driver conflict on old eepc

BiggiM · 2026-03-13 08:29:03

hi,
i have a problem running BL on my old eepc PEM1025 (2GB ram, 250GB HD). Installation was smooth, no problem there, but afterwards it stopped with this message:

eeepc-wmi:probe of eeepc-wmi failed with error -16

In an Arch forum I found a hint that this was the result of a conflict between the wmi driver and some legacy driver in the kernel.
I am afraid i have no idea how to resolve this. Can somebody explain this to me and help me ? I have only some very basic knowledge of linux and as i understand this i must swich off one of the two drivers within the kernel.

ok, thanks for reading.

Last edited by BiggiM (2026-03-13 08:30:02)

unklar · 2026-03-13 09:43:22

Welcome to the forum!

We need the output of the command

sudo rfkill list

If the “rfkill” package is not on board, please install it.

Sector11 · 2026-03-13 13:05:12

From:

https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man8/rfkill.8.html

DESCRIPTION         top

       rfkill lists, enabling and disabling wireless devices.

       The command "list" output format is deprecated and maintained for
       backward compatibility only. The new output format is the default
       when no command is specified or when the option --output is used.

       The default output is subject to change. So whenever possible, you
       should avoid using default outputs in your scripts. Always
       explicitly define expected columns by using the --output option
       together with a columns list in environments where a stable output
       is required.

BiggiM · 2026-03-13 17:51:02

Difficult, after the message
eeepc-wmi:probe of eeepc-wmi failed with error -16
there is no way i can do anything. The screen just freezes and no input is possible.

unklar · 2026-03-13 18:49:47

^No problem.
1. Am I correct in assuming that the computer does NOT have a LAN connection?

2.You can press the key combination Ctrl+Alt+F3 on the login screen (without logging).
You land on tty3 and log in here with your USER and password.

Now you can run the rfkill command as root and take a photo (?).
---------------------------------------------------------
If you're brave, you can also try the 'blacklist command':

echo "blacklist eeepc_wmi" | sudo tee /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-eeepc-wmi.conf

Then reboot the computer:

sudo systemctl reboot

Last edited by unklar (2026-03-13 18:56:29)

BiggiM · 2026-03-16 11:40:45

hi, i tried to read the outputs of the booting process and it is definitely a driver conflict between a legacy and the wmi driver. My problem is the booting process breaks up after the "eeepc-wmi:probe of eeepc-wmi failed with error -16" message.
So how can i blacklist one of the two drivers? The terminal ist outlimits to me and so is the grub programming.

BiggiM · 2026-03-16 12:17:23

Thanks, i'lll try this.

BiggiM · 2026-03-29 12:39:20

sorry, i took so long - too much work.

the output of the rfkill command:

0: phy:0: wireless LAN
Soft blocked: no
Hard blocked: no

Sorry, i couldn' t take a photo.

I also tried the blacklist command and then rebooted the pc but no success. The boot process just stopped but without the error message.

BiggiM · Yesterday 18:39:20

Im still looking for a way to bring my old eeepc back to life. Can nobody help me?

PackRat · Yesterday 19:03:40

Do you have a link to the Arch forum page?

Does the BL live session work for you, or did you go straight to the installer?

If the live session works, you can blacklist the driver from there. Not a particularly difficult procedure.

BiggiM · Yesterday 19:44:37

Sorry, can't find the link anymore.
No, the live session did not work, it stopped with the same message
[eeepc-wmi:probe of eeepc-wmi failed with error -16]

But in the mean time i found this: https://cateee.net/lkddb/web-lkddb/EEEPC_WMI.html
But i am afraid i don't understand what i have to do. I am not really an advanced linux user.

PackRat · Yesterday 20:10:53

BiggiM wrote:

But in the mean time i found this: https://cateee.net/lkddb/web-lkddb/EEEPC_WMI.html
But i am afraid i don't understand what i have to do. I am not really an advanced linux user.

That's for compiling the driver for the kernel. You don't want that. You want to blacklist it.

When you boot BL, on the menu you should see "Advanced Options ..."

Select that and from the next menu select the "recovery mode" boot option.

If that boot's and gets past the eeepc_wmi driver, you will end up at a console prompt.
After logging in, type the command:

lsblk

That will show a list of your partitions, the column you want to look at is MOUNTPOINTS
there should be a partition listed with the mount point "/"

If that is there, you can now run the command @unklar provided:

echo "blacklist eeepc_wmi" | sudo tee /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-eeepc-wmi.conf

to blacklist the driver.

Reboot and hopefully it works.

PackRat · Yesterday 20:23:57

@unkar (anyone)

Can the driver be blacklisted from the grub command line at boot?
So: Press "e" -> enter the grub command to blacklist --> Press key to finish boot

Edit - apparently you can

rdblacklist=eeepc_wmi

is the command.

#1 2026-03-13 08:29:03

driver conflict on old eepc

#2 2026-03-13 09:43:22

Re: driver conflict on old eepc

#3 2026-03-13 13:05:12

Re: driver conflict on old eepc

#4 2026-03-13 17:51:02

Re: driver conflict on old eepc

#5 2026-03-13 18:49:47

Re: driver conflict on old eepc

#6 2026-03-16 11:40:45

Re: driver conflict on old eepc

#7 2026-03-16 12:17:23

Re: driver conflict on old eepc

#8 2026-03-29 12:39:20

Re: driver conflict on old eepc

#9 Yesterday 18:39:20

Re: driver conflict on old eepc

#10 Yesterday 19:03:40

Re: driver conflict on old eepc

#11 Yesterday 19:44:37

Re: driver conflict on old eepc

#12 Yesterday 20:10:53

Re: driver conflict on old eepc

#13 Yesterday 20:23:57

Re: driver conflict on old eepc

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