Broadcom and Linux Kernel 3.3.1

[georgesgaune]

Hi,

After that update manager installed Linux Kernel 3.3.1-5 in Fedora 16, my Broadcom 802.11 card no longer works. Can anyone help me? Thank you!

[kc1di]

Originally Posted by georgesgaune

Hi,

After that update manager installed Linux Kernel 3.3.1-5 in Fedora 16, my Broadcom 802.11 card no longer works. Can anyone help me? Thank you!

which broadcom card do you have ?
you should be able to just reinstall kmod-wl and it will build the modules you need.

[georgesgaune]

How do I find the model of Broadcom card on Fedora?

Regards,

[kc1di]

Originally Posted by georgesgaune

How do I find the model of Broadcom card on Fedora?

Regards,

in a terminal type lspci

[georgesgaune]

Hello Dave,

Thank you for your effort and your help

Here's what I got as information in the Terminal

02:00.0 Network controller: Atheros Communications Inc. AR9285 Wireless Network Adapter (PCI-Express) (rev 01)

Regards,

Georges

---------- Post added at 07:46 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:47 PM ----------

I have the same problem since the updape kernel 3.3.1-5. I just tried Fedora 17 beta, and my Atheros card works perfectly. However, in F17, the kernel is 3.3.0-1

Georges

[aleph]

Update to kernel 3.3.2. the Atheros module was borked in 3.3.1.

kernel-3.3.2 is in updates-testing and is being pushed to stable.

Run the command -- yum --enablerepo='updates-testing' update 'kernel*', and reboot the new kernel. It should fix the problem.

[georgesgaune]

A big thank you. Everything works normally as before.

Georges

[tim001]

My wifi is still broken since kernel 3.3.1, and 3.3.2 did not fix it.

lspci says I've got a Broadcom BCM4312:
06:00.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4312 802.11b/g LP-PHY (rev 01)

It was working nicely with kernel 3.3.0, and still does if I choose that kernel at boot time. However, booting with 3.3.0 breaks other things, particularly VirtualBox.

Any suggestions?

[kc1di]

Originally Posted by tim001

My wifi is still broken since kernel 3.3.1, and 3.3.2 did not fix it.

lspci says I've got a Broadcom BCM4312:
06:00.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4312 802.11b/g LP-PHY (rev 01)

It was working nicely with kernel 3.3.0, and still does if I choose that kernel at boot time. However, booting with 3.3.0 breaks other things, particularly VirtualBox.

Any suggestions?

reinstall kmod-wl for kenel 3.3.1 or 3.3.2 which ever your using and reboot .

[tim001]

OK, I've installed kmod-wl as below, but still my machine can't see my wireless device:
* network manager does not list it
* ifconfig -a does not list it

Here's what I did to install kmod-wl. Was I on the right track? I don't understand why yum chose to install the non-PAE 3.3.2 kernel when I'm already running the PAE version.

]----------<begin>----------
[tim@vos ~]$ uname -a
Linux vos.somewhere.com 3.3.2-1.fc16.i686.PAE #1 SMP Sat Apr 14 00:50:11 UTC 2012 i686 i686 i386 GNU/Linux


[tim@vos ~]$ yum list installed kmod*
Loaded plugins: langpacks, presto, refresh-packagekit
adobe-linux-i386 | 951 B 00:00
rpmfusion-free-updates | 3.3 kB 00:00
rpmfusion-nonfree-updates | 3.3 kB 00:00
updates/metalink | 2.2 kB 00:00
virtualbox | 951 B 00:00
Installed Packages
kmod-VirtualBox-OSE-3.3.1-5.fc16.i686.PAE.i686
4.1.12-1.fc16.5 @rpmfusion-free-updates
kmod-VirtualBox-OSE-3.3.2-1.fc16.i686.PAE.i686
4.1.12-1.fc16.6 @rpmfusion-free-updates
kmod-VirtualBox-OSE-PAE.i686 4.1.12-1.fc16.6 @rpmfusion-free-updates
kmod-wl-3.3.0-4.fc16.i686.PAE.i686 5.100.82.112-2.fc16.13
@rpmfusion-nonfree-updates
kmodtool.noarch 1-18.fc11 @rpmfusion-free


[tim@vos ~]$ sudo yum update kmod-wl
[sudo] password for tim:
Loaded plugins: langpacks, presto, refresh-packagekit
adobe-linux-i386 | 951 B 00:00
rpmfusion-free-updates | 3.3 kB 00:00
rpmfusion-nonfree-updates | 3.3 kB 00:00
updates/metalink | 2.2 kB 00:00
virtualbox | 951 B 00:00
Package(s) kmod-wl available, but not installed.
No Packages marked for Update


[tim@vos ~]$ sudo yum remove kmod-wl
Loaded plugins: langpacks, presto, refresh-packagekit
No Match for argument: kmod-wl
No Packages marked for removal


[tim@vos ~]$ sudo yum install kmod-wl
Loaded plugins: langpacks, presto, refresh-packagekit
Resolving Dependencies
--> Running transaction check
---> Package kmod-wl.i686 0:5.100.82.112-2.fc16.18 will be installed
--> Processing Dependency: kmod-wl-3.3.2-1.fc16.i686 >= 5.100.82.112-2.fc16.18 for package: kmod-wl-5.100.82.112-2.fc16.18.i686
--> Running transaction check
---> Package kmod-wl-3.3.2-1.fc16.i686.i686 0:5.100.82.112-2.fc16.18 will be installed
--> Processing Dependency: kernel-uname-r = 3.3.2-1.fc16.i686 for package: kmod-wl-3.3.2-1.fc16.i686-5.100.82.112-2.fc16.18.i686
--> Running transaction check
---> Package kernel.i686 0:3.3.2-1.fc16 will be installed
--> Finished Dependency Resolution

Dependencies Resolved

================================================== ==============================
Package Arch Version Repository Size
================================================== ==============================
Installing:
kmod-wl i686 5.100.82.112-2.fc16.18 rpmfusion-nonfree-updates 12 k
Installing for dependencies:
kernel i686 3.3.2-1.fc16 updates 26 M
kmod-wl-3.3.2-1.fc16.i686
i686 5.100.82.112-2.fc16.18 rpmfusion-nonfree-updates 662 k

Transaction Summary
================================================== ==============================
Install 1 Package (+2 Dependent packages)

Total download size: 26 M
Installed size: 94 M
Is this ok [y/N]: y
Downloading Packages:
Setting up and reading Presto delta metadata
Processing delta metadata
Package(s) data still to download: 26 M
(1/3): kernel-3.3.2-1.fc16.i686.rpm | 26 MB 01:33
(2/3): kmod-wl-5.100.82.112-2.fc16.18.i686.rpm | 12 kB 00:00
(3/3): kmod-wl-3.3.2-1.fc16.i686-5.100.82.112-2.fc16.18. | 662 kB 00:02
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total 278 kB/s | 26 MB 01:36
Running Transaction Check
Running Transaction Test
Transaction Test Succeeded
Running Transaction
Installing : kernel-3.3.2-1.fc16.i686 1/3
Installing : kmod-wl-3.3.2-1.fc16.i686-5.100.82.112-2.fc16.18.i686 2/3
Installing : kmod-wl-5.100.82.112-2.fc16.18.i686 3/3
Verifying : kmod-wl-3.3.2-1.fc16.i686-5.100.82.112-2.fc16.18.i686 1/3
Verifying : kernel-3.3.2-1.fc16.i686 2/3
Verifying : kmod-wl-5.100.82.112-2.fc16.18.i686 3/3

Installed:
kmod-wl.i686 0:5.100.82.112-2.fc16.18

Dependency Installed:
kernel.i686 0:3.3.2-1.fc16
kmod-wl-3.3.2-1.fc16.i686.i686 0:5.100.82.112-2.fc16.18

Complete!
----------<end>----------

---------- Post added at 10:38 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:58 AM ----------

Update:

Thanks for your help.

Wireless now works if I boot to the non-PAE kernel:
[tim@vos ~]$ uname -a
Linux vos.somewhere.com 3.3.2-1.fc16.i686 #1 SMP Sat Apr 14 01:11:09 UTC 2012 i686 i686 i386 GNU/Linux

It still fails if I boot to the PAE kernel:
Linux vos.somewhere.com 3.3.2-1.fc16.i686.PAE #1 SMP Sat Apr 14 00:50:11 UTC 2012 i686 i686 i386 GNU/Linux

This gives me a workaround, because VirtualBox runs OK for me under the non-PAE kernel, simultaneously with wireless access.

What am I missing by running the non-PAE kernel instead of the PAE kernel? Will the PAE kernel let me utilise more of my 4GB RAM, e.g. when running multiple virtual boxes? Any suggestions what to try to get wireless working under the PAE kernel?

[PabloTwo]

yum install kmod-wl-PAE

[tim001]

Perfect! This has fixed it for me. Thankyou!

Is there something I should do to make kmod-*s get updated automatically when a new kernel is installed? Or do I need to update kernel modules manually every time?

[kc1di]

Originally Posted by tim001

Perfect! This has fixed it for me. Thankyou!

Is there something I should do to make kmod-*s get updated automatically when a new kernel is installed? Or do I need to update kernel modules manually every time?

The kmod-wl modules should update also if they are available at the time the new kernel is released but kmod-wl often lag the actual kernel release by a little. so in the beta's anyway you may have to do it manually.
Glad it's working for you.