I am seeing a similar situation on an IBM Thinkpad R51 with Bullseye. root@dragon:/media/disk/dragon# uname -a Linux dragon 5.10.0-4-686 #1 SMP Debian 5.10.19-1 (2021-03-02) i686 GNU/Linux root@dragon:/media/disk/dragon# lspci -s 2:2 02:02.0 Network controller: Intel Corporation PRO/Wireless 2200BG [Calexico2] Network Connection (rev 05)
Extracts from installation syslog: Mar 15 19:59:33 cdrom-detect: Detected CD 'Debian GNU/Linux testing "Bullseye" - Unofficial i386 NETINST with firmware 20210315-03:00' Mar 15 19:59:34 cdrom-detect: Detected CD with 'testing' (bullseye) distribution Mar 15 20:00:16 kernel: [ 97.408403] libipw: 802.11 data/management/control stack, git-1.1.13 Mar 15 20:00:16 kernel: [ 97.408406] libipw: Copyright (C) 2004-2005 Intel Corporation <jketr...@linux.intel.com> Mar 15 20:00:16 kernel: [ 97.419730] ipw2200: Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 2200/2915 Network Driver, 1.2.2kmprq Mar 15 20:00:16 kernel: [ 97.419733] ipw2200: Copyright(c) 2003-2006 Intel Corporation Mar 15 20:00:16 kernel: [ 97.419998] ipw2200: Detected Intel PRO/Wireless 2200BG Network Connection Mar 15 20:00:16 kernel: [ 97.420069] ipw2200 0000:02:02.0: firmware: failed to load ipw2200-bss.fw (-2) Mar 15 20:00:16 kernel: [ 97.420071] firmware_class: See https://wiki.debian.org/Firmware for information about missing firmware Mar 15 20:00:16 kernel: [ 97.420074] ipw2200 0000:02:02.0: Direct firmware load for ipw2200-bss.fw failed with error -2 Mar 15 20:00:16 kernel: [ 97.420077] ipw2200: Unable to load firmware: -2 Mar 15 20:00:16 kernel: [ 97.420186] ipw2200: probe of 0000:02:02.0 failed with error -5 Mar 15 20:00:18 check-missing-firmware: looking at dmesg again, restarting from \[ 49.154404\] Mar 15 20:00:18 check-missing-firmware: timestamp found, truncating dmesg accordingly Mar 15 20:00:18 check-missing-firmware: saving timestamp for a later use: [ 97.420186] Mar 15 20:00:18 check-missing-firmware: looking for firmware file ipw2200-bss.fw requested by ipw2200 Mar 15 20:00:18 check-missing-firmware: /dev/.udev/firmware-missing does not exist, skipping Mar 15 20:00:18 check-missing-firmware: /run/udev/firmware-missing does not exist, skipping Mar 15 20:00:18 check-missing-firmware: missing firmware files (ipw2200-bss.fw) for ipw2200 Mar 15 20:00:28 check-missing-firmware: installing firmware package /cdrom/firmware/firmware-ipw2x00_20210208-3_all.deb Mar 15 20:01:28 kernel: [ 169.610175] isofs_fill_super: bread failed, dev=sda2, iso_blknum=16, block=32 Mar 15 20:01:28 kernel: [ 169.612641] isofs_fill_super: bread failed, dev=sda2, iso_blknum=16, block=32 Mar 15 20:01:43 check-missing-firmware: removing and loading kernel module ipw2200 Mar 15 20:01:43 kernel: [ 185.293199] lib80211_crypt: unregistered algorithm 'NULL' Mar 15 20:01:43 kernel: [ 185.351541] cfg80211: Loading compiled-in X.509 certificates for regulatory database Mar 15 20:01:43 kernel: [ 185.353663] cfg80211: Loaded X.509 cert 'b...@debian.org: 577e021cb980e0e820821ba7b54b4961b8b4fadf' Mar 15 20:01:43 kernel: [ 185.355555] cfg80211: Loaded X.509 cert 'romain.per...@gmail.com: 3abbc6ec146e09d1b6016ab9d6cf71dd233f0328' Mar 15 20:01:43 kernel: [ 185.357545] cfg80211: Loaded X.509 cert 'sforshee: 00b28ddf47aef9cea7' Mar 15 20:01:43 kernel: [ 185.357620] platform regulatory.0: firmware: direct-loading firmware regulatory.db Mar 15 20:01:43 kernel: [ 185.357654] platform regulatory.0: firmware: direct-loading firmware regulatory.db.p7s Mar 15 20:01:43 kernel: [ 185.366797] lib80211: common routines for IEEE802.11 drivers Mar 15 20:01:43 kernel: [ 185.366802] lib80211_crypt: registered algorithm 'NULL' Mar 15 20:01:43 kernel: [ 185.371378] libipw: 802.11 data/management/control stack, git-1.1.13 Mar 15 20:01:43 kernel: [ 185.371380] libipw: Copyright (C) 2004-2005 Intel Corporation <jketr...@linux.intel.com> Mar 15 20:01:44 kernel: [ 185.382653] ipw2200: Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 2200/2915 Network Driver, 1.2.2kmprq Mar 15 20:01:44 kernel: [ 185.382656] ipw2200: Copyright(c) 2003-2006 Intel Corporation Mar 15 20:01:44 kernel: [ 185.382937] ipw2200: Detected Intel PRO/Wireless 2200BG Network Connection Mar 15 20:01:44 kernel: [ 185.383337] ipw2200 0000:02:02.0: firmware: direct-loading firmware ipw2200-bss.fw Mar 15 20:01:44 kernel: [ 185.509084] ipw2200: Detected geography ZZM (11 802.11bg channels, 0 802.11a channels) Mar 15 20:01:44 kernel: [ 185.511325] ipw2200 0000:02:02.0 wlp2s2: renamed from eth0 Mar 15 20:01:44 net/hw-detect.hotplug: Detected hotpluggable network interface wlp2s2 Mar 15 20:01:47 main-menu[237]: INFO: Menu item 'netcfg' selected Mar 15 20:01:47 netcfg[5289]: INFO: Starting netcfg v.1.171 Mar 15 20:01:47 netcfg[5289]: WARNING **: Couldn't read Wpasupplicant pid file, not trying to kill. Mar 15 20:01:47 netcfg[5289]: INFO: Activating interface enp2s8 Mar 15 20:01:47 netcfg[5289]: INFO: Waiting time set to 4 Mar 15 20:01:51 netcfg[5289]: INFO: Reached timeout for link detection on enp2s8 Mar 15 20:01:51 netcfg[5289]: INFO: found no link on interface enp2s8. Mar 15 20:01:51 netcfg[5289]: INFO: enp2s8 is not a wireless interface. Continuing. Mar 15 20:01:51 netcfg[5289]: INFO: Taking down interface enp2s8 Mar 15 20:01:51 netcfg[5289]: INFO: Taking down interface enp2s8 Mar 15 20:01:51 netcfg[5289]: INFO: Activating interface wlp2s2 Mar 15 20:01:51 netcfg[5289]: INFO: Waiting time set to 4 Mar 15 20:01:51 netcfg[5289]: INFO: ethtool-lite: wlp2s2: carrier up Mar 15 20:01:51 netcfg[5289]: INFO: Found link on wlp2s2 Mar 15 20:01:51 netcfg[5289]: INFO: found link on interface wlp2s2, making it the default. Mar 15 20:01:51 netcfg[5289]: INFO: Could not find valid BOOTIF= entry in /proc/cmdline Mar 15 20:01:51 netcfg[5289]: INFO: Taking down interface enp2s8 Mar 15 20:01:51 netcfg[5289]: INFO: Taking down interface wlp2s2 Mar 15 20:02:11 apt-install: Queueing package iw for later installation Mar 15 20:02:11 apt-install: Queueing package wireless-tools for later installation Mar 15 20:02:11 netcfg[5289]: INFO: Activating interface wlp2s2 Mar 15 20:02:11 netcfg[5289]: INFO: Scan of wireless interface wlp2s2 succeeded. Mar 15 20:02:11 netcfg[5289]: INFO: Network chosen: Curleynet2. Proceeding to connect. Mar 15 20:02:11 kernel: [ 213.213534] lib80211_crypt: registered algorithm 'WEP' Mar 15 20:02:11 apt-install: Queueing package wpasupplicant for later installation Mar 15 20:02:11 netcfg[5289]: INFO: Couldn't connect to wpasupplicant Mar 15 20:02:11 netcfg[5289]: INFO: Activating interface wlp2s2 Mar 15 20:02:12 netcfg[5289]: INFO: Scan of wireless interface wlp2s2 succeeded. Mar 15 20:02:12 netcfg[5289]: INFO: Network chosen: Curleynet2. Proceeding to connect. Mar 15 20:02:12 netcfg[5289]: INFO: Couldn't connect to wpasupplicant Mar 15 20:02:12 netcfg[5289]: INFO: Activating interface wlp2s2 Mar 15 20:02:12 netcfg[5289]: INFO: Scan of wireless interface wlp2s2 succeeded. Mar 15 20:02:12 netcfg[5289]: INFO: Network chosen: Curleynet2. Proceeding to connect. Mar 15 20:02:12 netcfg[5289]: INFO: Couldn't connect to wpasupplicant Mar 15 20:02:12 netcfg[5289]: INFO: Activating interface wlp2s2 Mar 15 20:02:12 netcfg[5289]: INFO: Scan of wireless interface wlp2s2 succeeded. Mar 15 20:02:12 netcfg[5289]: INFO: Network chosen: Curleynet2. Proceeding to connect. Mar 15 20:02:12 netcfg[5289]: INFO: Couldn't connect to wpasupplicant Mar 15 20:02:12 netcfg[5289]: INFO: Activating interface wlp2s2 Mar 15 20:02:12 netcfg[5289]: INFO: Scan of wireless interface wlp2s2 succeeded. (My preseed.cfg specifies WPA, so I don't know why it is trying WEP.) Mar 15 20:02:15 main-menu[237]: (process:5288): Successfully initialized wpa_supplicant Mar 15 20:02:15 main-menu[237]: (process:5288): nl80211: Driver does not support authentication/association or connect commands Mar 15 20:02:15 main-menu[237]: (process:5288): nl80211: deinit ifname=wlp2s2 disabled_11b_rates=0 Mar 15 20:02:15 main-menu[237]: (process:5288): wlp2s2: Failed to initialize driver interface Mar 15 20:02:15 main-menu[237]: (process:5288): Successfully initialized wpa_supplicant Mar 15 20:02:15 main-menu[237]: (process:5288): nl80211: Driver does not support authentication/association or connect commands Mar 15 20:02:15 main-menu[237]: (process:5288): nl80211: deinit ifname=wlp2s2 disabled_11b_rates=0 Mar 15 20:02:15 main-menu[237]: (process:5288): wlp2s2: Failed to initialize driver interface Mar 15 20:02:15 main-menu[237]: (process:5288): Successfully initialized wpa_supplicant Mar 15 20:02:15 main-menu[237]: (process:5288): nl80211: Driver does not support authentication/association or connect commands Mar 15 20:02:15 main-menu[237]: (process:5288): nl80211: deinit ifname=wlp2s2 disabled_11b_rates=0 Mar 15 20:02:15 main-menu[237]: (process:5288): wlp2s2: Failed to initialize driver interface Mar 15 20:02:15 main-menu[237]: (process:5288): Successfully initialized wpa_supplicant Mar 15 20:02:15 main-menu[237]: (process:5288): nl80211: Driver does not support authentication/association or connect commands Mar 15 20:02:15 main-menu[237]: (process:5288): nl80211: deinit ifname=wlp2s2 disabled_11b_rates=0 Mar 15 20:02:15 main-menu[237]: (process:5288): wlp2s2: Failed to initialize driver interface Etc. for another 24 minutes. I can install just fine using the Ethernet interface. After installation, the WiFi connection under NetworkManager is just fine. -- Does anybody read signatures any more? https://charlescurley.com https://charlescurley.com/blog/
