[Bug 2139343] Re: [SRU] Pi 500 missing links

[Launchpad Bug Tracker]

This bug was fixed in the package linux-firmware-raspi - 12-0ubuntu1.1

---------------
linux-firmware-raspi (12-0ubuntu1.1) noble; urgency=medium

  * Add missing links for Raspberry Pi 500 wifi firmwares (LP: #2139343)

 -- Dave Jones <dave.jones at canonical.com>  Fri, 30 Jan 2026 11:19:48
+0000

** Changed in: linux-firmware-raspi (Ubuntu Noble)
       Status: Fix Committed => Fix Released

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/2139343

Title:
  [SRU] Pi 500 missing links

Status in linux-firmware-raspi package in Ubuntu:
  Fix Released
Status in linux-firmware-raspi source package in Noble:
  Fix Released

Bug description:
  [ Impact ]

  Wifi performance for the Pi 500 is extremely variable. While it
  initially will connect to an AP, when attempting to use the connection
  for any length of time (e.g. playing a video for a few minutes), it
  will drop and have difficulty reconnecting (though it will ultimately
  manage).

  This is because the updated firmware for the wifi module is failing to
  load as the links pointing the kernel to the correct files for the
  board are missing.

  [ Test plan ]

  * Flash ubuntu noble image to an SD card
  * Boot SD card in a Pi 500 or 500+ (both have the same wifi modules and the same internal ID used to negotiate which firmware to load)
  * Check dmesg output includes "Direct firmware load for brcm/brcmfmac43455-sdio.raspberrypi,500.bin failed with error -2"
  * Do not connect ethernet, but connect wifi to an AP
  * Browse to youtube and watch a video for a few minutes; connection should drop at some point and the video will stop
  * Enable proposed
  * sudo apt install -t noble-proposed linux-firmware-raspi
  * sudo reboot (firmware is only loaded on boot)
  * Check dmesg output does *not* include "Direct firmware load for brcm/brcmfmac43455-sdio.raspberrypi,500.bin failed with error -2"
  * Connect to wifi
  * Browse to youtube and what a video for a few minutes; check connection is stable

  [ Where things could go wrong ]

  In this case, we're not defining any new wifi firmware, just adding
  links to the package to load the correct firmware on this platform. As
  such we don't need to worry about breaking any platforms other than
  the 500 (all firmwares and links for other platforms are untouched).
  On the 500 there is obviously the possibility of breaking wifi, but
  the test plan proposed covers this.

  [ Original description ]

  Firmware load for the wifi module on the pi 500 is missing because the
  symlinks for that model are not present under noble.

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