Re: ath10k_pci logs errors about missing pre-cal and cal firmware on a laptop

[Jeff Johnson <quic_jjohnson@quicinc.com>]

On 11/14/2023 9:32 AM, Jeff Johnson wrote:
> On 11/12/2023 4:13 AM, Paul Menzel wrote:
>> Dear Linux folks,
>>
>>
>> Onn the Dell XPS 13 9360 with Debian sid/unstable, Linux 6.5.10 logs the 
>> error below:
>>
>>      $ sudo dmesg | grep -e "DMI:" -e "Linux version" -e microcode
>>      [    0.000000] microcode: updated early: 0xf0 -> 0xf4, date = 
>> 2023-02-22
>>      [    0.000000] Linux version 6.5.0-4-amd64 
>> (debian-kernel@lists.debian.org) (gcc-13 (Debian 13.2.0-6) 13.2.0, GNU 
>> ld (GNU Binutils for Debian) 2.41) #1 SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Debian 
>> 6.5.10-1 (2023-11-03)
>>      [    0.000000] DMI: Dell Inc. XPS 13 9360/0596KF, BIOS 2.21.0 
>> 06/02/2022
>>      [    0.580689] microcode: Microcode Update Driver: v2.2.
>>
>>      $ sudo dmesg --level alert,crit,err
>>      [    0.053566] x86/cpu: SGX disabled by BIOS.
>>      [    1.942183] psmouse serio1: synaptics: Unable to query device: -5
>>      [   14.401112] ath10k_pci 0000:3a:00.0: firmware: failed to load 
>> ath10k/pre-cal-pci-0000:3a:00.0.bin (-2)
>>      [   14.401143] firmware_class: See https://wiki.debian.org/Firmware 
>> for information about missing firmware
>>      [   14.401185] ath10k_pci 0000:3a:00.0: firmware: failed to load 
>> ath10k/pre-cal-pci-0000:3a:00.0.bin (-2)
>>      [   14.401233] ath10k_pci 0000:3a:00.0: firmware: failed to load 
>> ath10k/cal-pci-0000:3a:00.0.bin (-2)
>>      [   14.401273] ath10k_pci 0000:3a:00.0: firmware: failed to load 
>> ath10k/cal-pci-0000:3a:00.0.bin (-2)
>>
>> As it’s logged with error level, I’d like to address the ath10k_pci 
>> errors, but I am unable to find the firmware in the Linux firmware 
>> archive [1].
>>
>> What can I do about this?
>>
>>
>> Kind regards,
>>
>> Paul
>>
>>
>> [1]: 
>> https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/firmware/linux-firmware.git/
> 
> Adding the ath10k list so this isn't lost in the noise

The calibration files are optional and you should not see any warnings
if they are not present.

Note ath10k explicitly calls firmware_request_nowarn() when it loads the
files since it doesn't want any warnings from the firmware loader if the
files aren't present.
<https://elixir.bootlin.com/linux/v6.5.10/source/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath10k/core.c#L929>

And ath10k itself explicitly doesn't warn:
<https://elixir.bootlin.com/linux/v6.5.10/source/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath10k/core.c#L1259>

So I'm confused where these warnings originate.

Based upon the message:
[   14.401143] firmware_class: See https://wiki.debian.org/Firmware
for information about missing firmware

it seems you are not running a stock kernel. So perhaps Debian has
modified the firmware loading such that it ignores the FW_OPT_NO_WARN
flag and warns even when told not to do so? This does not appear to be
an upstream kernel issue.

/jeff