Errors installing Broadcom Wireless driver [SOLVED]

[jimbabwean]

When I install bcmwl-kernel-source for my Broadcom Wireless driver on my Dell D630, I get the following errors..

ERROR: Module b43 does not exist in /proc/modules
ERROR: Module b43legacy does not exist in /proc/modules
ERROR: Module ssb does not exist in /proc/modules
ERROR: Module bcm43xx does not exist in /proc/modules
ERROR: Module brcm80211 does not exist in /proc/modules
ERROR: Module brcmfmac does not exist in /proc/modules
ERROR: Module brcmsmac does not exist in /proc/modules
ERROR: Module bcma does not exist in /proc/modules

My Broadcom card is..
Broadcom Corporation BCM4312 802.11b/g LP-PHY (rev 01) PCI ID = 14e4:4315 (rev 01)

I've followed a lot of posts on how to get this wireless card going, but none of them work, and I suspect that it is the above error.

I can get my wireless card working with Ubuntu 12.04 without doing anything special, it just works. However with Linux Mint Cinnamon Maya, it wrestles with me. I'd prefer to use Mint than Ubuntu because Mint seems faster. However, I see this Wireless card as a show stopper. I am testing it on the USB install before putting it on my hard drive.

Thanks
Richard

[AlbertP]

Please remove the Broadcom STA driver and install firmware-b43-lpphy-installer. Normally on a clean Mint system you only need to install that package (using wired internet) to have BCM4312 wifi working but at you, there may be traces left of previous attempts to install a driver.

Please make sure the file /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-bcm43.conf is removed (uninstalling bcmwl-kernel-source does not always remove this file) and that no other file in the /etc/modprobe.d folder blacklists b43 or ssb.

[jimbabwean]

Thanks for the advice. It seems to make sense, but doesn't seem to get my wireless activated. This is what I did..

I refreshed the USB with a fresh copy of linuxmint-14.1-cinnamon-dvd-32bit.iso and then tried to install firmware-b43-lpphy-installer, but could not see it in synaptic. (Perhaps I mistyped something) So I installed b43-fwcuttter (that's all), and after that, I could see the firmware-b43-lpphy-installer in synaptic, so installed it. That's all I did. I then rebooted. The wireless card showed up in network settings, it tried to turn on, but then went off again and shows "unavailable". The following are in /etc/modprobe.d/

alsa-base.conf
blacklist-framebuffer.conf
blacklist-watchdog.conf
blacklist-ath_pci.conf
blacklist-modem.conf
dkms.conf
blacklist.conf
blacklist-oss.conf
iwlwifi.conf
blacklist-firewire.conf
blacklist-rare-network.conf
vmwgfx-fbdev.conf

When I boot into Ubuntu, synaptic shows bcmwl-kernel-source as being installed and the wireless works. I also see that Ubuntu has a blacklist file containing these lines..

blacklist b43
blacklist b43legacy
blacklist ssb
blacklist bcm43xx
blacklist brcm80211
blacklist brcmfmac
blacklist brcmsmac
blacklist bcma

This guy (https://andym3.wordpress.com/projects/t ... ard-guide/) seems to think we need to have bcmwl-kernel-source, but it compiles with errors under Mint (is this an issue or are these errors normal)..

ERROR: Module b43legacy does not exist in /proc/modules
ERROR: Module bcm43xx does not exist in /proc/modules
ERROR: Module brcm80211 does not exist in /proc/modules
ERROR: Module brcmfmac does not exist in /proc/modules
ERROR: Module brcmsmac does not exist in /proc/modules

Any further ideas?

[AlbertP]

Maybe you need to update the kernel or something like that; you can use Synaptic to upgrade linux-image and linux-headers. Ubuntu automatically installs those updates.

[jungle_boy]

Your wireless card run fine with b43driver.

1- Make a fresh LM install

2- sudo apt-get update

3- sudo apt-get install firmware-b43-installer

4- Reboot.

Before, did you try additional drivers icon of LM13 (gtk-jockey)?

[AlbertP]

@ jungle_boy: firmware-b43-installer does not install properly on 4312 cards, need firmware-b43-lpphy-installer instead. Maybe after refreshing in Synaptic, or installing updates, or simply "apt update" in terminal, this package will become visible.

[jimbabwean]

Well it's interesting. I tried jungle_boy's idea, but the install complains and tells me that it is an unsupported device and that I should use firmware-b43-lpphy-installer as AlbertP says. When I install firmware-b43-lpphy-installer, and run inxi -xi, it tells me that the driver is b43-pci-bridge. Is that supposed to be what gets installed by firmware-b43-lpphy-installer? nm-tool tells me that b43 is installed by firmware-b43-lpphy-installer.

On Ubuntu, the driver is shown by nm-tool as "wl", and it works. So, Ubuntu is using the official Broadcom STA driver, also known as wl.

Both firmware-b43-lpphy-installer, and bcmwl-kernel-source (which ubuntu uses) show as in Mint as unavailable in network manager program. I try sliding the wireless card to on, and it pops back off again. It is also locked in Airplane mode, and I cannot make it come out of that.

[caf4926]

You should not install 'wl' as well as b43
'wl' will add a blacklist for b43, which may be something you need to consider

So do you know just where you are at?

[AlbertP]

Driver b43-pci-bridge is right; this is shown for all b43 things in inxi.

Ok, so maybe it's not a driver issue. Please run this and post the output:

Code: Select all

rfkill list

[jungle_boy]

OK guys;

I found it in:

http://linuxwireless.org/

[jimbabwean]

OK, I fixed it.

I booted under Ubuntu, and then used Synaptic to create a download script for the Broadcom STA driver. This is the download command..
wget -c http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/poo ... 1_i386.deb
I then got a fresh copy of Mint version 14, and booted via the USB, then installed the above .deb file.. rebooted, and it works!

Synaptic told me that the older version was better supported, but I ignored that and just installed the driver thinking what could be so dramatically wrong with doing that, and it works. I have no idea why the one suggested by synaptic in Mint does not work for me.

[jungle_boy]

Ok!

Good, congratulations!

Please, edit the subject of your first post and add [SOLVED], so who has the same problem will know how to solve it.

[matrixebiz]

Your wireless card run fine with b43driver.

1- Make a fresh LM install

2- sudo apt-get update

3- sudo apt-get install firmware-b43-installer

4- Reboot.

Before, did you try additional drivers icon of LM13 (gtk-jockey)?

Not sure if it matters but I also have a D630 and added one extra line to your steps and worked for me;
1- Start terminal
2. sudo apt-get update
3. sudo apt-get install firmware-b43-installer
4. sudo apt-get remove bcmwl-kernel-source
5. Reboot laptop

[jungle_boy]

Not sure if it matters but I also have a D630 and added one extra line to your steps and worked for me;
1- Start terminal
2. sudo apt-get update
3. sudo apt-get install firmware-b43-installer
4. sudo apt-get remove bcmwl-kernel-source
5. Reboot laptop

Thanks matrixebiz;

Works fine yes, without 4 step. It works for me.

4 step only if you want to install b43 after wl driver installed; with a fresh install it is not necessary...