Article: Broadcom firmware is needed for b43, but I have no network - an easierwork around

English Open Chat
1

Unfortunately, Broadcom does not allow the redistribution of the firmware needed
to operate its wireless cards that use b43 or b43legacy as a driver.

This situation is merely an annoyance when the Linux system has some other means
of connecting to the network; openSUSE contains a special script that downloads
files that contain the firmware and uses the utility b43-fwcutter to extract the
necessary files. The files that are downloaded can be redistributed, but their
12 MB size precludes them from being included in openSUSE install media.

To make the installation of the firmware as easy as possible in this troublesome
case, I have modified the standard bcm43xx firmware installation script to skip
the download stage. This new script and the necessary files are included in a
tar archive that can be downloaded using any system with network access.

The specific steps are as follows:

  1. Download
    http://www.lwfinger.com/b43-firmware/no_net_install_bcm43xx_firmware.tar.bz2 on
    any system with a network connection.

  2. Copy that file to your openSUSE system via USB stick or CD.

  3. From the directory where you copied the file, run the command


tar jxvf no_net_install_bcm43xx_firmware.tar.bz2

That command creates a new subdirectory bcm43xx_firmware with four files in it.

  1. Install the b43 and b43legacy firmware by running the command:

sudo bcm43xx_firmware/install_bcm43xx_firmware_no_net

This step will create the necessary firmware files in /lib/firmware/b43/ and
/lib/firmware/b43legacy/ and then reboot your computer. When it comes back up,
the wireless device should be working and can be configured in the normal manner.

  1. (optional) If you do not have much disk space available, you can save about
    25 MB by using the commands

rm -rf bcm43xx_firmware
rm no_net_install_bcm43xx_firmware.tar.bz2

The downloaded file is suitable for all supported versions of openSUSE, and
works for all architectures. I suggest that you leave it on whatever medium you
used to transport it to openSUSE so that it will be available for your next
installation of openSUSE.

Larry Finger

2

Dear Larry I tried your method although it didn’t work…

I’m running Open suse 12.3 on a macbook pro 9,1.
I believe the broadcom chip in the laptop is a BCM 4331.

here is a copy from my command line after following your steps.

linux-f07h:~ # tar jxvf no_net_install_bcm43xx_firmware.tar.bz2
bcm43xx_firmware/
bcm43xx_firmware/broadcom-wl-5.100.138.tar.bz2
bcm43xx_firmware/README
bcm43xx_firmware/wl_apsta-3.130.20.0.o
bcm43xx_firmware/install_bcm43xx_firmware_no_net
linux-f07h:~ # sudo bcm43xx_firmware/install_bcm43xx_firmware_no_net
cp: cannot stat ‘broadcom-wl-5.100.138.tar.bz2’: No such file or directory
Extracting b43 firmware
tar (child): broadcom-wl-5.100.138.tar.bz2: Cannot open: No such file or directory
tar (child): Error is not recoverable: exiting now
tar: Child returned status 2
tar: Error is not recoverable: exiting now
Cannot open input file broadcom-wl-5.100.138/linux/wl_apsta.o

b43 firmware successfully installed.

Extracting b43legacy firmware
Cannot open input file wl_apsta-3.130.20.0.o
b43legacy firmware successfully installed.
You may want to reboot now to allow the driver to access the new firmware

I’m pretty new to Open suse and I do not understand where I am going wrong, could you please assist me?

thanks

Ale

3

Thanks Larry

4

Totally accurate - thanks from me too.

It’s a shame this isn’t in the release notes (or if it is, it would benefit from being more obvious).

5

Don’t
bcm43xx_firmware/install_bcm43xx_firmware_no_net
but cd bcm43xx_firmware/ and perform the command
install_bcm43xx_firmware_no_net (as root)

6

I notice negative feedback about ‘wl’ from the terminal, so I notice the download also includes
broadcom-wl-5.100.138 folder
?

7

For some weird reason it only worked when I did the following:

cd bcm43xx_firmware/
su (root)
drag-and-drop the file in the terminal: install_bcm43xx_firmware_no_net

8

I too did this

Tip*: Make your terminal keep above others and it’s easier… :smiley:

9

Thanks Larry
Once again the old HP Pavilion came up and running wireless