nickbearded

Working on a Buildroot OS with kernel 6.18 + PREEMPT_RT on an Intel AX210 WiFi (iwlwifi QuZ firmware). With dynamic preempt everything works, but RT causes firmware init errors and the device disappears. Maybe bleeding-edge RT kernels aren’t always the best choice. Curious if others hit similar issues or found workarounds. Open to discussion.

#Linux #Buildroot #Kernel #RealTime #PREEMPTRT #iwlwifi #IntelAX210 #EmbeddedLinux #FOSS #CyberSecurity

Feb 5 at 10:46amMastodon for Android
Show threadRollieBaeFeb 5

@nickbearded Problem: Conflict between PREEMPT_RT and Intel AX210 WiFi (firmware initialization error).

Solutions:
1. Kernel Parameters: Add i915.enable_guc=0 and iwlwifi.power_save=0.
2. Kernel: Downgrade from 6.18 to stable 6.1 LTS + RT.
3. Firmware: Try a version older than QuZ.
4. Alternative: Use PREEMPT_VOLUNTARY if hardcore RT is not required.

Show threadnickbeardedFeb 5
@rolliebae Thanks for the detailed suggestions, really appreciated. I’ll test the kernel parameters and also try moving to 6.1 LTS + RT to see if stability improves. Always interesting to learn where RT and hardware start to disagree 🙂 I’ll share results once I have some feedback.
Show threadRollieBaeFeb 5

@nickbearded Sounds like a solid plan! The 6.1 LTS kernel is a much safer bet for RT + AX210 combinations, as the driver stack is more mature there.

Pro tip: When you test the parameters, i915.enable_guc=0 is usually the "silver bullet" for this specific hardware conflict. If that one doesn't fix it, the others likely won't either.

Good luck with the build! I’d love to hear if the downgrade to 6.1 resolves the -110 timeout error. Happy hacking! 🚀

Show threadnickbeardedFeb 5
@rolliebae Thanks for the tip, much appreciated! I’ll report back once I finish testing and see if the -110 timeout disappears 😃