[SOLVED] Need BCM4312 wifi during installation

Macha · 2010-04-07 13:35:55

To install my system, I need to connect to the internet via wifi. My system has a a Broadcom BSM4312 802.11 a/b/g (rev 01) inbuilt wi-fi card.

So, going through the guide brings me to this step:

iwconfig

Which lists the interfaces eth0 and lo. eth0 being my wired ethernet adapter. The same command on my installed Ubuntu system lists eth0 (wired), eth1 (wireless) and lo. So it's just not there while installing.

Further research in the wiki brings me to this page: [wiki]Broadcom_BCM4312[/wiki].

There's a PKGBUILD in AUR. Or, you can download the driver from here, where you will also find a README file.

Which is somewhat problematic, as I have no wifi to install/download this while installing. How do I solve this problem?

Last edited by Macha (2010-04-09 16:30:58)

Macha · 2010-04-07 16:15:58

After further advice in #archlinux, I downloaded the latest version of Arch, which used the 2.6.32 kernel which has support for the card in the b43 driver. However, the card needs some firmware, which is not in /lib/firmware/ meaning it still doesn't work..

csat · 2010-04-07 19:26:19

You'll need this http://aur.archlinux.org/packages.php?ID=19514
and following instructions after running the PKGBUILD.

Maybe using this to a wired ArchLinux and then copying the file *.pkg.tar.gz" to your notebook and installing it with pacman -U

wonder · 2010-04-07 20:12:24

csat wrote:

You'll need this http://aur.archlinux.org/packages.php?ID=19514
and following instructions after running the PKGBUILD.
Maybe using this to a wired ArchLinux and then copying the file *.pkg.tar.gz" to your notebook and installing it with pacman -U

that driver is not needed since the kernel has support for that card. you end up with more problems with that.

csat · 2010-04-07 20:48:43

wonder wrote:

that driver is not needed since the kernel has support for that card. you end up with more problems with that.

So installing Arch to my Dell which has BCM4312, upgrading it with pacman -Syu, and having wicd I will be able to get nearby wifi signals with iwlist scan? Great ... I will give it a try right now.

Thanks for the information.

wonder · 2010-04-07 20:51:39

csat wrote:

wonder wrote:
that driver is not needed since the kernel has support for that card. you end up with more problems with that.
So installing Arch to my Dell which has BCM4312, upgrading it with pacman -Syu, and having wicd I will be able to get nearby wifi signals with iwlist scan?

not without the firmware .

http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Drivers/b43

you need b43-fwcutter-git and the latest firmware version. everything is on that link.

reed9 · 2010-04-07 21:47:50

Put the firmware (or PKGBUILD and source package) on a usb stick, boot up the installation CD, and run makepkg to install the firmware in the live environment.

csat · 2010-04-07 22:10:23

wonder wrote:

not without the firmware .
http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Drivers/b43
you need b43-fwcutter-git and the latest firmware version. everything is on that link.

@wonder

Isn't it much easy to type as root packer broadcom-wl and at the end follow the instructions to deny modules loading (!b43 !ssb) in '/etc/rc.conf' ???

It seems to me that might have many ways of doing this but packer broadcom-wl is more KISS at least to average knowledge of any user, I am including of course.

Thanks for pointing out another way.

@reed9
Thank you.

wonder · 2010-04-07 22:12:30

csat wrote:

@wonder
Isn't it much easy to type as root packer broadcom-wl and at the end follow the instructions to deny modules loading (!b43 !ssb) in '/etc/rc.conf' ???
It seems to me that might have many ways of doing this but packer broadcom-wl is more KISS at least to average knowledge of any user, I am including of course.

let me know how things are going to a major kernel upgrade . what is more KISS to install once the firmware and forgot about it or to mess with an external module that can be broken on every major kernel upgrade? the forum is full of second issue.

Last edited by wonder (2010-04-07 22:16:30)

csat · 2010-04-07 22:41:15

wonder wrote:

let me know how things are going to a major kernel upgrade . what is more KISS to install once the firmware and forgot about it or to mess with an external module that can be broken on every major kernel upgrade? the forum is full of second issue.

Ok. Your opinion counts a lot and it will be a good opportunity for leaning and implementing a new way of doing this. I will give it a try for sure using your recommendations.

Thank you.

csat · 2010-04-08 00:45:44

@wonder

Worked fine!

a) sudo pacman -S git

b) created a new folder
mkdir wifi
cd wifi

git clone http://git.bu3sch.de/git/b43-tools.git
cd b43-tools/fwcutter
make
cd ..

export FIRMWARE_INSTALL_DIR="/lib/firmware"

wget http://downloads.openwrt.org/sources/br … .4.tar.bz2
tar xjf broadcom-wl-4.178.10.4.tar.bz2
cd broadcom-wl-4.178.10.4/linux
sudo ../../fwcutter/b43-fwcutter -w "$FIRMWARE_INSTALL_DIR" wl_apsta.o

c) reboot

Then... the Wireless indicator turned on that means it was enabled.

Considering I was using ArchBang 2 RC2 that already comes with Wicd, I only clicked over the applet that opened a window with my wireless SSID and a rectangle to put my WPA key.

That's it! Another and easy way to have my bcm4312 working out of the box.

Thanks for showing me a new way.

wonder · 2010-04-08 08:06:17

@csat can you please update the wiki and in the first step to be using b43?
http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Broadcom_BCM4312

csat · 2010-04-08 15:10:06

wonder wrote:

@csat can you please update the wiki and in the first step to be using b43?
http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Broadcom_BCM4312

Done.

http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Wireless#b43

Macha · 2010-04-08 16:35:29

reed9 wrote:

Put the firmware (or PKGBUILD and source package) on a usb stick, boot up the installation CD, and run makepkg to install the firmware in the live environment.

Doing this fixed it (well, just the firmware was what was needed).

csat · 2010-04-08 16:49:10

Macha wrote:

reed9 wrote:
Put the firmware (or PKGBUILD and source package) on a usb stick, boot up the installation CD, and run makepkg to install the firmware in the live environment.
Doing this fixed it (well, just the firmware was what was needed).

Great!. Now would you please edit this message title and add "SOLVED".

Arch Linux

#1 2010-04-07 13:35:55

[SOLVED] Need BCM4312 wifi during installation

#2 2010-04-07 16:15:58

Re: [SOLVED] Need BCM4312 wifi during installation

#3 2010-04-07 19:26:19

Re: [SOLVED] Need BCM4312 wifi during installation

#4 2010-04-07 20:12:24

Re: [SOLVED] Need BCM4312 wifi during installation

#5 2010-04-07 20:48:43

Re: [SOLVED] Need BCM4312 wifi during installation

#6 2010-04-07 20:51:39

Re: [SOLVED] Need BCM4312 wifi during installation

#7 2010-04-07 21:47:50

Re: [SOLVED] Need BCM4312 wifi during installation

#8 2010-04-07 22:10:23

Re: [SOLVED] Need BCM4312 wifi during installation

#9 2010-04-07 22:12:30

Re: [SOLVED] Need BCM4312 wifi during installation

#10 2010-04-07 22:41:15

Re: [SOLVED] Need BCM4312 wifi during installation

#11 2010-04-08 00:45:44

Re: [SOLVED] Need BCM4312 wifi during installation

#12 2010-04-08 08:06:17

Re: [SOLVED] Need BCM4312 wifi during installation

#13 2010-04-08 15:10:06

Re: [SOLVED] Need BCM4312 wifi during installation

#14 2010-04-08 16:35:29

Re: [SOLVED] Need BCM4312 wifi during installation

#15 2010-04-08 16:49:10

Re: [SOLVED] Need BCM4312 wifi during installation

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