Wait... how does any of this work?

Pengs · 24-Jun-2008, 00:10

So I just installed Suse 11 KDE 4 and oh boy do I have no clue what to do.

I've only ever toyed around with Ubuntu and Zenwalk and they have detectors for wifi signal and everything works within seconds... this on the other hand...

So pretty much I have no idea what to do or what to run in order to get my wireless working. I've tried all sorts of programs but I really don't know what I'm doing here. When I search, people give such complicated answers. So can I get some simple help here?

I got a Linksys WMP54GS card.

**deltaflyer44** · 24-Jun-2008, 00:15

bit more info please, so we can advise you on the correct drivers. Have you looked at the stickies at the start of the wireless section ?

Andy

Pengs · 24-Jun-2008, 00:22

I did actually and I don't know if its something wrong on my side but I can't install any of the tools such as Wifi radar (does it even work in 11?) and I am not too sure of ndiswrapper. I hear it is sort of a last resort and figured that I haven't tried something logical.

I guess I'd like to start at the beginning. So lets say I'm off a clean boot, what is the first thing I want to look at and do to try and set up a wireless connection?

**deltaflyer44** · 24-Jun-2008, 07:55

post the output of

/sbin/lspci -v

then we will see what drivers may be needed. also, make,model & revision number of wireless device,just to be sure

Andy

Larry Finger · 24-Jun-2008, 08:12

Pengs wrote:
> So I just installed Suse 11 KDE 4 and oh boy do I have no clue what to
> do.
>
> I've only ever toyed around with Ubuntu and Zenwalk and they have
> detectors for wifi signal and everything works within seconds... this
> on the other hand...
>
> So pretty much I have no idea what to do or what to run in order to get
> my wireless working. I've tried all sorts of programs but I really don't
> know what I'm doing here. When I search, people give such complicated
> answers. So can I get some simple help here?
>
> I got a Linksys WMP54GS card.

I'm going to jump back to the start of this thread because there is
useful information here.

Your WMP54GS card has a Broadcom chip. To make it work you need to
install the firmware for this device. You will need an Internet
connection to do this. I hope you have a way to connect using a wired
connection. If so, open a console terminal and enter the following
command:

sudo /usr/sbin/install_bcm43xx_firmware

That script will download the Broadcom proprietary files that cannot
be distributed by openSUSE or any other distro, extract the necessary
firmware, and put that firmware in the proper locations. Then your
wireless device should work. Configure it using YaST => Network
Devices => Network Settings. My preferred option is to select the
"Global Options" tab and choose the "User Controlled with
NetworkManager" option. Unless you really need it, deselect the
"Enable IPV6" checkbox.

If you don't have Internet access with this computer, please let me
know how you can get access, and we can work out a strategy.

Larry

**cookdav** · 24-Jun-2008, 08:46

Originally Posted by Larry Finger

That script will download the Broadcom proprietary files that cannot
be distributed by openSUSE or any other distro...

Larry

[Sorry to go off-topic, but Larry appears to have no pm-ability.]

Larry -

I know of at least 2 distros that DO distribute firmware for numerous
wireless devices, right in their LiveCD/InstallCD, including Broadcom.

Are these distros acting illegally?
Please explain. (Feel free to 'pm' me with this discussion.)

Larry Finger · 24-Jun-2008, 09:17

cookdav wrote:
> Larry Finger;1824909 Wrote:
>>
>> That script will download the Broadcom proprietary files that cannot
>> be distributed by openSUSE or any other distro...
>>
>> Larry
>
> [Sorry to go off-topic, but Larry appears to have no pm-ability.]
>
> Larry -
>
> I know of at least 2 distros that DO distribute firmware for numerous
> wireless devices, right in their LiveCD/InstallCD, including Broadcom.
>
>
> Are these distros acting illegally?
> Please explain. (Feel free to 'pm' me with this discussion.)

I prefer to keep this public, even if off-topic.

The firmware is copyrighted by Broadcom. To my knowledge, they have
not granted anyone the right to distribute it. Thus, they are illegal.
I'm aware of distros that configure ndiswrapper in their Live CDs. As
they don't have the right to distribute the Windows driver, that also
is illegal.

The bcm43xx development team is working on reverse engineering the
firmware to make an open-source version. ATM, the resulting code can
receive, and they are starting on the transmit functions. Once that
work is complete, anyone will be able to distribute the firmware for
BCM43xx devices and this problem will be over.

Larry

**andrewd18** · 24-Jun-2008, 12:30

Originally Posted by Larry Finger

The firmware is copyrighted by Broadcom. To my knowledge, they have
not granted anyone the right to distribute it. Thus, they are illegal.
I'm aware of distros that configure ndiswrapper in their Live CDs. As
they don't have the right to distribute the Windows driver, that also
is illegal.

As far as I know, that is absolutely correct.

**cookdav** · 24-Jun-2008, 19:16

Originally Posted by Larry Finger

The firmware is copyrighted by Broadcom. To my knowledge, they have
not granted anyone the right to distribute it. Thus, they are illegal.
I'm aware of distros that configure ndiswrapper in their Live CDs. As
they don't have the right to distribute the Windows driver, that also
is illegal.

Larry

You say 'they don't have the right to distribute the Windows driver'
as though you are a lawyer. [Yet, I'm betting that you're shooting from
the hip.]

I'm NOT a lawyer. But, I SUSPECT that distributing such
firmware, and Windows-drivers, is NOT illegal. I'd argue that anything
that is offered up for anonymous download by the companies that
own it is then legally construed as 'in the public domain' and is therefore
legally distributable.

[In other words, I suspect that the 'distro-owners' have explored the legality
of this before releasing their LiveCDs, etc. It's been going on so long
that I would think we would have heard about it by now, and the practice stopped,
if it was illegal.]

My 2-cents...

Dave

**ken_yap** · 24-Jun-2008, 19:32

Well IANAL either, but I know there are a whole raft of rights associated with a work, and just because it's out there, doesn't mean it's public domain (which has a specific meaning). It is possible for a company to permit people get it from their website but not allow redistribution by other sites, or other means. It is all in the fine print.

It is possible that Broadcom hasn't thought hard about this (perhaps they are not as lawyer-obsessed over there), and simply put it out for all and sundry and don't really care that much, after all they just want to sell more hardware. But the redistributions rights may not have been established. and cannot be assumed.

Sometimes a workaround is to distribute a script that fetches the software from the official site. This was what was done with the Microsoft TT fonts, for example. But of course there is a Catch-22 in fetching from the net without a network driver.