I have a machine running Ubuntu 9.10 (Karmic *x86_64*). Everything is running smooth so far, except for the Wi-Fi USB Stick. The same device worked perfectly in 8.10. The wireless device is a GW-US54GXS using the Zydas Zd1211 chipset.

Dmesg output after plugging in:

[  196.303436] phy0: Selected rate control algorithm 'minstrel'
[  196.304209] zd1211rw 2-1:1.0: phy0
[  196.304227] usbcore: registered new interface driver zd1211rw
[  196.334137] usb 2-1: firmware: requesting zd1211/zd1211b_ub
[  196.357463] usb 2-1: firmware: requesting zd1211/zd1211b_uphr
[  196.402643] zd1211rw 2-1:1.0: firmware version 4725
[  196.442611] zd1211rw 2-1:1.0: zd1211b chip 2019:5303 v4810 high 00-90-cc AL2230_RF pa0 ---N-
[  196.463814] usb 2-1: firmware: requesting zd1211/zd1211b_ub
[  196.466823] usb 2-1: firmware: requesting zd1211/zd1211b_uphr

Syslog output:

Nov  5 11:20:24 somesystem kernel: [  196.303436] phy0: Selected rate control algorithm 'minstrel'
Nov  5 11:20:24 kierkegaard NetworkManager: <info>  Found radio killswitch rfkill0 (at /sys/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1d.7/usb2/2-1/2-1:1.0/ieee80211/phy0/rfkill0) (driver <unknown>)
Nov  5 11:20:24 somesystem kernel: [  196.304209] zd1211rw 2-1:1.0: phy0
Nov  5 11:20:24 somesystem kernel: [  196.304227] usbcore: registered new interface driver zd1211rw
Nov  5 11:20:24 somesystem NetworkManager:    SCPlugin-Ifupdown: devices added (path: /sys/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1d.7/usb2/2-1/2-1:1.0/net/wmaster0, iface: wmaster0)
Nov  5 11:20:24 somesystem NetworkManager:    SCPlugin-Ifupdown: device added (path: /sys/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1d.7/usb2/2-1/2-1:1.0/net/wmaster0, iface: wmaster0): no ifupdown configuration found.
Nov  5 11:20:24 somesystem NetworkManager:    SCPlugin-Ifupdown: devices added (path: /sys/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1d.7/usb2/2-1/2-1:1.0/net/wlan0, iface: wlan0)
Nov  5 11:20:24 somesystem NetworkManager:    SCPlugin-Ifupdown: device added (path: /sys/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1d.7/usb2/2-1/2-1:1.0/net/wlan0, iface: wlan0): no ifupdown configuration found.
Nov  5 11:20:24 somesystem NetworkManager: <info>  (wlan0): driver supports SSID scans (scan_capa 0x01).
Nov  5 11:20:24 somesystem NetworkManager: <info>  (wlan0): new 802.11 WiFi device (driver: 'zd1211rw')
Nov  5 11:20:24 somesystem NetworkManager: <info>  (wlan0): exported as /org/freedesktop/NetworkManager/Devices/2
Nov  5 11:20:24 somesystem NetworkManager: <info>  (wlan0): now managed
Nov  5 11:20:24 somesystem NetworkManager: <info>  (wlan0): device state change: 1 -> 2 (reason 2)
Nov  5 11:20:24 somesystem NetworkManager: <info>  (wlan0): bringing up device.
Nov  5 11:20:24 somesystem kernel: [  196.334137] usb 2-1: firmware: requesting zd1211/zd1211b_ub
Nov  5 11:20:24 somesystem kernel: [  196.357463] usb 2-1: firmware: requesting zd1211/zd1211b_uphr
Nov  5 11:20:24 somesystem kernel: [  196.402643] zd1211rw 2-1:1.0: firmware version 4725
Nov  5 11:20:24 somesystem kernel: [  196.442611] zd1211rw 2-1:1.0: zd1211b chip 2019:5303 v4810 high 00-90-cc AL2230_RF pa0 ---N-
Nov  5 11:20:24 somesystem NetworkManager: <WARN>  nm_device_hw_bring_up(): (wlan0): device not up after timeout!
Nov  5 11:20:24 somesystem NetworkManager: <info>  (wlan0): deactivating device (reason: 2).
Nov  5 11:20:24 somesystem kernel: [  196.463814] usb 2-1: firmware: requesting zd1211/zd1211b_ub
Nov  5 11:20:24 somesystem kernel: [  196.466823] usb 2-1: firmware: requesting zd1211/zd1211b_uphr
Nov  5 11:20:29 somesystem wpa_supplicant[978]: Could not set interface 'wlan0' UP
Nov  5 11:20:29 somesystem wpa_supplicant[978]: Failed to initialize driver interface
Nov  5 11:20:29 somesystem NetworkManager: <WARN>  nm_supplicant_interface_add_cb(): Unexpected supplicant error getting interface: wpa_supplicant couldn't grab this interface.

Gnome tells me in the network menu that the device was "not ready". It appears in iwconfig but not in ifconfig.

The same symptoms appear when I boot from the live CD.

How can I solve this dilemma?