every System Upgrade breaks NetworkManager-broadcom-wl WiFi

maxpesa · 2017-09-02 13:37:34

Arch Linux installed a few months ago, facing a broadcom WiFi problem (coldn't connct, bcma module wouldn't get a proper IP - happened with many Digicom routers users).

Every time I do

sudo pacman -Syu

, i have to follow all these steps, or I'm left with Ethernet only:
(I've tried many combinations, but only following all of them, in that specific order works - except for the blacklisting)

2. broadcom-wl package was installed
3. Blacklist few other Broadcom modules - create file sudo nano /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf, containing:
blacklist bcma
blacklist b43
blacklist b43legacy
blacklist brcm80211
blacklist ssb
4. Re-nstall networkmanager and plasma-nm packages <- just use pacman -S networkmanager plasma-nm
5. Disable services:
sudo systemctl disable dhcpcd@enp4s0.service
sudo systemctl disable netctl-auto@wlp3s0b1.service
5. Enable Network Manager as service:
sudo systemctl enable NetworkManager.service
6. reboot

Is there a way I can avoid this? My guess is that broadcom-wl is not upgraded with the rest of the system, since it is from the AUR.

Thanks in advance.

Trilby · 2017-09-02 13:39:40

https://www.archlinux.org/packages/?nam … om-wl-dkms
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Br … roadcom-wl

Last edited by Trilby (2017-09-02 13:40:35)

R00KIE · 2017-09-02 20:13:57

Why do you have dhcpcd@enp4s0.service and netctl-auto@wlp3s0b1.service enabled if you want/are using networkmanager? Better yet, are you sure that those two services get re-enabled automagically and you need to disable them every single time? If that answer is yes an even better question is what is automagically enabling those services. The alternative is that you are copy pasting random stuff until something works without trying to understand the problem first.

Steven-Sakurai · 2017-09-03 02:43:01

As Trilby suggested, installing the dkms version will avoid breaking the module every time you upgrade the kernel.
Remove broadcom-wl and install dkms & braodcom-wl-dkms. Then every time you upgrade the kernel, you should see the messages that the modules are rebuilt against the new kernel.

maxpesa · 2017-09-03 12:44:50

I will try the dkms version, although I'm pretty sure I haven't yet installed it because I read somewhere (something like linuxwireless.org that it is not fully compatible with my BCM4313 card).
Is it just like broadcom-wl, just kernel agnostic?

Why do you have dhcpcd@enp4s0.service and netctl-auto@wlp3s0b1.service enabled if you want/are using networkmanager? Better yet, are you sure that those two services get re-enabled automagically and you need to disable them every single time? If that answer is yes an even better question is what is automagically enabling those services. The alternative is that you are copy pasting random stuff until something works without trying to understand the problem first.

Because when I installed NetworkManager, following the wiki, nothing about netctl and dpch was mentioned. I assumed they wouldn't be installed automatically with Arch. I will uninstall them if it makes the system more stable.

Last edited by maxpesa (2017-09-03 12:47:43)

Arch Linux

#1 2017-09-02 13:37:34

every System Upgrade breaks NetworkManager-broadcom-wl WiFi

#2 2017-09-02 13:39:40

Re: every System Upgrade breaks NetworkManager-broadcom-wl WiFi

#3 2017-09-02 20:13:57

Re: every System Upgrade breaks NetworkManager-broadcom-wl WiFi

#4 2017-09-03 02:43:01

Re: every System Upgrade breaks NetworkManager-broadcom-wl WiFi

#5 2017-09-03 12:44:50

Re: every System Upgrade breaks NetworkManager-broadcom-wl WiFi

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