Dear friends,
The ndiswrapper is a broadcom chip issue, combined with the kernel 2.6.17 enabled the bcm43xx module by default.
My experimentation was trying to load the wrapper, then when it did not work, rm the other interfering modules. This did not work.
Solution for those who use broadcom wireless(almost all dell laptops):
in order(important)
rmmod bcm43xx
ndiswrapper -i /wherever/the/hell/it/is modprobe ndiswrapper
nano /etc/network/interfaces iface wlan0 inet dhcp
iwconfig wlan0 essid blah key whatever ifup wlan0
One must, for some reason, remove the other bcm modules first, as udev seems to grab the 43xx module for the wireless card, and I presume there is some sort of tree which holds the whole thing up.
Now, onto installing....
BTW, grml-x works perfectly every time, and, once I got the internet up, everthing else appeare to work OTOB.
Best, M
* Martin Yazdzik yazdzik@nyct.net [20060815 10:20]:
The ndiswrapper is a broadcom chip issue, combined with the kernel 2.6.17 enabled the bcm43xx module by default.
[...]
Fine that you could solve the problem.
Just because of personal interest: doesn't the bcm43xx driver work for you? Or do you really need the ndiswrapper-way-of-life?
BTW, grml-x works perfectly every time, and, once I got the internet up, everthing else appeare to work OTOB.
Great :)
regards, -mika-
On Tuesday 15 August 2006 04:26, Michael Prokop wrote:
Just because of personal interest: doesn't the bcm43xx driver work for you?
Not yet - I am not sure why, but I never give up.
Or do you really need the ndiswrapper-way-of-life?
It is one thorn in my side I shan't miss...;)
best, m
trying to keep this in a thread somehow -
okay -
eth1 IEEE 802.11b/g ESSID:off/any Nickname:"Broadcom 4306" Mode:Managed Access Point: Invalid Bit Rate=1 Mb/s RTS thr:off Fragment thr:off Encryption key:off Link Quality:0 Signal level:0 Noise level:0 Rx invalid nwid:0 Rx invalid crypt:0 Rx invalid frag:0 Tx excessive retries:0 Invalid misc:0 Missed beacon:0
note 4306 instead of 4309(correct card, per lspci in grml 8, as well as factually correct card)
I cannot copy the ifup results to file, but they end up with "network down" meaning, I strongly suspect, some firmware somewhere is not loading.
Now, if we go back to the original grml or knoppix, or even libranet, the gui install of ndiswrapper using the bcmwl5.inf always states that the inf files are not correct, but the cli works.
Since modprobe bcm43xx should at least light the wifi light, which it does not, I am strongly thinking that there must be somefirmware loading that I am missing, and the best google came up with was(besides being in Czech)
1 - instalací balíku bcm43xx-fwcutter a spuštěním scriptu v /usr/share/bcm43xx-fwcutter/install-bcm43xx_firmware.sh 2 - instalací balíku bcm43xx-fwcutter a rozbalením souboru např. bcmwl5.sys (získáme z instalace Windows) např. sudo bcm43xx-fwcutter -w /lib/firmware bcmwl5.sys 3 - instalací balíku http://ubuntu.cafuego.net/pool/bcm43xx/bcm43xx-firmware_1.1-0ubuntu1_all.deb
I shall try this anon, but there must be an easier way between this and ndiswrapper, although, ndiswrapper works perfectly.
Since linux based OS in general are known for laconic, unclear or simply inbred documentation, and GRML is known for clear, precise, and accurate, I'll try to keep on this and do my best to get the driver working, but any help in this would be appreciated.
Obviously, I cannot install things unless I have a connexion, so I am not sure what kind of instructions for someone without a connexion beginning with "install blah blah" are meant to accomplish.
This is the biggest grips with debian d-i, by the way.
(It is no different with the prism drivers, by the way, it is just that I always kept a copy on the firmware on a floppy in the days when computers had floppy drives. Now, I think I have one pc left with a floppy drive, and using a cat cable would require drilling a hole in the wall... welcome to NY!)
So, off to try this, but, really, there must be an easier way.
best, M
Dear Friends,
On Tuesday 15 August 2006 04:26, Michael Prokop wrote:
- Martin Yazdzik yazdzik@nyct.net [20060815 10:20]:
.
Just because of personal interest: doesn't the bcm43xx driver work for you?
Idiot newbies on serious lists are at least amusing - sorry, but I am trying, and here is where the issue ends, it seems:
bcm43xx-fwcutter can cut the firmware out of /mnt/sda1/DRIVERS/NETWORK/ADDON/BCMWL5.SYS
filename : bcmwl5.sys version : 3.100.35.0 MD5 : c3ab2d6954c7b5103770832a3a6a591b
extracting bcm43xx_microcode2.fw ... extracting bcm43xx_microcode4.fw ... extracting bcm43xx_microcode5.fw ... *****: Sorry, it's not possible to extract "bcm43xx_microcode11.fw". *****: Extracting firmware from an old driver is bad. Choose a more recent one. *****: Luckily bcm43xx driver doesn't include microcode11 uploads at the moment. *****: But this can be added in the future... *****: Sorry, it's not possible to extract "bcm43xx_microcode13.fw". *****: Extracting firmware from an old driver is bad. Choose a more recent one. *****: Luckily bcm43xx driver doesn't include microcode11 uploads at the moment. *****: But this can be added in the future... extracting bcm43xx_pcm4.fw ... extracting bcm43xx_pcm5.fw ... extracting bcm43xx_initval01.fw ... extracting bcm43xx_initval02.fw ... extracting bcm43xx_initval03.fw ... extracting bcm43xx_initval04.fw ... extracting bcm43xx_initval05.fw ... extracting bcm43xx_initval06.fw ... extracting bcm43xx_initval07.fw ... extracting bcm43xx_initval08.fw ... extracting bcm43xx_initval09.fw ... extracting bcm43xx_initval10.fw ...
Apparently, the driver needs firmware to be extracted via fwcutter, and that firmware is nowhere to be found, unless there is a repository somewhere that I cannot find through google. Or, perhaps writing ever one of those files via fwcutter -w might work? Seems futile to me, unless you think I should try.
It is nonetheless amazing that grml allowed the problem to be traced this far this quickly, irrespective of the immediate irresolubility, proving your support to be still the best in class.
Sorry for taking up so much time with this.
Very best,
M
regards, -mika-
* Martin Yazdzik yazdzik@nyct.net [20060815 18:15]:
On Tuesday 15 August 2006 04:26, Michael Prokop wrote:
- Martin Yazdzik yazdzik@nyct.net [20060815 10:20]:
Just because of personal interest: doesn't the bcm43xx driver work for you?
Idiot newbies on serious lists are at least amusing - sorry, but I am trying, and here is where the issue ends, it seems:
bcm43xx-fwcutter can cut the firmware out of /mnt/sda1/DRIVERS/NETWORK/ADDON/BCMWL5.SYS
filename : bcmwl5.sys version : 3.100.35.0 MD5 : c3ab2d6954c7b5103770832a3a6a591b
extracting bcm43xx_microcode2.fw ... extracting bcm43xx_microcode4.fw ... extracting bcm43xx_microcode5.fw ...
[...]
extracting bcm43xx_initval10.fw ...
Apparently, the driver needs firmware to be extracted via fwcutter, and that firmware is nowhere to be found, unless there is a repository somewhere that I cannot find through google. Or, perhaps writing ever one of those files via fwcutter -w might work? Seems futile to me, unless you think I should try.
It is nonetheless amazing that grml allowed the problem to be traced this far this quickly, irrespective of the immediate irresolubility, proving your support to be still the best in class.
Maybe someone in #bcm-users on irc.freenode.net or at http://bcm43xx.spugna.org/ can help you. Give it a try and please report news to us.
regards, -mika-
Teilnehmer (2)
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Martin Yazdzik -
Michael Prokop