Description of problem: Recent kernels have the ability to include Broadcom wireless working out of the box for many of the most common Broadcom hardware. This capability became part of kernel 2.6.36 (or certainly by 2.6.37) in the fall of 2010. Yet Mageia, with the 2.6.38 kernel, requires as part of installation an Internet connection to download b43-fwcutter and the driver package for a somewhat cumbersome procedure to establish a wireless connection. Why require this process when it is freely available? Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable): Kernel 2.6.38+ How reproducible: Generic installation on machines (mine is a Compaq V2000 series notebook) with Broadcom wireless (bcm4318, for me, but also 4311, 4312, and others). Wireless does not work until, using a wired connection to the Internet, the user downloads the b43 firmware and the driver package from a third-party source, and runs the installation from the CLI. Steps to Reproduce: 1. Install Mageia Beta 1 from DVD64 2. Try to configure wireless 3. Can't succeed without downloads from the Internet While not every distribution with the most recent kernel (2.6.38) includes this ability, the just-released Fedora 15 Beta does, and Broadcom wireless bcm4318 works out-of-the-box. I believe strongly that Mageia must include this freely-available function as well. For more information, see my post and, in particular, the one that immediately follows at https://forums.mageia.org/en/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=126&p=707#p707
I did not know there was the bcm firmware in the kernel. I also have a Broadcom Corporation | BCM4313 but it works with dkms-broadcom-wl. Without DKMS I have the same problem.
CC: (none) => manuel
September 10, 2010 http://news.softpedia.com/news/Broadcom-Releases-Open-Source-Wireless-Driver-for-Linux-155826.shtml "The open source Broadcom wireless driver should be available in the next stable release of the Linux kernel 2.6. This also means that all Linux users will no longer have to search for tutorials, workarounds and other tips & tricks to get their Broadcom wireless cards to work!" And here: http://marc.info/?l=linux-wireless&m=128404502308426&w=3 The driver is currently available in staging-next git tree, available at: git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/gregkh/staging-next-2.6.git in the drivers/staging/brcm80211 directory. --- Henry Ptasinski henryp@broadcom.com
http://hany.sk/~hany/RPM/f-updates-14-x86_64/b43-openfwwf-5.2-5.fc14.noarch.html is a Fedora Project update page (for Fedora 14) linking to and describing the open firmware for certain Broadcom chipsets. The rest of the stuff below is quoted from that page. See especially the last item (the copyright). This firmware package makes dkms-broadcom-wl, b43-fwcutter, and the proprietary driver package broadcom-wl-4.150.10.5 and the fetching/installing/initializing thereto appertaining unnecessary for those with the affected chipsets. It's out there, it's free, and it simplifies wireless connectivity dramatically. I can't see why Mageia would not offer it. Open firmware for some Broadcom 43xx series WLAN chips. Currently supported models are 4306, 4311(rev1), 4318 and 4320. Provides b43-openfwwf Requires module-init-tools = 3.2 rpmlib(CompressedFileNames) = 3.0.4-1 rpmlib(FileDigests) rpmlib(PayloadFilesHavePrefix) >= 4.0-1 udev >= 062 rpmlib(PayloadIsXz) >= 5.2-1 Copyright GPLv2
CC: (none) => thierry.vignaudAssignee: bugsquad => tmbSource RPM: (none) => kernel
CC: (none) => elegant.pegasus
@Thomas, any news about this one?
Summary: Broadcom wireless lacking in kernel 2.6.38 => Broadcom wireless lacking in installed due to firmware not being included
Is there any news about this bug? I am hoping to install mageia in my laptop, but the broadcom 4313 chip stops me from doing this.
All I have heard since discussing the issue in the forum and filing this bug report / feature request is "me too." Otherwise, silence. It appears to me the issue is not being addressed. My request was for those Broadcom chips listed above (4306, 4311 rev1, 4318, and 4320).
Changing to a new package request, for the open firmware package, since (if I understand correctly), there does not appear to any kernel changes required. The source rpm is available at http://hany.sk/~hany/RPM/f-updates-14-x86_64/b43-openfwwf-5.2-5.fc14.noarch.html
CC: (none) => davidwhodginsComponent: Installer => New RPM package requestAssignee: tmb => bugsquadSource RPM: kernel => b43-openfwwf
Changing version, as this should be made available in Mageia 1.
Priority: Normal => HighVersion: Cauldron => 1
CC: manuel => (none)Summary: Broadcom wireless lacking in installed due to firmware not being included => b43-openfwwf, open firmware for some Broadcom 43xx series WLAN chips
I have packaged this firmware in cauldron : rpm b43-openfwwf. I tested on my system, the Wifi works, with a WPA2/PSK connection. The problem now is that drakxtools don't know about it, and keep asking for another firmware. Still it can be used on a Mageia 1 system, so we may provide it as a backport?
CC: (none) => lists.jjorgeSummary: b43-openfwwf, open firmware for some Broadcom 43xx series WLAN chips => Broadcom wireless lacking in installed due to firmware not being included
Assignee: bugsquad => lists.jjorge
This is good progress. The goal is to have wireless with this set of Broadcom chipsets working by configuring the wireless upon installation -- without a wired connection needed to download anything. Thanks, José.
this should be pushed as an update imho not a backport. today i had a person installig mageia having this issue.
CC: (none) => alien
submitted to core/updates_testing . It will a need a new libdrakx-net to allow automatic install when hardware is detected.
Status: NEW => ASSIGNED
Blocks: (none) => 1562
this update needs : - drakx-net-0.97.1-1.mga1 - b43-tools (only to build b43-openfwwf, will not be automaticaly installed) - b43-openfwwf Please David (or anyone use b43 driver) test by your side, I will test on my i586 system. How to test : * right click on net_applet, choose 'configure network' * choose wireless * choose wlan0 * it ask for windows driver to extract firmware. With this update applied, it should just install automaticaly b43-openfwwf.
Assignee: lists.jjorge => qa-bugs
I don't have the necessary hardware to test this one. leuhmanu & David Deaderick can you test please? Thanks
(In reply to comment #14) > leuhmanu & David Deaderick can you test please? if it works for the BCM4313 of course ;)
(In reply to comment #14) > I don't have the necessary hardware to test this one. > > leuhmanu & David Deaderick can you test please? > > Thanks I will have to make a new installation to do that, so it will take a little time; but, yes, I will test. David
(In reply to comment #15) > (In reply to comment #14) > > leuhmanu & David Deaderick can you test please? > > if it works for the BCM4313 of course ;) The b43-openfwwf package does not include support for 4313, as far as I know. See my post above 2011-05-04 for details. David
yes I just the that, sorry.
(In reply to comment #13) > this update needs : > - drakx-net-0.97.1-1.mga1 > - b43-tools (only to build b43-openfwwf, will not be automaticaly installed) > - b43-openfwwf > > Please David (or anyone use b43 driver) test by your side, I will test on my > i586 system. > > How to test : > * right click on net_applet, choose 'configure network' > * choose wireless > * choose wlan0 > * it ask for windows driver to extract firmware. With this update applied, it > should just install automaticaly b43-openfwwf. Jose, is the package only in Cauldron, or can I get to it from Backports on M1? David
David, it should be in Core Updates Testing
(In reply to comment #20) > David, it should be in Core Updates Testing Got it. Thanks, Claire
Sorry, the package drakx-net in updates_testing misses the fix. I will upload a new version ASAP. It will be drakx-net-0.97.2-1.mga1 .
Yes, I'm hoping that will fix the problem I've had. I wrote a step-by-step description of what I did, but after submitting I see a "Mid Air Collision" and it's not here. I successfully installed b43-tools and, obviously, have Core Updates Testing enabled, but the search for files during the attempt to configure wlan0 stalled.
It will be drakx-net-0.97.1-2.mga1 in fact that you will have to install prior to test. You don't need to install b43-tools, and you should not install b43-openfwwf by yourself : it is the point of the drakx-net update to do this automaticaly.
Understood. I've removed b43-tools and will install that new version of drakx-net when you notify that it is available. Then I will test again. Thanks for your work.
I retrieved the updated drakx-net and its 2 associated rpms from Distrib-Coffee, since I was not seeing them on whatever default repos were installed for me in the U.S. (East Coast). I used rpm -i --force to install them, as there were conflicts with the previous versions. Finally, I successfully installed them and then removed the previous versions; however, the libdrakx-net version is the same as the previous drakx-net version, so that may be a conflict. At any rate, there is no change from the previous attempt to install wlan0. It still doesn't work. The b43-tools and b43-openfwwf are not retrieved. There is a little box (that is hidden behind another larger box) that says "Searching for files," but nothing happens. It simply stalls.
The packages required for drakx-net are.. libdrakx-net drakx-net drakx-net-text drakx-net-applet Are you sure you have applied the updates for all of these David? Also when it looks for the firmware you will currently need Core Updates Testing enabled as that is where they are at the moment. b43-tools b43-openfwwf You will probably find that when your mirror has synced properly, things will be different.
OK, it's working. As I suspected, the libdrakx-net matching the version numbers of the other three drakx-net rpms was needed for success. It grabbed the files needed, installed them, and the wireless light came on in a matter of a very few seconds. José, before pushing this feature out, please note: Syncing to repositories other than distrib-coffee, where I originally found 3 of the 4 is almost non-existent as of right now, some 7 hours after they were placed in distrib-coffee. In fact, I added distrib-coffee to my repo list so that I could install libdrakx-net. Why it's so slow tonight is anybody's guess, but users trying to get these files right now will find them only in a couple of Mageia's repos. Finally, thanks very much for your work on this. While a wired connection is needed for now, I hope this will integrated to the installation routine in such a way that owners of the four b43 chipsets can install and connect without a wire in Mageia 2. If there will be refreshed ISOs for Mageia 1 in the near future, it would be advantageous to incorporate the feature at that point. David
A potential issue remains. One of the options during configuration is to allow NetworkManager to control the interface. I selected that option. Upon reboot, I had to configure the connection again, as there was no wireless. This time I unchecked the NetworkManager option, and upon the next reboot the connection resumed automatically. I've seen this NetworkManager problem in Pardus, which has ONLY NetworkManager to manage connections. The connection is lost on every single reboot, without exception. NetworkManager is giving other users fits in Pardus. See the evidence at http://worldforum.pardus-linux.nl/index.php?topic=3921.0 I'm merely suggesting that further testing take place with Mageia to clarify whether it's really a NetworkManager issue.
(In reply to comment #29) > A potential issue remains. This is another bug, which you can open against network manager. As far as I know, network manager support in Mageia is still experimental - IE not defaulted. As the firmware worked for you on x86_64 and me on i586, I think this update can be pushed.
Agreed Jose. Strictly speaking it should be somebody other than the packager, but as this is one which requires specific hardware we have to make that exception. Thankyou for testing this David, would you be interested in becoming part of Mageia QA team? Advisory ----------------- This update adds support for a range of Broadcom wireless chipsets. Currently supported models are 4306, 4311(rev1), 4318 and 4320. ----------------- SRPMs: drakx-net-0.97.1-2.mga1.src.rpm b43-tools-0-0.7.git20090125.mga1.src.rpm b43-openfwwf-5.2-1.mga1.src.rpm Could sysadmin please push from core/updates_testing to core/updates Thankyou!
Keywords: (none) => validated_updateCC: (none) => sysadmin-bugsHardware: x86_64 => All
Since we have agreed that this fix works for both i586 and x86_64 systems, I'm marking this bug as RESOLVED/FIXED.
Status: ASSIGNED => RESOLVEDResolution: (none) => FIXED
David, thanks for your input into this update. Can I tempt you to join the QA team? It needs to remain open for now though until sysadmin have pushed the new version from the testing repo into the updates repo. They will close the bug when they have done so. If it is closed now it disappears from their 'waiting to be pushed' list and will sit in testing forever. I'm re-opening to allow that. Sysadmin please see comment 31 for advisory/SRPM's, thanks.
Status: RESOLVED => REOPENEDResolution: FIXED => (none)
Update pushed.
Status: REOPENED => RESOLVEDCC: (none) => tmbResolution: (none) => FIXED