Kernel 5.5.x Does Not Support BCM4360 WiFi Adapter

[David Nagy]

When I upgraded an older Macbook Air (running Ubuntu 18.04.4) from kernel 4.15 to 5.5, the wifi adapter no longer worked. The system was reporting that there were no wifi adapters found.

I did research, tried some of the suggested changes (mostly installing the DEB package with the Broadcom kernel source) and had no luck getting wifi to work.

Installed kernel 5.3.18 and the wifi adapter is found and is working.

cat /proc/version_signature returns 'no such file'

lscpi -vnvn returns (for the wifi adapter):

03:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Broadcom Inc. and subsidiaries BCM4360 802.11ac Wireless Network Adapter [14e4:43a0] (rev 03)
 Subsystem: Apple Inc. BCM4360 802.11ac Wireless Network Adapter [106b:0117]
 Control: I/O- Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx-
 Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=fast >TAbort+ <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR- INTx-
 Latency: 0, Cache Line Size: 256 bytes
 Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 0
 Region 0: Memory at b0600000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=32K]
 Region 2: Memory at b0400000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=2M]
 Capabilities: [48] Power Management version 3
  Flags: PMEClk- DSI- D1+ D2+ AuxCurrent=0mA PME(D0+,D1+,D2+,D3hot+,D3cold+)
  Status: D3 NoSoftRst+ PME-Enable- DSel=0 DScale=2 PME-
 Capabilities: [58] MSI: Enable- Count=1/1 Maskable- 64bit+
  Address: 0000000000000000 Data: 0000
 Capabilities: [68] Vendor Specific Information: Len=44 <?>
 Capabilities: [ac] Express (v2) Endpoint, MSI 00
  DevCap: MaxPayload 256 bytes, PhantFunc 0, Latency L0s <4us, L1 unlimited
   ExtTag- AttnBtn- AttnInd- PwrInd- RBE+ FLReset- SlotPowerLimit 10.000W
  DevCtl: Report errors: Correctable- Non-Fatal- Fatal- Unsupported-
   RlxdOrd+ ExtTag- PhantFunc- AuxPwr+ NoSnoop+
   MaxPayload 128 bytes, MaxReadReq 1024 bytes
  DevSta: CorrErr- UncorrErr+ FatalErr- UnsuppReq- AuxPwr+ TransPend-
  LnkCap: Port #0, Speed 2.5GT/s, Width x1, ASPM L0s L1, Exit Latency L0s <2us, L1 <32us
   ClockPM+ Surprise- LLActRep- BwNot- ASPMOptComp+
  LnkCtl: ASPM L0s L1 Enabled; RCB 64 bytes Disabled- CommClk+
   ExtSynch- ClockPM+ AutWidDis- BWInt- AutBWInt-
  LnkSta: Speed 2.5GT/s, Width x1, TrErr- Train- SlotClk+ DLActive- BWMgmt- ABWMgmt-
  DevCap2: Completion Timeout: Range ABCD, TimeoutDis+, LTR+, OBFF Via WAKE#
  DevCtl2: Completion Timeout: 50us to 50ms, TimeoutDis-, LTR+, OBFF Disabled
  LnkCtl2: Target Link Speed: 2.5GT/s, EnterCompliance- SpeedDis-
    Transmit Margin: Normal Operating Range, EnterModifiedCompliance- ComplianceSOS-
    Compliance De-emphasis: -6dB
  LnkSta2: Current De-emphasis Level: -3.5dB, EqualizationComplete-, EqualizationPhase1-
    EqualizationPhase2-, EqualizationPhase3-, LinkEqualizationRequest-
 Capabilities: [100 v1] Advanced Error Reporting
  UESta: DLP- SDES- TLP- FCP- CmpltTO- CmpltAbrt- UnxCmplt- RxOF- MalfTLP- ECRC- UnsupReq- ACSViol-
  UEMsk: DLP- SDES- TLP- FCP- CmpltTO- CmpltAbrt- UnxCmplt- RxOF- MalfTLP- ECRC- UnsupReq- ACSViol-
  UESvrt: DLP+ SDES+ TLP- FCP+ CmpltTO- CmpltAbrt- UnxCmplt- RxOF+ MalfTLP+ ECRC- UnsupReq- ACSViol-
  CESta: RxErr- BadTLP- BadDLLP- Rollover- Timeout- NonFatalErr-
  CEMsk: RxErr- BadTLP- BadDLLP- Rollover- Timeout- NonFatalErr+
  AERCap: First Error Pointer: 00, GenCap+ CGenEn- ChkCap+ ChkEn-
 Capabilities: [13c v1] Device Serial Number 48-d7-00-ff-ff-00-00-01
 Capabilities: [150 v1] Power Budgeting <?>
 Capabilities: [160 v1] Virtual Channel
  Caps: LPEVC=0 RefClk=100ns PATEntryBits=1
  Arb: Fixed- WRR32- WRR64- WRR128-
  Ctrl: ArbSelect=Fixed
  Status: InProgress-
  VC0: Caps: PATOffset=00 MaxTimeSlots=1 RejSnoopTrans-
   Arb: Fixed- WRR32- WRR64- WRR128- TWRR128- WRR256-
   Ctrl: Enable+ ID=0 ArbSelect=Fixed TC/VC=ff
   Status: NegoPending- InProgress-
 Capabilities: [1b0 v1] Latency Tolerance Reporting
  Max snoop latency: 3145728ns
  Max no snoop latency: 3145728ns
 Capabilities: [220 v1] #15
 Kernel modules: bcma

lsb_release returns:

Description: Ubuntu 18.04.4 LTS
Release: 18.04

apt-cache for the driver kernel source returns:

bcmwl-kernel-source:
  Installed: 6.30.223.271+bdcom-0ubuntu5
  Candidate: 6.30.223.271+bdcom-0ubuntu5
  Version table:
 *** 6.30.223.271+bdcom-0ubuntu5 100
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
     6.30.223.271+bdcom-0ubuntu5~18.04.1 500
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-updates/restricted amd64 Packages
     6.30.223.271+bdcom-0ubuntu4 500
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic/restricted amd64 Packages

What I expected to happen: Wifi connection (and icon showing in status bar)
What happened instead: WiFi adapter not found.
---
ProblemType: Bug
ApportVersion: 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.11
Architecture: amd64
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 18.04
InstallationDate: Installed on 2019-10-01 (159 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 18.04.1 LTS "Bionic Beaver" - Release amd64 (20180725)
Package: linux (not installed)
ProcEnviron:
 TERM=xterm-256color
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
Tags: bionic
Uname: Linux 5.5.8-050508-generic x86_64
UnreportableReason: The running kernel is not an Ubuntu kernel
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
UserGroups: adm cdrom dip lpadmin plugdev sambashare sudo
_MarkForUpload: True

[Ubuntu Kernel Bot (ubuntu-kernel-bot)]

This bug is missing log files that will aid in diagnosing the problem. While running an Ubuntu kernel (not a mainline or third-party kernel) please enter the following command in a terminal window:

apport-collect 1866697

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.

[David Nagy (dalexnagy)]

apport information

[You-Sheng Yang (vicamo)]

Could you paste output of `dpkg -l|grep linux-.*5.5.8` and `dkms status`? It works just fine on Focal with same v5.5.8 mainline kernel:

$ dpkg -l|grep linux-.*5.5.8 | awk '{print $2}'
linux-headers-5.5.8-050508
linux-headers-5.5.8-050508-generic
linux-image-unsigned-5.5.8-050508-generic
linux-modules-5.5.8-050508-generic

$ dkms status
broadcom-sta, 6.30.223.271, 5.5.8-050508-generic, x86_64: installed

03:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Broadcom Inc. and subsidiaries BCM4360 802.11ac Wireless Network Adapter [14e4:43a0] (rev 03)
        Subsystem: Apple Inc. BCM4360 802.11ac Wireless Network Adapter [106b:0112]
        Kernel driver in use: wl

[David Nagy (dalexnagy)]

Results of dpkg -l|grep linux-.*5.5.8 | awk '{print $2}':

linux-headers-5.5.8-050508
linux-headers-5.5.8-050508-generic
linux-image-unsigned-5.5.8-050508-generic
linux-modules-5.5.8-050508-generic

Results of dkms status:

bcmwl, 6.30.223.271+bdcom, 5.3.18-050318-generic, x86_64: installed

-----

Do I have the wrong version of something installed?

Dave

[You-Sheng Yang (vicamo)]

You don't have corresponding DKMS modules built. Rebuild with:

  $ sudo dkms install bcmwl/6.30.223.271+bdcom -k 5.5.8-050508-generic

If any error found, it will prompt a path /var/lib/dkms/..../make.log, then please attach that log file.

[David Nagy (dalexnagy)]

Thanks, Mr. Yang.

Before I read your note, I was researching why the 'dkms status' was still showing the module for the 5.3 kernel and came across a page (https://ubuntu.pkgs.org/19.10/ubuntu-multiverse-i386/broadcom-sta-dkms_6.30.223.271-11_all.deb.html) with simple two-step instructions to install broadcom modules.

I did the update via 'sudo apt update' (my system also listed packages that I could upgrade, which I did via 'sudo apt upgrade'), then install Broadcom dkms modules' which I did via 'sudo apt install broadcom-sta-dkms'. I rebooted and wireless is now working fine.

The 'dkms status' now shows:

bcmwl, 6.30.223.271+bdcom, 5.3.18-050318-generic, x86_64: installed
broadcom-sta, 6.30.223.271, 5.5.8-050508-generic, x86_64: installed

Please close this bug report.

Thanks you for your involvement!