Trying to fix Broadcom Wireless driver

Legacy Netrunner 13.06
1

Fresh install yesterday. Looked through my syslog to findout that I needed to do this:

Jul 15 06:59:54 StevesDell kernel: [ 12.546770] b43-phy0 ERROR: You must go to http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Drivers/b43#devicefirmware and download the correct firmware for this driver version. Please carefully read all instructions on this website.

to replace this:

02:03.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4309 802.11abg Wireless Network Controller (rev 03)
	Subsystem: Dell Truemobile 1450 MiniPCI
	Control: I/O- Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR+ FastB2B- DisINTx-
	Status: Cap- 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=fast >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR- INTx-
	Latency: 32
	Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 17
	Region 0: Memory at faff6000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=8K]
	Kernel driver in use: b43-pci-bridge

02:03.0 Network controller [0280]: Broadcom Corporation BCM4309 802.11abg Wireless Network Controller [14e4:4324] (rev 03)

I was following the directions to replace my firmware for the Broadcom Wireless. Unfortunately, apt-get is interupted (or rather dpkg), for just about anything I try to install. Trying to revert with dpkg ends up in a crash that pops me out of my desktop into a regular fullscreen black/white text screen. I’ll have to take a picture of the screen and when I get my smartphone back from my girlfriend tomorrow.

I’m just curious. Is that just a placeholder driver or just a broken one that we never bothered to take out?

2

What exactly happens when you say:
“apt-get is interupted (or rather dpkg), for just about anything I try to install.”

3

Screenshot included as attachment.

It tells me dpkg was interupted. It then advises me to dpkg --configure -a. When I do it, it removes the old bcmwl and rebuilds. After its done it crashes me out of the desktop to a black and white text screen. Unfortunately I can’t take a screenshot of it since I am no longer in the desktop environment and after I reboot I can’t find a log with the message that comes up on the crash screen.

4

I guess this driver seems not to be compatible with your card. Please remove the package bcmwl-kernel-source.
If your wirless is not working please try the hardware driver manager. It should detect and install the correct driver.

5

I am not familiar with this package manager. I haven’t messed around with unix/linux for about a decade :stuck_out_tongue: so I may be a little rusty. How do I remove it? I have tried running Driver Manager but this ends up in the same crash. Would the crash screen be of any use to anyone? Is that info logged somewhere?

-----[ cut here ]------
Kernel BUG at f99f99da [verbose debug info unavailable]
invalid opcode 0000 [#1] SMP
Modules linked in: .... list of modules .... [last unloaded: ssb]
Pod: 3067, comm: modprobe Tainted: PF W 0 3.8.0-23-generic #34-Ubuntu Dell Inc. Inspiron 9100 /OW1450
... then a bunch of hex codes ...
Stack:
... more hex ...
Call Trace:
... more hex ...
6

You can remove it either from muon or using the command line

sudo apt-get purge bcmwl-kernel-source .
If it is stucked in a dpkg --configure -a loop (meaning it says you need to run it but running it would result in a crash) you can forcefully remove it with

sudo dpkg --purge --force-all bcmwl-kernel-source.

I also advice you to install the linux-firmware-nonfree package again either with muon or via command line after purging the bcmwl-kernel-source (otherwise it would not work).

7

Looks like the dpkg purge command went through. Hopefully this will allow me to install the right ones.
Thanks.

Should I not get the firmware-b43-installer as the log states? What’s the difference between them?

8

The linux-firmware-nonfree package installs many nonfree firmware drivers hopefully one that’s working with your hardware.