"hal-system-smbios --st_wlan" reports rfkill switch always on, nm-applet always disabled (wireless, dell laptops)

Confirmed on Dell Vostro 1520 with Ubuntu 9.04 amd64.
Temporary solution: Downgrade hal!

Steps:
1. Search version: sudo apt-cache showpkg hal
Output:
...
Provides:
0.5.12~rc1+git20090403-0ubuntu3 - (latest version [problem])
0.5.12~rc1+git20090403-0ubuntu1 - (past version [OK])

2. Downgrade: sudo aptitude install hal=0.5.12~rc1+git20090403-0ubuntu1

3. If necessary: sudo lrm-manager and sudo modprobe wl

Thanks for the workaround Jaume.

For a permanent solution, we need to figure out how to make
hal-system-smbios --st_wlan
respond with the correct value when the rfkill switch is on or off.

I'm unable to reproduce this regression, both jaunty-final and the jaunty-updates hal work correctly with the killswitch in my Dell Latitude D430.

I uploaded a jaunty-proposed hal which disables the st_wlan check again. This might reintroduce kill switch problems for some Dell machines, but only for those which were broken in jaunty final as well, and it should fix this regression. I verified that it still works fine on my Latitude. For verifying that it also fixes your problem, I need to get your feedback as soon as possible.

I ping another SRU team member now to review and process my upload.

For the record, this was the original change in jaunty-updates which caused this:

http://launchpadlibrarian.net/27776744/hal_0.5.12%7Erc1%2Bgit20090403-0ubuntu2_0.5.12%7Erc1%2Bgit20090403-0ubuntu3.diff.gz

Accepted into jaunty-proposed, the package will build now and be available in a few hours. Please test and give feedback here. See https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Testing/EnableProposed for documentation how to enable and use -proposed. Thank you in advance!

Update "0.5.12~rc1+git20090403-0ubuntu4" installed.

Wireless now works but if I turn off the wireless connection with the killswitch, network-manager informs me that the wireless connexion is no more available (that's correct) but still shows all the wireless networks like if my wireless card was still scanning... (that's not correct but not so bad...)

Do you need more information? some kind of terminal outputs... Just tell me what and how to obtain it and I will post the results here.

Sorry for the delay in this bug, I'm having other problems with this **** computer, first grub started to loop at stage 1.5... (solved with super grub disk [looks like WXP mess up the MBR]) second the keyboard seems not to work if I turn on the computer without AC plugged in.... (I've been very busy looking for a solution in this second bug)

Jaume, for the keyboard bug take a look at:

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+bug/334249

I have the same Vostro 1520 and Jaunty x64 as you, and it worked for me.

Jaume, thank you for testing. Indeed it is expected that this update "breaks" the killswitch again, as it was in jaunty final. The backend code which checks the status of the killswitch just doesn't work, so we should rather disable it completely (and thus break the killswitch) than breaking your wifi entirely (by always killing it).

This bug was fixed in the package hal - 0.5.12~rc1+git20090403-0ubuntu4

---------------
hal (0.5.12~rc1+git20090403-0ubuntu4) jaunty-proposed; urgency=low

  * 87_standalone_smbios.patch: Disable st_wlan again, it currently does not
    work and always reports that the killswitch is on. This fixes a regression
    from the previous SRU on some Dell models. (LP: #394663)

 -- Martin Pitt <email address hidden> Sun, 05 Jul 2009 11:42:22 +0200

Martin, I reported the bug still exists in DELL Vostro 1720 earlier on Thursday. I confirm that 0.5.12~rc1+git20090403-0ubuntu4 fixes the problem and the WIFI now works with the latest updates from proposed. Thanks so much for the fix. Let me know if I can help further with testing in anyway.

Martin,

I can confirm that with the update applied the killswitch on my Vostro 1520 works the same now as with Jaunty final - that's exactly what you expected.

Thanks a lot.
If there is an update to the hal-system-smbios utility, I will be happy to test this one, too.

Hi,

[Jaunty 9.04]

Running hal - 0.5.12~rc1+git20090403-0ubuntu4 here on a Dell Inspiron, the bug still exists ! hal-system-smbi --st_wlan is constantly eating 30% to 60% of my CPU, though i even do not use Wifi (only ethernet). My laptop is burning... Please do something about that.

How can i manage to stop that ?

I closed my report because I am now following the development for the Karmic branch.
You might want to have a look at bug 430809