[SOLVED] wifi not working after debian upgrade

abh · 12-28-2015, 09:28 PM

Hi,

I'm running Debian testing (jessie?) with a Broadcomm 4312 chip:

Code:

$ lspci --n -d 14e4:
03:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Broadcom Corporation BCM4312 802.11b/g LP-PHY [14e4:4315] (rev 01)

Upon rebooting I got this error:

Code:

[   23.173435] b43-phy0 ERROR: Firmware file "b43/ucode15.fw" not found
[   23.177659] b43-phy0 ERROR: Firmware file "b43-open/ucode15.fw" not found
[   23.181767] 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.

even though /lib/firmware/b43/ucode15.fw exists.

I tried:

Code:

$ apt-get install --reinstall b43-fwcutter firmware-b43-installer

which uninstalled b43-lpphy-b43-installer (which is now obsolete) but still the same error. Next I did

Code:

$ mkdir b43-open
$ ln -s b43/ucode15.fw b43-open/ucode.fw

but the firmware loader still complains that those files are missing, even though they are there.

Is it looking somewhere else ??/??/b43/ucode15.fw.? Where would that be?

Thanks for any help.

Ztcoracat · 12-28-2015, 11:44 PM

Maybe try using the modprobe command to find out what the broadcom driver is doing.
http://ccrma.stanford.edu/planetccrm...odprobe.8.html
http://www.thegeekstuff.com/2010/11/...mand-examples/

If you loaded a module to the kernel for testing purposes you may have to unload it.
Double check tho this is just my thinking and I could be wrong.

These links might help:
http://community.linuxmint.com/tutorial/view/1428
https://wiki.debian.org/bcm43xx
https://wiki.debian.org/wl

Debian Testing is Sid right?
Could the driver for Sid be different than for Debian stable?

-::-Hopefully a member that's already running Debian Testing will see your thread and chime in.-::-

abh · 12-30-2015, 08:02 PM

Thanks for the links.

Since the b43 drivers are mysteriously not working (b43 is loaded), I installed the broadcom-sta-dkms package, as instructed on the page https://wiki.debian.org/wl, but it failed to build the wl driver with the error:

Code:

Error!  Bad return status for module build on kernel: 4.3.0-1-686-pae

I'm really stuck now.

Ztcoracat · 12-30-2015, 08:46 PM

I'm very sorry but it is a bug:-

https://www.mail-archive.com/debian-...sg1382036.html

https://www.mail-archive.com/search?...2&o=newest&f=1

Rolling back to an older version of the kernel is an option.
You'll need someone with experience on that. I don't mess with the kernel.

ondoho · 12-31-2015, 05:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ztcoracat

You'll need someone with experience on that. I don't mess with the kernel.

no messing involved.
i think debian based systems do not uninstall unused kernels.
so this should be sufficient:

Quote:

Originally Posted by bug report

After restarting had to select kernel 4.2.0-1 on grub for Wireless adapter to work.

Ztcoracat · 12-31-2015, 10:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ondoho

no messing involved.
i think debian based systems do not uninstall unused kernels.
so this should be sufficient:

Thanks: ondoho-

Happy New Year! <2016>

jdkaye · 01-01-2016, 10:28 AM

I'm not sure if this is related but my Realtek Semiconductor Corp. RTL8191SU 802.11n WLAN Adapter stopped working on all kernels from 4.3 onwards. I have had to fall back on the 4.2-5.dmz.1 kernel. With this kernel my adapter works perfectly well. The driver for this adapter is r8712u. I have filed bug reports with both Debian (no response) and the Liquorix kernel forum on TechPatterns (very helpful). It was suggested that I wait for the 4.4 kernel which is coming out this month. Hopefully that will solve both our problems.
jdk

Ztcoracat · 01-01-2016, 06:43 PM

It could very well be lack of support for certain WiFi cards with the newer kernels.

Let us know, abh if rolling back to an older version of the kernel helps.

abh · 01-02-2016, 06:28 PM

Actually I made an embaressing mistake. I'm running linux-image-3.2.0-4-686-pae, not 4.3.0-1. But the package linux-headers-3.2.0-4-686-pae didn't show up when I did an

Code:

apt-cache search headers

I finally found the headers here: https://packages.debian.org/wheezy/l....2.0-4-686-pae, via google. I had to change my /etc/apt/sources.list from testing to wheezy. Then the module wl built fine, using the instructions linked to by Ztcoracat: https://wiki.debian.org/wl. Then

Code:

# modprobe wl

but still no wireless!

Its strange that Debian don't run the linux-header packages parallel with the linux-image packages.

abh · 01-02-2016, 07:20 PM

[ SOLVED ]

Code:

modprobe -r ssb

did the trick! Wireless back on with no need to restart.

Thanks for all your suggestions.

jdkaye · 01-02-2016, 11:25 PM

As a service to others please mark this thread as [SOLVED]. You can use the Thread Tools menu located above your first post in this thread (see the attachment).
jdk

Ztcoracat · 01-04-2016, 02:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by abh

[ SOLVED ]

Code:

modprobe -r ssb

did the trick! Wireless back on with no need to restart.

Thanks for all your suggestions.

You're Welcome.

Kindly mark your thread SOLVED.

descendant_command · 01-04-2016, 03:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by abh

I had to change my /etc/apt/sources.list from testing to wheezy.

Something is very wrong here - you really shouldn't be running a wheezy kernel in testing (that's TWO releases apart).

Ztcoracat · 01-04-2016, 03:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by descendant_command

Something is very wrong here - you really shouldn't be running a wheezy kernel in testing (that's TWO releases apart).

Somehow I missed that.
Your right descendant_command op should not be running a wheezy kernel with 'Jessie Testing'.

Wheezy today is still running kernel 3.2, while Jessie is running 3.13.
http://www.zdnet.com/article/debian-...right-for-you/

jdkaye · 01-05-2016, 12:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by descendant_command

Something is very wrong here - you really shouldn't be running a wheezy kernel in testing (that's TWO releases apart).

+1
Can you post the contents of your etc/apt/sources.list file.
jdk