Upgrading to 3.19 kernel with Dell factory 14.04 image

Sorry for the delayed response, this response got lost in my e-mail box.

I am surprised that you can see those packages in Synaptic without first adding the testing ppa.  It is my understanding that the 3.19 enablement kernel is in testing/beta and is due for official release/support by Canonical (for 14.04.3) sometime in September.

That said, if you can see them, then I don't see any reason why you couldn't use Synaptic package manger to handle the installation rather than my apt-get approach.

 ⚡ root@flatish  ~/  lsb_release -a
No LSB modules are available.
Distributor ID:    Ubuntu
Description:    Ubuntu 14.04.2 LTS
Release:    14.04
Codename:    trusty
 ⚡ root@flatish  ~/  uname -a
Linux flatish 4.1.0-040100rc5-generic #201505250235 SMP Mon May 25 02:37:02 UTC 2015 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

Working amazing so far. Only hiccup was the a few lines of code in the broadcom driver which was pretty easy to fix up.

Thanks - nice to know.

I can find the files on both my Linux Pc's, so I pretty sure I haven't added the testing ppa.

Gert

Now I have updated to kernel 3.19 by using Synaptic and every thing is working just fine - even the Wifi functioned right away. By this update the XPS13 DE is really a fine PC. 

Another thing to do would be to upgrade your BIOS to A04, which will resolve the keyboard key repeat issues (at least it did for me).

The last outstanding issue that I know about is kernel panic (blinking CAPS LOCK) and/or sluggish performance when resuming from Suspend.  I have read elsewhere that this may be an Intel chipset problem though as it has been affecting other machines with the new Intel Broadwell chips.  Although, I have yet to see a kernel panic since I upgraded my BIOS to A04, so here is to keeping my fingers crossed that the new BIOS fixed this problem.

But I agree, the XPS 13 DE (9343) is really beautiful now that everything is working smoothly.  The battery life and 4K screen really make this machine for me.

Here is the patch file I added to dkms for the bcmwl driver

 ⚡ root@flatish  /usr/src/bcmwl-6.30.223.248+bdcom/patches  cat 0016-add-support-for-Linux-4.patch
--- a/src/wl/sys/wl_cfg80211_hybrid.c    2014-06-26 10:42:08.000000000 +0000
+++ b/src/wl/sys/wl_cfg80211_hybrid.c    2014-12-30 17:02:13.602127370 +0000
@@ -63,8 +63,13 @@
 static s32 wl_cfg80211_join_ibss(struct wiphy *wiphy, struct net_device *dev,
            struct cfg80211_ibss_params *params);
 static s32 wl_cfg80211_leave_ibss(struct wiphy *wiphy, struct net_device *dev);
+#if LINUX_VERSION_CODE < KERNEL_VERSION(3, 16, 0)
 static s32 wl_cfg80211_get_station(struct wiphy *wiphy,
            struct net_device *dev, u8 *mac, struct station_info *sinfo);
+#else
+static s32 wl_cfg80211_get_station(struct wiphy *wiphy,
+           struct net_device *dev, const u8 *mac, struct station_info *sinfo);
+#endif
 static s32 wl_cfg80211_set_power_mgmt(struct wiphy *wiphy,
            struct net_device *dev, bool enabled, s32 timeout);
 static int wl_cfg80211_connect(struct wiphy *wiphy, struct net_device *dev,
@@ -1387,7 +1392,7 @@
     key_endian_to_host(&key);
 
     params.key_len = (u8) min_t(u8, DOT11_MAX_KEY_SIZE, key.len);
-    memcpy(params.key, key.data, params.key_len);
+    memcpy((char *)params.key, key.data, params.key_len);
 
     if ((err = wl_dev_ioctl(dev, WLC_GET_WSEC, &wsec, sizeof(wsec)))) {
         return err;
@@ -1421,9 +1426,15 @@
     return err;
 }
 
+#if LINUX_VERSION_CODE < KERNEL_VERSION(3, 16, 0)
 static s32
 wl_cfg80211_get_station(struct wiphy *wiphy, struct net_device *dev,
                         u8 *mac, struct station_info *sinfo)
+#else
+static s32
+wl_cfg80211_get_station(struct wiphy *wiphy, struct net_device *dev,
+                        const u8 *mac, struct station_info *sinfo)
+#endif
 {
     struct wl_cfg80211_priv *wl = wiphy_to_wl(wiphy);
     scb_val_t scb_val;
@@ -2629,7 +2665,15 @@
 
 void wl_cfg80211_detach(struct net_device *ndev)
 {
-    struct wl_cfg80211_priv *wl = ndev_to_wl(ndev);
+    struct wl_cfg80211_priv *wl;
+    struct wireless_dev *wdev;
+    
+    wdev = ndev->ieee80211_ptr;
+    if (wdev == NULL) {
+                printk(KERN_ERR "[%s()] in ndev=%p: IEEE80211ptr=%p\n", __FUNCTION__, ndev, wdev);
+                return;
+        }
+    wl = ndev_to_wl(ndev);
 
     wl_deinit_cfg80211_priv(wl);
     wl_free_wdev(wl);
--- a/src/wl/sys/wl_cfg80211_hybrid.c    2015-03-16 14:39:29.899350026 +0100
+++ b/src/wl/sys/wl_cfg80211_hybrid.c    2015-03-16 14:39:06.732682365 +0100
@@ -1452,7 +1452,11 @@
         WL_DBG(("Could not get rate (%d)\n", err));
     } else {
         rate = dtoh32(rate);
+        #if LINUX_VERSION_CODE >= KERNEL_VERSION(4, 1, 0)
+        sinfo->filled |= BIT(NL80211_STA_INFO_TX_BITRATE);
+        #else
         sinfo->filled |= STATION_INFO_TX_BITRATE;
+        #endif
         sinfo->txrate.legacy = rate * 5;
         WL_DBG(("Rate %d Mbps\n", (rate / 2)));
     }
@@ -1465,7 +1469,11 @@
             return err;
         }
         rssi = dtoh32(scb_val.val);
+        #if LINUX_VERSION_CODE >= KERNEL_VERSION(4, 1, 0)
+        sinfo->filled |= BIT(NL80211_STA_INFO_SIGNAL);
+        #else
         sinfo->filled |= STATION_INFO_SIGNAL;
+        #endif
         sinfo->signal = rssi;
         WL_DBG(("RSSI %d dBm\n", rssi));
     }
--- a/src/wl/sys/wl_dbg.h    2014-06-26 10:42:08.000000000 +0000
+++ b/src/wl/sys/wl_dbg.h    2014-12-30 17:02:03.840957429 +0000
@@ -55,10 +55,12 @@
 
 #define WL_NONE(args)
 
+#define FORCE_TRACE_LEVEL(fmt, ...) do { printk(KERN_ERR fmt, ## __VA_ARGS__); } while (0) /* ## is GCC specific syntax to remove comma when single arg */
+
 #ifdef BCMDBG_ERR
 #define    WL_ERROR(args)        WL_PRINT(args)
 #else
-#define    WL_ERROR(args)
+#define    WL_ERROR(args)        FORCE_TRACE_LEVEL args
 #endif
 #define    WL_TRACE(args)
 #define WL_APSTA_UPDN(args)
--- a/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.c    2014-06-26 10:42:08.000000000 +0000
+++ b/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.c    2014-12-30 17:02:03.841957446 +0000
@@ -878,7 +878,7 @@ wl_remove(struct pci_dev *pdev)
 static SIMPLE_DEV_PM_OPS(wl_pm_ops, wl_suspend, wl_resume);
 #endif
 
-static struct pci_driver wl_pci_driver = {
+static struct pci_driver wl_pci_driver __refdata = {
     .name =        "wl",
     .probe =    wl_pci_probe,
     .remove =    __devexit_p(wl_remove),
@@ -1270,6 +1270,7 @@ wl_free_if(wl_info_t *wl, wl_if_t *wlif)
         MFREE(wl->osh, wlif->dev, sizeof(struct net_device));
 #else
         free_netdev(wlif->dev);
+        wlif->dev = NULL;
 #endif
     }
 
@@ -1651,11 +1657,7 @@ wl_ioctl(struct net_device *dev, struct
     }
 
     WL_LOCK(wl);
-    if (!capable(CAP_NET_ADMIN)) {
-        bcmerror = BCME_EPERM;
-    } else {
-        bcmerror = wlc_ioctl(wl->wlc, ioc.cmd, buf, ioc.len, wlif->wlcif);
-    }
+    bcmerror = wlc_ioctl(wl->wlc, ioc.cmd, buf, ioc.len, wlif->wlcif);
     WL_UNLOCK(wl);
 
 done1:
@@ -2157,8 +2159,8 @@ wl_start(struct sk_buff *skb, struct net
     wlif = WL_DEV_IF(dev);
     wl = WL_INFO(dev);
 
+    skb->prev = NULL;
     if (WL_ALL_PASSIVE_ENAB(wl) || (WL_RTR() && WL_CONFIG_SMP())) {
-        skb->prev = NULL;
 
         TXQ_LOCK(wl);
 
@@ -2455,8 +2457,10 @@ wl_monitor(wl_info_t *wl, wl_rxsts_t *rx
         p80211msg_t *phdr;
 
         len = sizeof(p80211msg_t) + oskb->len - D11_PHY_HDR_LEN;
-        if ((skb = dev_alloc_skb(len)) == NULL)
+        if ((skb = dev_alloc_skb(len)) == NULL) {
+            WL_ERROR(("in %s:%d [%s()] dev_alloc_skb() failure!", __FILE__, __LINE__, __FUNCTION__));
             return;
+        }
 
         skb_put(skb, len);
         phdr = (p80211msg_t*)skb->data;
@@ -2535,8 +2539,10 @@ wl_monitor(wl_info_t *wl, wl_rxsts_t *rx
             rtap_len = sizeof(wl_radiotap_ht_brcm_2_t);
 
         len = rtap_len + (oskb->len - D11_PHY_HDR_LEN);
-        if ((skb = dev_alloc_skb(len)) == NULL)
+        if ((skb = dev_alloc_skb(len)) == NULL) {
+            WL_ERROR(("in %s:%d [%s()] dev_alloc_skb() failure!", __FILE__, __LINE__, __FUNCTION__));
             return;
+        }
 
         skb_put(skb, len);
 
@@ -2664,8 +2670,10 @@ wl_monitor(wl_info_t *wl, wl_rxsts_t *rx
             len += amsdu_len;
         }
 
-        if ((skb = dev_alloc_skb(len)) == NULL)
+        if ((skb = dev_alloc_skb(len)) == NULL) {
+            WL_ERROR(("in %s:%d [%s()] dev_alloc_skb() failure!", __FILE__, __LINE__, __FUNCTION__));
             return;
+        }
 
         skb_put(skb, len);
 
@@ -2990,7 +2998,7 @@ _wl_del_monitor(wl_task_t *task)
 }
 
 void
-wl_set_monitor(wl_info_t *wl, int val)
+wl_set_monitor(wl_info_t *wl, int val) /* public => is called by wlc_hybrid.o_shipped */
 {
     const char *devname;
     wl_if_t *wlif;
@@ -3224,42 +3232,75 @@ wl_linux_watchdog(void *ctx)
 #if LINUX_VERSION_CODE < KERNEL_VERSION(3, 10, 0)
 static int
 wl_proc_read(char *buffer, char **start, off_t offset, int length, int *eof, void *data)
+{
+    wl_info_t * wl = (wl_info_t *)data;
 #else
 static ssize_t
-wl_proc_read(struct file *filp, char __user *buffer, size_t length, loff_t *data)
-#endif
+wl_proc_read(struct file *filp, char __user *buffer, size_t length, loff_t *offp)
 {
-    wl_info_t * wl = (wl_info_t *)data;
-    int to_user;
-    int len;
+    wl_info_t * wl = PDE_DATA(file_inode(filp));
+#endif
+    int bcmerror, len;
+    int to_user = 0;
+    char tmp:emotion-29:;
 
 #if LINUX_VERSION_CODE < KERNEL_VERSION(3, 10, 0)
     if (offset > 0) {
         *eof = 1;
         return 0;
     }
+#else
+    if (*offp > 0) { /* for example, stop: cat /proc/brcm_monitor0 */
+        return 0; /* 0 <=> EOF */
+    }
 #endif
 
-    if (!length) {
-        WL_ERROR(("%s: Not enough return buf space\n", __FUNCTION__));
-        return 0;
-    }
     WL_LOCK(wl);
-    wlc_ioctl(wl->wlc, WLC_GET_MONITOR, &to_user, sizeof(int), NULL);
-    len = sprintf(buffer, "%d\n", to_user);
-    WL_UNLOCK(wl);
-    return len;
+    bcmerror = wlc_ioctl(wl->wlc, WLC_GET_MONITOR, &to_user, sizeof(int), NULL);
+     WL_UNLOCK(wl);
+
+    if (bcmerror != BCME_OK) {
+        WL_ERROR(("%s: GET_MONITOR failed with %d\n", __FUNCTION__, bcmerror));
+        return -EIO;
+    }
+
+     len = snprintf(tmp, ARRAY_SIZE(tmp), "%d\n", to_user);
+    tmp[ARRAY_SIZE(tmp) - 1] = '\0';
+    if (len >= ARRAY_SIZE(tmp)) {
+        printk(KERN_ERR "%s:%d [%s()] output would be truncated (ret=%d)!", __FILE__, __LINE__, __FUNCTION__, len);
+        return -ERANGE;
+    }
+    else if (len < 0) {
+        printk(KERN_ERR "%s:%d [%s()] unable to convert value (ret=%d)!", __FILE__, __LINE__, __FUNCTION__, len);
+        return len;
+    }
+    if (length < len) {
+        printk(KERN_ERR "%s:%d [%s()] user buffer is too small (at least=%d ; user=%d)!", __FILE__, __LINE__, __FUNCTION__, len, (int)length);
+        return -EMSGSIZE;
+    }
+    if (copy_to_user(buffer, tmp, len) != 0) {
+        printk(KERN_ERR "%s:%d [%s()] unable to copy data!", __FILE__, __LINE__, __FUNCTION__);
+        return -EFAULT;
+    }
+    
+#if LINUX_VERSION_CODE >= KERNEL_VERSION(3, 10, 0)
+    *offp += len;
+#endif
+
+     return len;
 }
 
 #if LINUX_VERSION_CODE < KERNEL_VERSION(3, 10, 0)
 static int
 wl_proc_write(struct file *filp, const char *buff, unsigned long length, void *data)
+{
+    wl_info_t * wl = (wl_info_t *)data;
 #else
 static ssize_t
-wl_proc_write(struct file *filp, const char __user *buff, size_t length, loff_t *data)
-#endif
+wl_proc_write(struct file *filp, const char __user *buff, size_t length, loff_t *offp)
 {
-    wl_info_t * wl = (wl_info_t *)data;
+    wl_info_t * wl = PDE_DATA(file_inode(filp));
+#endif
     int from_user = 0;
     int bcmerror;
 
@@ -3270,7 +3311,11 @@ wl_proc_write(struct file *filp, const c
     }
     if (copy_from_user(&from_user, buff, 1)) {
         WL_ERROR(("%s: copy from user failed\n", __FUNCTION__));
-        return -EIO;
+#if LINUX_VERSION_CODE < KERNEL_VERSION(3, 10, 0)
+         return -EIO;
+#else
+        return -EFAULT;
+#endif
     }
 
     if (from_user >= 0x30)
@@ -3280,10 +3325,15 @@ wl_proc_write(struct file *filp, const c
     bcmerror = wlc_ioctl(wl->wlc, WLC_SET_MONITOR, &from_user, sizeof(int), NULL);
     WL_UNLOCK(wl);
 
-    if (bcmerror < 0) {
+    if (bcmerror != BCME_OK) {
         WL_ERROR(("%s: SET_MONITOR failed with %d\n", __FUNCTION__, bcmerror));
         return -EIO;
     }
+    
+#if (LINUX_VERSION_CODE >= KERNEL_VERSION(3, 10, 0)) && 0 /* no need to update offset because this file should only trigger action... */
+    *offp += length;
+#endif
+
     return length;
 }
 
@@ -3304,8 +3354,8 @@ wl_reg_proc_entry(wl_info_t *wl)
     if ((wl->proc_entry = create_proc_entry(tmp, 0644, NULL)) == NULL) {
         WL_ERROR(("%s: create_proc_entry %s failed\n", __FUNCTION__, tmp));
 #else
-    if ((wl->proc_entry = proc_create(tmp, 0644, NULL, &wl_fops)) == NULL) {
-        WL_ERROR(("%s: proc_create %s failed\n", __FUNCTION__, tmp));
+    if ((wl->proc_entry = proc_create_data(tmp, 0644, NULL, &wl_fops, wl)) == NULL) {
+        WL_ERROR(("%s: proc_create_data %s failed\n", __FUNCTION__, tmp));
 #endif
         ASSERT(0);
         return -1;

OK, but what does this do?

You are right. I upgraded my BIOS to A04 before the kernel update.

The vivid kernel has made it into the trusty-updates repository. No need to add the PPA, just:

$sudo apt-get install linux-generic-lts-vivid

A note to M3800 owners:

• this kernel enables the Thunderbolt 2 port (I needed to change the BIOS Thunderbolt security setting to No Security in order to fully use a OWC Thunderbolt dock).
• It also requires a newer Nvidia driver than nvidia-331 (I got nvidia-352 from the xorg-edgers PPA, resulting in worsening performance).
• If you also use VMWare workstation, there is a known bug in the vmnet module, which requires a patch to be applied, as described here: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/VMware#3.19_kernels_and_up

Final note - I had problems (including kernel 3.19) with Realtek-based USB 3.0 Gigabit Ethernet adapters (the one Dell sends with the power supply uses that chipset). The solution is to upgrade the driver from Realtek's web site: http://www.realtek.com/downloads/downloadsView.aspx?Langid=1&PNid=13&PFid=56&Level=5&Conn=4&DownTypeID=3&GetDown=false#2

Yesterday I found every thing was working well and it's still better with kernel 3.19 but I have lost audio on hdmi and can't figure out how to get it back. Hope I will get some help from you.