ssb b43 bcm43xx ndiswrapper and my broadcom

[nemesis]

I tried 3.5 loop 1 when it first came out, and for the first time, my broadcom wireless didn't work. Since then, I've tired 50+ (read 20, but it seems like 50) distros from distrowatch.com that have all the latest wireless stuff (ssb, b43). Every one, to include 3.5 L1, will not activate my broadcom wireless. This is the first time since having this computer (2+years) that I haven't been able to use my wireless in Linux. Is there a fix for this? or am I doomed to Windows (wife+3 kids = no new laptop/hardware)? Ndiswrapper hasn't been an alternative to any of the new distros/software, either. Right now I'm running 3.4f PERFECTLY! When I say perfectly, I mean, no other OS (to include Windows) runs as good on my hardware. Am I going to be stuck on 3.4f for the rest of my laptop's life? Here's what I'm running on:

AMD Turion 64 ML-32
ATI Radeon Express 200m
Broadcom BCM4318 (Airforce One 54g) 802.11g
1GB Ram
Running 3.4f 32bit

[joost]

3.5 loop 1 is a TEST version.

I know about 3.4F supporting it, and loop1 doesn't its been reported in.

[nemesis]

3.5 loop 1 is a TEST version.

I know about 3.4F supporting it, and loop1 doesn't its been reported in.

I know it's a testing version...but I'm having the problem with EVERY new distro I try...not just Sabayon...

[bbfuller9]

Hello nemesis.

I have a machine with very similar specification to you.

I can tell you that my broadcom 4318 is working very well with the b43 driver under Fedora 8, haven't actually tried running Sabayon on the laptop yet.

Part of the problem for some people - and I'm not saying you - is that they still try to use the bcm43xx-fwcutter program instead of the new b43-fwcutter.

That seems to require different firmware.

I got my firmware off the:

http://linuxwireless.org

site, but that seems to be down this evening.

[chickpea]

I will be writing a HOWTO for Broadcoms in the next few days. Long story short, download install gentoo-sources-2.6.24. Patch with Larry Finger's patch (see gentoo forums for this patch and how to). On configuring the kernel, remove the BCM43xx driver, install the B43 and B43legacy drivers. compile and install kernel. Then you will need to emerge the b43-fwcutter-009 version (NOT the 010 version as this is for 2.6.25 kernels). Then download the broadcom drivers version 4.80.53.0. Install using b43-fwcutter. rmmod b43, then modprobe b43, should come up after that. Like I said I will be doing a detailed and linked howto on this in the next few days. (I finally have native up and working with the dreaded BCM4311 rev 2 card with excellent throughput and good strength, better than with ndiswrapper ).

[nemesis]

Thanx for the info/replies