Re: 15.0-RELEASE boot panic when if_iwm_load="YES"

On Mon, 1 Dec 2025, Karlo Miličević wrote:

>> Karlo, for the records and the help of others:
>>
>> I assume you installed a pkgbase version of FreeBSD but did not install
>> the firmware-iwm package initially which comes out of pkgbase;  would that
>> be correct?
>
> Yes.
> I did install a pkgbase version of FreeBSD. I also have firmware-iwm
> installed, however.
> I'm pretty sure I did not install it manually afterwards, but during
> the installation.
> I'm not sure where to check to confirm that since pkg doesn't seem to
> log its installs. (?)

Hmm,

did you only enable
if_iwm="YES"
in loader.conf initially then and not, e.g.,
iwm9260fw_load="YES"
as well (depending on card, there a list in man 4 iwm).


> For anyone stumbling in the same thing - here is the explanation/solution:

Thanks for confirming and replying to this.  Indeed anyone finding this,
follow to the below (and forget the above):

(*) I am making a mental note to update the man page.


>> In theory *nothing* is needed to load the driver.
>>
>> Only the wlan/ifconfig lines in rc.conf and wpa_supplicant.conf need to be
>> done.
>>
>>
>>> Then run "fwget" to fetch the latest firmware needed, and then reboot.
>>
>> fwget has NO idea about iwm.  iwm firmware is still in src and not ports!
>>
>>
>> Note: if that firmware would have been present loader.conf does has compat
>> entry lines for iwm firmware, so even loading iwm from loader should have
>> worked without anyone noticiing.
>
> To make everything work I did exactly as you said should work.
> The device got matched automatically so the driver was already loaded.
> Now everything is working.
>
> Before, I forgot to check and assumed it wouldn't do that - which was
> a stupid assumption.
>
> To make it work, to /etc/rc.conf I only added:
> wlans_iwm0="wlan0"
> ifconfig_wlan0="WPA DHCP"
>
> And added the necessary configuration to /etc/wpa_supplicant.conf.
>
> Thank you!

Enjoy!  And incase of problems, the wireless mailing list is your friend :)

/bz

-- 
Bjoern A. Zeeb                                                     r15:7