broadcom wireless does not work with quantal-backport-kernel

[Rick Spencer]

Steps:
1. Have a machine with broadcom wireless, such as a dell mini-10v
2. install the quantal kernel from the PPA
3. restart your computer
 Effect
Wireless is not recognized in the network manager

Run jockey and choose to activate the broadcom driver

 Effect
Jockey fails, with this info in the log

2012-05-24 08:48:01,748 DEBUG: BroadcomWLHandler enabled(): kmod disabled, bcm43xx: blacklisted, b43: blacklisted, b43legacy: blacklisted
2012-05-24 08:48:01,920 DEBUG: BroadcomWLHandler enabled(): kmod disabled, bcm43xx: blacklisted, b43: blacklisted, b43legacy: blacklisted
2012-05-24 08:48:02,135 DEBUG: BroadcomWLHandler enabled(): kmod disabled, bcm43xx: blacklisted, b43: blacklisted, b43legacy: blacklisted
2012-05-24 08:48:14,667 DEBUG: BroadcomWLHandler enabled(): kmod disabled, bcm43xx: blacklisted, b43: blacklisted, b43legacy: blacklisted
2012-05-24 08:48:18,839 DEBUG: BroadcomWLHandler enabled(): kmod disabled, bcm43xx: blacklisted, b43: blacklisted, b43legacy: blacklisted
2012-05-24 08:48:21,837 DEBUG: BroadcomWLHandler enabled(): kmod disabled, bcm43xx: blacklisted, b43: blacklisted, b43legacy: blacklisted
2012-05-24 08:48:29,040 WARNING: modinfo for module wl failed: ERROR: modinfo: could not find module wl

2012-05-24 08:48:29,042 WARNING: /sys/module/wl/drivers does not exist, cannot rebind wl driver
2012-05-24 08:48:29,159 DEBUG: BroadcomWLHandler enabled(): kmod disabled, bcm43xx: blacklisted, b43: blacklisted, b43legacy: blacklisted
2012-05-24 08:50:17,551 DEBUG: BroadcomWLHandler enabled(): kmod disabled, bcm43xx: blacklisted, b43: blacklisted, b43legacy: blacklisted
2012-05-24 08:50:17,652 DEBUG: BroadcomWLHandler enabled(): kmod disabled, bcm43xx: blacklisted, b43: blacklisted, b43legacy: blacklisted
2012-05-24 08:50:17,739 DEBUG: BroadcomWLHandler enabled(): kmod disabled, bcm43xx: blacklisted, b43: blacklisted, b43legacy: blacklisted

[Brad Figg (brad-figg)]

This bug is missing log files that will aid in diagnosing the problem. From a terminal window please run:

apport-collect 1003793

and then change the status of the bug to 'Confirmed'.

If, due to the nature of the issue you have encountered, you are unable to run this command, please add a comment stating that fact and change the bug status to 'Confirmed'.

This change has been made by an automated script, maintained by the Ubuntu Kernel Team.

[Rick Spencer (rick-rickspencer3)]

Setting to confirmed as per the bots instructions. apport-collect throws an error. Also, not sure that quantal is the correct tag.

[Joseph Salisbury (jsalisbury)]

Hi RIck,

Can yo post the error you see when running apport-collect?

[Joseph Salisbury (jsalisbury)]

Hi Rick,

Also, If you have a chance, can you test the latest mainline kernel to see if this issue also exists upstream? The latest mainline kernel can be downloaded from:

http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v3.4-quantal/

Thanks in advance

[Tim Gardner (timg-tpi)]

I have this same Dell mini v10 (Inspiron 910) with a Broadcom Corporation BCM4312 802.11b/g. In general it works OK, but requires some firmware found in linux-firmware-nonfree.

If you've installed the Broadcom wl binary driver, then the kernel drivers won't work since they are all black listed in /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-bcm43.conf

You can check to see if Jockey has installed the binary driver:

dpkg -l | grep bcmwl-kernel-source

The only way the Quantal kernel will work is if you remove the wl driver:

sudo apt-get remove bcmwl-kernel-source
sudo apt-get purge bcmwl-kernel-source
sudo apt-get install linux-firmware-nonfree

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Rick Spencer, this bug was reported a while ago and there hasn't been any activity in it recently. We were wondering if this is still an issue? If so, regarding your Bug Description:
>"install the quantal kernel from the PPA"

+ What release specifically where you using?
+ What quantal kernel from the PPA did you install specifically?
+ Before you installed this PPA, did the broadcom wireless work?

As well, could you please execute the following in a terminal, and comment on the results:
sudo apt-get remove bcmwl-kernel-source && sudo apt-get purge bcmwl-kernel-source sudo apt-get install linux-firmware-nonfree

In addition, could you please test for this with the latest development release of Ubuntu? ISO CD images are available from http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/releases/ .

If it remains an issue, could you please run the following command in the development release from a Terminal (Applications->Accessories->Terminal), as it will automatically gather and attach updated debug information to this report:

apport-collect -p linux <replace-with-bug-number>

Also, could you please test the latest upstream kernel available following https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelMainlineBuilds ? It will allow additional upstream developers to examine the issue. Please do not test the kernel in the daily folder, but the one all the way at the bottom. Once you've tested the upstream kernel, please comment on which kernel version specifically you tested and remove the tag:
needs-upstream-testing

This can be done by clicking on the yellow pencil icon next to the tag located at the bottom of the bug description and deleting the text:
needs-upstream-testing

If this bug is fixed in the mainline kernel, please add the following tags:
kernel-fixed-upstream
kernel-fixed-upstream-VERSION-NUMBER

where VERSION-NUMBER is the version number of the kernel you tested.

If the mainline kernel does not fix this bug, please add the following tags:
kernel-bug-exists-upstream
kernel-bug-exists-upstream-VERSION-NUMBER

where VERSION-NUMBER is the version number of the kernel you tested.

If you are unable to test the mainline kernel, please comment as to why specifically you were unable to test it and add the following tags:
kernel-unable-to-test-upstream
kernel-unable-to-test-upstream-VERSION-NUMBER

where VERSION-NUMBER is the version number of the kernel you tested.

Please let us know your results. Thank you for your understanding.

Helpful Bug Reporting Links:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/ReportingBugs#Bug_Reporting_Etiquette
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/ReportingBugs#A3._Make_sure_the_bug_hasn.27t_already_been_reported
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/ReportingBugs#Adding_Apport_Debug_Information_to_an_Existing_Launchpad_Bug
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/ReportingBugs#Adding_Additional_Attachments_to_an_Existing_Launchpad_Bug