Wireless not working after initial pacman upgrade on a fresh install.

Fludae · 2009-06-23 14:22:29

Helloooo. I've used Ubuntu for awhile, decided to try out Arch Linux since it seemed like an interesting distro from what I've read. Anyways, I downloaded the core 64bit iso, burnt and installed it, and then spent awhile trying to get my Dell WLAN 1395 (Broadcom 4312) wireless card working so I could upgrade my system for the first time using pacman (I live in a suite with wireless shared between different homes, a wired connection isn't an option for me). I used the Broadcom Linux drivers after reading the page on the wiki and used the wireless setup guide + broadcom readme to get wireless up and running. Edited my /etc/rc.conf to load ieee80211_crypt_tkip & wl.ko and also connect to my wireless when I boot. And off I go.

I'm following the beginners guide on the wiki since I'm a noob with this stuff, so I used the python script to rank mirrors and then ran pacman -Syu. Everything successfully downloads and installs, I reboot, and poof. Wireless is not working. At all.

I googled for information on Broadcom 4312 cards, kernel 2.6.29, etc. and I didn't come up with much except that quite a few people are having problems with broadcom cards on 2.6.29 - and thats it. I couldn't even find a hint of a solution, only that people are sticking with kernel 2.6.28 until this stuff is figured out.

So my question is: Is there a way for me to get wireless working on kernel 2.6.29 with a Broadcom 4312 card? Should I wipe Arch Linux, reinstall, and just not upgrade the kernel? Is there a way to revert back to kernel 2.6.28 without reinstalling?

Thanks.

bgc1954 · 2009-06-23 14:36:09

If you haven't cleared your cache with pacman -Ssc, then you can revert back to your old kernel by going to directory /var/cache/pacman/pkg and install the old kernel in the cache with pacman -U kernel-whatever-the-old-one-was.tgz

If you have cleared your cache search the forum for old package repository sites. They're around but I don't recall off the top of my head. Good luck!

Edit: spelling

Last edited by bgc1954 (2009-06-23 14:37:21)

Trent · 2009-06-23 17:15:40

bgc1954 wrote:

If you haven't cleared your cache with pacman -Ssc, then you can revert back to your old kernel by going to directory /var/cache/pacman/pkg and install the old kernel in the cache with pacman -U kernel-whatever-the-old-one-was.tgz

Methinks you mean 'pacman -Scc'?

Fludae · 2009-06-23 23:38:32

I checked /var/cache/pacman/pkg and the 2.6.28 version of the kernel is nowhere to be found - only the .29 packages. Odd, since I didn't run pacman -Scc/-Ssc or anything of the sort. All I ran was pacman -Syu to upgrade everything. Meh, I'm reinstalling arch right now, just going to stay with 2.6.28 and get it up and running before I try troubleshooting this anymore.

edit: thanks for the help

Last edited by Fludae (2009-06-23 23:39:50)

drelyn86 · 2009-06-24 07:24:13

ouch... you mean you didn't try the 2.6.30 kernel before wiping your system? there was even an update to broadcom-wl in AUR for this kernel....

bgc1954 · 2009-06-24 15:00:38

@ Trent: Actually, I didn't mean pacman -Scc although that would clear the entire cache. I only ever pacman -Ssc to remove any packages that I've uninstalled or don't need in my cache anymore as the updated ones are working for sure. But in the end if the op did either he wouldn't have the old kernel in his cache.

Trent · 2009-06-24 16:21:48

bgc1954 wrote:

@ Trent: Actually, I didn't mean pacman -Scc although that would clear the entire cache. I only ever pacman -Ssc to remove any packages that I've uninstalled or don't need in my cache anymore as the updated ones are working for sure. But in the end if the op did either he wouldn't have the old kernel in his cache.

You are right. The -s flag confused me, because according to the man page its only meaning with the -S (sync) action is to search for a regex in a package, so it would be meaningless with -c. I thought you might mean -Scc instead of -Ssc just because that would be an easy typo to make.

iphitus · 2009-06-25 01:28:38

Why are you helping him downgrade the kernel when the issue is most likely configuration?

Could you tell us how you configured wireless? configs help.
And what error messages did it give? _all_ output is helpful.

Fludae · 2009-06-25 09:38:18

drelyn86 wrote:

ouch... you mean you didn't try the 2.6.30 kernel before wiping your system? there was even an update to broadcom-wl in AUR for this kernel....

Afaik, there was no way for me to try the 2.6.30 kernel considering my wireless wasn't working after updating to the 2.6.29 kernel. And wiping my system wasn't that bad, the install up to that point took all of 20 minutes (not counting the time it took to find the broadcom linux drivers and getting them to work).

Why are you helping him downgrade the kernel when the issue is most likely configuration?
Could you tell us how you configured wireless? configs help.
And what error messages did it give? _all_ output is helpful.

No need (read below), thanks though. Reinstalled arch, and updated my system with pacman -Syu since kernel 2.6.30 was in there now - and drelyn said that there was an update for that.

Finished downloading/installing, wireless wasn't working again. I noticed on the Broadcom Linux STA download page that there was a new file - 2.6.29 patch (must have been put up there in the past day or so because it wasn't there when I got the drivers two days ago) - so I downloaded that instead of searching for that broadcom-wl update. Patched the wl driver and it worked. I have kernel 2.6.30 with consistent stable wireless now, which is awesome. Working on getting a DE up and running now.

Thanks for the help!

Last edited by Fludae (2009-06-25 09:39:38)

Arch Linux

#1 2009-06-23 14:22:29

Wireless not working after initial pacman upgrade on a fresh install.

#2 2009-06-23 14:36:09

Re: Wireless not working after initial pacman upgrade on a fresh install.

#3 2009-06-23 17:15:40

Re: Wireless not working after initial pacman upgrade on a fresh install.

#4 2009-06-23 23:38:32

Re: Wireless not working after initial pacman upgrade on a fresh install.

#5 2009-06-24 07:24:13

Re: Wireless not working after initial pacman upgrade on a fresh install.

#6 2009-06-24 15:00:38

Re: Wireless not working after initial pacman upgrade on a fresh install.

#7 2009-06-24 16:21:48

Re: Wireless not working after initial pacman upgrade on a fresh install.

#8 2009-06-25 01:28:38

Re: Wireless not working after initial pacman upgrade on a fresh install.

#9 2009-06-25 09:38:18

Re: Wireless not working after initial pacman upgrade on a fresh install.

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