<SOLVED>Broadcom wifi not working on HP2133 netbook

[Linux_Newbi]

I havedoone a full install on an old 2133 notebook i have lying around, works fine exept i cant get the wifi to work, it dosent appear n the network menu, and i cant find any info on the driver online, can anyone help? please note i'm verry new to linx.

[pavroo]

Show me results of two commands from a terminal: 'lspci' and 'lsusb'.

[Linux_Newbi]

sorry they are images, cant get online on hp yet, ethernet cable MIA

[pavroo]

It's OK.

But you can use Lxterminal or MATE-terminal, depence what desktop you have (what desktop/sparky version you have?)

Don't run the system in text mode, run it as normal mode and run from menu-> accesories-> terminal, log in as root:

Code:

su
modprobe -r b43

If it does not show any problems, run:

Code:

modprobe b43

Then check your wifi networks.

[Linux_Newbi]

Thanks, I'm using ultra, stupid question, I'm a ubento user, how do you log in as root in the terminal?

I am running gui, just full screen xterm to make text fit, didn't know ther was a text only mode.

[pavroo]

If you have Ultra, you should running Openbox desktop.

If so, right click of your mouse-> choose "Terminal emulator".

Then type:

Code:

su

and type root/admin password you created during system installation on a hard drive.

Then type:

Code:

modprobe -r b43
modprobe b43

and check network icon on the panel - networks names should be displayed there.

[Linux_Newbi]

Thanks

[Linux_Newbi]

Ok, this works great, but isn't permanent, is there any way to get it to run automatically on startup, sort of .bat in startup equivalent?

[pavroo]

Login as root/admin in a terminal emulator as before and edit 'modules' file, just copy the text and past it to the terminal:

Code:

leafpad /etc/modules

Add the text below to the file just before 'loop', so it has to looks like that:

Code:

b43
loop

Then save the file, close everything and reboot your machine.

[Linux_Newbi]

Thank you, is ther a webpage anywhere explaining what the problem was? I'd like to know so if something similar happens again I can fix it.

[pavroo]

No, it is not.

It happens if a module of a device (a driver) is not loaded automatically.

That's why the forum exist for.

[Linux_Newbi]

Yes, but I feel bad bugging you all the time, and I want to learn.

[pavroo]

Don't be :)

[kevjonesin]

I just started playing with Sparkylinux 3.4 E18 (live usb) and noticed that a number of Broadcom drivers are 'blacklisted' by default in:



/etc/modprobe.d/broadcom-sta-common.conf



Which probably relates to Linux_Newb-i having had to manually enable the 'b43' driver.





As for myself, I just adapted the command ("modprobe -r b44 ...") to enable the 'b44' kernel module/driver to access my "Broadcom Corporation BCM4401 100Base-T (rev 01)" Ethernet controller. My wired connection is working now, but I thought I'd share the detail I learned while sorting it out.

[configX]

What's interesting is that I had this same issue on an older Intel iMac with the LXDE edition but it worked out of the box with the JWM edition.