Date: Thu, 2 Apr 2015 08:42:55 +1100 From: Felix Friedlander <felixphew0@gmail.com> To: freebsd-wireless@freebsd.org Subject: Re: How to make working new Broadcom chips like BCM4331? Message-ID: <2D66DCCB-AAC5-4431-BC3E-57877979B8D9@gmail.com>
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> Hi, >=20 > On Mon, 02 Feb 2015 08:12:17 +0300 > Alexander Perechnev <herfleisch at me.com> wrote: >=20 >> Hello everyone, >>=20 >> I=E2=80=99ve installed FreeBSD 10.1 on my MacBook Pro 13 mid 2012. = Everything >> works pretty good, except wireless. It works with [ndis], but it >> doesn=E2=80=99t work with existing [bwi-firmware-kmod] and >> [bwn-firmware-kmod] facilities. >>=20 >> I=E2=80=99ve looked into [bwn] port Makefile >> = (https://github.com/aperechnev/freebsd-ports/blob/master/net/bwn-firmware-= kmod/Makefile) >> and found that all it does is just to download necessary firmware >> (4.150.10.5 and 4.178.10.4), extracts it via [b43-fwcutter-015] and >> compiles it into kernel module. >>=20 >> So the first problem is that 4th gen firmware does not support my >> BCM4331. >>=20 >> Also i=E2=80=99ve found the [siba-bwn], which recognizes the broadcom >> devices: >> = https://github.com/freebsd/freebsd/blob/master/sys/dev/siba/siba_bwn.c. >>=20 >> So summary it seems that it is not so hard to support my BCM4331. I >> have to: >>=20 >> - port [b43-fwcutter-018] to FreeBSD, because earlier versions >> doesn=E2=80=99t work with newest firmware >> - update existing [bwn-firmware-kmod] to point it to newest firmware >> - add my BCM4331 device to [siba-bwn] >>=20 >> I expect that after this steps my BCM4331 should be working. But I am >> new in FreeBSD and I=E2=80=99m just asking you for any help like = related >> information, existing problems, links, etc. >>=20 >> I am not sure if I am right in my theory, but for me it seems that it >> should work. So if you know another problems, which I don=E2=80=99t, = please >> let me know before I go through this steps. >>=20 >> Thank you for excellent operating system, now it=E2=80=99s my = favorite one! >>=20 >> Best regards, >> Alexander Perechnev. >> _______________________________________________ >> freebsd-wireless at freebsd.org mailing list >> http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-wireless >> To unsubscribe, send any mail to >> "freebsd-wireless-unsubscribe at freebsd.org" >=20 > Hi, >=20 > out of curiosity I reviewed the BCM status. >=20 > IMO you don't have to port the b43-fwcutter to BSD. It would be nice, > but you can use any Linux to get the firmware (from /lib/firmware/). = For > example. > https://help.ubuntu.com/community/MacBookPro8-2/Oneiric#Wireless >=20 > As of the support, JFYI > BCM4331 Linux driver is provided by Broadcom > http://www.broadcom.com/docs/linux_sta/README_6.30.223.248.txt >=20 > ,there is no support in the Linux kernel atm > https://wireless.wiki.kernel.org/en/users/drivers/brcm80211 >=20 > and I'm not sure, where do the bwi/bwn drivers come from (to see how > probable is the support of BCM4331). > bwi -- Broadcom BCM43xx IEEE 802.11b/g wireless network driver > bwn -- Broadcom BCM43xx IEEE 802.11b/g wireless network driver >=20 >=20 > Cheers, >=20 > -vlado Just out of curiosity, is anyone working on this ATM? I=E2=80=99ve had = the same problem, and it is (no offence to anyone intended) a bit = ridiculous that the latest Broadcom chips we support are around 5 years = old now. I don=E2=80=99t actually know enough to say this for sure, but = judging by the first message it looks like this is a (relatively) simple = fix - simply add newer firmware and sell siba to detect the new cards. = Is this the case, or am I misreading the whole situation? Also, the Broadcom-provided linux STA driver you referenced above is not = very widely used - b43 (the kernel driver) is much more common, and = requires extracting the firmware just like the FreeBSD drivers. See = https://wireless.wiki.kernel.org/en/users/Drivers/b43 -- Felix Friedlander <felixphew0@gmail.com>
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