[SOLVED] Broadcom Limited BCM43142 driver not available anymore kmod-wl

DJ Shaji · 01-14-2017, 11:04 AM

I recently installed rawhide, and discovered that the Broadcom Limited BCM43142 driver wl is no longer available. I tried to compile it using the akmod package, but get this error:

Code:

FATAL: modpost: GPL-incompatible module wl.ko uses GPL-only symbol '__init_work'

I downloaded the source from the Broadcom® website, changed the license to GPL

It compiles, but dumps core when I modprobe it:

Code:

[ 3520.544236] Call Trace:
[ 3520.544242]  dump_stack+0x86/0xc3
[ 3520.544246]  __warn+0xcb/0xf0
[ 3520.544249]  warn_slowpath_fmt+0x5f/0x80
[ 3520.544253]  check_unmap+0x516/0x9c0
[ 3520.544257]  ? swiotlb_tbl_unmap_single+0xf4/0x120
[ 3520.544260]  debug_dma_unmap_page+0x79/0xa0
[ 3520.544264]  ? unmap_single+0x20/0x30
[ 3520.544267]  ? swiotlb_unmap_page+0x9/0x10
[ 3520.544325]  osl_dma_unmap+0x6f/0xa0 [wl]
[ 3520.544371]  dma_txpioloopback+0x50b/0x15a4 [wl]
[ 3520.544437]  wlc_dotxstatus+0x144/0xc7b [wl]
[ 3520.544446]  ? __lock_acquire+0xcc1/0x1270
[ 3520.544513]  wlc_bmac_txstatus+0x14e/0x3eb [wl]
[ 3520.544576]  wlc_dpc+0x93/0x26a [wl]
[ 3520.544632]  wl_dpc+0xb8/0x180 [wl]
[ 3520.544636]  tasklet_action+0x78/0x1f0
[ 3520.544640]  __do_softirq+0xcd/0x4d9
[ 3520.544645]  ? smpboot_thread_fn+0x34/0x1f0
[ 3520.544649]  ? smpboot_thread_fn+0x12d/0x1f0
[ 3520.544652]  run_ksoftirqd+0x25/0x80
[ 3520.544656]  smpboot_thread_fn+0x128/0x1f0
[ 3520.544659]  kthread+0x10f/0x150
[ 3520.544662]  ? sort_range+0x30/0x30
[ 3520.544664]  ? kthread_create_on_node+0x60/0x60
[ 3520.544669]  ret_from_fork+0x2a/0x40
[ 3520.544673] ---[ end trace f3b8db326d16ded4 ]---

Has anyone got this to work? Help!

Here's the rant that comes with this problem. I have a Dell® Inc. Inspiron 3543/0RN98T, BIOS A01 11/04/2014, which came with Ubuntu® preinstalled. I bought this model specifically because Ubuntu® came preinstalled on it. Simple logic: if Dell® shipped the product with Linux® preinstalled, they would put hardware in it which had Linux® support. Right? Wrong! They shipped it with a Broadcom® 4313 chip. I'd gladly have paid more for a chip with a native Linux® driver. I turned on the laptop at the shop, and wifi worked flawlessly. So it did too on my Fedora® 24 installation. It just won't work anymore!

I've been using Linux® for more than a decade. Either a simple Just Works™ solution or a Get Your hands dirty solution would be acceptable. Help, anyone!

All registered trademarks are copyrights of their respective owners. I only use them here to indicate whom I have been screwed over by.

kilgoretrout · 01-17-2017, 04:54 PM

Not really a technical solution to your problem but a practical one, nonetheless. Buy one of these:

https://www.thinkpenguin.com/gnu-lin...ux-tpe-n150usb

I got so tired of banging my head against the wall with my broadcom wireless card breaking every other kernel update that I bit the bullet and did so long ago. Best $25 I ever spent.

DJ Shaji · 01-22-2017, 10:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kilgoretrout

Not really a technical solution to your problem but a practical one, nonetheless. Buy one of these:

https://www.thinkpenguin.com/gnu-lin...ux-tpe-n150usb

I got so tired of banging my head against the wall with my broadcom wireless card breaking every other kernel update that I bit the bullet and did so long ago. Best $25 I ever spent.

Reminds me of this.

I've thought of doing this. But an in-built thingy is better than one I have to carry around. The chip is right there, and it worked before! Anybody?

syg00 · 01-22-2017, 02:26 PM

Why are you using rawhide ?. It is always the case that "edge-case" failures may be introduced - and is documented as such.
Rawhide turns on all sorts of debugging options which can drag in GPL symbols.

FWIW, I use "normal" fedora and the nodebug rawhide kernel (only), and have had zero issues - but I wouldn't be caught dead using Broadcom wifi after previous experiences. For fedora version upgrades I turn off the rawhide repo.
YMMV.

DJ Shaji · 01-23-2017, 07:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by syg00

Why are you using rawhide ?

Coz it's a rolling release and I'm a power user
(ง ͠° ͟ل͜ ͡°)ง

Quote:

Rawhide turns on all sorts of debugging options which can drag in GPL symbols.

This issue is due to a licensing issue, and is not Rawhide's fault. See here and here

Quote:

but I wouldn't be caught dead using Broadcom wifi after previous experiences.

It used to work before! It's a damn licensing issue

DJ Shaji · 02-08-2017, 02:09 AM

I dnf updated, and apparently now it works

I'm now running kernel-4.10.0-0.rc6.git0.1.fc26.x86_64 on Rawhide. akmods
now builds without any problem. If anyone's having problems with this, I recommend updating to this kernel version.

DJ Shaji · 05-08-2017, 09:31 AM

I know it's an old thread, but for anyone who stumbles upon this problem, when kmod-wl is not available in the fusion repo, here's how to compile the driver properly:

shajikhan.in/kmod-wl