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#1 2020-02-29 18:24:31

Fixed
Member
Registered: 2005-08-09
Posts: 219

Error downloading broadcom-wl-dkms for wireless card BCM4318

Hi there,

I am struggling with wireless card BCM4318. As per Broadcomm wiki article, the best driver would be b43-firmware-classic from AUR, but it's terribly slow, up to 10 times, compared to USB Wi-Fi dongle.

Attempt to try broadcom-wl-dkms leads to the missing kernel headers error:

# pacman -S broadcom-wl-dkms
resolving dependencies...
looking for conflicting packages...

Packages (2) dkms-2.8.1-1  broadcom-wl-dkms-6.30.223.271-20

Total Installed Size:  7.77 MiB

:: Proceed with installation? [Y/n] 
(2/2) checking keys in keyring                                                        [#################################################] 100%
(2/2) checking package integrity                                                      [#################################################] 100%
(2/2) loading package files                                                           [#################################################] 100%
(2/2) checking for file conflicts                                                     [#################################################] 100%
(2/2) checking available disk space                                                   [#################################################] 100%
:: Processing package changes...
(1/2) installing dkms                                                                 [#################################################] 100%
Optional dependencies for dkms
    linux-headers: build modules against the Arch kernel
    linux-lts-headers: build modules against the LTS kernel
    linux-zen-headers: build modules against the ZEN kernel
    linux-hardened-headers: build modules against the HARDENED kernel
(2/2) installing broadcom-wl-dkms                                                     [#################################################] 100%

To load the new module, run the following commands as root:

  rmmod b43 b43legacy bcm43xx bcma brcm80211 brcmfmac brcmsmac ssb wl
  modprobe wl

Or just reboot the system.

:: Running post-transaction hooks...
(1/2) Arming ConditionNeedsUpdate...
(2/2) Install DKMS modules
==> Unable to install module broadcom-wl/6.30.223.271 for kernel *: Missing kernel headers.

Last edited by Fixed (2020-02-29 18:27:09)

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#2 2020-02-29 18:28:46

loqs
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Registered: 2014-03-06
Posts: 19,089

Re: Error downloading broadcom-wl-dkms for wireless card BCM4318

Optional dependencies for dkms
    linux-headers: build modules against the Arch kernel
    linux-lts-headers: build modules against the LTS kernel
    linux-zen-headers: build modules against the ZEN kernel
    linux-hardened-headers: build modules against the HARDENED kernel
....
==> Unable to install module broadcom-wl/6.30.223.271 for kernel *: Missing kernel headers.

See the last point in the tip box from https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Br … roadcom-wl and https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Dy … stallation

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#3 2020-02-29 18:49:10

Fixed
Member
Registered: 2005-08-09
Posts: 219

Re: Error downloading broadcom-wl-dkms for wireless card BCM4318

Thank you!

Got it, placing kernel headers as the dependency would create ambiguity in the context of different kernel.

It worked, but now there is no Wi-Fi interface at all:

#ip link
1: lo: <LOOPBACK,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 65536 qdisc noqueue state UNKNOWN mode DEFAULT group default qlen 1000
    link/loopback 00:00:00:00:00:00 brd 00:00:00:00:00:00
2: enp6s6: <BROADCAST,MULTICAST> mtu 1500 qdisc noop state DOWN mode DEFAULT group default qlen 1000
    link/ether 00:16:d4:3e:a6:9c brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff

Last edited by Fixed (2020-02-29 18:50:05)

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#4 2020-02-29 18:56:50

loqs
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Registered: 2014-03-06
Posts: 19,089

Re: Error downloading broadcom-wl-dkms for wireless card BCM4318

Did DKMS build the wl module successfully?  If so is the wl module loaded? `lsmod`

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#5 2020-02-29 20:09:11

Fixed
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Registered: 2005-08-09
Posts: 219

Re: Error downloading broadcom-wl-dkms for wireless card BCM4318

# ip link

1: lo: <LOOPBACK,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 65536 qdisc noqueue state UNKNOWN mode DEFAULT group default qlen 1000
    link/loopback 00:00:00:00:00:00 brd 00:00:00:00:00:00
2: enp6s6: <BROADCAST,MULTICAST> mtu 1500 qdisc noop state DOWN mode DEFAULT group default qlen 1000
    link/ether 00:16:d4:3e:a6:9c brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff

$ lspci -k

06:02.0 Network controller: Broadcom Inc. and subsidiaries BCM4318 [AirForce One 54g] 802.11g Wireless LAN Controller (rev 02)
	Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Broadcom 802.11b/g WLAN
	Kernel modules: ssb, wl

$ lsmod

Module                  Size  Used by
wl                   6467584  0
cfg80211              860160  1 wl
snd_atiixp_modem       24576  0
snd_atiixp             32768  0
snd_ac97_codec        155648  2 snd_atiixp_modem,snd_atiixp
ac97_bus               16384  1 snd_ac97_codec
hp_wmi                 16384  0
sparse_keymap          16384  1 hp_wmi
snd_pcm               143360  3 snd_atiixp_modem,snd_ac97_codec,snd_atiixp
wmi_bmof               16384  0
pcmcia                 77824  0
powernow_k8            36864  0
psmouse               180224  0
snd_timer              40960  1 snd_pcm
8139too                45056  0
yenta_socket           53248  0
edac_mce_amd           32768  0
snd                   114688  5 snd_atiixp_modem,snd_timer,snd_ac97_codec,snd_atiixp,snd_pcm
pcmcia_rsrc            24576  1 yenta_socket
8139cp                 36864  0
input_leds             16384  0
mousedev               24576  0
rfkill                 28672  3 hp_wmi,cfg80211
pcmcia_core            32768  3 pcmcia,pcmcia_rsrc,yenta_socket
k8temp                 16384  0
soundcore              16384  1 snd
pcspkr                 16384  0
mii                    16384  2 8139cp,8139too
i2c_piix4              28672  0
battery                24576  0
wmi                    36864  2 hp_wmi,wmi_bmof
evdev                  24576  14
ac                     16384  0
mac_hid                16384  0
ip_tables              36864  0
x_tables               53248  1 ip_tables
ext4                  782336  1
crc32c_generic         16384  2
crc16                  16384  1 ext4
mbcache                16384  1 ext4
jbd2                  135168  1 ext4
hid_generic            16384  0
usbhid                 65536  0
hid                   147456  2 usbhid,hid_generic
sr_mod                 28672  0
cdrom                  77824  1 sr_mod
sd_mod                 57344  2
serio_raw              20480  0
atkbd                  36864  0
libps2                 20480  2 atkbd,psmouse
ata_generic            16384  0
pata_acpi              16384  0
pata_atiixp            16384  1
sdhci_pci              57344  0
cqhci                  32768  1 sdhci_pci
libata                290816  3 pata_acpi,ata_generic,pata_atiixp
sdhci                  69632  1 sdhci_pci
mmc_core              188416  3 sdhci,cqhci,sdhci_pci
tifm_7xx1              20480  0
firewire_ohci          49152  0
tifm_core              16384  1 tifm_7xx1
firewire_core          81920  1 firewire_ohci
ohci_pci               20480  0
scsi_mod              258048  3 sd_mod,libata,sr_mod
ehci_pci               20480  0
crc_itu_t              16384  1 firewire_core
ehci_hcd               98304  1 ehci_pci
ohci_hcd               57344  1 ohci_pci
i8042                  32768  0
serio                  28672  6 serio_raw,atkbd,psmouse,i8042
radeon               1638400  4
i2c_algo_bit           16384  1 radeon
drm_kms_helper        237568  1 radeon
syscopyarea            16384  1 drm_kms_helper
sysfillrect            16384  1 drm_kms_helper
sysimgblt              16384  1 drm_kms_helper
fb_sys_fops            16384  1 drm_kms_helper
ttm                   122880  1 radeon
drm                   557056  7 drm_kms_helper,radeon,ttm
agpgart                53248  2 ttm,drm

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#6 2020-02-29 20:24:13

loqs
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Registered: 2014-03-06
Posts: 19,089

Re: Error downloading broadcom-wl-dkms for wireless card BCM4318

lspci is not showing

06:02.0 Network controller: Broadcom Inc. and subsidiaries BCM4318 [AirForce One 54g] 802.11g Wireless LAN Controller (rev 02)
	Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Broadcom 802.11b/g WLAN
	Kernel driver in use: wl
	Kernel modules: ssb, wl

So the ssb driver has been prevented from loading by the blacklist broadcom-wl-dkms supplies but the wl module is not loaded.
Edit:
Missed wl in the output of lsmod so the wl is loaded but not listed in lspci as being used for that device.
What is the output from dmesg?

Last edited by loqs (2020-02-29 20:34:53)

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#7 2020-02-29 20:34:52

Fixed
Member
Registered: 2005-08-09
Posts: 219

Re: Error downloading broadcom-wl-dkms for wireless card BCM4318

Did you try loading the wl module manually? No

Not quite understand why wl module is not loaded -- lspci is saying Kernel driver in use: wl

Could you clarify please?

Last edited by Fixed (2020-02-29 20:36:18)

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#8 2020-02-29 20:37:00

loqs
Member
Registered: 2014-03-06
Posts: 19,089

Re: Error downloading broadcom-wl-dkms for wireless card BCM4318

From post #5

Fixed wrote:

$ lspci -k

06:02.0 Network controller: Broadcom Inc. and subsidiaries BCM4318 [AirForce One 54g] 802.11g Wireless LAN Controller (rev 02)
	Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Broadcom 802.11b/g WLAN
	Kernel modules: ssb, wl

Is what I was going off that lspci is not showing wl as in use.

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#9 2020-03-02 19:51:38

Fixed
Member
Registered: 2005-08-09
Posts: 219

Re: Error downloading broadcom-wl-dkms for wireless card BCM4318

Sorry for not reacting promptly -- I was busy.

I tried LTS kernel, there is no luck either. 4 total days spent fighting with the porblem.

In  a sense, situation is worth than 15 years ago -- yea, that beast is HP DV8000. I used it with Arch that time, and it was working great with Wi-Fi, I don't recall the driver details, but the WI-Fi connection was as good as with Windows. There is the chance that I was 15 years younger, though ... smile

I feel that systemd/kernel development could have contributed into those implications.

No, I didn't try manual installation. The single driver working currently with Wi-Fi is b43-firmware-classic, but the established connection exhibits systematic strange asymmetry: 0.5 Mbits/sec down- and 7 Mbits/sec up-stream. The Ethernet connection has 60 Mbits/sec up- and 60 Mbits/sec down-stream, the distance from laptop to Wi-Fi router is about 70 cm. The Wi-Fi dongle gets 20 Mbits/sec downsream, but it is g/n type compared to g-type for build-in BCM4318 card.

My next plans are to try ndiswrapper with Windows driver, which according to postings gives better performance than Linux drivers.

Last edited by Fixed (2020-03-02 19:55:15)

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