Install Broadcom Drivers from Packman

[caf4926]

How to Install the Broadcom Drivers from Packman

Here are the Packman mirrors:
Additional package repositories - openSUSE
Choose one best suited for you.
To find out if already have Packman do this in a terminal:

zypper lr -d

You can add the repo this way:
How to add a repo in Terminal

STEP 1
Find out your kernel type. In a terminal do:

uname -a

It will report something like this:

2.6.34-12-desktop #1 SMP PREEMPT 2010-06-29 02:39:08 +0200 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux
If yours is not desktop it could be: default or pae
Make a note of this.

STEP 2
We need 2 packages

1. broadcom-wl (This is the same in all cases)
2. broadcom-wl-kmp-desktop (Change this to match your kernel as shown above)

Example

zypper in broadcom-wl broadcom-wl-kmp-desktop

or

zypper in broadcom-wl broadcom-wl-kmp-default

or

zypper in broadcom-wl broadcom-wl-kmp-pae

Finally reboot

[syampillai]

I noticed that when broadcom-wl-kmp-default is installed, the wireless did not work. I traced the problem to the ssb driver in the memory (even though it was blacklisted) auto-loaded by the ohci_hcd module (not very sure, I am writing this from my memory). I don’t see why ohci_hcd is dependent on the ssb module.

[caf4926]

@syampillai

I noticed that when broadcom-wl-kmp-default is installed, the wireless did not work. I traced the problem to the ssb driver in the memory (even though it was blacklisted) auto-loaded by the ohci_hcd module (not very sure, I am writing this from my memory). I don’t see why ohci_hcd is dependent on the ssb module.

Do you mean then, that if you have kernel-desktop what you describe does not happen.

[syampillai]

Yes, with kernel-desktop, it works and the ssb is not auto-loaded.

(Sorry for the delay in responding to this. I was travelling).

[caf4926]

@syampillai

Yes, with kernel-desktop, it works and the ssb is not auto-loaded.

(Sorry for the delay in responding to this. I was travelling).

Umm…
Strange that. No worries on the delay/

[pistazienfresser]

To which cards (WLAN-cards, wireless LAN devices) does this instruction apply?

http://packman.iu-bremen.de/suse/11.3/i586/broadcom-wl-5.60.246.2-7.pm.8.1.i586.rpm
>/./usr/share/doc/packages/broadcom-wl/

says:
a) in “README.SuSE”

@README.SuSE

GENERAL

This is an OFFICAL-RELEASE of Broadcom’s IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n hybrid Linux device
driver for use with Broadcom’s BCM4311-, BCM4312-, BCM4321-, and BCM4322-based
hardware.

This driver also supports the incorrectly identified BCM4328 chipset which is
actually a BCM4321 or BCM4322 chipset.

For any updated info please refer here:

http://en.opensuse.org/HCL/Network_Adapters_(Wireless)/Broadcom_BCM43xx

…]

b) But in README.txt

@README.txt

…]
SUPPORTED DEVICES

The cards with the following PCI Device IDs are supported with this driver.
Both Broadcom and and Dell product names are described. Cards not listed here
may also work.

   BRCM		    PCI		  PCI		  Dell
  Product Name	  Vendor ID	Device ID	Product ID
      -------------	 ----------	---------   	-----------
      4311 2.4 Ghz	    0x14e4	0x4311  	Dell 1390
      4311 Dualband	    0x14e4	0x4312  	Dell 1490
      4311 5 Ghz	    0x14e4    	0x4313  	
      4312 2.4 Ghz	    0x14e4	0x4315  	Dell 1395
      4313 2.4 Ghz	    0x14e4	0x4727 		Dell 1501
      4321 Dualband	    0x14e4	0x4328  	Dell 1505
      4321 Dualband	    0x14e4	0x4328  	Dell 1500
      4321 2.4 Ghz	    0x14e4	0x4329  	
      4321 5 Ghz        0x14e4	0x432a  	
      4322 	Dualband    0x14e4	0x432b  	Dell 1510
      4322 2.4 Ghz      0x14e4 	0x432c  	
      4322 5 Ghz        0x14e4 	0x432d  	
      43224 Dualband    0x14e4	0x4353  	Dell 1520
      43225 2.4 Ghz     0x14e4	0x4357  	

To find the Device ID’s of Broadcom cards on your machines do:

lspci -n | grep 14e4

…]

A newer (and better formated, sorry) version (of the same file?) can be found there:
http://www.broadcom.com/docs/linux_sta/README.txt

And with the old link in the README.SuSE maybe HCL:Network (Wireless)#Broadcom - openSUSE wiki (en) or SDB:Wireless network card#BCM43xx - openSUSE wiki (en) is meant (but both seems to be not very up to date…).

Regards
pistazienfresser

[caf4926]

@lwfinger is the man to answer that question with real accuracy
But this is helpful:
b43 - Linux Wireless

[pistazienfresser]

@caf4926

@lwfinger is the man to answer that question with real accuracy
But this is helpful:
b43 - Linux Wireless

You are referring to b43 #And why is there now broadcom-wl? - Linux Wireless
with

…]
Update 09/09/2010: Broadcom has released an open driver for their SSB-less chipsets, whilst it only supports three chipsets (bcm4313, bcm43224, bcm43225) and the driver is in staging (which will be merged into kernel 2.6.37 under brcm80211). More information: http://lwn.net/Articles/404248/

Update 27/11/2010: Broadcom has now added staging support for bcm4329 via brcmfmac under brcm80211. The included documentation noted 4329 (SDIO) support however this may work with other variants of the bus interconnection apart from SDIO.
?

Sorry but in the last “Update 27/11/2010” paragraph I understood not much of the words/abbreviations used there - something had changed on about 2 weeks ago - and the change may be already included in the .rpm packages form packman (e.g. the one cited above from the 2010-12-05 )?

Regards
pistazienfresser

[caf4926]

I believe the b43 page lists the ID’s and then driver options

see also
Broadcom wifi drivers now open source

[pistazienfresser]

@caf4926

I believe the b43 page lists the ID’s and then driver options

If you were referring to:
b43 #Known PCI devices - Linux Wireless
Sometimes the ones listed there for the wl driver are the same as the ones in the readme.text file(s) - and if not - (if I shall be forced so) I would rather bet on the information included in the same driver package…

But one thing seems to be the same in all the (cited) information sources for the wl driver packages:
To get the PCI-ID (and not to relay on the chip/device name) seems to be be best way to be a bit more sure what driver (driver package) to choose.
And this ID could be shown by

lspci -vnn | grep 14e4

or in the form of Vendor ID + Device ID

lspci -n | grep 14e4

(Probably with root rights for both variants)

And if that ID is known the linux user should look at
b43 #Known PCI devices - Linux Wireless and http://packman.iu-bremen.de/suse/11....m.8.1.i586.rpm >/./usr/share/doc/packages/broadcom-wl/README.txt and http://www.broadcom.com/docs/linux_sta/README.txt [Date: November 11, 2010 Version: 5.60.246.6 ].
Some PCI-ID may be supported by other drivers (in a better way?), too (or not at all???) - so best would probably be to look at all the three schedules in order to make an educated guess .

But as I have not one of the Broadcom devices - I am not able to confirm that at all …

@caf4926

see also
Broadcom wifi drivers now open source

I could not find more/better information in this thread especially as the thread was written probably before the last update (both of the latest driver in the kernel and the “wl” driver packages from packman).

See also:Kernel 2.6.37 rc

Regards
pistazienfresser

[pistazienfresser]

To complete the thread (a bit/per approximation to perfection ):

@lwfinger

…]

In the wiki at
http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Drivers/b43#Known_PCI_devices, we try to
keep the table up to date. As stated above, the name does not mean anything,
only the PCI IDs are important. They are what the kernel uses in loading drivers.

If a given device is listed as working with b43 or b43legacy, then only the
firmware is needed.

[ccars]

@ caf4926, Thanks man! I’ve been working at this for hours, combing the internet for any info on BCM4313. I was just about to give up when I found this post, and I finally solved it.

[caf4926]

@ccars

@ caf4926, Thanks man! I’ve been working at this for hours, combing the internet for any info on BCM4313. I was just about to give up when I found this post, and I finally solved it.

Happy it worked for you

[spazman]

This is my first post here and I wanted to let everybody know how things worked out for me.
I just received a Dell Inspiron Mini 10v (1011). I installed openSUSE KDE 11.4 and I had trouble with my wireless (it would not show up under “Network Connections”). The Wireless tab would be grayed out.
When I run the command ‘lspci’ it shows up as a Broadcom BCM4322.
I followed the instructions in this thread and now the Wireless tab is accessible and I am able to connect to my wireless network at home.
My card is also listed as 14e4:432b.
I hope this can help someone else out who is starting out.

[caf4926]

@spazman

This is my first post here and I wanted to let everybody know how things worked out for me.
I just received a Dell Inspiron Mini 10v (1011). I installed openSUSE KDE 11.4 and I had trouble with my wireless (it would not show up under “Network Connections”). The Wireless tab would be grayed out.
When I run the command ‘lspci’ it shows up as a Broadcom BCM4322.
I followed the instructions in this thread and now the Wireless tab is accessible and I am able to connect to my wireless network at home.
My card is also listed as 14e4:432b.
I hope this can help someone else out who is starting out.

Good
Thanks for the feedback