[SOLVED] Slackware 12.2 and Broadcomm BCM4328 802.11a

[thepeng]

Hey all,

Sorry if this is a repetetive post, I've been browsing for hours and what I have found was either too confusing or didn't seem relevant. Right, so I'm totally new to linux. Lets say I wouldn't recognize a kernel if you smacked me in the face with it.

I've got Slackware 12.2 installed on an HP pavillion dv9925nr. I have successfully muddled my way through everything besides making my wireless card work. I have tried numerous walkthroughs and faqs. I sort of tried ndiswrapper, i installed Wicd. I can't make this wireless card go.

its a BCM4328 rev 03 atleast under my lspci.

iwconfig results in: lo no wireless extensions and eth0 no wireless extensions.

My ethernet interweb works fine, but I need to be able to tether with my phone and that can only be done over wireless.

I would really appreciate a wireless for dummy walkthrough, I hate vista so much i can taste it and I want to delete that partition, but not until i've got wireless.

I hope someone knows how to help!

p.s. erm this is embarassing but if your directions include thing like "install the relevant driver" could you give command line instructions for that i.e. tar -vxf make make install and all that because Im currently just typing things till something happens and I want to be more sure than of what im doing.

Thanks in advance!

[reed9]

Not sure why you're starting with Slackware, but more power to you.

You need the broadcom wl driver. I couldn't find a slackbuild for it, so you'll need to download and compile it yourself.

Here's a guide that should work.
Installing Broadcom 802.11 Linux STA driver Lost in Cyberspace

[thepeng]

great thank you! I'll try this out as soon as Im home. Yeah I started with Slackware because the whole point of me switching to linux is to find out as much as I can about how my computer works. I know if I used Ubuntu or something more windows like I'd be pacified with the various gui apps and never go any farther. So I picked the one that was described as most unix like.

[reed9]

I know if I used Ubuntu or something more windows like I'd be pacified with the various gui apps and never go any farther. So I picked the one that was described as most unix like.

Might I suggest you give Arch a try? In my opinion it has all the strengths of Slackware, without the downsides. (Well, Slackware is arguably more stable since it doesn't run on the bleeding edge in software as much.)

Arch Compared To Other Distros - ArchWiki

[thepeng]

Actually i think i will try arch once i get slack working so i can make a boot disc... the walkthrough went swimmingly. Iwconfig shows my card at eth1 now... unfortunately no web apps will connect, it just gives me not found errors, is firefox still lookung for my wired conexion dyou think? Im connected to my phone wifi

[reed9]

What is the output of: ifconfig -a

Are you using a network management program like WICD or are you using, what is it, netconfig I think it is that slackware has.

[thepeng]

Ive got wicd running. It shows all the wireless network points around as well as my connection to my phone. The only way i have to connect to the internet and post here is on a cell phone so itll take me time to type you the iwconfig, but the non blank fields for eth1 show 398 rx packets the ip address and a broadcast note. It also says ethernet

[thepeng]

Ifconfig a for eth1:
Link encap ethernet HWaddr 00:21:00:3d:20:b1
Inet addr:192.168.2.103 Bcast:192.168.2.255 mask 255.255.255.0
Inet6 addr:fe80::221:ff:fe3d:20b1/64 scope:link
UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1

[thepeng]

Continues:
Rx packets:6 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:10616
Tx packets:15 errors:18 dropped 0 overruns:0 carrier:0
Collisions:0 txquelen:1000 rxbytes:1452 txbytes:2262interrupt 19

End eth1

[thepeng]

alright so i managed to connect to a neighbors internet and it works so i guess the issue is with my pphones wireless tether being ad hoc