Configure wireless driver for Dell Wireless 1397(bcm 4312)
 

I want to get my wireless working with Dell Wireless 1397 chip in Slackware 13.0.

From:
# lspci -nn | grep Network
0c:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Broadcom Corporation BCM4312 802.11b/g [14e4:4315] (rev 01)

It's known that my card is Broadcom chip BCM4312.I downloaded and installed b43-firmware,as well as b43-fwcutter by using slackbuilds.

THe problem is I don't know how to progress after installing those two packages.What I should do to get my wireless working?

Thank you and sorry for my poor English.

Hi yuchankit,

Oddly enough your case mirrors my own:

which I have in a Dell Latitude D520, and I also used the firmware and fwcutter builds from Slackware.org.

Depends what wireless configuration tools you are using. I found the Broadcom card had intermittent problems with the standard slackware scripts so eventually I removed all such settings and installed wicd which is in /extra. This has given me flawless wireless performance for about 12 months and the newest version in Slackware 13 is very smooth. Very nice for picking up wireless points when traveling too...

Andrew

Do you mean if I install wicd,then I can get my wireless working?

I installed wicd from the Slackware DVD, but wicd only shows wired network interface.

Actually I intended to use driver from broadcom itself which is
http://www.broadcom.com/support/802.11/linux_sta.php

But I can't compile the wl.ko module,and the error is :

root@CHANKIT:/home/chankit/Downloads/hybrid_wl# make -C /lib/modules/<2.6.xx.xx>/build M=`pwd`
bash: 2.6.xx.xx: No such file or directory
root@CHANKIT:/home/chankit/Downloads/hybrid_wl# make -C /lib/modules/2.6.29.6/build M=`pwd`
make: Entering directory `/usr/src/linux-2.6.29.6'
CC [M] /home/chankit/Downloads/hybrid_wl/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.o
/home/chankit/Downloads/hybrid_wl/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.c: In function 'wl_attach':
/home/chankit/Downloads/hybrid_wl/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.c:362: error: implicit declaration of function 'ieee80211_get_crypto_ops'
/home/chankit/Downloads/hybrid_wl/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.c:362: warning: assignment makes pointer from integer without a cast
/home/chankit/Downloads/hybrid_wl/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.c:365: warning: assignment makes pointer from integer without a cast
/home/chankit/Downloads/hybrid_wl/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.c: In function 'wl_free':
/home/chankit/Downloads/hybrid_wl/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.c:634: error: 'struct net_device' has no member named 'priv'
/home/chankit/Downloads/hybrid_wl/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.c:669: error: 'struct net_device' has no member named 'priv'
/home/chankit/Downloads/hybrid_wl/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.c:685: error: dereferencing pointer to incomplete type
/home/chankit/Downloads/hybrid_wl/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.c:689: error: dereferencing pointer to incomplete type
/home/chankit/Downloads/hybrid_wl/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.c: In function 'wl_open':
/home/chankit/Downloads/hybrid_wl/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.c:714: error: 'struct net_device' has no member named 'priv'
/home/chankit/Downloads/hybrid_wl/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.c: In function 'wl_close':
/home/chankit/Downloads/hybrid_wl/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.c:742: error: 'struct net_device' has no member named 'priv'
/home/chankit/Downloads/hybrid_wl/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.c: In function 'wl_start':
/home/chankit/Downloads/hybrid_wl/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.c:765: error: 'struct net_device' has no member named 'priv'
/home/chankit/Downloads/hybrid_wl/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.c: In function 'wl_alloc_if':
/home/chankit/Downloads/hybrid_wl/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.c:850: error: 'struct net_device' has no member named 'priv'
/home/chankit/Downloads/hybrid_wl/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.c: In function 'wl_get_driver_info':
/home/chankit/Downloads/hybrid_wl/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.c:1030: error: 'struct net_device' has no member named 'priv'
/home/chankit/Downloads/hybrid_wl/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.c: In function 'wl_ioctl':
/home/chankit/Downloads/hybrid_wl/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.c:1118: error: 'struct net_device' has no member named 'priv'
/home/chankit/Downloads/hybrid_wl/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.c:1119: error: 'struct net_device' has no member named 'priv'
/home/chankit/Downloads/hybrid_wl/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.c: In function 'wl_get_stats':
/home/chankit/Downloads/hybrid_wl/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.c:1204: error: 'struct net_device' has no member named 'priv'
/home/chankit/Downloads/hybrid_wl/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.c: In function 'wl_get_wireless_stats':
/home/chankit/Downloads/hybrid_wl/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.c:1236: error: 'struct net_device' has no member named 'priv'
/home/chankit/Downloads/hybrid_wl/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.c:1237: error: 'struct net_device' has no member named 'priv'
/home/chankit/Downloads/hybrid_wl/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.c: In function 'wl_set_mac_address':
/home/chankit/Downloads/hybrid_wl/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.c:1304: error: 'struct net_device' has no member named 'priv'
/home/chankit/Downloads/hybrid_wl/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.c:1312: error: 'struct net_device' has no member named 'priv'
/home/chankit/Downloads/hybrid_wl/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.c: In function '_wl_set_multicast_list':
/home/chankit/Downloads/hybrid_wl/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.c:1335: error: 'struct net_device' has no member named 'priv'
/home/chankit/Downloads/hybrid_wl/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.c: In function 'wl_tkip_miccheck':
/home/chankit/Downloads/hybrid_wl/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.c:1726: error: dereferencing pointer to incomplete type
/home/chankit/Downloads/hybrid_wl/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.c:1729: error: dereferencing pointer to incomplete type
/home/chankit/Downloads/hybrid_wl/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.c: In function 'wl_tkip_micadd':
/home/chankit/Downloads/hybrid_wl/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.c:1748: error: dereferencing pointer to incomplete type
/home/chankit/Downloads/hybrid_wl/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.c: In function 'wl_tkip_encrypt':
/home/chankit/Downloads/hybrid_wl/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.c:1768: error: dereferencing pointer to incomplete type
/home/chankit/Downloads/hybrid_wl/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.c: In function 'wl_tkip_decrypt':
/home/chankit/Downloads/hybrid_wl/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.c:1790: error: dereferencing pointer to incomplete type
/home/chankit/Downloads/hybrid_wl/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.c:1792: error: dereferencing pointer to incomplete type
/home/chankit/Downloads/hybrid_wl/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.c: In function 'wl_tkip_keyset':
/home/chankit/Downloads/hybrid_wl/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.c:1834: error: dereferencing pointer to incomplete type
/home/chankit/Downloads/hybrid_wl/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.c:1844: error: dereferencing pointer to incomplete type
/home/chankit/Downloads/hybrid_wl/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.c:1851: error: dereferencing pointer to incomplete type
/home/chankit/Downloads/hybrid_wl/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.c:1861: error: dereferencing pointer to incomplete type
/home/chankit/Downloads/hybrid_wl/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.c:1871: error: dereferencing pointer to incomplete type
/home/chankit/Downloads/hybrid_wl/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.c:1878: error: dereferencing pointer to incomplete type
/home/chankit/Downloads/hybrid_wl/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.c: In function 'wl_tkip_printstats':
/home/chankit/Downloads/hybrid_wl/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.c:1897: error: dereferencing pointer to incomplete type
/home/chankit/Downloads/hybrid_wl/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.c:1899: error: dereferencing pointer to incomplete type
make[1]: *** [/home/chankit/Downloads/hybrid_wl/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.o] Error 1
make: *** [_module_/home/chankit/Downloads/hybrid_wl] Error 2
make: Leaving directory `/usr/src/linux-2.6.29.6'
root@CHANKIT:/home/chankit/Downloads/hybrid_wl#

But I didn't encounter any problem compiling this module in my previous Slackware 12.2 installation.Anyone knows the problem, or in simple word;how to get my wireless working?

Thank you.

fixed !

Hi,

First, Please put your long lists/data within the vbcode tags code (#) or quote (balloon) at the top of the reply window. This will make your post cleaner therfore easier to read for diagnosis.

You should make sure that the headers&source packages are loaded. You will get a license warning but that can be ignored.

Did you apply the 2.6.29 patch that Broadcom supplies? The sta driver definitely won't compile on Slackware 13 without it.

No,I'm sorry to miss that fact.

But how to apply that patch?

If you download the patch file and unpack it, there are detailed instructions on how to apply the patch. It would be a good idea to patch a freshly extracted version of the driver just to avoid any complications.

Thank you.I got my wireless working by patching the kernel.I just wondered why all ESSID is name "<hidden>" in my wicd.Any idea?

I haven't seen that problem with my install, but I have seen a LOT of threads around here complaining about the same thing recently. You might have a look around and see if any solutions have popped up. One thing to make sure is that your user is in the netdev group.

Hi,

I posted 'Slackware 13.0 RC2 X86_64 Broadcom bcm4312 problems' back in Aug/09. I'm referencing here to aid others with this problem. The firmware doesn't always work. It depends on the chipset version. So I have too use the propriety driver for a Dell laptop.

Be sure too apply the patch for the '2.6.29' kernel.

I hope the referenced thread helps. :hattip:

@onebuck

You might want to update your how-to to include that the 2.6.29 patch does NOT work for 2.6.30 and above. That is a bit of hard-won intelligence there and I'd hate to all that screaming and cursing go to waste.

Broadcom is a PITA. For a long time, they didn't even have a patch posted for 2.6.29, and every time I updated to a new kernel the patches would break.

Hangdog42, have you gotten it working with 2.6.30 yet? I'm sticking with the stock kernel, but I have a couple of suggestions... I think Debian Sid uses 2.6.30 and they keep their Broadcom-STA source package patched to match whatever current kernel they use. For a long time I was extracting the source and building from that. I think Gentoo also has a patch for the 2.6.30 kernel.

Hi,
It does say '2.6.29 kernel patch' throughout the thread but I'll add a post for those that don't really read for understanding. Heck, they probably will ignore that post. :)

No I haven't, but I also haven't put much time into it. There just wasn't enough of a benefit in 2.6.30 over 2.6.29 to justify the pain. However, from what I'm hearing 2.6.31 might be worth the jump to get a number of improved drivers. If that is the case, I'll give the Debian or Gentoo patches a go.

Yeah, I agree about Broadcom. I was initially excited that they would release a Linux driver, but being the pack of complete morons that they are, of course they managed to screw it up. I gotta do a better job of avoiding their crap in the future.