[SOLVED] Can't install Broadcom BCM4312 drivers

rb · 2010-05-11 08:14:11

Quick edit: I was able to install the drivers following this directions, using the b3-firmware instead the b43-firmware-newest.
After the install, my browser (Opera) won't resolve DNS but I don't think it has anything to do with this, as I can ping and resolve dns from terminal ok.

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Hello, first time posting here.

I just bought a Dell Vostro v13 and I'm stuck with the wireless drivers. This is what i tried so far:

I went to the wiki and start reading here (BCM4312). I followed the instructions there and ended with a network module FAIL at boot with no LAN card detected. I reinstalled Arch (was a brand new installation with nothing but core and devel packages).

So I checked again for my wireless card model, and according to this page, my wireless card is supported by kernel 2.6.32 and later (BCM4312 b/g [14e4:4315] rev01) and the driver that I should be using is the b43. So I went to the Wireless b43 page. I followed the instructions there, but when I'm suppose to download the "b43-firmware-newest" as suggested (doing it with yaourt), I just cannot connect to http://downloads.openwrt.org/sources/br … .4.tar.bz2 (where yaourt is trying to get "broadcom-wl-4.178.10.4.tar.bz2" (I've internet access via LAN card).

I'm a bit lost here, as this is my first laptop and I don't want to mess up things too much.

Should I go with this instructions? (linuxdrivers.org b43 site)

Follow these instructions if you are using the b43 driver from linux-2.6.32 and newer or compat-wireless-2.6, or from any current GIT tree, and have a device with a low-power PHY.
Install b43-fwcutter, then use version 4.174.64.19 of Broadcom's proprietary driver. (The tarball is mislabeled as "4.178.10.4", but it is actually 4.174.64.19.)
Download and extract the firmware from this driver tarball:
export FIRMWARE_INSTALL_DIR="/lib/firmware"
wget http://downloads.openwrt.org/sources/broadcom-wl-4.178.10.4.tar.bz2
tar xjf broadcom-wl-4.178.10.4.tar.bz2
cd broadcom-wl-4.178.10.4/linux
sudo ../../b43-fwcutter-013 -w "$FIRMWARE_INSTALL_DIR" wl_apsta.o
Note that you must adjust the FIRMWARE_INSTALL_DIR path to your distribution. The standard place where firmware is installed to is /lib/firmware. However
some distributions put firmware in a different place.

From what I read in related threads, the best practice is let pacman manage the package install. That's why I'm confused, the wiki method doesn't seems to work =/

Any tip or suggestion would be very welcome.

Thanks for reading and sorry for my lousy english.

Last edited by rb (2010-05-11 18:22:47)

archman-cro · 2010-05-11 08:48:17

Hey, welcome aboard, mate!

But, why using yaourt or any package manager for this stuff? The file you linked (http://downloads.openwrt.org/sources/br … .4.tar.bz2) is downloading here for me all nice. That is a firmware package. You need to extract some files (or all, I'm not sure - *checking his files*) from it to /lib/firmware/.

From here:

sudo ../../b43-fwcutter-013 -w "$FIRMWARE_INSTALL_DIR" wl_apsta.o

you see that it's installing the "wl_apsta.o" file to "$FIRMWARE_INSTALL_DIR", which is defined as "/lib/firmware/" (which I have mentioned up here). So my first advice for you is to do exactly the same as me for bcm4311:

Extract all the contents from that archive file (you downloaded manually) somewhere to the disk, and copy the "wl_apsta.o" file to "/lib/firmware" (as root, sure), and that's it! Now try to modprobe the b43 (I know it's not like in the wiki, but as I'm reading that AUR PKGBUILD you've been trying to process, I don't see any files from that package which are IN that PKGBUILD, so wtf, try this method...)

modprobe b43

as root
and see if your wlan is working now, with ifconfig wlan0 up (as root, make sure your interface is "wlan0", but probably is...)

If this doesn't work, I'll try to inspect and help you with some other method (if I find any ).

Cheers! Welcome to the boards!

rb · 2010-05-11 09:30:33

Hey archman-cro, thanks for the warmth welcome and your help!

I was using yaourt to download the file, because in the wiki says that it was in the AUR repo (link to the pkg), so I thought that geting the package with yaourt was a cleaner way to do it.

I read your advice, but I still have a problem: the file won't download. I tried with wget from my laptop and regular download on my Windows box. Maybe I'm having some sort of problem with that mirror? I installed Arch with a net install, so definitely isn't a connection problem.

May I should wait a bit and try later, it has to be something between my ISP and that mirror.

I'll keep reading on this matter, thanks again!

Last edited by rb (2010-05-11 09:33:52)

archman-cro · 2010-05-11 13:17:56

Yep, mate, this line "wget http://downloads.openwrt.org/sources/broadcom-wl-4.178.10.4.tar.bz2" definitely works for me. Works now, and worked when I replied first. Keep trying, if you fail, I will send a copy to your email if that's not a problem.

Cheers.

rb · 2010-05-11 14:47:38

Still doesn't work. I tried with wget, with Opera and with Yaourt. In the mean time I'm configuring the system. Still lots to do (for instance, my touchpad is driving me crazy... haha).

Here's a pic of what I get when I try to Yaourt for the package (is the same with wget, and Opera give me timeout):

archman-cro · 2010-05-11 16:49:13

And it's waiting for the response forever? Dunno, try to find another mirror. I can still send it over or up it on some hosting site if you're having trouble...

Btw, that driver you're wanting to download (the latest) is not working on my laptop. Try http://downloads.openwrt.org/sources/br … .0.tar.bz2 instead.
Or try this mirror: http://mirror2.openwrt.org/sources/

Last edited by archman-cro (2010-05-11 16:55:05)

rb · 2010-05-11 17:40:05

I download the regular b43-firmware and my wlan0 went up. I can scan, connect and ping now. Yay!

However there's one little tiny problem... I cannot see my home network!!! I've my laptop almost ontop of my router and no matter how many times I scan with wicd my network doesn't show up. I'm connected right now to an open network that's on the other street (I live on a 6th floor) =/

archman-cro · 2010-05-11 18:09:26

Just use "iwlist scan" to see if your network is "picked up". Then connect with iwconfig or netcfg. Describe what do you mean by "regular b43-firmware". Someone might need your solution. You can mark this thread as solved now, by editing your first post and putting "[SOLVED]" in front on the thread name.

Cheers.

rb · 2010-05-11 18:19:02

I turned off my laptop and my router, power up again and voila! everything is working! Well, almost everything... now Opera won't resolve dns hahaha I must look into that now.

With "regular b43-firmware" I meant the b43-firmware package, instead the recommend in the wiki (b43-firmware-newest). Just to clarify, I wasn't able to test the b43-firmware-newest.

Thanks again!

archman-cro · 2010-05-11 18:30:57

Always a pleasure! Have fun Arching!

Arch Linux

#1 2010-05-11 08:14:11

[SOLVED] Can't install Broadcom BCM4312 drivers

#2 2010-05-11 08:48:17

Re: [SOLVED] Can't install Broadcom BCM4312 drivers

#3 2010-05-11 09:30:33

Re: [SOLVED] Can't install Broadcom BCM4312 drivers

#4 2010-05-11 13:17:56

Re: [SOLVED] Can't install Broadcom BCM4312 drivers

#5 2010-05-11 14:47:38

Re: [SOLVED] Can't install Broadcom BCM4312 drivers

#6 2010-05-11 16:49:13

Re: [SOLVED] Can't install Broadcom BCM4312 drivers

#7 2010-05-11 17:40:05

Re: [SOLVED] Can't install Broadcom BCM4312 drivers

#8 2010-05-11 18:09:26

Re: [SOLVED] Can't install Broadcom BCM4312 drivers

#9 2010-05-11 18:19:02

Re: [SOLVED] Can't install Broadcom BCM4312 drivers

#10 2010-05-11 18:30:57

Re: [SOLVED] Can't install Broadcom BCM4312 drivers

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