openSUSE 11 and bcm43xx-fwcutter/ndiswrapper?

[trident523]

I tried using bcm43 on my broadcom (which I know works from ubuntu and fedora), but it's not showing up in networkmanager.

Well, it's still trying to use ssb, when I have bcm43xx installed.

The blue light (on) is on after I installed bcm43xx, but I can't use it.

:~> dmesg | grep b43
b43-phy0: Broadcom 4311 WLAN found
input: b43-phy0 as /devices/virtual/input/input11
b43-phy0: Loading firmware version 410.2160 (2007-05-26 15:32:10)
Registered led device: b43-phy0::tx
Registered led device: b43-phy0::rx
Registered led device: b43-phy0::radio
b43-phy0: Radio hardware status changed to DISABLED
b43-phy0 ERROR: PHY transmission error

Though, nothing actually happened. Running:

 # modprobe bcm43xx
FATAL: Module bcm43xx not found.

What should I do?

trident523 wrote:
> I tried using bcm43 on my broadcom (which I know works from ubuntu and
> fedora), but it's not showing up in networkmanager.
>
> Well, it's still trying to use ssb, when I have bcm43xx installed.

It should use ssb. The 11.0 standard kernel does not have bcm43xx
configured. Yes, the code for bcm43xx is in the 2.6.25 kernel, but it
has been removed from 2.6.26. With the new scheme, ssb is the driver
for the PCI section of the device. Once it loads, it determines the
revision level of the 802.11 core of the device and loads either b43
or b43legacy depending on what you have. Your system uses b43.

>
> The blue light (on) is on after I installed bcm43xx, but I can't use
> it.

How did you install bcm43xx?

>
> Code:
> --------------------
>
> :~> dmesg | grep b43
> b43-phy0: Broadcom 4311 WLAN found
> input: b43-phy0 as /devices/virtual/input/input11
> b43-phy0: Loading firmware version 410.2160 (2007-05-26 15:32:10)
> Registered led device: b43-phy0::tx
> Registered led device: b43-phy0::rx
> Registered led device: b43-phy0::radio
> b43-phy0: Radio hardware status changed to DISABLED
> b43-phy0 ERROR: PHY transmission error

As long as you get only one of the PHY transmission errors, you can
ignore it. That has been fixed in 2.6.26, but it isn't important. The
"Radio hardware status changed to DISABLED" message says that your
radio enable switch is off. That cannot be set by the driver - only by
the switch.

> --------------------
>
>
> Though, nothing actually happened. Running:
>
> Code:
> --------------------
> # modprobe bcm43xx
> FATAL: Module bcm43xx not found.

As stated earlier, that module is not built.

> --------------------
>
>
> What should I do?

Turn on the radio enable switch. Otherwise, I see nothing wrong. What
do the commands below show?

ifconfig
iwconfig
sudo iwlist s



Larry

[janoholm]

Hope that Larry will take a look on out from my old BCM4301/03
I tried to go back to the bc43legacy-driver after upgrade of my 11.0 RC1.

As I can read the error, it also seems like the wireless-bottom should be pressed. But if I do that, the "iwlist wlan0 scan" dont find my wireless network. The LED ligth is blue always, even when I push the bottom.

From last time I poste my output I have switched from WPA-PSK and to WEP on the router, hooping the b43legacy-driver better handle that.

Here is the current output:
uname -a:
Linux linux-l1bn 2.6.25.4-10-pae #1 SMP 2008-05-28 16:25:04 +0200 i686 athlon i386 GNU/Linux

lspci |grep BCM:
02:02.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4303 802.11b Wireless LAN Controller (rev 02)
iwconfig wlan0:
wlan0 IEEE 802.11b ESSID:"Greven"
Mode:Managed Frequency:2.452 GHz Access Point: 00:0C:84:01:69:38
Tx-Power=27 dBm
Retry min limit:7 RTS thrff Fragment thr=2352 B
Encryption key:E235-4855-11
Link Quality:0 Signal level:0 Noise level:0
Rx invalid nwid:0 Rx invalid crypt:0 Rx invalid frag:0
Tx excessive retries:0 Invalid misc:0 Missed beacon:0

iwlist wlan0 scan:
wlan0 Scan completed :
Cell 01 - Address: 00:0C:84:01:69:38
ESSID:"Greven"
Mode:Master
Channel:9
Frequency:2.452 GHz (Channel 9)
Quality=61/100 Signal level=-51 dBm Noise level=-45 dBm
Encryption keyn
Bit Rates:1 Mb/s; 2 Mb/s; 5.5 Mb/s; 11 Mb/s
Extra:tsf=000000017b1871f3

dmesg | grep b43:
b43legacy-phy0: Broadcom 4301 WLAN found
input: b43legacy-phy0 as /devices/virtual/input/input9
b43legacy-phy0: Loading firmware version 0x127, patch level 14 (2005-04-18 02:36:27)
Registered led device: b43legacy-phy0:tx
Registered led device: b43legacy-phy0:rx
Registered led device: b43legacy-phy0:radio
b43legacy-phy0: Radio hardware status changed to DISABLED
input: b43legacy-phy0 as /devices/virtual/input/input10
b43legacy-phy0: Loading firmware version 0x127, patch level 14 (2005-04-18 02:36:27)
Registered led device: b43legacy-phy0:tx
Registered led device: b43legacy-phy0:rx
Registered led device: b43legacy-phy0:radio
b43legacy-phy0: Radio hardware status changed to DISABLED
b43legacy-phy0: Radio turned on by software
b43legacy-phy0: The hardware RF-kill button still turns the radio physically off. Press the button to turn it on.

cat /var/log/messages |grep b43legacy-phy0 |tail:
Jun 22 19:39:14 linux-l1bn kernel: Registered led device: b43legacy-phy0:radio
Jun 22 19:39:14 linux-l1bn kernel: b43legacy-phy0: Radio hardware status changed to DISABLED
Jun 22 19:50:15 linux-l1bn kernel: input: b43legacy-phy0 as /devices/virtual/input/input10
Jun 22 19:50:15 linux-l1bn kernel: b43legacy-phy0: Loading firmware version 0x127, patch level 14 (2005-04-18 02:36:27)
Jun 22 19:50:15 linux-l1bn kernel: Registered led device: b43legacy-phy0:tx
Jun 22 19:50:15 linux-l1bn kernel: Registered led device: b43legacy-phy0:rx
Jun 22 19:50:15 linux-l1bn kernel: Registered led device: b43legacy-phy0:radio
Jun 22 19:50:16 linux-l1bn kernel: b43legacy-phy0: Radio hardware status changed to DISABLED
Jun 22 19:50:56 linux-l1bn kernel: b43legacy-phy0: Radio turned on by software
Jun 22 19:50:56 linux-l1bn kernel: b43legacy-phy0: The hardware RF-kill button still turns the radio physically off. Press the button to turn it on.

cat /var/log/messages |grep wlan0 |tail:
Jun 22 19:50:15 linux-l1bn kernel: wlan0: Initial auth_alg=0
Jun 22 19:50:15 linux-l1bn kernel: wlan0: authenticate with AP 00:0c:84:01:69:38
Jun 22 19:50:15 linux-l1bn kernel: wlan0: authenticate with AP 00:0c:84:01:69:38
Jun 22 19:50:15 linux-l1bn ifup-dhcp: wlan0 (DHCP)
Jun 22 19:50:15 linux-l1bn dhcpcd[6086]: wlan0: dhcpcd 3.2.3 starting
Jun 22 19:50:15 linux-l1bn dhcpcd[6086]: wlan0: hardware address = 00:90:4b:57:ce:15
Jun 22 19:50:15 linux-l1bn dhcpcd[6086]: wlan0: DUID = 00:01:00:01:0f:ed:bc:1d:00:02:3f:24:32:4f
Jun 22 19:50:15 linux-l1bn dhcpcd[6086]: wlan0: broadcasting for a lease
Jun 22 19:50:15 linux-l1bn kernel: wlan0: authenticate with AP 00:0c:84:01:69:38
Jun 22 19:50:16 linux-l1bn kernel: wlan0: authentication with AP 00:0c:84:01:69:38 timed out

[janoholm]

After reading this thread more carefully I understand that ssb is important concerning the b43/b43legacy-driver complex.

Larry ask for output from ssb, and I can see some error there. I dont know if that is important, but here it is:

dmesg | grep ssb:
ssb: Sonics Silicon Backplane found on PCI device 0000:02:02.0
b44 ssb0:1: Problem fetching invariants of chip, aborting.
b44: probe of ssb0:1 failed with error -22

Jan

[trident523]

After some rebooting and prodding, it started to work. Turns out, the light has nothing to do with it being actually enabled, as I had to slide the switch again to connect.

trident523 wrote:
> @Larry:
>
> .. Believe it or not, it started to work after disabling and enabling
> it a few times.
>
> Now, it just won't accept any WEP password. Going to try no security,
> but I do need WEP.

How are you trying to do WEP? Are you using a passphrase or a hex key?
Are you aware that there are several methods for converting between
a WEP passphrase and a key? If your AP uses a different method, then
it will fail.

Larry

[Littlenatey]

Hello there. I am a 100% Linux newbie. Yes, scary, I know. I've actually been attempting to run different distros of Linux for about 7 or 8 years now, but something always impedes me.

Today I installed openSUSE 11. My previous attempt was with openSUSE 10.3. What stopped me with 10.3 was the Broadcom ndiswrapper mess. There were so many conflicting instructions, and nothing seemed to work. Now I see with version 11 things have been simplified.

Please keep in mind, I am a total newbie. A lot of the posts in this thread go way over my head. I need to experience and use Linux so they will stop going over my head. Please try to explain things for a dullard who's only been pointing and clicking on Windows and OS X most of his life.

I am using an HP Pavillion dv6000 laptop.

What I've done so far:

I followed quickshade's instructions to the letter:

use the B43 driver as mentioned above, I was using Ndiswrapper because it worked, but now that I switched I'm happy to say that b43 works and is way faster for me, plus skips the "configuring" step now. Once you install fwcutter run these comands to get wireless.
Quote:
Use version 4.150.10.5 of Broadcom's proprietary driver.
Download and extract the firmware from this driver tarball:

export FIRMWARE_INSTALL_DIR="/lib/firmware"
wget http://mirror2.openwrt.org/sources/b...0.10.5.tar.bz2
tar xjf broadcom-wl-4.150.10.5.tar.bz2
cd broadcom-wl-4.150.10.5/driver
sudo ../../b43-fwcutter-011/b43-fwcutter -w "$FIRMWARE_INSTALL_DIR" wl_apsta_mimo.o

It's that last step where things go wrong:

sudo ../../b43-fwcutter-011/b43-fwcutter -w "$FIRMWARE_INSTALL_DIR" wl_apsta_mimo.o

After executing this command I receive an error:

sudo: ../../b43-fwcutter-011/b43-fwcutter: command not found

And now I'm stuck. I really need the wireless to work or else there's no point in having Linux on this machine. I really do want to learn Linux though so I beg someone PLEASE, break this down for an idiot.

Littlenatey wrote:
> Hello there. I am a 100% Linux newbie. Yes, scary, I know. I've actually
> been attempting to run different distros of Linux for about 7 or 8 years
> now, but something always impedes me.
>
> Today I installed openSUSE 11. My previous attempt was with openSUSE
> 10.3. What stopped me with 10.3 was the Broadcom ndiswrapper mess.
> There were so many conflicting instructions, and nothing seemed to
> work. Now I see with version 11 things have been simplified.
>
> Please keep in mind, I am a total newbie. A lot of the posts in this
> thread go way over my head. I need to experience and use Linux so they
> will stop going over my head. Please try to explain things for a
> dullard who's only been pointing and clicking on Windows and OS X most
> of his life.
>
> I am using an HP Pavillion dv6000 laptop.
>
> What I've done so far:
>
> I followed quickshade's instructions to the letter:
>
>> use the B43 driver as mentioned above, I was using Ndiswrapper because
>> it worked, but now that I switched I'm happy to say that b43 works and
>> is way faster for me, plus skips the "configuring" step now. Once you
>> install fwcutter run these comands to get wireless.
>> Quote:
>> Use version 4.150.10.5 of Broadcom's proprietary driver.
>> Download and extract the firmware from this driver tarball:
>>
>> export FIRMWARE_INSTALL_DIR="/lib/firmware"
>> wget http://mirror2.openwrt.org/sources/b...0.10.5.tar.bz2
>> tar xjf broadcom-wl-4.150.10.5.tar.bz2
>> cd broadcom-wl-4.150.10.5/driver
>> sudo ../../b43-fwcutter-011/b43-fwcutter -w "$FIRMWARE_INSTALL_DIR"
>> wl_apsta_mimo.o
>
> It's that last step where things go wrong:
>
>> sudo ../../b43-fwcutter-011/b43-fwcutter -w "$FIRMWARE_INSTALL_DIR"
>> wl_apsta_mimo.o
>
> After executing this command I receive an error:
>
>> sudo: ../../b43-fwcutter-011/b43-fwcutter: command not found
>
> And now I'm stuck. I really need the wireless to work or else there's
> no point in having Linux on this machine. I really do want to learn
> Linux though so I beg someone PLEASE, break this down for an idiot.

You are getting the error because you did only one of the two steps
required, or the first part failed because you don't have the gcc
compiler installed. It doesn't really matter. Open a terminal and
enter the command:

sudo /usr/sbin/install_bcm43xx_firmware

This script does the essential parts of the prescription you found at
linux-wireless; however, it is special for openSUSE, whereas the other
instructions are for all distros.

Larry

[Littlenatey]

Thank you so VERY VERY much! Worked like a charm!

[lsilbert]

I just want to thank Larry for helping me sort out my broadcom wireless issues as well. I followed the thread and finally got my wireless connection to work. Cheers Leo