Broadband USB Modem not switching to modem mode

[m_pav]

I'm trying to find a fix for a USB aircard type USB modem that has suddenly stopped loading the modem driver.

Setup is as follows:

Fresh installation of MX, latest version with PAE, connect device and inside /dev. we get 4 new ttyUSB entries numbered 0-3
Install all updates, no additional software, reboot and connect the device, nothing added, therefore not usable as a modem.

Usually, these devices are known to flip from a CD Rom device to a modem device if they see support already present in the OS and running from a LIVE-USB, the device is doing just that, but after the updates, it's no longer happening.

Below are the dmesg entries showing what is happening.

MX-14.2 Symbiosis 30 June 2014 running from live-USB (identical when installed)

Code: Select all

usb 3-2: new high-speed USB device number 8 using xhci_hcd
usb 3-2: New USB device found, idVendor=19d2, idProduct=f006
usb 3-2: New USB device strings: Mfr=3, Product=2, SerialNumber=0
usb 3-2: Product: ZTE CDMA Technologies MSM
usb 3-2: Manufacturer: ZTE, Incorporated
hid-generic 0003:19D2:F006.0004: hiddev0,hidraw1: USB HID v1.10 Device [ZTE, Incorporated ZTE CDMA Technologies MSM] on usb-0000:00:14.0-2/input0
usb 3-2: USB disconnect, device number 8
usb 3-2: new high-speed USB device number 9 using xhci_hcd
usb 3-2: New USB device found, idVendor=19d2, idProduct=2000
usb 3-2: New USB device strings: Mfr=3, Product=2, SerialNumber=4
usb 3-2: Product: ZTE CDMA Technologies MSM
usb 3-2: Manufacturer: ZTE,Incorporated
usb 3-2: SerialNumber: P673A1VDF_MS
usb-storage 3-2:1.0: USB Mass Storage device detected
scsi9 : usb-storage 3-2:1.0
usb 3-2: USB disconnect, device number 9
usb 3-2: new high-speed USB device number 10 using xhci_hcd
usb 3-2: New USB device found, idVendor=19d2, idProduct=f006
usb 3-2: New USB device strings: Mfr=3, Product=2, SerialNumber=0
usb 3-2: Product: ZTE CDMA Technologies MSM
usb 3-2: Manufacturer: ZTE, Incorporated
hid-generic 0003:19D2:F006.0005: hiddev0,hidraw1: USB HID v1.10 Device [ZTE, Incorporated ZTE CDMA Technologies MSM] on usb-0000:00:14.0-2/input0
usb 3-2: USB disconnect, device number 10
usb 3-2: new high-speed USB device number 11 using xhci_hcd
usb 3-2: New USB device found, idVendor=19d2, idProduct=2002
usb 3-2: New USB device strings: Mfr=4, Product=3, SerialNumber=5
usb 3-2: Product: ZTE CDMA Technologies MSM
usb 3-2: Manufacturer: ZTE,Incorporated
usb 3-2: SerialNumber: 1234567890ABCDEF
option 3-2:1.0: GSM modem (1-port) converter detected
usb 3-2: GSM modem (1-port) converter now attached to ttyUSB0
option 3-2:1.1: GSM modem (1-port) converter detected
usb 3-2: GSM modem (1-port) converter now attached to ttyUSB1
option 3-2:1.2: GSM modem (1-port) converter detected
usb 3-2: GSM modem (1-port) converter now attached to ttyUSB2
option 3-2:1.3: GSM modem (1-port) converter detected
usb 3-2: GSM modem (1-port) converter now attached to ttyUSB3
qmi_wwan 3-2:1.4: cdc-wdm1: USB WDM device
qmi_wwan 3-2:1.4 wwan0: register 'qmi_wwan' at usb-0000:00:14.0-2, WWAN/QMI device, 22:b9:99:38:c0:ea
usb-storage 3-2:1.5: USB Mass Storage device detected
scsi10 : usb-storage 3-2:1.5
scsi 10:0:0:0: Direct-Access     Vodafone  MMC Storage      MMC PQ: 0 ANSI: 2
sd 10:0:0:0: Attached scsi generic sg3 type 0
sd 10:0:0:0: [sdc] Attached SCSI removable disk

MX-14 installed, updated and after a restart, this is all we get from dmesg

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usb 1-1: new high-speed USB device number 3 using xhci_hcd
usb 1-1: New USB device found, idVendor=19d2, idProduct=f006
usb 1-1: New USB device strings: Mfr=3, Product=2, SerialNumber=0
usb 1-1: Product: ZTE CDMA Technologies MSM
usb 1-1: Manufacturer: ZTE, Incorporated
hid-generic 0003:19D2:F006.0002: hiddev0,hidraw1: USB HID v1.10 Device [ZTE, Incorporated ZTE CDMA Technologies MSM] on usb-0000:00:14.0-1/input0
usb 1-1: USB disconnect, device number 3
usb 1-1: new high-speed USB device number 4 using xhci_hcd
usb 1-1: New USB device found, idVendor=19d2, idProduct=2000
usb 1-1: New USB device strings: Mfr=3, Product=2, SerialNumber=4
usb 1-1: Product: ZTE CDMA Technologies MSM
usb 1-1: Manufacturer: ZTE,Incorporated
usb 1-1: SerialNumber: P673A1VDF_MS
usb-storage 1-1:1.0: USB Mass Storage device detected
scsi6 : usb-storage 1-1:1.0
usbcore: registered new interface driver usb-storage
scsi 6:0:0:0: CD-ROM            Vodafone  USB SCSI CD-ROM  USB PQ: 0 ANSI: 2
sr1: scsi-1 drive
sr 6:0:0:0: Attached scsi CD-ROM sr1
sr 6:0:0:0: Attached scsi generic sg2 type 5

As you can see, in the fresh system, the device is first identified, it self-switches to a storage device, then self switches again to a modem device, but after the updates and a restart, only the first 2 switches are performed, it does not switch into modem mode.

Unfortunately, the fault after an update is not totally consistent because I have done this twice and the first time, it continued to work after an update and reboot, but on the next update and reboot, it failed, so I repeated the procedure and retrieved the dmesg reports to post here.

I then tried it on my 3 other MX systems and none of them could produce the modem, all are updated, but what is consistent is it will always work on a live-flash drive without the updates.

I really need to know how to track down the file or app that is causing the failure, if anybody has some understanding on this issue.

Ooh, I have also tried a kernel update to the 3.14 kernel and no dice.

Mike P

[kmathern]

Since the release of MX 14.2, the libusb-1.0-0 package has had a upgrade to the 2:1.0.19-1~bpo70+1 version.
Maybe try rolling it back to this: http://snapshot.debian.org/archive/debi ... 1_i386.deb

[m_pav]

Thanks kmathern.
I tried it to no avail on my production laptop (though didn't restart) so I thought I'd see if there was a later version by enabling wheezy-backports and found one, tried that too and no dice.

Didn't have time to reboot as I need to get to work urgently, will try again on the fresh install when I get there.

[lucky9]

Have you tried the manual method?: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Aircard

[kmathern]

Thanks kmathern.
I tried it to no avail on my production laptop (though didn't restart) so I thought I'd see if there was a later version by enabling wheezy-backports and found one, tried that too and no dice.

The wheezy-backports repo should have already been enabled, it's enabled by default in MX14. The "later" version you installed is the wheezy-backports 2:1.0.19-1~bpo70+1 version, but it should have been what was installed before you downgraded to the 1.0.18-2~bpo70+1 version (the package I linked to in my earlier post).

Below are the upgrades a fully updated MX 14.2 install would have had if it's using the default repos.

I'm thinking the libusb-1.0-0 update or the udev updates are the most likely candidates as the cause of the problem.

apt-get dist-upgrade
Reading package lists...
Building dependency tree...
Reading state information...
The following NEW packages will be installed:

• libavcodec55 (10.1-1~bpo70+1)
  libavformat55 (10.1-1~bpo70+1)
  libgnutls-deb0-28 (3.2.15-2~bpo70+1)
  libpoppler46 (0.26.3-1~bpo70+1)
  libvdpau1 (0.4.1-7)
  qtchooser (39-g4717841-3~bpo70+1)
  qtcore4-l10n (4.8.6+dfsg-2~bpo70+1)

The following packages will be upgraded:

• acpi-fakekey (0.140-5 => 0.140-5+deb7u1)
  acpi-support-base (0.140-5 => 0.140-5+deb7u1)
  base-files (7.1wheezy5 => 7.1wheezy6)
  claws-mail (3.9.3-1~bpo70+1 => 3.10.1-2~bpo70+1)
  claws-mail-pdf-viewer (3.9.3-1~bpo70+1 => 3.10.1-2~bpo70+1)
  claws-mail-pgpinline (3.9.3-1~bpo70+1 => 3.10.1-2~bpo70+1)
  claws-mail-pgpmime (3.9.3-1~bpo70+1 => 3.10.1-2~bpo70+1)
  claws-mail-spamassassin (3.9.3-1~bpo70+1 => 3.10.1-2~bpo70+1)
  cups (1.5.3-5+deb7u1 => 1.5.3-5+deb7u4)
  cups-bsd (1.5.3-5+deb7u1 => 1.5.3-5+deb7u4)
  cups-client (1.5.3-5+deb7u1 => 1.5.3-5+deb7u4)
  cups-common (1.5.3-5+deb7u1 => 1.5.3-5+deb7u4)
  cups-ppdc (1.5.3-5+deb7u1 => 1.5.3-5+deb7u4)
  dbus (1.6.8-1+deb7u1 => 1.6.8-1+deb7u3)
  dbus-x11 (1.6.8-1+deb7u1 => 1.6.8-1+deb7u3)
  gnupg-agent (2.0.24-1~bpo70+1 => 2.0.25-1~bpo70+1)
  gnupg2 (2.0.24-1~bpo70+1 => 2.0.25-1~bpo70+1)
  iceweasel (24.6.0esr-1~deb7u1 => 24.7.0esr-1~deb7u1)
  intel-microcode (2.20140430.1~bpo70+1 => 2.20140624.1~bpo70+1)
  iproute (3.12.0-2~bpo70+1 => 3.15.0-2~bpo70+1)
  iproute2 (3.12.0-2~bpo70+1 => 3.15.0-2~bpo70+1)
  libavcodec53 (0.8.12-1 => 0.8.13-1)
  libavformat53 (0.8.12-1 => 0.8.13-1)
  libavutil51 (0.8.12-1 => 0.8.13-1)
  libc-bin (2.13-38+deb7u1 => 2.13-38+deb7u3)
  libc-dev-bin (2.13-38+deb7u1 => 2.13-38+deb7u3)
  libc6 (2.13-38+deb7u1 => 2.13-38+deb7u3)
  libc6-dev (2.13-38+deb7u1 => 2.13-38+deb7u3)
  libcups2 (1.5.3-5+deb7u1 => 1.5.3-5+deb7u4)
  libcupscgi1 (1.5.3-5+deb7u1 => 1.5.3-5+deb7u4)
  libcupsdriver1 (1.5.3-5+deb7u1 => 1.5.3-5+deb7u4)
  libcupsimage2 (1.5.3-5+deb7u1 => 1.5.3-5+deb7u4)
  libcupsmime1 (1.5.3-5+deb7u1 => 1.5.3-5+deb7u4)
  libcupsppdc1 (1.5.3-5+deb7u1 => 1.5.3-5+deb7u4)
  libdbus-1-3 (1.6.8-1+deb7u1 => 1.6.8-1+deb7u3)
  libgudev-1.0-0 (204-8~bpo70+1 => 204-14~bpo70+1)
  libjpeg8 (8d-1 => 8d-1+deb7u1)
  liblzo2-2 (2.06-1 => 2.06-1+deb7u1)
  libmozjs24d (24.6.0esr-1~deb7u1 => 24.7.0esr-1~deb7u1)
  libnss3 (3.14.5-1 => 3.14.5-1+deb7u1)
  libnss3-1d (3.14.5-1 => 3.14.5-1+deb7u1)
  libpoppler-glib8 (0.24.5-4~bpo70+1 => 0.26.3-1~bpo70+1)
  libqt4-dbus (4.8.2+dfsg-11 => 4.8.6+dfsg-2~bpo70+1)
  libqt4-declarative (4.8.2+dfsg-11 => 4.8.6+dfsg-2~bpo70+1)
  libqt4-designer (4.8.2+dfsg-11 => 4.8.6+dfsg-2~bpo70+1)
  libqt4-gui (4.8.2+dfsg-11 => 4.8.6+dfsg-2~bpo70+1)
  libqt4-help (4.8.2+dfsg-11 => 4.8.6+dfsg-2~bpo70+1)
  libqt4-network (4.8.2+dfsg-11 => 4.8.6+dfsg-2~bpo70+1)
  libqt4-opengl (4.8.2+dfsg-11 => 4.8.6+dfsg-2~bpo70+1)
  libqt4-script (4.8.2+dfsg-11 => 4.8.6+dfsg-2~bpo70+1)
  libqt4-scripttools (4.8.2+dfsg-11 => 4.8.6+dfsg-2~bpo70+1)
  libqt4-sql (4.8.2+dfsg-11 => 4.8.6+dfsg-2~bpo70+1)
  libqt4-sql-sqlite (4.8.2+dfsg-11 => 4.8.6+dfsg-2~bpo70+1)
  libqt4-svg (4.8.2+dfsg-11 => 4.8.6+dfsg-2~bpo70+1)
  libqt4-test (4.8.2+dfsg-11 => 4.8.6+dfsg-2~bpo70+1)
  libqt4-xml (4.8.2+dfsg-11 => 4.8.6+dfsg-2~bpo70+1)
  libqt4-xmlpatterns (4.8.2+dfsg-11 => 4.8.6+dfsg-2~bpo70+1)
  libqtcore4 (4.8.2+dfsg-11 => 4.8.6+dfsg-2~bpo70+1)
  libqtdbus4 (4.8.2+dfsg-11 => 4.8.6+dfsg-2~bpo70+1)
  libqtgui4 (4.8.2+dfsg-11 => 4.8.6+dfsg-2~bpo70+1)
  libsystemd-login0 (204-8~bpo70+1 => 204-14~bpo70+1)
  libudev1 (204-8~bpo70+1 => 204-14~bpo70+1)
  libusb-1.0-0 (1.0.18-2~bpo70+1 => 1.0.19-1~bpo70+1)
  libvlc5 (2.1.4-1mcr120+1 => 2.1.5-1~bpo70+1)
  libvlccore7 (2.1.4-1mcr120+1 => 2.1.5-1~bpo70+1)
  libxml2 (2.8.0+dfsg1-7+nmu3 => 2.8.0+dfsg1-7+wheezy1)
  linux-compiler-gcc-4.6-x86 (3.14.7-1~bpo70+1 => 3.14.13-2~bpo70+1)
  linux-libc-dev (3.14.7-1~bpo70+1 => 3.14.13-2~bpo70+1)
  locales (2.13-38+deb7u1 => 2.13-38+deb7u3)
  mobile-broadband-provider-info (20120708-1 => 20140317-1~deb7u1)
  multiarch-support (2.13-38+deb7u1 => 2.13-38+deb7u3)
  mx-packageinstaller (0.14.1mx141+4 => 0.14.2mx142+1)
  openjdk-7-jre (7u55-2.4.7-1~deb7u1 => 7u65-2.5.1-2~deb7u1)
  openjdk-7-jre-headless (7u55-2.4.7-1~deb7u1 => 7u65-2.5.1-2~deb7u1)
  openjdk-7-jre-lib (7u55-2.4.7-1~deb7u1 => 7u65-2.5.1-2~deb7u1)
  poppler-utils (0.24.5-4~bpo70+1 => 0.26.3-1~bpo70+1)
  pv (1.2.0-1 => 1.5.3-1~bpo70+1)
  python-libxml2 (2.8.0+dfsg1-7+nmu3 => 2.8.0+dfsg1-7+wheezy1)
  python-reportbug (6.4.4 => 6.4.4+deb7u1)
  python-six (1.7.2-1~bpo70+1 => 1.7.3-1~bpo70+1)
  qdbus (4.8.2+dfsg-11 => 4.8.6+dfsg-2~bpo70+1)
  spamassassin (3.3.2-5+deb7u1 => 3.4.0-2~bpo70+1)
  transmission (2.52-3+nmu1 => 2.52-3+nmu2)
  transmission-common (2.52-3+nmu1 => 2.52-3+nmu2)
  transmission-gtk (2.52-3+nmu1 => 2.52-3+nmu2)
  tzdata (2014a-0wheezy1 => 2014e-0wheezy1)
  tzdata-java (2014a-0wheezy1 => 2014e-0wheezy1)
  udev (204-8~bpo70+1 => 204-14~bpo70+1)
  vlc (2.1.4-1mcr120+1 => 2.1.5-1~bpo70+1)
  vlc-data (2.1.4-1mcr120+1 => 2.1.5-1~bpo70+1)
  vlc-nox (2.1.4-1mcr120+1 => 2.1.5-1~bpo70+1)
  xfce4-whiskermenu-plugin (1.3.1-1 => 1.4.0-mx140+1)
  xulrunner-24.0 (24.6.0esr-1~deb7u1 => 24.7.0esr-1~deb7u1)

93 upgraded, 7 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 140 MB of archives.
After this operation, 24.5 MB of additional disk space will be used.

[timkb4cq]

Other possibly relevant packages with recent upgrades:

Code: Select all

mobile-broadband-provider-info
wireless-regdb
udev
libudev1

My bet is on udev / libudev1 being the issue. It's udev rules which trigger the loading of drivers for usb devices.

[m_pav]

I have the same impression about the udev rules. I'm reinstalling now and will pull in all updates except for the highlighted items that could have some bearing on the issue, then install them one by one in order of perceived relevance to the issue and report back.

Probably would have been easier to downgrade, but how would I get access to the earlier versions of the .debs? Let's wait until I find the culprit, might have to submit a bug report upline.

[kmathern]

I have the same impression about the udev rules. I'm reinstalling now and will pull in all updates except for the highlighted items that could have some bearing on the issue, then install them one by one in order of perceived relevance to the issue and report back.

Probably would have been easier to downgrade, but how would I get access to the earlier versions of the .debs? Let's wait until I find the culprit, might have to submit a bug report upline.

You can get the udev packages from snapshot.debian.org http://snapshot.debian.org/package/syst ... bpo70%2B1/. The libusb-1.0-0 downgrade I posted earlier also came from snapshot.debian.org.

You would probably also need to downgrade the libsystemd-login0 package, because it's also from the systemd source package.

[m_pav]

I have confirmed the upgrade that breaks the system to be udev and libudev1.
Will try downgrading them and report back.

Mike P

[m_pav]

Downgrading the 2 packages did the trick, device is flip-flopping as it should and we have 4 ttyUSB device nodes created on device connect (to USB).
Now is this worthy of submitting a bug report, and if so, how?

For the time being, I'll mark the thread as solved, but in reality, it is not truly solved, just found a work-around.

Thanks for all that helped.