no network when trying to install arch on a dell inspiron 1501

CubeGod · 2014-07-31 06:04:27

Okay, so I have to install an OS on this DELL inspiron 1501, trivial enough right?
not quite, booting into arch I realize that it doesn't recognize the wifi or the wired connection (wifi is on up until the root auto login at which point it shuts down), this is rather odd so I boot into parted magic, sure thing I have network here.

So I get the *brilliant* (cough) idea to install arch from within parted magic, I get the chroot running and I try to pacstrap the system onto the new install location, all should be fine but no, the chroot doesn't have any networking either (which is a first for me, usually the chroot would have the same networking capabilities as the host).

I'm at loss, as for what network card is in it should be a BCM4311, installing through the bootstrapped chroot or through the normal boot image is fine, I just need to actually get it working.

Scimmia · 2014-07-31 14:43:46

What is the output of `lspci | grep -i network`?

CubeGod · 2014-07-31 16:39:44

05:00.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4311 802.11b/g WLAN (rev 01)

Scimmia · 2014-07-31 17:04:59

Strange that the wired interface doesn't even show up.

As for the BCM4311, https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=183114 says that there is a kernel bug. You'll also need firmware: https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/b43-firmware/ or to use the wl driver https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/broadcom-wl/

Last edited by Scimmia (2014-07-31 17:10:42)

CubeGod · 2014-07-31 17:10:23

mmm, I already read about the kernel bug, I'd assumed that bootstrapping from a live cd that does get a network connection would be sufficient (which it obviously wasn't)
now to drop that into the the bootstrap (after manually pulling everything from the PKGBUILD) and then build time, with some luck this might get my bootstrap to network properly.

Scimmia · 2014-07-31 17:13:24

CubeGod wrote:

mmm, I already read about the kernel bug, I'd assumed that bootstrapping from a live cd that does get a network connection would be sufficient (which it obviously wasn't)

It should, IF you set things up before doing the chroot. Like copying over resolv.conf and mounting the temporary filesystems. https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Ch … ain_chroot

CubeGod · 2014-07-31 17:19:28

well I'm not using a plain chroot, I downloaded the i686 bootstrap image and used the arch-chroot script, so it's not a plain chroot but I'll try that anyway, can't hurt to try.

CubeGod · 2014-07-31 17:22:52

okay, this is the output:

cp: failed to access 'etc/resolv.conf': stale NFS file handle

Scimmia · 2014-07-31 17:32:25

I haven't dealt with NFS for a long time, but I don't see how it would come into play here. Maybe something screwy with the parted magic live disk? Just copying a file to the new disk shouldn't be a problem.

CubeGod · 2014-07-31 17:37:46

anyway, if I can somehow actually get arch installed it seems the regression was introduced with 3.15.x, therefore the LTS (3.14.14) should be suitable, yes?

interestingly though, my live usb image (which has worked on every computer up until now) is the 2014.01.05-dual iso image, shouldn't this be long before the regression was introduced? (all I know is that I get no networking while in that image but I get it from parted magic making parted magic bootstrapping the most feasible option so long I can get networking in the bootstrap up and running)

Last edited by CubeGod (2014-07-31 17:39:44)

CubeGod · 2014-07-31 17:41:22

Scimmia wrote:

I haven't dealt with NFS for a long time, but I don't see how it would come into play here. Maybe something screwy with the parted magic live disk? Just copying a file to the new disk shouldn't be a problem.

pretty sure something's up with it, could it relate to the fact that I started wicd without daemonizing it? (aka with the -f flag)

CubeGod · 2014-07-31 17:44:05

I ran an strace on ls /etc/resolv.conf
oh if only strace had colorized output, this hurts my eyes.

CubeGod · 2014-07-31 17:52:03

now I noticed why the bootstrapped environment has no networking;
mount: mount /etc/resolv.conf on /tmp/root.i686/etc/resolv.conf failed: Stale NFS handle

So, is there any way to refresh the file handle or to otherwise fix this?

CubeGod · 2014-07-31 18:19:46

debugging this further I ran
cat /etc/mtab
cat /proc/mounts

and started comparing the outputs:
from mtab these stood out:
/tmp/root.i686 /tmp/root.i686 none rw,bind 0 0
/etc/resolv.conf /tmp/root.i686/etc/resolv.conf none rw,bind 0 0

from /proc/mounts
tmpfs /tmp/root.i686 tmpfs rw,realtime 0 0
aufs /tmp/root.i686/etc/resolv.conf\040(deleted) aufs rw,realtime,si=c5b91b9a 0 0

so from this I can deduce that resolv.conf is mounted and deleted.
unmounting it should thus allow a new one to be generated and/or mounted, trying this now.

CubeGod · 2014-07-31 18:23:16

update: can't even unmount it using --force
umount --force /tmp/root.i686/etc/resolv.conf
umount: /tmp/root.i686/etc/resolv.conf: stale NFS file handle.

tried on /etc/resolv.conf after, same result.

CubeGod · 2014-07-31 18:24:20

cat /etc/resolv.conf does return valid file contents however, this confuses me.
the file clearly works as I can cat it and ls it.

Scimmia · 2014-07-31 22:41:40

I would abandon the parted disk. Either use a different distro's live disk that's made to be more general, or see if you can get the b43-firmware package made and install that on the Arch live disk. I'm betting that's the problem if you can't make an older one work, either.

CubeGod · 2014-08-01 03:08:10

mmm, shouldn't the 2014.01.05 disk be before the regression though? I assume the regression was introduced in 3.15 as that's the first mention I see for it, in which case the disk from january should be fine (as it would be running... 3.10? 3.12 maybe?)

Either way I'm going to see if I can find my old debian disk and use that, I should have it somewhere around here, it's relatively standard afaik.

Scimmia · 2014-08-01 14:35:44

Yes, it's before the regression, but like I said, it still needs the firmware package.

CubeGod · 2014-08-01 18:22:31

what a pain
I'm just going to assume that there is some reason why arch can't distribute with the firmware (even though parted magic can)

Scimmia · 2014-08-01 18:45:22

License issues. If they're using that driver, then either parted magic got permission to redistribute them or they're doing it illegally.

Last edited by Scimmia (2014-08-01 18:48:58)

CubeGod · 2014-08-02 20:41:41

I see, well time to bash my skull against my debian bootable usb where I got the wl driver running as how the debian wiki instructed me... now time to rummage through debian's borkded package for the firmware as well since it clearly didn't come with (something the wiki never mentioned, one would expect the firmware to ship with the vendor driver)
then I can get to bootstrappin'

CubeGod · 2014-08-08 04:50:54

okay, I've tried everything between heaven and hell and can't get the bloody firmware to work.
Exactly how does one load the firmware without causing a kernel panic?

ewaller · 2014-08-08 05:04:11

Can I suggest a different tack? Have you a smart phone?

Associate the phone with either your wireless provider (use your plan's data package), or associate it with your local wifi (to not use your plan's data package). Then, connect the phone to the Inspiron via USB. Put the phone into wired tether mode. On the Inspiron, run dhcpcd as root. Install Arch, and the drivers for your NICs. Profit!

CubeGod · 2014-08-08 05:10:02

I do not own a smartphone, no. (I find them rather pointless, I don't even need a phone for my daily activities nor do I have any use of any of the apps)

Arch Linux

#1 2014-07-31 06:04:27

no network when trying to install arch on a dell inspiron 1501

#2 2014-07-31 14:43:46

Re: no network when trying to install arch on a dell inspiron 1501

#3 2014-07-31 16:39:44

Re: no network when trying to install arch on a dell inspiron 1501

#4 2014-07-31 17:04:59

Re: no network when trying to install arch on a dell inspiron 1501

#5 2014-07-31 17:10:23

Re: no network when trying to install arch on a dell inspiron 1501

#6 2014-07-31 17:13:24

Re: no network when trying to install arch on a dell inspiron 1501

#7 2014-07-31 17:19:28

Re: no network when trying to install arch on a dell inspiron 1501

#8 2014-07-31 17:22:52

Re: no network when trying to install arch on a dell inspiron 1501

#9 2014-07-31 17:32:25

Re: no network when trying to install arch on a dell inspiron 1501

#10 2014-07-31 17:37:46

Re: no network when trying to install arch on a dell inspiron 1501

#11 2014-07-31 17:41:22

Re: no network when trying to install arch on a dell inspiron 1501

#12 2014-07-31 17:44:05

Re: no network when trying to install arch on a dell inspiron 1501

#13 2014-07-31 17:52:03

Re: no network when trying to install arch on a dell inspiron 1501

#14 2014-07-31 18:19:46

Re: no network when trying to install arch on a dell inspiron 1501

#15 2014-07-31 18:23:16

Re: no network when trying to install arch on a dell inspiron 1501

#16 2014-07-31 18:24:20

Re: no network when trying to install arch on a dell inspiron 1501

#17 2014-07-31 22:41:40

Re: no network when trying to install arch on a dell inspiron 1501

#18 2014-08-01 03:08:10

Re: no network when trying to install arch on a dell inspiron 1501

#19 2014-08-01 14:35:44

Re: no network when trying to install arch on a dell inspiron 1501

#20 2014-08-01 18:22:31

Re: no network when trying to install arch on a dell inspiron 1501

#21 2014-08-01 18:45:22

Re: no network when trying to install arch on a dell inspiron 1501

#22 2014-08-02 20:41:41

Re: no network when trying to install arch on a dell inspiron 1501

#23 2014-08-08 04:50:54

Re: no network when trying to install arch on a dell inspiron 1501

#24 2014-08-08 05:04:11

Re: no network when trying to install arch on a dell inspiron 1501

#25 2014-08-08 05:10:02

Re: no network when trying to install arch on a dell inspiron 1501

Board footer