Re: [gentoo-user] b43-legacy and newer linux kernels?

[Mick]

On Friday 13 August 2010 19:24:08 Bill Longman wrote:
> On 08/13/2010 10:58 AM, BRM wrote:
> > ----- Original Message ----
> >
> >> On 13 August 2010 09:08, Neil Bothwick <neil@××××××××××.uk> wrote:
> >>> On  Thu, 12 Aug 2010 22:10:02 -0700 (PDT), BRM wrote:
> >>>> but even  so - they are saying this has to be done on every reboot,
> >>>> and that's  not much of a solution.
> >>>
> >>> Put the commands in  /etc/conf.d/local.start, or the start section
> >>> of /etc/conf.d/local if  using baselayout2.
> >>
> >> Have you been through the guidance in this page to  find out which
> >> kernel driver you ought to use with your  card?
> >> http://linuxwireless.org/en/users/Drivers/b43
> >
> > Yes. Unfortunately it's a 14e4:4320/ with BCM4306/2 Chip set (4306 Rev
> > 2), so it requires the b43-legacy driver, and only firmware version FW10
> > supports the hardware from what I can tell.
> >
> > It just seems to me that I went from a working wireless on 2.6.30 to a
> > non-working wireless on 2.6.34. I'd really like to get back to a working
> > wireless card, and be on the newer kernel.
>
> I feel your pain, Ben. I remember about three years ago having my laptop
> working great with all manner of 802.11 cards. I could do my work
> anywhere in the house. And then it all just kind of melted. A new kernel
> for one thing but somehow something else fell apart. I've pretty much
> written off any wireless on Linux now. My time is worth more than the
> hours of troubleshooting. Keep plugging, you just might get it.

Well, there's always ndiswrapper and the MSWindows driver to consider, when 
all Linux solutions fail or don't work that well.

I see on kernel v2.6.34-gentoo-r1 that CONFIG_B43LEGACY will now use V3 
firmware, which must be installed separately using b43-fwcutter.

Has the OP tried that?

PS.  The kernel help is also recommending that b43legacy is installed as a 
module.
-- 
Regards,
Mick