Compile Broadcom hybrid drivers

English Network/Internet
#1

Hello,

This is about compiling driver for Dell Wireless 1395 MiniCard on a Vostro 1400 laptop. This card does not work for me on OpenSUSE 11.0. Moreover /usr/bin/lsusb and /sbin/lspci both fail to show this card. (The card itself is alright however: it works fine on Windows XP.)

I understand that these cards are based on Broadcom’s 43xx chipset for which hybrid drivers are available on Broadcom’s web site. But when I try to compile these drivers by following instructions in the accompanying README file, I keep getting this error:


src/wl/sys/wl_iw.c:2122: error: `wl_get_wireless_stats' undeclared here (not in a function)

Make quits after that.

I guess there must be quite a few people on this forum who’d have needed these drivers. Could someone please help me with this compilation?

Thanks,
Girish.

#2

I posted a step-by-step for the hybrid driver compile, have a scan through the posts & see if you can find it. See if that helps you

Andy

#3

no doubt this would be an unappetising alternative but this post

Re: [opensuse] Wireless networking on new Dell Inspiron 1525

commented that

You can buy an Intel Pro. 100 mini with the 3945
chipset for not that much $. I have a Dell 1525 with it…NO problems
getting access.

and this post

Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG 802.11a/b/g Network Connection (WM3945AGM1WB) : Product Reviews - Review, Compare Prices at PriceSpider.com

shows them available at a seemingly low price

the website http://www.broadcom.com/docs/linux_sta/README.txt from Broadcom tries to help with your current setup and has the readme on it; and it probably could be translated into more clear and explicit instructions;

are you using 32bit or 64bit Suse? and you were able to download the tar file, and untar … and it failed at make?

and you doubtless have already seen this website?

b43 - Linux Wireless

#4

Thanks for the reply, Andy. I had noticed this post you’d made on this forum a while ago (Dell 1490, 1395, 1397, 1505, and 1510 Wireless cards - openSUSE Forums) but I’m afraid I couldn’t find your step-by-step guide even after sifting through all your posts on the Wireless forum! Could you please post a link?

Many thanks,
Girish.

#5

Thanks for your reply. I have seen this post before. Bob Williams there seems to have been able to compile Broadcom drivers easily. I, however, keep getting this error message (the one I posted in the first message of this thread). And I agree with what Fred Miller says there. I myself have used an Intel PRO MiniCard in a Dell Inspiron 640m smoothly with Ubuntu 6.06 through 8.04, Windows XP and FreeBSD 7.0. But unfortunately I cannot simply get the Broadcom-chipset based Dell MiniCard in this Vostro 1400 replaced with an Intel card.

the website http://www.broadcom.com/docs/linux_sta/README.txt from Broadcom tries to help with your current setup and has the readme on it; and it probably could be translated into more clear and explicit instructions;

You’re right! The README sure needs translation. I am using 32bit SUSE and can’t help wondering if I’m missing something that the author of that README wanted to have me know!

and you doubtless have already seen this website? b43 - Linux Wireless

No, I wasn’t. Thanks for the reference. It doesn’t seem to have anything about compiling b43 drivers but I will read through it more carefully. I have plans to sit with the compilation again next Saturday.

Girish.

#6

try this openSUSE Forums - View Single Post - SuSE 11.0 & BCM4322 wifi, dv9925nr

Andy

#7

Right! Thanks. That’s exactly what I was looking for. I plan to work with it next weekend. Will post the results.

Girish.

#8

Hello there,
I have installed the opensuse 11 on my Dell Vostro 1510, almost everything goes smooth, but no wifi. My wireless card is a Dell 1505 A/B/G/N. Googling around for a couple of hours I find this how to, so after few modifications, now the wifi is 100% working. The original text was found at Installing Broadcom 802.11 Linux STA driver « Lost in Cyberspace
Bellow you can find the modified text:
A)

  1. Depending on your system download 32 or 64 bit package from Broadcom Corporation - Broadcom 802.11 Linux STA driver

  2. Go to a terminal to the dir with package.

  3. tar -xvzf hybrid-portsrc-.tar.gz Replace version with one you have

  4. Install kernel headers. On Opensuse you must install also the Kernel source.

  5. make -C /lib/modules/uname -r/build M=pwd if There were no errors

  6. Unload Modules from memory
    rmmod ndiswrapper b43 ssb bcm43xx b43legacy
    Well, this step was not necessary

  7. For WPA modprobe ieee80211_crypt_tkip

8)Check if Compiled Module is working insmod wl.ko

Now Probably a new interface will be there for wireless (wlan0 or eth-1)
To check it run:

iwconfig
iwlist scanning

AND YES !! ITS Working !!!

B)
Making it load on boot

1)cp wl.ko /lib/modules/uname-r/kernel/net/wireless/

2)depmod -a

3)rmmod wl

4)modprobe wl

5)Add following Lines to /etc/rc.local
At OPENSUSE you should edit /etc/rc.d/boot.local

modprobe ieee80211_crypt_tkip
modprobe wl

So, at my Vostro 1510 it works really fine, but it was needed to reboot to work correctly.
I hope this help someone to enjoy the wifi world on Linux.
Cheers

Marcelo

#9

Hi Marcelo, your instructions go ok in my HP pavilion dv6-2150es (I think I have BCM4325 wireless card, don’t remember), kernel version 2.6.37.6-0.5-desktop, opensuse 11.4, but I must add some things:

-in wl_linux.c (in src/wl/sys in the package downloaded from broadcom’s site), in the line 485, change instruction
init_MUTEX(&wl->sem);
into
sema_init(&wl->sem, 1);
(if not, it doesn’t compile in newer kernel versions)

-I have used
modprobe lib80211
instead of
modprobe ieee80211_crypt_tkip (it doesn’t works, it’s “FATAL” because doesn’t exist in my system)

The rest ok! You instructions have been very useful to me. I hope mines will be useful to others too.