[FS#3403] kmod-ath9k: Please enable "Support chips used in PC OEM cards" for x86 targets by default.

[OpenWrt Bugs]

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A new Flyspray task has been opened.  Details are below. 

User who did this - Tan Li Boon (undisputed-seraphim) 

Attached to Project - OpenWrt/LEDE Project
Summary - kmod-ath9k: Please enable "Support chips used in PC OEM cards" for x86 targets by default.
Task Type - Bug Report
Category - Toolchain
Status - Unconfirmed
Assigned To - 
Operating System - All
Severity - Low
Priority - Very Low
Reported Version - openwrt-19.07
Due in Version - Undecided
Due Date - Undecided
Details - - Happens on all x86 targets
- Happens with trunk and 19.07.4
- To reproduce, run ip a in any x86 machine with an ath9k-compatible (mini-)PCIE wifi card installed. You will note that no relevant wireless interface is found.

Although this issue concerns the kmod-ath9k driver, it is not about the code itself; rather, the build system and the packaged modules.

Recently I tried to run OpenWRT on x86_64 machine that has an AR9462 mini-pcie wifi card installed.
Although lspci detected the card, no drivers were loaded for it, and the wireless interface does not show up with the ip command, even with the ath9k drivers installed.

I have found out that this is because support for PC OEM cards are not enabled by default. As a result, I had to build my own copy of OpenWRT from scratch with that option specifically turned on.
And even then, with matching versions (19.07.4), my install of OpenWRT complained that the package built had a different kernel version. I was unsure why, but I wasn't interested in finding out and I simply forced the install.

I believe that the support for PC OEM cards for ath9k should be turned on by default for the x86 builds of the driver. People running OpenWRT on x86 are unlikely to run into serious space constraints.
Kindly consider my suggestion.

More information can be found at the following URL:
https://bugs.openwrt.org/index.php?do=details&task_id=3403

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