Return-path: Received: from mail-ey0-f174.google.com ([209.85.215.174]:41111 "EHLO mail-ey0-f174.google.com" rhost-flags-OK-OK-OK-OK) by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S1751147Ab1K3GIH convert rfc822-to-8bit (ORCPT ); Wed, 30 Nov 2011 01:08:07 -0500 Received: by eaak14 with SMTP id k14so191983eaa.19 for ; Tue, 29 Nov 2011 22:08:06 -0800 (PST) MIME-Version: 1.0 In-Reply-To: <4ED56E02.6040601@lwfinger.net> References: <4ED3A6E8.4050000@aol.com> <4ED3B33E.8020309@lwfinger.net> <4ED3FA65.7010104@aol.com> <4ED51DB5.5090202@aol.com> <4ED52FBD.5030302@lwfinger.net> <4ED5535E.50605@aol.com> <4ED56E02.6040601@lwfinger.net> Date: Wed, 30 Nov 2011 07:08:05 +0100 Message-ID: (sfid-20111130_070812_155418_004207C8) Subject: Re: Trouble with Macbook Pro 8,2 (broadcom 4331) and latest b43 From: =?UTF-8?B?UmFmYcWCIE1pxYJlY2tp?= To: Larry Finger Cc: AndrewL733 , linux-wireless@vger.kernel.org Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Sender: linux-wireless-owner@vger.kernel.org List-ID: 2011/11/30 Larry Finger : > On 11/29/2011 03:49 PM, AndrewL733 wrote: >> >> On 11/29/2011 02:17 PM, Larry Finger wrote: >>> >>> That path is derived from the current kernel version. It should get it >>> right. >>> >>> You should already have the directory /lib/modules/3.1.2-1.1-desktop. The >>> command 'mv /lib/modules/3.1.2-1-desktop/updates to >>> /lib/modules/3.1.2-1.1-desktop/.' followed by 'depmod -a' should be OK. >>> >>> Larry >> >> I found that at least with Mandriva, simply putting the new b43 modules in >> /lib/modules/{my kernel}/updates and then running depmod (or depmod -a) >> did not >> work.  After doing that, when I ran "modinfo b43", the result was still >> pointing >> to the in-kernel b43 modules and not the one in "updates".  However, >> renaming >> the "updates" directory to "extra" and then running "depmod" again DID >> work. >> So, putting out-of-kernel modules in a directory named "updates" did not >> work! >> >> I have never seen out-of-kernel modules in "updates".  I compile many >> out-of-kernel modules (Myricom, ATTO, 3ware, LSI, Intel) and their >> installers >> always, always, put the new modules in the "extra" directory and never in >> an >> "updates" directory. >> >> Why does compat-wireless install these in the "updates" directory? > > Because that works with MOST distros. > >>> >>> But now, to do things the "Mandriva way", I am supposed to launch the >>> "Mandriva Control Center"  (drakconf), go to the "Manage you network >>> devices" >>> section and "add" the wlan0 interface to my system. (The idea is to then >>> allow >>> Network Manager to manage the connection moving forward, but first you >>> have to >>> enable the connection.) When I try to add wlan0 to my network >>> configuration, I >>> get a dialog box asking me which firmware file to use?  Basically, it >>> wants me >>> to navigate to /lib/firmware/b43/ and select one of the "ucode" files. >>>  With >>> the previous Macbook Pro 8,2, I think I selected ucode13.fw and it worked >>> fine.  But what is the correct way to select the proper firmware without >>> guessing? >>> >>> When I was trying to load the "distro b43" driver, dmesg was telling me >>> the >>> driver needed "FW13".  Does that mean anything? > > No. > >> Okay, I got impatient and decided to just tell the Mandriva network device >> manager to associate /lib/firmware/b43/ucode13.fw with my wlan0.  But how >> do I >> know if that's really the correct firmware for the Broadcom 4331 (rev 02) >> chipset?  I'm finding that the wireless connection goes down once in a >> while. >> So far, I have only tried with one access point and maybe the access point >> itself is flaky, but it would be nice how to know which firmware to use. >> Is the >> choice supposed to happen automagically when the b43 driver is loaded?  Is >> there >> some table somewhere that says which ucodeXX.fw goes with which chipset? > > The table is found at http://bcm-v4.sipsolutions.net/802.11/Init/Firmware. > For my distro and most others, it is done automagically. The kernel reads > the version of the 802.11 core and looks up the firmware using logic derived > from this table. In the dmesg output, you will find a place where the > versions of the various cores is printed. Using ucode13.fw is certainly not > right for a 4331. I'm surprised that it works at all. I'm quite sure it's some Mandriva... well - dumb... configuration that doesn't affect driver at all. b43 uses ucode29_mimo for BCM4331 -- Rafał