Wireless on Mint 8 Not Auto Like MInt 7. Help Please

[nujinini]

Hi,

I upgraded my Mint 7 partition to Mint 8 (Helena). After a successful install and update, I realized that the wireless does not automatically detect unlike on Mint 7. It is in this that I am requesting for guidance on how to go about since this is the first time I encounter such on Mint. Hereunder are the necessary outputs. I thank you in advance.

jun@jun-laptop ~ $ lspci -knn
00:00.0 Host bridge [0600]: Intel Corporation Mobile 4 Series Chipset Memory Controller Hub [8086:2a40] (rev 07)
	Kernel driver in use: agpgart-intel
	Kernel modules: intel-agp
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: Intel Corporation Mobile 4 Series Chipset Integrated Graphics Controller [8086:2a42] (rev 07)
	Kernel driver in use: i915
	Kernel modules: i915
00:02.1 Display controller [0380]: Intel Corporation Mobile 4 Series Chipset Integrated Graphics Controller [8086:2a43] (rev 07)
00:1a.0 USB Controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB UHCI Controller #4 [8086:2937] (rev 03)
	Kernel driver in use: uhci_hcd
00:1a.1 USB Controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB UHCI Controller #5 [8086:2938] (rev 03)
	Kernel driver in use: uhci_hcd
00:1a.2 USB Controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB UHCI Controller #6 [8086:2939] (rev 03)
	Kernel driver in use: uhci_hcd
00:1a.7 USB Controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB2 EHCI Controller #2 [8086:293c] (rev 03)
	Kernel driver in use: ehci_hcd
00:1b.0 Audio device [0403]: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) HD Audio Controller [8086:293e] (rev 03)
	Kernel driver in use: HDA Intel
	Kernel modules: snd-hda-intel
00:1c.0 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) PCI Express Port 1 [8086:2940] (rev 03)
	Kernel driver in use: pcieport-driver
	Kernel modules: shpchp
00:1c.1 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) PCI Express Port 2 [8086:2942] (rev 03)
	Kernel driver in use: pcieport-driver
	Kernel modules: shpchp
00:1c.2 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) PCI Express Port 3 [8086:2944] (rev 03)
	Kernel driver in use: pcieport-driver
	Kernel modules: shpchp
00:1c.3 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) PCI Express Port 4 [8086:2946] (rev 03)
	Kernel driver in use: pcieport-driver
	Kernel modules: shpchp
00:1c.5 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) PCI Express Port 6 [8086:294a] (rev 03)
	Kernel driver in use: pcieport-driver
	Kernel modules: shpchp
00:1d.0 USB Controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB UHCI Controller #1 [8086:2934] (rev 03)
	Kernel driver in use: uhci_hcd
00:1d.1 USB Controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB UHCI Controller #2 [8086:2935] (rev 03)
	Kernel driver in use: uhci_hcd
00:1d.2 USB Controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB UHCI Controller #3 [8086:2936] (rev 03)
	Kernel driver in use: uhci_hcd
00:1d.7 USB Controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB2 EHCI Controller #1 [8086:293a] (rev 03)
	Kernel driver in use: ehci_hcd
00:1e.0 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation 82801 Mobile PCI Bridge [8086:2448] (rev 93)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge [0601]: Intel Corporation ICH9M LPC Interface Controller [8086:2919] (rev 03)
	Kernel modules: iTCO_wdt
00:1f.2 IDE interface [0101]: Intel Corporation ICH9M/M-E 2 port SATA IDE Controller [8086:2928] (rev 03)
	Kernel driver in use: ata_piix
00:1f.3 SMBus [0c05]: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) SMBus Controller [8086:2930] (rev 03)
	Kernel modules: i2c-i801
00:1f.5 IDE interface [0101]: Intel Corporation ICH9M/M-E 2 port SATA IDE Controller [8086:292d] (rev 03)
	Kernel driver in use: ata_piix
05:00.0 System peripheral [0880]: JMicron Technology Corp. SD/MMC Host Controller [197b:2382]
	Kernel driver in use: sdhci-pci
	Kernel modules: sdhci-pci
05:00.2 SD Host controller [0805]: JMicron Technology Corp. Standard SD Host Controller [197b:2381]
	Kernel modules: sdhci-pci
05:00.3 System peripheral [0880]: JMicron Technology Corp. MS Host Controller [197b:2383]
	Kernel driver in use: jmb38x_ms
	Kernel modules: jmb38x_ms
06:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Broadcom Corporation BCM4312 802.11b/g [14e4:4315] (rev 01)
	Kernel driver in use: b43-pci-bridge
	Kernel modules: ssb
07:00.0 Ethernet controller [0200]: Broadcom Corporation NetLink BCM5906M Fast Ethernet PCI Express [14e4:1713] (rev 02)
	Kernel driver in use: tg3
	Kernel modules: tg3
jun@jun-laptop ~ $

jun@jun-laptop ~ $ lsmod
Module                  Size  Used by
cbc                     3516  261 
aes_i586                8124  262 
aes_generic            27484  1 aes_i586
ecb                     2524  1 
binfmt_misc             8356  1 
ppdev                   6688  0 
dm_crypt               12928  0 
snd_hda_codec_conexant    20060  1 
snd_hda_intel          26920  2 
snd_hda_codec          75708  2 snd_hda_codec_conexant,snd_hda_intel
snd_hwdep               7200  1 snd_hda_codec
snd_pcm_oss            37920  0 
snd_mixer_oss          16028  1 snd_pcm_oss
snd_pcm                75296  3 snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec,snd_pcm_oss
iptable_filter          3100  0 
snd_seq_dummy           2656  0 
snd_seq_oss            28576  0 
snd_seq_midi            6432  0 
snd_rawmidi            22208  1 snd_seq_midi
snd_seq_midi_event      6940  2 snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi
snd_seq                50224  6 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi,snd_seq_midi_event
snd_timer              22276  2 snd_pcm,snd_seq
snd_seq_device          6920  5 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq
joydev                 10272  0 
ip_tables              11692  1 iptable_filter
snd                    59204  16 snd_hda_codec_conexant,snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec,snd_hwdep,snd_pcm_oss,snd_mixer_oss,snd_pcm,snd_seq_oss,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq,snd_timer,snd_seq_device
soundcore               7264  1 snd
jmb38x_ms               9600  0 
b43                   122136  0 
x_tables               16544  1 ip_tables
snd_page_alloc          9156  2 snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm
psmouse                56180  0 
mac80211              181236  1 b43
sdhci_pci               7100  0 
memstick               10072  1 jmb38x_ms
sdhci                  17472  1 sdhci_pci
cfg80211               93052  2 b43,mac80211
led_class               4096  2 b43,sdhci
serio_raw               5280  0 
uvcvideo               59080  0 
videodev               36736  1 uvcvideo
v4l1_compat            14496  2 uvcvideo,videodev
lp                      8964  0 
parport                35340  2 ppdev,lp
dm_raid45              84228  0 
xor                    15620  1 dm_raid45
fbcon                  36640  72 
tileblit                2460  1 fbcon
font                    8124  1 fbcon
bitblit                 5372  1 fbcon
softcursor              1756  1 bitblit
i915                  221064  3 
drm                   159584  3 i915
i2c_algo_bit            5760  1 i915
ssb                    35300  1 b43
tg3                   109600  0 
video                  19380  1 i915
output                  2780  1 video
intel_agp              27484  2 i915
agpgart                34988  2 drm,intel_agp
jun@jun-laptop ~ $

jun@jun-laptop ~ $ uname -r
2.6.31-14-generic
jun@jun-laptop ~ $

[waterhead]

You have a Broadcom BCM4212 wireless. Unfortunately, Broadcom made two wireless chips with the same name, and they use different drivers. One version uses the b43 diver, the other uses the wl driver. Do you remember which driver it used in Mint 7?

Your system has chosen the b43 diver for your wireless. This requires firmware to first be installed. Since it isn't working, this may be the problem. Post the output of this command.

dmesg | grep firmware

[nujinini]

Hello Paul,

Thank you for your response. Its a pleasure to receive offer of help from you most specially on wireless issues.

I tried to open my Mint 8 and I am getting an error about ".ICEauthority". So I decided to just reinstall my Mint 7 since I am not yet prepared to handle this issue along with the other issues I am encountering on Mint 8. After all, I have found Mint 7 to be very stable and dependable. Perhaps I will upgrade to Mint 8 when I am already capable of handling the other issues I have encountered. Meanwhile, I would rather stick to the age old principle of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it "

Thanks again, best wishes for this season!

[waterhead]

I've never been a big fan of distro upgrading. Differences in distro versions can cause all sorts of problems. I always have a separate /home partition, so I can install a new distro and leave all of my personal files untouched.