehci_hcd
>>> 00:1f.0 ISA bridge [0601]: Intel Corporation Panther Point LPC
>>> Controller [8086:1e59] (rev 04)
>>>      Subsystem: Toshiba America Info Systems Device [1179:fb31]
>>> 00:1f.2 SATA controller [0106]: Intel Corporation Panther Point 6 port
>>> SATA AHCI Controller [8086:1e03] (rev 04)
>>>      Subsystem: Toshiba America Info Systems Device [1179:fb31]
>>>      Kernel driver in use: ahci
>>> 00:1f.3 SMBus [0c05]: Intel Corporation Panther Point SMBus Controller
>>> [8086:1e22] (rev 04)
>>>      Subsystem: Toshiba America Info Systems Device [1179:fb31]
>>> 01:00.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: ATI Technologies Inc Device
>>> [1002:6840]
>>>      Subsystem: Toshiba America Info Systems Device [1179:fb31]
>>>      Kernel driver in use: radeon
>>> 01:00.1 Audio device [0403]: ATI Technologies Inc Device [1002:aa90]
>>>      Subsystem: Toshiba America Info Systems Device [1179:fb31]
>>>      Kernel driver in use: snd_hda_intel
>>> 08:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
>>> RTL8188CE 802.11b/g/n WiFi Adapter [10ec:8176] (rev 01)
>>>      Subsystem: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. Device [10ec:8212]
>>>      Kernel driver in use: rtl8192ce
>>> 09:00.0 Ethernet controller [0200]: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
>>> RTL8111/8168B PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet controller [10ec:8168] (rev
>>> 07)
>>>      Subsystem: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. Device [10ec:0123]
>>>      Kernel driver in use: r8169
>>
>> Hope it enables you to give me some insight.
>>
>>      cheers,
>>
>>          Rolf
>>
>>
>
> This is the file - create it with your favorite text editor, as root:
> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-rtl8192ce.conf
>
> This is the command:
> $ su -c "<TEXT EDITOR> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-rtl8192ce.conf"
>
> e.g.
> $ su -c "gedit /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-rtl8192ce.conf"
> Password: <ENTER HERE THE ROOT PASSWORD>
>
> Then type the following line into the file:
> blacklist rtl8192ce
>
> Save and close.
> $ su -c "init 6"
>
> Finito.

That ***ALMOST*** works.  Thanks very much.  The only WiFi device that 
the machine now sees is the USB device. The remaining flaw in the 
ointment is that when I close the lid on the laptop, it seems to stop
seeing any available networks.  When I clicking on the networking icon 
it indicates "Wireless disconnected" and does not list any available 
network.  (Previously it indicated that the USB device was disconnected 
and listed available networks under the internal device.)

I thought I might try "sudo ifup wlan0" --- no idea if that really makes 
sense, but it seemed like something I could try.  However it just 
complains that it can't find the network "UoA-Guest-WiFi" which is
a network available when I am at the Uni.  Whereas I was doing this at 
home and wanted it to use my home network (called "belkin.aaa").  Dunno 
if it would've worked anyway, but.

It finds the available networks OK upon boot-up.  It's just after 
closing and re-opening the lid that they all disappear.  Can anyone give 
me a recipe to tell it to find the available networks?  Seems to me that 
this should be do-able.

	cheers,

		Rolf

P. S.  I can't actually work around the problem, in a shaganappi way, 
without rebooting.  If I unplug the WiFi dongle, plug it back in, and 
then click on the network icon --> Connect to Hidden Wireless Network -> 
Connection (downarrow) then I'm given a list of networks.  I can then
click on belkin.aaa.  It spins the wheel of death for a while, then pops
up a window saying that a password is required (although the password is 
stored in the connection information).  I just click on "Connect".
It usually pops up that window again, I click on "Connect" again.
Sometimes that gives me a connection, sometimes a third or forth try is 
required.  Eventually (so far) I get through.  Not impossible to live 
with, but not really satisfactory.

		R.