SparkyLinux Forums

Software & hardware support => Hardware => Topic started by: Linux_Newbi on February 20, 2014, 06:21:45 pm

Title: <SOLVED>Broadcom wifi not working on HP2133 netbook
Post by: Linux_Newbi on February 20, 2014, 06:21:45 pm: 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.
Title: Re: wifi not working on HP2133 netbook
Post by: pavroo on February 20, 2014, 07:15:16 pm: Show me results of two commands from a terminal: 'lspci' and 'lsusb'.
Title: Re: wifi not working on HP2133 netbook
Post by: Linux_Newbi on February 20, 2014, 07:50:48 pm: (https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwUH__z8gjdHUmJZaWxpWEdOMFU/edit?usp=docslist_api)

(https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwUH__z8gjdHckRTT2d2WE15UTA/edit?usp=docslist_api)

sorry they are images, cant get online on hp yet, ethernet cable MIA
Title: Re: wifi not working on HP2133 netbook
Post by: pavroo on February 20, 2014, 10:22:08 pm: 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.
Title: Re: wifi not working on HP2133 netbook
Post by: Linux_Newbi on February 20, 2014, 10:53:11 pm: 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.
Title: Re: wifi not working on HP2133 netbook
Post by: pavroo on February 20, 2014, 11:03:22 pm: 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.
Title: Re: wifi not working on HP2133 netbook
Post by: Linux_Newbi on February 21, 2014, 12:28:55 am: Thanks
Title: Re: wifi not working on HP2133 netbook
Post by: Linux_Newbi on February 23, 2014, 09:46:11 pm: 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?
Title: Re: wifi not working on HP2133 netbook
Post by: pavroo on February 24, 2014, 01:13:19 am: 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.
Title: Re: wifi not working on HP2133 netbook
Post by: Linux_Newbi on February 24, 2014, 09:07:28 pm: 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.
Title: Re: wifi not working on HP2133 netbook
Post by: pavroo on February 25, 2014, 09:35:07 pm: 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.
Title: Re: wifi not working on HP2133 netbook
Post by: Linux_Newbi on February 25, 2014, 09:41:42 pm: Yes, but I feel bad bugging you all the time, and I want to learn.
Title: Re: wifi not working on HP2133 netbook
Post by: pavroo on February 25, 2014, 10:02:23 pm: Don't be :)
Title: Re: Broadcom wifi not working on HP2133 netbook
Post by: kevjonesin on June 06, 2014, 12:01:21 am: 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.
Title: Re: <SOLVED>Broadcom wifi not working on HP2133 netbook
Post by: configX on October 26, 2014, 06:26:15 pm: 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.
Title: Re: <SOLVED>Broadcom wifi not working on HP2133 netbook
Post by: ramio on December 04, 2014, 06:19:17 pm: leafpad /etc/modules

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

Code:

b43
loop

It does not work on my laptop perhaps because it is a 64 bit.
Title: Re: <SOLVED>Broadcom wifi not working on HP2133 netbook
Post by: MoroS on December 09, 2014, 01:34:19 pm: Quote from: kevjonesin on June 06, 2014, 12:01:21 am
I just started playing with Sparkylinux 3.4 E18 (live usb) and noticed that a number of Broadcom drivers are 'blacklisted' by default in:
<i> /etc/modprobe.d/broadcom-sta-common.conf</i>

There's just so many things wrong with this if you don't have the Broadcom STA ("the proprietary") driver installed. :D

If the STA driver is installed, then by all means this is the default behaviour (blacklist the open drivers, so that they don't conflict with the proprietary), but if not, then this file should not exist. There's no point in blacklisting the open drivers if no proprietary drivers are installed.

It's also a lesson: PURGE the packages instead of removing them (as in: "apt-get purge ..." instead of "apt-get remove ...") or you'll end up with tons of unneeded configuration files laying around in /etc and possibly blocking stuff they should not.

Pavroo: from what kevjonesin wrote it seems that either the STA is installed in Sparky by default or it was, but some garbage was left behind (blacklisting the open drivers). Could you check which one is it, just to be sure we're not unnecessarily blacklisting anything? Just in case. ;)
Title: Re: <SOLVED>Broadcom wifi not working on HP2133 netbook
Post by: pavroo on December 09, 2014, 08:13:05 pm: Yes, they are there.
I will check packeges preinstalled too.
Title: Re: <SOLVED>Broadcom wifi not working on HP2133 netbook
Post by: cynclida on March 24, 2015, 02:32:30 pm: Really well done! HP mini 2133 wifi works out of the box with Sparky Linux! Thank you.
Title: Re: <SOLVED>Broadcom wifi not working on HP2133 netbook
Post by: namckeand on July 13, 2015, 03:30:29 pm: Thanks for the great thread. It has allowed me to put the 32-bit MATE edition of Sparky on my old (2009) Dell mini 12 and have wireless working. But like the original poster, I have to run modprobe b43 each time I want wireless.

I added b43 in front of loop in the modules file as was suggested (after exchanging 'pluma' for 'leafpad') and, although it is there, I still have to run modprobe b43 each time.

According to synaptic, I have Broadcom-STA installed. And my modprobe.d file days that b43 is blacklisted.

This machine has the Broadcom BCM4312 LP-PHY chip.

Any ideas? I don't use this machine on a regular basis, so it isn't a major problem to start wireless manually, but I just like to have things running the way they should!
Title: Re: <SOLVED>Broadcom wifi not working on HP2133 netbook
Post by: MoroS on July 13, 2015, 04:54:12 pm: Hi.

It's another case of "Broadcom STA installed, so blacklist the b43". For the chip you're refering to you should:
- remove the Broadcom STA packages:
Code: [Select]
apt-get purge broadcom-sta-*- make sure that b43 is not blacklisted anymore (if it still is, then remove the line containing it)

After that it should work automatically after reboot. If not, then post the output of the dmesg command, so we can check what went wrong.
Title: Re: <SOLVED>Broadcom wifi not working on HP2133 netbook
Post by: namckeand on July 13, 2015, 05:38:48 pm: Thanks so much! It worked perfectly!