{"id":681,"date":"2009-07-18T00:22:36","date_gmt":"2009-07-17T21:22:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.void.gr\/kargig\/blog\/?p=681"},"modified":"2010-01-14T20:16:39","modified_gmt":"2010-01-14T18:16:39","slug":"trying-to-achieve-a-more-stable-hybrid-broadcom-wl-kernel-module-for-broadcom-4328","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.void.gr\/kargig\/blog\/2009\/07\/18\/trying-to-achieve-a-more-stable-hybrid-broadcom-wl-kernel-module-for-broadcom-4328\/","title":{"rendered":"Trying to achieve a more stable hybrid (broadcom-wl) kernel module for broadcom 4328"},"content":{"rendered":"

On my Macbook (4,1)<\/a> I am currently using Debian with kernel 2.6.30-1-686-bigmem. This Macbook has Broadcom 4328 wireless chipset installed (02:00.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4328 802.11a\/b\/g\/n (rev 03)) and unfortunately the necessary kernel module provided by Broadcom<\/a> is pretty unstable. Or very unstable. Oh well…it’s totally unstable.<\/p>\n

I had random freezes, usually when I first booted and tried to modprobe the module. After some searching around the net and a lot of experiments I’ve managed to create a kernel module that looks quite stable. At least I stopped getting any more lockups and freezes…To reproduce the module with the patches I’ve used follow the directions bellow step by step.<\/p>\n

Find your kernel version<\/em>:
\nmybox:~# uname -r
\n2.6.30-1-686-bigmem<\/code><\/p>\n

Install kernel header files related to the kernel version you found (on the above example it is: 2.6.30-1-686-bigmem)<\/em>:
\nmybox:~# aptitude install linux-headers-2.6.30-1-686-bigmem<\/code><\/p>\n

Remember to replace the version (2.6.30-1-6-bigmem) with the output of your mybox:~# uname -r<\/code><\/p>\n

Create necessary dirs<\/em>:
\nmybox:~# mkdir hybrid_wl
\nmybox:~# cd hybrid_wl<\/code><\/p>\n

Download Linux drivers package from Broadcom:<\/em>
\n802.11 Linux STA 32-bit Driver<\/a>
\n(Driver info site: 802.11 Linux STA driver<\/a>)
\nmybox:~\/hybrid_wl# wget http:\/\/www.broadcom.com\/docs\/linux_sta\/hybrid-portsrc-x86_32-v5_10_91_9.tar.gz<\/p>\n

Download a few more patches from Archlinux and Gentoo:<\/em>
\nhidden-essid patch<\/a>
\n2.6.30 patch 1<\/a>
\n2.6.30 patch 2 <\/a>
\nhybrid-portsrc-x86_32-v5_10_91_9-convert_to_net_device_ops.diff<\/a>
\n<\/code>mybox:~\/hybrid_wl# wget http:\/\/aur.archlinux.org\/packages\/broadcom-wl\/broadcom-wl\/hidden-essid.patch
\nmybox:~\/hybrid_wl# wget http:\/\/aur.archlinux.org\/packages\/broadcom-wl\/broadcom-wl\/broadcom-sta-5.10.91.9-linux-2.6.30.patch
\nmybox:~\/hybrid_wl# wget http:\/\/aur.archlinux.org\/packages\/broadcom-wl\/broadcom-wl\/broadcom-sta-5.10.91.9-linux-2.6.30-2.patch
\nmybox:~\/hybrid_wl# wget -O hybrid-portsrc-x86_32-v5_10_91_9-convert_to_net_device_ops.diff http:\/\/bugs.gentoo.org\/attachment.cgi?id=195182<\/code><\/p>\n

Extract package:<\/em>
\nmybox:~\/hybrid_wl# tar -xzf \/path\/to\/hybrid-portsrc-x86_32-v5_10_91_9.tar.gz<\/code><\/p>\n

Start Patching:<\/em>
\nmybox:~\/hybrid_wl# sed -i hidden-essid.patch -e 's|5.10.79.10|src\/wl\/sys|g'
\nmybox:~\/hybrid_wl# patch -p0 < hidden-essid.patch
\npatching file src\/wl\/sys\/wl_iw.c
\nmybox:~\/hybrid_wl# sed -i broadcom-sta-5.10.91.9-linux-2.6.30.patch -e 's|hybrid-portsrc-x86_32-v5_10_91_9.orig\/||g'
\nmybox:~\/hybrid_wl# sed -i broadcom-sta-5.10.91.9-linux-2.6.30.patch -e 's|hybrid-portsrc-x86_32-v5_10_91_9\/||g'
\nmybox:~\/hybrid_wl# patch -p0 <broadcom-sta-5.10.91.9-linux-2.6.30.patch
\npatching file src\/wl\/sys\/wl_iw.c
\nHunk #1 succeeded at 611 (offset 1 line).
\nHunk #2 succeeded at 640 (offset 1 line).
\nHunk #3 succeeded at 1119 (offset 1 line).
\nHunk #4 succeeded at 1147 (offset 1 line).
\nHunk #5 succeeded at 1807 (offset 1 line).
\nHunk #6 succeeded at 1942 (offset 1 line).
\npatching file src\/wl\/sys\/wl_linux.c
\npatching file src\/wl\/sys\/wl_linux.h
\nmybox:~\/hybrid_wl# patch -p0 < broadcom-sta-5.10.91.9-linux-2.6.30-2.patch
\npatching file src\/wl\/sys\/wl_linux.c
\nmybox:~\/hybrid_wl# sed -i hybrid-portsrc-x86_32-v5_10_91_9-convert_to_net_device_ops.diff -e 's|a\/src\/|src\/|g'
\nmybox:~\/hybrid_wl# sed -i hybrid-portsrc-x86_32-v5_10_91_9-convert_to_net_device_ops.diff -e 's|b\/src\/|src\/|g'
\nmybox:~\/hybrid_wl# patch -p0 < hybrid-portsrc-x86_32-v5_10_91_9-convert_to_net_device_ops.diff
\npatching file src\/wl\/sys\/wl_linux.c
\nHunk #1 succeeded at 225 (offset 6 lines).
\npatching file src\/wl\/sys\/wl_iw.c<\/code><\/p>\n

Compile the kernel module:<\/em>
\nmybox:~\/hybrid_wl# make -C \/lib\/modules\/2.6.30-1-686-bigmem\/build M=`pwd` clean
\nmake: Entering directory `\/usr\/src\/linux-headers-2.6.30-1-686-bigmem'
\nmake: Leaving directory `\/usr\/src\/linux-headers-2.6.30-1-686-bigmem'
\nmybox:~\/hybrid_wl# make -C \/lib\/modules\/2.6.30-1-686-bigmem\/build M=`pwd`
\nmake: Entering directory `\/usr\/src\/linux-headers-2.6.30-1-686-bigmem'
\n LD \/root\/hybrid_wl\/built-in.o
\n CC [M] \/root\/hybrid_wl\/src\/wl\/sys\/wl_linux.o
\n CC [M] \/root\/hybrid_wl\/src\/wl\/sys\/wl_iw.o
\n CC [M] \/root\/hybrid_wl\/src\/shared\/linux_osl.o
\n LD [M] \/root\/hybrid_wl\/wl.o
\n Building modules, stage 2.
\n MODPOST 1 modules
\nWARNING: modpost: missing MODULE_LICENSE() in \/root\/hybrid_wl\/wl.o
\nsee include\/linux\/module.h for more information
\n CC \/root\/hybrid_wl\/wl.mod.o
\n LD [M] \/root\/hybrid_wl\/wl.ko
\nmake: Leaving directory `\/usr\/src\/linux-headers-2.6.30-1-686-bigmem'<\/code><\/p>\n

Install the new module:<\/em>
\nmybox:~\/hybrid_wl# cp wl.ko \/lib\/modules\/2.6.30-1-686-bigmem\/kernel\/drivers\/net\/wireless\/
\nmybox:~\/hybrid_wl# depmod
\nmybox:~\/hybrid_wl# modprobe wl<\/code><\/p>\n

Check if everything loads correctly:<\/em>
\nmybox:~\/hybrid_wl# dmesg |tail
\n[ 66.229797] lib80211: common routines for IEEE802.11 drivers
\n[ 66.229805] lib80211_crypt: registered algorithm 'NULL'
\n[ 66.301793] wl: module license 'unspecified' taints kernel.
\n[ 66.301802] Disabling lock debugging due to kernel taint
\n[ 66.305919] wl 0000:02:00.0: PCI INT A -> GSI 16 (level, low) -> IRQ 16
\n[ 66.305933] wl 0000:02:00.0: setting latency timer to 64
\n[ 66.406146] lib80211_crypt: registered algorithm 'TKIP'
\n[ 66.408646] eth1: Broadcom BCM4328 802.11 Wireless Controller 5.10.91.9
\n[ 76.524135] eth1: no IPv6 routers present<\/code><\/p>\n

You can also chek the iwconfig output. Hopefully everything will be fine…
\nI hope this saves a few hours of searching and experimenting for some people…<\/p>\n

References:
\n1) 802.11 Linux STA driver <\/a>
\n2) AUR broadcom-wl 5.10.91.9-2<\/a>
\n3) Gentoo Bug: 284450 (New ebuild: net\/wireless\/broadcom-sta)<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On my Macbook (4,1) I am currently using Debian with kernel 2.6.30-1-686-bigmem. This Macbook has Broadcom 4328 wireless chipset installed (02:00.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4328 802.11a\/b\/g\/n (rev 03)) and unfortunately the necessary kernel module provided by Broadcom is pretty unstable. Or very unstable. Oh well…it’s totally unstable. I had random freezes, usually when I […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[162,156,160,37,150,33,601,158,595,159,157,161],"class_list":["post-681","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-linux","tag-2-6-30","tag-archlinux","tag-broadcom","tag-bug","tag-bugfix","tag-debian","tag-gentoo","tag-kernel","tag-linux","tag-module","tag-patch","tag-wireless"],"aioseo_notices":[],"views":32403,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.void.gr\/kargig\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/681","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.void.gr\/kargig\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.void.gr\/kargig\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.void.gr\/kargig\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.void.gr\/kargig\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=681"}],"version-history":[{"count":23,"href":"https:\/\/www.void.gr\/kargig\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/681\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":718,"href":"https:\/\/www.void.gr\/kargig\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/681\/revisions\/718"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.void.gr\/kargig\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=681"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.void.gr\/kargig\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=681"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.void.gr\/kargig\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=681"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}