[SOLUTION] Broadcom wireless 4313, bcmwl-kernel-sources missing headers dependency

[greplnx]

Installing Broadcom wireless driver for STA series (4313) yields inability to use wireless connections. The reason on the surface is the lack of, e.g., wl0 interface.

     02:00.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4313 802.11b/g/n Wireless LAN Controller (rev 01)

The versions concerned are all current as of Nov 15, 2012, Ubuntu 12.10, others are stated below.

During the installation of

     sudo apt-get install bcmwl-kernel-source broadcom-sta-source broadcom-sta-common

a series of errors occurs:

Unpacking broadcom-sta-source (from .../broadcom-sta-source_5.100.82.112-7_all.deb) ...
Setting up bcmwl-kernel-source (5.100.82.112+bdcom-0ubuntu3) ...
Loading new bcmwl-5.100.82.112+bdcom DKMS files...
Building for architecture x86_64
Module build for the currently running kernel was skipped since the
kernel source for this kernel does not seem to be installed.
ERROR: Module b43 does not exist in /proc/modules
ERROR: Module b43legacy does not exist in /proc/modules
ERROR: Module ssb does not exist in /proc/modules
ERROR: Module bcm43xx does not exist in /proc/modules
ERROR: Module brcm80211 does not exist in /proc/modules
ERROR: Module brcmfmac does not exist in /proc/modules
ERROR: Module brcmsmac does not exist in /proc/modules
ERROR: Module bcma does not exist in /proc/modules
FATAL: Module wl not found.
FATAL: Error running install command for wl

The reason for this is obviously the lack of linux-headers which prevents the compilation of the wireless module from the source files installed, as the following resolves the issue:

1. find out the current kernel version running (cf. the build skip message above)--on my system it's 3.5.0-17-generic

     uname -a

2. install the appropriate linux-headers:

     sudo apt-get install linux-headers-3.5.0-17-generic

which yields (if the driver sources have already been installed and not been removed, otherwise install them again):

    Setting up linux-headers-3.5.0-17-generic (3.5.0-17.28) ...
     Examining /etc/kernel/header_postinst.d.
     run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/header_postinst.d/dkms 3.5.0-17-generic /boot/vmlinuz-3.5.0-17-generic
      * Running DKMS auto installation service for kernel 3.5.0-17-generic
      * bcmwl (5.100.82.112+bdcom)...
     bcmwl (5.100.82.112+bdcom): Installing module.
     ............
     ..........

After this, the module is loaded automatically, everything works again.

Assumed reason: missing dependency of bcmwl-kernel-source for linux-headers. Please add appropriate dependencies, as the same would happen on every kernel change.

Creating a package comprising the three packages bcmwl-kernel-source broadcom-sta-source broadcom-sta-common and adding a dependency for linux-headers-{running version} which may be removed after the wireless module compilation and recompiling upon every kernel update should solve the issue.

A verbose coloring and formatting for apt-get ala Gentoo's emerge would be helpful for all users. An apt-get wrapper is presumably viable.

Other than that:

/etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf:

blacklist bcm43xx
blacklist b43
blacklist b43legacy
blacklist bcma
blacklist ndiswrapper
blacklist brcmsmac

/etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-bcm43.conf

# Warning: This file is autogenerated by bcmwl. All changes to this file will be lost.
blacklist b43
blacklist b43legacy
blacklist ssb
blacklist bcm43xx
blacklist brcm80211
blacklist brcmfmac
blacklist brcmsmac
blacklist bcma

[greplnx (greplnx)]

cf. https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/bcmwl/+bug/476038

[greplnx (greplnx)]

uname -r is more appropriate

[Denis (denis-dellsale)]

now, i have got working driver.
i downloaded the source of last version, applied the patch (see attachement)
The error "asm\system.h" disappeared.
Then i installed the new driver.

Created new file in /etc/modprobe.d/broadcom.conf
<code>
alias ssb off
blacklist b43
blacklist ssb
blacklist ssb_hcd
options wl name=wlan0
</code>

Then add new string in file /etc/initramfs/modules
<code>
echo wl >> /etc/initramfs/modules
</code>

And update init ramfs
<code>
update-initramfs
</code>

Reboot.