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I have to set this up headless because I didn't realize the Zero W had mini HDMI and not micro.

So I flashed both the 2017-04-10 Raspbian light and full from Linux (with dd) and then mounted the FAT partition and dropped in the ssh file and a wpa_supplicant.conf file (see below) and booted it. I've tried dozens of other ways of configuring it including changes to /etc/network/interfaces and so on (including wireless-power off) but no matter what, whenever I remount the card later to view /var/log/syslog it always has the same failure pattern:

Apr 10 10:09:45 raspberrypi kernel: [ 8.091048] usbcore: registered new interface driver brcmfmac Apr 10 10:09:45 raspberrypi kernel: [ 8.512291] brcmfmac: brcmf_c_preinit_dcmds: Firmware version = wl0: May 27 2016 00:13:38 version 7.45.41.26 (r640327) FWID 01-df77e4a7 Apr 10 10:09:45 raspberrypi kernel: [ 8.565794] brcmfmac: brcmf_cfg80211_reg_notifier: not a ISO3166 code Apr 10 10:09:45 raspberrypi kernel: [ 10.473404] brcmfmac: brcmf_cfg80211_reg_notifier: not a ISO3166 code Apr 10 10:09:45 raspberrypi kernel: [ 10.473440] cfg80211: World regulatory domain updated: Apr 10 10:09:45 raspberrypi kernel: [ 10.473450] cfg80211: DFS Master region: unset Apr 10 10:09:45 raspberrypi kernel: [ 10.473460] cfg80211: (start_freq - end_freq @ bandwidth), (max_antenna_gain, max_eirp), (dfs_cac_time) Apr 10 10:09:45 raspberrypi kernel: [ 10.473474] cfg80211: (2402000 KHz - 2472000 KHz @ 40000 KHz), (N/A, 2000 mBm), (N/A) Apr 10 10:09:45 raspberrypi kernel: [ 10.473488] cfg80211: (2457000 KHz - 2482000 KHz @ 20000 KHz, 92000 KHz AUTO), (N/A, 2000 mBm), (N/A) Apr 10 10:09:45 raspberrypi kernel: [ 10.473499] cfg80211: (2474000 KHz - 2494000 KHz @ 20000 KHz), (N/A, 2000 mBm), (N/A) Apr 10 10:09:45 raspberrypi kernel: [ 10.473513] cfg80211: (5170000 KHz - 5250000 KHz @ 80000 KHz, 160000 KHz AUTO), (N/A, 2000 mBm), (N/A) Apr 10 10:09:45 raspberrypi kernel: [ 10.473525] cfg80211: (5250000 KHz - 5330000 KHz @ 80000 KHz, 160000 KHz AUTO), (N/A, 2000 mBm), (0 s) Apr 10 10:09:45 raspberrypi kernel: [ 10.473536] cfg80211: (5490000 KHz - 5730000 KHz @ 160000 KHz), (N/A, 2000 mBm), (0 s) Apr 10 10:09:45 raspberrypi kernel: [ 10.473546] cfg80211: (5735000 KHz - 5835000 KHz @ 80000 KHz), (N/A, 2000 mBm), (N/A) Apr 10 10:09:45 raspberrypi kernel: [ 10.473557] cfg80211: (57240000 KHz - 63720000 KHz @ 2160000 KHz), (N/A, 0 mBm), (N/A) Apr 10 10:09:45 raspberrypi kernel: [ 12.357882] random: nonblocking pool is initialized Apr 10 10:09:45 raspberrypi kernel: [ 15.673973] brcmfmac: brcmf_sdio_kso_control: max tries: rd_val=0x0 err=0 Apr 10 10:09:45 raspberrypi kernel: [ 15.674038] brcmfmac: brcmf_proto_bcdc_query_dcmd: brcmf_proto_bcdc_msg failed w/status -110 Apr 10 10:09:45 raspberrypi kernel: [ 15.674166] brcmfmac: brcmf_sdio_txfail: sdio error, abort command and terminate frame Apr 10 10:09:45 raspberrypi kernel: [ 15.674348] brcmfmac: brcmf_sdio_txfail: sdio error, abort command and terminate frame Apr 10 10:09:45 raspberrypi kernel: [ 15.674527] brcmfmac: brcmf_sdio_txfail: sdio error, abort command and terminate frame Apr 10 10:09:45 raspberrypi kernel: [ 15.674668] brcmfmac: brcmf_sdio_dpc: failed backplane access over SDIO, halting operation Apr 10 10:09:45 raspberrypi kernel: [ 15.674767] brcmfmac: brcmf_sdio_txfail: sdio error, abort command and terminate frame Apr 10 10:09:45 raspberrypi kernel: [ 15.674955] brcmfmac: brcmf_sdio_txfail: sdio error, abort command and terminate frame Apr 10 10:09:45 raspberrypi kernel: [ 15.675116] brcmfmac: brcmf_sdio_txfail: sdio error, abort command and terminate frame Apr 10 10:09:45 raspberrypi kernel: [ 15.675251] brcmfmac: brcmf_sdio_dpc: failed backplane access over SDIO, halting operation

And then later during boot:

Apr 10 10:09:54 raspberrypi dhcpcd[376]: wlan0: if_up: Input/output error Apr 10 10:09:54 raspberrypi dhcpcd[376]: wlan0: waiting for carrier Apr 10 10:09:54 raspberrypi wpa_supplicant[373]: Could not set interface wlan0 flags (UP): Input/output error Apr 10 10:09:54 raspberrypi wpa_supplicant[373]: nl80211: Could not set interface 'wlan0' UP Apr 10 10:09:54 raspberrypi wpa_supplicant[373]: Could not set interface wlan0 flags (UP): Input/output error Apr 10 10:09:54 raspberrypi wpa_supplicant[373]: WEXT: Could not set interface 'wlan0' UP Apr 10 10:09:54 raspberrypi wpa_supplicant[373]: wlan0: Failed to initialize driver interface Apr 10 10:09:54 raspberrypi systemd[1]: Started /etc/rc.local Compatibility. Apr 10 10:09:54 raspberrypi systemd[1]: Starting Terminate Plymouth Boot Screen... Apr 10 10:09:54 raspberrypi systemd[1]: Starting Hold until boot process finishes up... Apr 10 10:09:54 raspberrypi ifup[347]: /etc/network/if-pre-up.d/wpasupplicant: 120: /etc/network/if-pre-up.d/wpasupplicant: cannot create /dev/stderr: No such device or address Apr 10 10:09:54 raspberrypi ifup[347]: run-parts: /etc/network/if-pre-up.d/wpasupplicant exited with return code 1 Apr 10 10:09:54 raspberrypi ifup[347]: Failed to bring up wlan0.

(Those timestamps are nonsense because it's never had the time set properly, of course.)

I am using a quality 2A power supply and my wpa_supplicant.conf (installed via /boot copying or manually) currently looks like this (I doubt this matters since the driver is failing early):

ctrl_interface=DIR=/var/run/wpa_supplicant GROUP=netdev update_config=1 network={ ssid="YSN2" psk="<plaintext not shown>" key_mgmt=WPA-PSK }

I tried smaller and larger such files until I noticed the lower-level errors.

I've reflashed multiple times, rebooted many times, etc.

I've tried Philip Ashmore's answer but it just seems to clean up the logs; the root problem appears to be the driver errors about "sdio" and the -110 timeouts.

I've tried the older 2017-03-02-raspbian-jessie-lite release as well and the logs are the same.

Is my device faulty? Is the latest firmware broken (the OS image I used is 2 months old, so I hope not)?

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  • did you ever solve this issue? I am running into the same issue. Commented Oct 25, 2019 at 4:11
  • No. I eventually assumed my hardware was broken (or the software is not very robust against minor variations) and gave up. The Pi Zero W remains in a box, unused. Commented Oct 25, 2019 at 11:16
  • I have had the same issue, and can't get it to work either. Tried a bunch of stuff. Very rarely the wlan0 device turns up, but then it still doesn't work. I am guessing hardware problems too..... :( Commented Oct 26, 2019 at 4:07
  • It may indeed be a dud due to wrong programming in the factory. See forums.pimoroni.com/t/no-wifi-bluetooth-on-pi0w-v1-1/5026/3. Will check if that is my issue too. Commented Oct 26, 2019 at 4:13

1 Answer 1

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While setting up Debian Stretch on my laptop I came across the same problem.

I Googled wpa_supplicant /dev/stderr and found https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=838291

If you're doing something similar I also had a problem with apt-key - I needed to install dirmngr

Hope this helps!

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  • Ha! You answered this literally 30 seconds after I ordered a $0.99 mini HDMI adapter from ebay. :) Well at least I probably don't need to wait from shipping until August to set it up now! Commented Jun 23, 2017 at 0:52
  • Doing this fixed the /dev/stderr noise in the logs, but I think the root problem is the script had reached the point where it wanted to log an error :). Now I get the same sdio and other errors, but a simple Apr 10 10:10:05 raspberrypi ifup[342]: wpa_supplicant: /sbin/wpa_supplicant daemon failed to start. However it does point me in the right direction. Commented Jun 23, 2017 at 1:22
  • That was a dead end, it seems. I think the root cause is closer to the sdio errors from the driver. Commented Jun 23, 2017 at 2:10
  • Please read the original question. He was asking about wifi on a raspberry pi zero. Your answer has absolutely nothing to do with the question. Commented Oct 25, 2019 at 4:12

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