Installing wifi drivers for Broadcom card on Netbook, Slackware 14.2
 

Hi all,

In my continuing quest to get Slack working I attempted to get it up and running on my Samsung N110 netbook. The install was fine but wifi didn't work. I went back to Debian and the wifi worked fine.

Now as I understand it, this is because the Broadcom drivers are included with Debian. I went to Slackdocs to read up on wifi and it seems rather complicated to me as a Slack newbie. However, I came across this which looks quite straightforward for my Broadcom 4313 card:

https://www.slackwiki.com/Broadcom_Wireless

And that I need a wired connection through which to run

Does sbokpg download and install the package?

I suppose I could always build the package from Slackbuilds.

http://slackbuilds.org/repository/14.../broadcom-sta/

If indeed I can build the package from Slackbuilds, I suppose I could just use a USB drive to transfer the package over rather than having to use a wired connection [the USB method will be easier for me].

After a reboot, it should work, as far as I can tell. The only reason I am posting this, in what seems a potentially straightforward setup, is that making a Slackbuilds package looks easier than following the guide to getting wifi working that I found on Slackdocs [this guide here - https://docs.slackware.com/slackbook:wifi].

Am on the right path here or am I missing anything?

You could (after installing b43-fwcutter & b43-firmware from SBo) use the tried and true manual configuring, or you can install wicd and connect to your WiFi, or even easier (easiest I think) is to just # chmod +x /etc/rc.d/rc.networkmanager and use NetworkManager that should already be in your system tray.

I hope this is what you're looking for.

#Edit

Oops, I meant after installing broadcom-sta if that is what you need, not b43's.

The chmod sounds the easiest, thank you for that. I take it that since wicd is in the ISO chmod is all I need to do.

And at the risk of derailing my own thread, you may want to update your sig - http://www.zdnet.com/article/linux-t...upercomputers/

While wicd is included on the ISO, it is not installed by default. It is in the extra/ directory which users are able to install once they've booted into Slackware.

By default, Slackware uses Network Manager for wireless connections, but provides wicd as an installable alternate.

Thanks for the help bass, in this instance the fault was my own. I was always selecting DHCP at #netconfig, when I should have selected Network Manager. On a reboot, Slack was able to connect to wireless.