On-hardware proof (self-built 6.18.46, _b slot): aic8800 modules load,
download firmware, wlan0 up ([device-mac]), iw scan finds real APs
incl. SSID BlueFlare @ -43dBm. RF path fully functional. See
wifi/VERIFIED-on-c8a3.md.
Two changes from the initial built-in attempt:
- Built-in =y DEADLOCKS: aicbsp_init's eager SDIO bring-up (device_initcall,
sequential) blocks the dw_mmc controller probe that would enumerate the
card it waits for (aicsdio.c:597 2s down_timeout -> unregister). Converted
to modules (=m): AIC_WLAN_SUPPORT bool->tristate; loaded late, after the
mmc-pwrseq enumerates the card — the vendor-proven flow.
- Restored fdrv's own md5.o (each .ko needs its own MD5; bsp doesn't export
it). Refreshed kbuild snapshot accordingly.
Kernel-size fix (CONFIG_KERNEL_GZIP -> XZ): the wifi kernel's 12.12MB gzip
zImage overran U-Boot's DTB-at-0xc00000 load boundary (Sysmem Error, FLARE-AB
fell back to _a). XZ -> 8.15MB, ~4MB headroom; also correct for a firmware
kernel. Uncompressed Image ~30MB but the ARM decompressor relocates the FDT
at runtime, so only the U-Boot load-time overlap mattered.
DRIVER-PARITY: wifi ✅ M5; BT 🔨 (module built, HCI not yet exercised).
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_017wB8KB3MMQztRDXCMCkPrf
