Assistance with installing WiFi

[RotorBalls]

I've been following this guide and I'm a bit of a Linux noob
I realize it's for CentOS 6 but I was hoping it might carry over. Is there an updated guide for 7?
http://wiki.centos.org/HowTos/Laptops/Wireless/Broadcom

I just installed "CentOS-7.0-1406-x86_64-Everything" on a Dell D630 which has a Broadcom 1390 WLAN MiniCard
According to the readme it might be a supported device

This step is where I'm hung up
[Joe@localhost hybrid-wl]$ make -C /lib/modules/`uname -r`/build/ M=`pwd`
make: *** /lib/modules/3.10.0-123.el7.x86_64/build/: No such file or directory. Stop.
[Joe@localhost hybrid-wl]$ ls /lib/modules/`uname -r`/build
/lib/modules/3.10.0-123.el7.x86_64/build

I've made sure there were no missing packages and ran yum install kernel-devel again just to make sure.

Joe@localhost hybrid-wl]$ lspci | grep Broadcom
09:00.0 Ethernet controller: Broadcom Corporation NetXtreme BCM5755M Gigabit Ethernet PCI Express (rev 02)
0c:00.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4312 802.11b/g LP-PHY (rev 01)



Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

09:00.0 Ethernet controller: Broadcom Corporation NetXtreme BCM5755M Gigabit Ethernet PCI Express (rev 02)
0c:00.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4312 802.11b/g LP-PHY (rev 01)



Desperate...and completely lost /noob

Joe@localhost hybrid-wl]$ make clean
KBUILD_NOPEDANTIC=1 make -C /lib/modules/`uname -r`/build M=`pwd` clean
make: *** /lib/modules/3.10.0-123.el7.x86_64/build: No such file or directory. Stop.
make: *** [clean] Error 2
[Joe@localhost hybrid-wl]$ make
KBUILD_NOPEDANTIC=1 make -C /lib/modules/`uname -r`/build M=`pwd`
make: *** /lib/modules/3.10.0-123.el7.x86_64/build: No such file or directory. Stop.
make: *** [all] Error 2

[AlanBartlett]

Please post the output returned by executing the following command line --

lspci -nn | grep -i net

That will allow us to see the fingerprint (the Vendor:Device ID pairing) of the device(s) . . . which is more useful than the name!

[RotorBalls]

[Joe@localhost ~]$ lspci -nn | grep -i net
09:00.0 Ethernet controller [0200]: Broadcom Corporation NetXtreme BCM5755M Gigabit Ethernet PCI Express [14e4:1673] (rev 02)
0c:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Broadcom Corporation BCM4312 802.11b/g LP-PHY [14e4:4315] (rev 01)

[AlanBartlett]

Thank you for posting the output. After looking at the details, I believe that you will need to build and install a kmod-wl package to enable WiFi hardware of your system.

Full details of how to perform that task can be found on the ELRepo Project's wl-kmod wiki page. Please note that that page has details for EL5, EL6 and EL7 -- so ensure that you follow the details for EL7, which is appropriate for CentOS 7.

[RotorBalls]

I was hoping I could get through those instructions without a hitch but I'm hung up on step 5
It says to build as regular user but I'm getting a permissions error.

[Joe@localhost ~]$ rpmbuild --rebuild --target=`uname -m` --define 'packager Joe' /home/Joe/Downloads/wl-kmod-6_30_223_248-2.el7.elrepo.nosrc.rpm>/wl-kmod*nosrc.rpm
bash: /wl-kmod*nosrc.rpm: Permission denied

[AlanBartlett]

I have no idea from whence the following has been copied, certainly not the instructions to which you were directed --

Code: Select all

 . . .  >/wl-kmod*nosrc.rpm

You most definitely do not need the redirection of the standard output to a file in the root filesystem. Furthermore, the standard output from that command line is not an RPM file.

Try the following --

rpmbuild --rebuild --target=`uname -m` --define 'packager Joe' /home/Joe/Downloads/wl-kmod-6_30_223_248-2.el7.elrepo.nosrc.rpm

Assuming that you have correctly set up your ~/rpmbuild/ directory structure, the product of the above command line will be found in your ~/rpmbuild/RPMS/$(uname -m)/ directory.

Please show the entire output produced by executing the following --

ls -lR ~/rpmbuild/

[RotorBalls]

I see part of my error now, I left the > character in after editing the path to the rpm:
rpmbuild --rebuild --target=`uname -m` --define 'packager <your-name>' /<path-to-nosrc.rpm>/wl-kmod*nosrc.rpm

What's this part for? /wl-kmod*nosrc.rpm
I must have misinterpreted the instructions from the above command.


Anyhow, thank you, I followed your instruction and it appeared to install ok

[Joe@localhost ~]$ rpmbuild --rebuild --target=`uname -m` --define 'packager Joe' /home/Joe/Downloads/wl-kmod-6_30_223_248-2.el7.elrepo.nosrc.rpm
Installing /home/Joe/Downloads/wl-kmod-6_30_223_248-2.el7.elrepo.nosrc.rpm
warning: /home/Joe/Downloads/wl-kmod-6_30_223_248-2.el7.elrepo.nosrc.rpm: Header V4 DSA/SHA1 Signature, key ID baadae52: NOKEY
.
.
.
[Joe@localhost ~]$ ls -lR ~/rpmbuild/
/home/Joe/rpmbuild/:
total 0
drwxrwxr-x. 2 Joe Joe 6 Feb 19 07:25 BUILD
drwxr-xr-x. 2 Joe Joe 6 Feb 19 07:25 BUILDROOT
drwxrwxr-x. 3 Joe Joe 19 Feb 19 07:25 RPMS
drwxrwxr-x. 2 Joe Joe 60 Feb 19 07:25 SOURCES
drwxrwxr-x. 2 Joe Joe 6 Feb 19 07:25 SPECS
drwxrwxr-x. 2 Joe Joe 6 Feb 18 16:42 SRPMS

/home/Joe/rpmbuild/BUILD:
total 0

/home/Joe/rpmbuild/BUILDROOT:
total 0

/home/Joe/rpmbuild/RPMS:
total 0
drwxr-xr-x. 2 Joe Joe 56 Feb 19 07:25 x86_64

/home/Joe/rpmbuild/RPMS/x86_64:
total 1528
-rw-rw-r--. 1 Joe Joe 1560752 Feb 19 07:25 kmod-wl-6_30_223_248-2.el7.local.x86_64.rpm

/home/Joe/rpmbuild/SOURCES:
total 2812
-rw-rw-r--. 1 Joe Joe 2875739 Feb 18 16:44 hybrid-v35_64-nodebug-pcoem-6_30_223_248.tar.gz

/home/Joe/rpmbuild/SPECS:
total 0

/home/Joe/rpmbuild/SRPMS:
total 0

[AlanBartlett]

rpmbuild --rebuild --target=`uname -m` --define 'packager <your-name>' /<path-to-nosrc.rpm>/wl-kmod*nosrc.rpm

What's this part for? /wl-kmod*nosrc.rpm

For you /<path-to-nosrc.rpm>/wl-kmod*nosrc.rpm becomes --

/home/Joe/Downloads/wl-kmod-6_30_223_248-2.el7.elrepo.nosrc.rpm

The wl-kmod*nosrc.rpm is expanded by the shell to become wl-kmod-6_30_223_248-2.el7.elrepo.nosrc.rpm -- that is the package you have downloaded and are currently rebuilding.

[Joe@localhost ~]$ ls -lR ~/rpmbuild/
/home/Joe/rpmbuild/:
total 0
drwxrwxr-x. 2 Joe Joe 6 Feb 19 07:25 BUILD
drwxr-xr-x. 2 Joe Joe 6 Feb 19 07:25 BUILDROOT
drwxrwxr-x. 3 Joe Joe 19 Feb 19 07:25 RPMS
drwxrwxr-x. 2 Joe Joe 60 Feb 19 07:25 SOURCES
drwxrwxr-x. 2 Joe Joe 6 Feb 19 07:25 SPECS
drwxrwxr-x. 2 Joe Joe 6 Feb 18 16:42 SRPMS

/home/Joe/rpmbuild/BUILD:
total 0

/home/Joe/rpmbuild/BUILDROOT:
total 0

/home/Joe/rpmbuild/RPMS:
total 0
drwxr-xr-x. 2 Joe Joe 56 Feb 19 07:25 x86_64

/home/Joe/rpmbuild/RPMS/x86_64:
total 1528
-rw-rw-r--. 1 Joe Joe 1560752 Feb 19 07:25 kmod-wl-6_30_223_248-2.el7.local.x86_64.rpm

/home/Joe/rpmbuild/SOURCES:
total 2812
-rw-rw-r--. 1 Joe Joe 2875739 Feb 18 16:44 hybrid-v35_64-nodebug-pcoem-6_30_223_248.tar.gz

/home/Joe/rpmbuild/SPECS:
total 0

/home/Joe/rpmbuild/SRPMS:
total 0

There in your /home/Joe/rpmbuild/RPMS/x86_64/ directory is the kmod package that you have just built --

kmod-wl-6_30_223_248-2.el7.local.x86_64.rpm

[RotorBalls]

It works!!!! I had to pull my usb wifi adapter out just to be sure but it looks good I wish I fully understood everything we did but thanks for your help. I have a few questions

Is there anyway to keep the kde wallet from popping up with the password prompt every time I log in? When I first installed and set up my usb wifi device there were two options for storing passwords I believe. One of which kept erroring out on me so I went with the kde wallet. Did I choose the wrong option for storing passwords?


So it's a good idea to backup just kmod-wl-6_30_223_248-2.el7.local.x86_64.rpm or should I backup the whole rpmbuild folder? Also, was there a better place to have done this than my home directory and can I move it somewhere else without messing things up if it's in a less than ideal place now?

Do you recommend the cleanup/removal steps?
yum remove \*ndiswrapper\*
rm -rf ~/rpmbuild

Sorry for all the questions

[AlanBartlett]

It works!!!! I had to pull my usb wifi adapter out just to be sure but it looks good

That is the good news I was waiting to read!

I wish I fully understood everything we did but thanks for your help.

Keep a copy of the link to the wl-kmod package page on the ELRepo Project's web-site. When you have a "calm & quiet" moment, try reading it through again. Eventually it should become clear. Essentially this convoluted process starts with Broadcom's license terms for use of the source code to build that kernel module. The ELRepo Project took professional advice with regards to the license conditions and the result was that the package could not be built and distributed just like other kmod packages. The solution was to put together the wl-kmod*nosrc.rpm package (which can be distributed) and to provide instructions how the end user can build their own version of the binary kmod-wl*rpm package locally -- installation of which (if all goes well) should provide a working WiFi subsystem.

I have a few questions

Is there anyway to keep the kde wallet from popping up with the password prompt every time I log in? When I first installed and set up my usb wifi device there were two options for storing passwords I believe. One of which kept erroring out on me so I went with the kde wallet. Did I choose the wrong option for storing passwords?

Please start a new thread for the above problem. I have absolutely no experience with KDE.

So it's a good idea to backup just kmod-wl-6_30_223_248-2.el7.local.x86_64.rpm or should I backup the whole rpmbuild folder?

I would just keep a backup copy of the binary kmod-wl file. (kmod-wl-6_30_223_248-2.el7.local.x86_64.rpm)

Also, was there a better place to have done this than my home directory and can I move it somewhere else without messing things up if it's in a less than ideal place now?

No, your home directory is a perfectly good location. All of the steps to build the kmod package should be performed as an ordinary user, not root. Only at the very end, at the installation of the kmod package, should you acquire root's powers.

Do you recommend the cleanup/removal steps?
yum remove \*ndiswrapper\*
rm -rf ~/rpmbuild

Certainly. If you do not have a version of ndiswrapper currently installed, the first command line will just tell you so. (No harm will be done.) If you have no further need for an rpmbuild tree in your home directory, then go ahead and perform the second command line. (Once you have made a backup copy of the binary kmod file, currently in your ~/rpmbuild/RPMS/x86_64/ directory, of course.)