broadcom-wl and kernel 3.19

English Install/Boot/Login
1

I would like to get my wireless/WiFi to work.

I am using Tumbleweed x64, with kernel 3.19.0-2-desktop. I have the wireless card Broadcom Corporation BCM43142 802.11b/g/n [14e4:4365]. I think I need the package broadcom-wl. However, the latest one in the PackMan repository only support kernel 3.17.4, http://packman.links2linux.org/package/broadcom-wl.

The options I see are:

  1. Wait for the package to be built for 3.19 – but what if the latest Tumbleweed kernel gets updated to version 3.20, 4.00, etc?
  2. Make the package myself
  3. Install an older kernel (would it be here, http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/Kernel:/ because i can only find 3.11, 3.16 and 3.19)
  4. Don’t use Tumbleweed, maybe 13.2?

Are there other options? Which option would be the best?

2

This is a risk with running Tumbleweed.

Maybe check whether the newest kernel had support for your WiFi card.

I have a similar problem with nvidia graphics. The nvidia installer fails for 3.19 kernels. So I booted to an older kernel, which still gave me graphics. Then I edited “/etc/zypp/zypp.conf”, and went to the multiversion kernel section. I told it to retain the oldest kernel. Hopefully, that will allow me to still use the system until nvidia updates their installer.

If you still have an older kernel that works with your WiFi, you could try that.

3

Just prior to installing openSUSE, I had Xubuntu with kernel 3.16 and I think I had also installed a broadcom-wl package that made the wireless card work. I do not have an older kernel because I only installed Tumbleweed a day ago.

I’m not even sure if openSUSE 13.2 would work because it’s using kernel 3.16.7, but the broadcom-wl is for 3.16.6.

Anyway, is there a common source to just download kernels? Can I use a kernel from another distro?

4

Hi
Just use option 2, grab the src rpm from packman and rebuild it as your user… install the matching kmp for your kernel flavor.


rpmbuild --rebuild <name of src rpm>
5

Hi
Oh, and the rpm itself (not the src rpm) as this contains the blacklist rules etc.

6

How do I install because the version does not match? My kernel flavor is desktop?

When I try to rebuild, I get


myname@linux:~/Downloads/tmp> rpmbuild --rebuild broadcom-wl-6.30.223.248-1.7.src.rpm
Installing broadcom-wl-6.30.223.248-1.7.src.rpm
/usr/src/linux-3.19.0-2/arch/x86/Makefile:129: CONFIG_X86_X32 enabled but no binutils support
/usr/src/linux-3.19.0-2/Makefile:680: Cannot use CONFIG_CC_STACKPROTECTOR_REGULAR: -fstack-protector not supported by compiler
/usr/src/linux-3.19.0-2/arch/x86/Makefile:129: CONFIG_X86_X32 enabled but no binutils support
/usr/src/linux-3.19.0-2/Makefile:680: Cannot use CONFIG_CC_STACKPROTECTOR_REGULAR: -fstack-protector not supported by compiler
/usr/src/linux-3.19.0-2/arch/x86/Makefile:129: CONFIG_X86_X32 enabled but no binutils support
/usr/src/linux-3.19.0-2/Makefile:680: Cannot use CONFIG_CC_STACKPROTECTOR_REGULAR: -fstack-protector not supported by compiler
/usr/src/linux-3.19.0-2/arch/x86/Makefile:129: CONFIG_X86_X32 enabled but no binutils support
/usr/src/linux-3.19.0-2/Makefile:680: Cannot use CONFIG_CC_STACKPROTECTOR_REGULAR: -fstack-protector not supported by compiler
cat: /home/myname/rpmbuild/SOURCES/broadcom-wl-preamble: No such file or directory
cat: /home/myname/rpmbuild/SOURCES/broadcom-wl-preamble: No such file or directory
cat: /home/myname/rpmbuild/SOURCES/broadcom-wl-preamble: No such file or directory
cat: /home/myname/rpmbuild/SOURCES/broadcom-wl-preamble: No such file or directory
error: File /home/myname/rpmbuild/SOURCES/hybrid-v35_64-nodebug-pcoem-6_30_223_248.tar.gz: No such file or directory




myname@linux:~/Downloads/tmp> gcc --version
gcc (SUSE Linux) 4.8.3 20141208 [gcc-4_8-branch revision 218481]
Copyright (C) 2013 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
This is free software; see the source for copying conditions.  There is NO
warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
7

Hi
Looks like it needs patching as well as it fails on the kernel… you will need to wait by the looks.
https://pmbs.links2linux.de/package/show/Essentials/broadcom-wl

8

Just a heads-up:
A (hopefully working) braodcom-wl with patches for Kernel 3.19 finally is in Packman since a few days…

9

Hi,
Just out of curiosity, do you “NEED NEED” the broadcom-wl package? I have a broadcom wireless chip and Tumbleweed uses it perfectly… On a laptop, so I connect it to all sorts of shady networks…In fact, I never even checked to see what driver I’m using and zypper se of every other wireless package I can think of says none are installed…
I guess that doesn’t necessarily help, just that broadcom and Tumbleweed “can” play nice together…

10

That depends on your specific wireless adapter. If you have a wireless chip that’s supported by the Linux kernel, you do not need it really.
Although even in that case you probably need to install additional firmware that’s included in the broadcom-wl driver, but cannot be distributed with the kernel or openSUSE due to legal reasons. (there are other ways to install it though, you don’t need to install broadcom-wl)

But there are some chips that are only supported by the broadcom-wl driver.

OTOH, also broadcom-wl does not support every Broadcom chip out there.

See also: en:users:drivers:b43 [Linux Wireless]

11

You are a lucky boy.:slight_smile:
Broadcom wifi usually always has smell of problems.
I am also a “happy” owner of this piece of hardware.