Debian Live and Debian Install- How to get broadcom wireless going??

linus72 · 02-07-2019, 05:46 PM

So I'm running Debian Live stretch off persistent USB
debian-live-9.7.0-amd64-lxde.iso

And I tried installing a bunch of broadcom stuff I downloaded in synaptic from my AntiX install

Code:

antix-goodies_0.6.8_all.deb
b43-fwcutter_1%3a019-3_amd64.deb
broadcom-manager-antix_16.17_amd64.deb
broadcom-sta-common_6.30.223.271-5_all.deb
broadcom-sta-dkms_6.30.223.271-5_all.deb
broadcom-sta-dkms_6.30.223.271-9.1~mx17+1_all.deb
chromium_71.0.3578.80-1~deb9u1_amd64.deb
curl_7.52.1-5+deb9u9_amd64.deb
firmware-b43-installer_1%3a019-3_all.deb
firmware-b43legacy-installer_1%3a019-3_all.deb
firmware-brcm80211_20161130-4_all.deb
firmware-misc-nonfree_20161130-4_all.deb
gdebi-core_0.9.5.7+nmu1_all.deb
google-chrome-stable_72.0.3626.96-1_amd64.deb
libcrystalhd3_1%3a0.0~git20110715.fdd2f19-12_amd64.deb
squashfs-tools_4.3-3+deb9u1_amd64.deb

but upon rebooting live usb a few times Wicd still shows no wireless connection.
btw my ethernet port has a short and connects/disconnects like an ocillating fan.
Also I tried installing debian from usb but it says it needs a cdrom/dvd....sigh

Output of lspci -vv

Code:

0c:00.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4312 802.11b/g LP-PHY (rev 01)
	Subsystem: Dell Wireless 1397 WLAN Mini-Card

Any help on this guys??
Thanks

Ztcoracat · 02-07-2019, 07:30 PM

If I'm not mistaken you need the firmware-b43-installer.

https://wiki.debian.org/bcm43xx

Stretch stable firmware is on this page.

https://packages.debian.org/search?k...-b43-installer

Here's the firmware installer for the b43 driver-

https://packages.debian.org/stretch/...-b43-installer

Quote:

Also I tried installing debian from usb but it says it needs a cdrom/dvd....sigh

The last 2 times I installed Debian I used a DVD RW and had success.

If you don't have a DVD installing Debian via a usb memory stick should work.

Are you using a Windows machine to make the usb stick bootable?
If so use Rufus:-

https://rufus.ie/

Guttorm · 02-08-2019, 02:56 AM

You can also use ready made ISO with the non-free firmware.

There are lots of different versions:

https://cdimage.debian.org/cdimage/u...ding-firmware/

Maybe this?

https://cdimage.debian.org/cdimage/u...64/iso-hybrid/

ondoho · 02-08-2019, 12:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by linus72

but upon rebooting live usb a few times Wicd still shows no wireless connection.

anything you configured live is lost after a reboot!

Quote:

Also I tried installing debian from usb but it says it needs a cdrom/dvd....sigh

that's a minor snag, nevertheless you need to install it first.
i suggest using installation instructions from debian's webpages.

linus72 · 02-08-2019, 01:49 PM

ondoho it's persistent usb nothing is lost on reboot.
I'm still trying but other problems exist now- after install debian minimal I installed fluxbox, firefox, xorg, lightdm and nothing works from fluxbox menu, not even a terminal will open so I may try a reinstall...
Guttorm thanks I saw that as well trying now

Also Ztoracat thanks as well looking it up

Ztcoracat · 02-08-2019, 08:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by linus72

ondoho it's persistent usb nothing is lost on reboot.
I'm still trying but other problems exist now- after install debian minimal I installed fluxbox, firefox, xorg, lightdm and nothing works from fluxbox menu, not even a terminal will open so I may try a reinstall...
Guttorm thanks I saw that as well trying now

Also Ztoracat thanks as well looking it up

You're Welcome:-

Is this a desktop or a laptop?
Older machine?

linus72 · 02-09-2019, 04:16 AM

Ztoracat its a Dell Inspiron 1545 laptop 3G ram, 180GB drive dual core so not terribly old lol.
I found that I have to install/build from kernel source the broadcom-sta driver "wl" which pulls in a lot of packaages which sucks so after building I have to uninstall all that sigh.

ondoho · 02-09-2019, 09:13 AM

so it's an AntiX issue.
I didn't read too carefully, but I must say your title is more than a little misleading, and your post #5 only adds to the confusion; frankly i just don't know anymore if you're still talking about the same system as in post #1 (which apparently is/was an AntiX system).

If it's still AntiX, I wonder if you have configured and enabled persistence.
I have used AntiX, and that was not something that worked ootb.

linus72 · 02-09-2019, 11:58 AM

ondoho Antix is my hdd install where everything works, the debian live is on my usb and hdd and does not work until I figuered out it must be built from source with kernel source installed as in slackware.
So its a Debian issue because Debian doesnt come preloaded with the wl driver but antix does.
sorry for the confusion

Ztcoracat · 02-09-2019, 05:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by linus72

Ztoracat its a Dell Inspiron 1545 laptop 3G ram, 180GB drive dual core so not terribly old lol.
I found that I have to install/build from kernel source the broadcom-sta driver "wl" which pulls in a lot of packaages which sucks so after building I have to uninstall all that sigh.

I wasn't able to find your exact machine but if it is the Dell Inspiron 1545 that came with Windows 7 Home Premium than it's not that old. Most Dells (learned from another Guru here) play nice with Linux however, in your case it's been a challenge to get the wifi working.

My Sony Vaio came with Windows 7 and I've had Debian and Slackware running on it for the last 4 or 5 years. Both distro's run great!

Sorry to hear you have to build from src. I know how much fun that can be.

Have you been able to install/build the broadcom-sta driver 'wl' and get the wifi working?

Ztcoracat · 02-09-2019, 05:16 PM

Found good information:

https://wiki.debian.org/wl

Did you need wireless-tools too?

linus72 · 02-09-2019, 05:38 PM

Thanks guys I appreciate it.
I broke both my debian live persistent usb and my debian hdd install by installing a bunch of antix stuff including remastering tools etc lol cause antix and debian conflict on systemd I think...but antix has the wl driver I need preinstalled which I thought I could just add from their repository, their kernel, etc so Im thinking I could transfer the kernel stuff, kernel initrd, modules etc from antix to a clean minimal debian install or install their kernel etc.
My whole aim here is to actually get a remaster system/usb persistent system for slackware based off antix's source code for isosnapshot, remaster, usb-installer etc but in antix it requires heavy depends like qt5, etc and I want a terminal driven scripts so...and Im not a programmer lol but anyway Ill keep tryin.
btw I know about slackware-live and live-kit but antix's stuff is par excellance

Ztcoracat · 02-09-2019, 07:10 PM

Gotta love systemd-

Let us know how things go:-

ondoho · 02-11-2019, 12:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by linus72

but antix has the wl driver I need preinstalled which I thought I could just add from their repository

the rest of your post sounded way too fantastic for my taste, but that much i can say:
it is possible to install this driver on a debian system the rihgt way.
https://wiki.debian.org/wl
It is also possible to use a newer, backported kernel on debian stable, if that's required:
https://backports.debian.org/
https://wiki.debian.org/HowToUpgradeKernel

leenhodn · 02-21-2019, 10:52 AM

I downloaded bcmwl-kernel-source_6.30.223.271+bdcom-0ubuntu4_amd64.deb and put it Downloads

then was able to get wireless working using dpkg -i *.deb