Special Puppy431 for broadcom 4312 (and other?) wifi cards

Under development: PCMCIA, wireless, etc.
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jrb
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Joined: Tue 11 Dec 2007, 19:56
Location: Smithers, BC, Canada

Special Puppy431 for broadcom 4312 (and other?) wifi cards

#1 Post by jrb »

Recently l faced the problem of adapting Puppy to two Lenovo s10-2 netbooks. These come equipped with the broadcom 4312 wireless card which up to this point has been incompatible with the standard drivers in Puppy.

After a number of partial solutions as detailed in BCM4312 and Puppy 4.31 and BCM4312 and Puppy431 on Lenovo s10-2 [SOLVED] tempestuous has compiled a new ssb.ko module for kernel 2.6.30.5 which eliminated the conflicts with wl.ko, the driver for bcm4312. (Thanks tempestuous)

I have replaced the standard ssb.ko in initrd.gz with tempestuous' module, placed wl.ko in pup-431.sfs, removed b43.ko and b43legacy.ko (the old broadcom drivers) and created pup-431bcm4312v3.iso.

It works well on the Lenovo s10-2. If you are in the position of having a broadcom wifi card that doesn't work with Puppy please give it a try and let us know how it works for you.

Edit 7May2017: Now available at https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0uge_ ... sp=sharing

Cheers, J
Last edited by jrb on Sun 07 May 2017, 13:08, edited 2 times in total.

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zigbert
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#2 Post by zigbert »

I will use this iso as base for Puppy Startdust 003.

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jrb
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Location: Smithers, BC, Canada

#3 Post by jrb »

zigbert wrote:I will use this iso as base for Puppy Startdust 003.
Excellent! :D I will look forward to trying it. My daughters are heading back to their homes after the holidays but I will get them to try it on their Lenovo's ASAP.

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zigbert
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#4 Post by zigbert »

Nope!
Just finished my first test of Stardust 003 - a 'Dell inspiron 500m' - no wireless detected. Using the original Puppy 4.3.1, wireless works with bc43legacy.


Sorry!!!!
Sigmund

BigDog
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue 29 Dec 2009, 01:23

bc43legacy works great!

#5 Post by BigDog »

zigbert wrote:Nope!
Just finished my first test of Stardust 003 - a 'Dell inspiron 500m' - no wireless detected. Using the original Puppy 4.3.1, wireless works with bc43legacy.


Sorry!!!!
Sigmund
Had a HD crash. I struggled for 2 days with several live distributions. None really worked very well with my dell 8600 wifi. Saw a suggestion to try puppy. They said it was very good at working with older hardware.

Got it. Fired it up. Then connected to my WIFI with encryption in less than a minute. Rock Solid.

This puppy with the bc43legacy is fantastic. If I hand only known sooner :-)

Thanks Guys :-)

Dpup
Posts: 83
Joined: Tue 05 Aug 2008, 23:26

Special Puppy431 for Broadcom

#6 Post by Dpup »

Thanks jrb!!!

The Puppy431 special ISO works great with my Acer AOD150 internal Broadcom wifi with my Dlink wireless router using WPA2 AES security.

This is the first time I have been able to get the AOD150 internal wifi working with a Puppy release 4.3.1. The added advantage is that version 4.3.1 audio plays to the speakers without other drivers.

I was able to get the wifi to work with earlier versions using ndiswrapper with the Broadcom wifi drivers that came on the XP hard drive, but this did not work with the newer Puppy 4.3.1.

drmjunior
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue 02 Feb 2010, 22:38

Dell 1490 in D430

#7 Post by drmjunior »

Thanks so much for this post and making this version available to the community!

After 2 frustrating nights of no go I found and downloaded your ISO and pow! Works first time on my Dell D430 that has a Dell 1490 card based on BCM4312 chipset.

Super Happy! :lol:

D.

Roy
Posts: 451
Joined: Wed 31 Dec 2008, 18:31

Puppy431 Pdvdrsab DVD rip/shrink/author/burn

#8 Post by Roy »

I know that most netbooks running the BCM4312 WiFi module (like mine) do not have optical drives, and thus may never use the Pdvdrsab DVD rip/shrink/author/burn application located in the Multimedia menu, but....

I just loaned my Special Puppy431 USB drive out to a friend, who tried to use that app to backup (rip) a DVD his father had sent to him. It would not work, instead groaning with this message:

Code: Select all

libdvdread.so.3: cannot open shared object file:...
The error message went on to say something about 'input/output' blah, blah, blah....

I tried to create a symlink in /usr/lib of libdvdread.so.3.0.0, renamed to libdvdread.so.3, but was refused by Puppy. So I google'd the error message and found libdvdread-0.9.7-i486.pet located in this thread:
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 35&t=49275

Puppy431's Pdvdrsab application now works after installing sikpuppy's libdvdread pet. This probably effects the "official" Puppy 4.31 version as well.

For those with more experience, does creating a simple symlink to /usr/lib/libdvdread.so.3.0.0 that is renamed to libdvdread.so.3 correct the error without adding the extra library? If so, how do you correctly create the renamed symlink?

-Roy

Roy
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#9 Post by Roy »

Oops! It looks like I spoke too soon! Read on for details....

The multimedia DVD-ripping tool mentioned in the above post indeed worked after installing the aforementioned .pet -- until the next reboot of my system. Then, the required library link again dissappeared. [NOTE: The library link did NOT dissappear when restarting JWM or restarting the Xserver, only upon rebooting.]

I added yet another pupsave.2fs file to my USB and, when asked which save file to use, chose 'no save file' (the equivalent to puppy pfix=ram).
The library which was missing from my 'saved' Special Puppy431 was there, with the required symlink.

I burned the "official" 4.31 to a CD-RW and checked its /usr/lib/ directory -- the library and symlink are there, too.

So, the cause of my problem appears to be a corrupted save file, not a bug in Puppy Linux. A thousand pardons.....?

My solution was to simply delete my USB puppy-save-file(s), and rebuild them from the important .pets and documents I had earlier backed-up by saving on an external hard-drive.

-Roy

ansu
Posts: 7
Joined: Sun 01 Jun 2008, 17:50

Broadcom WIFI BCM4322

#10 Post by ansu »

I need some help, please.
I just got my first notebook, HP Mini 5101. It have Broadcom WIFI, BCM4322.
I installed Puppy 431 to USB stick. WIFI does not work.
There is this special Puppy431 for Broadcom 4312.
Will it work with BCM4322?
And finally, can I do something to get my Broadcom to work in my USB-installation?
There are files mentioned, drivers replaced, etc.
Where to get those new files and where to put them?
I ask because I would like to stay with this installation. There are many things installed and I would like to save some time, without installing new Puppy and all applications again.
Maybe I learn something, if I update drivers myself.

ansu
Posts: 7
Joined: Sun 01 Jun 2008, 17:50

LAN

#11 Post by ansu »

I tried this special Puppy.
WIFI works fine but LAN is dead.
Somewhere else in Puppy pages I told, that I tried "XPUD" Linux.
It is a very small distro and more limited than Puppy, but both WIFI and LAN works fine out-of-the-box. Just install and You are connected.
I just want to know, how THEY did it?
Why Puppy can't handle Broadcom if other can?
Are You angry for Broadcom?
I don't accept any explanations that it's Broadcom's fault, because it works fine in XPUD and propably some others too.

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jrb
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#12 Post by jrb »

ansu wrote:Why Puppy can't handle Broadcom if other can?
Everything in Linux seems to be about solving problems. No one gets paid to solve problems in Puppy, its all done by volunteers. To get Puppy to work on your HP Mini 5101 someone who has one will have to put in the time and energy required to make it work.

You can click on the links in my first post to see some of the process that I went through to get Puppy working on the Lenovo S10-2. Luckily there were other Puppians more technically capable than myself to give me help and advice.

You don't mention what type of LAN connector you have or whether it worked in the Standard Puppy431 or not. This might be a start to getting your problem sorted out.

Good Luck, J

Roy
Posts: 451
Joined: Wed 31 Dec 2008, 18:31

#13 Post by Roy »

ansu,

If wi-fi is working, then jrb has done an outstanding job! As for your LAN problem, read on.

I do not have a HP machine available to verify any of what follows, but this might prove helpful....

Google'ing your HP Mini 5101 shows several differing configuration numbers, but most (all that I have researched) show an Integrated Marvel ethernet card.

Searching this entire Puppy Linux forum (instructions in Beginner's section) shows at least one instance of someone using a Sky2 driver for a Marvel connection....

Have you tried loading the Sky2 driver (already included in jrb's .iso) for your hard-wired LAN connection?

-Roy

ansu
Posts: 7
Joined: Sun 01 Jun 2008, 17:50

About LAN

#14 Post by ansu »

There is a Marvell Yukon Gigabit Ethernet Controller in this HP.
Wifi is 4322.

Well, I installed special Broadcom-Puppy once again into USB-stick.
This time I can see eth0 and eth1. But for some reason soon after that mouse and keyboard didn't response anymore. This could be my fault, I was messing up with my cables.
Then I had to stop my experiments because of Olympic Games in Vancouver!
I've been using Linux Live USB Creator2.4 in Windows XP to create bootable Puppy (from iso-file) to USB-stick.
I know there are also other similar programs to make these USB-Puppies.
Is it ok to use these programs? Or should I burn this Special Broadcom-Puppy to CD, boot with that and then create my USB there? (With that nice utility in Puppy).
Does it make any difference?
I've been using Puppy 431 in my internet PC. It is old, 700MHz processor with 384M RAM. Working just fine. There is no WLAN but wired LAN.
This HP 5101 is my first portable PC. I was not happy because WLAN didn't work. But don't have much experience about WLAN so it explain a bit.
I will continue with puppy this weekend. These small notebooks are really cute. I have 1366 x 768-panel in my version (FU355EA#AK8).
It was a special offer, 289 € here in Finland. There were two batteries included, 4- and 6-cell!

tnhomestead
Posts: 8
Joined: Fri 19 Feb 2010, 23:18

#15 Post by tnhomestead »

Just installed works on a pantech px500 sprint wifi card! Thnx!

ansu
Posts: 7
Joined: Sun 01 Jun 2008, 17:50

ansu is happy

#16 Post by ansu »

I had to test LAN first thing in saturday morning. It WORKS!
WIFI too.
I didn't do anything, it just works. I didn't load any drivers, LAN driver sky2 was there already when i started internet connection wizard.
Hmmm...
Many thanks anyway to everyone who were spending time to think about this.
I had to say, I'm not able to do extensive programming or configuration for Puppy.
So it's good to know there are smart fellows around this forum to ask help from.
I'll be back...

slvrldy17
Posts: 292
Joined: Fri 17 Feb 2006, 22:17
Location: Mid western USA

#17 Post by slvrldy17 »

Works for a Dell Mini 9 wireless - the regular version of Puppy does not recognize the built in Broadcom wireless but this version does - is there a .pet package that could be used to update my preferred 4.31 NOP puppy install?
Always give without remembering - always receive without forgetting.
Alice

Jaybird
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed 24 Dec 2008, 15:48

Dell Inspiron Mini 10

#18 Post by Jaybird »

Hi,
I thought that I would add my thanks as well.
This alternative installation works on my Dell Inspiron Mini 10 netbook with the BCM4312 driver.
Thanks very much.

I hope the changes that you have made can make it into the main 4.4. version.

Jaybird

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Tio_Iroh
Posts: 9
Joined: Wed 10 Mar 2010, 20:38
Location: Mexico

latitud e6400 and Vostro 1500 OK!

#19 Post by Tio_Iroh »

just to let you all know that
this Special Puppy 4.3.1. works out great on
the following

Latitude e6400
Dell Mini Card 1510 = BCM4322

and

Vostro 1500 and Latitude D630
Dell Mini Card 1390 = BCM43?? ssb

Thanks for the efforts to jrb!!

tempestuous
Posts: 5464
Joined: Fri 10 Jun 2005, 05:12
Location: Australia

#20 Post by tempestuous »

slvrldy17 wrote:is there a .pet package that could be used to update my preferred 4.31 NOP puppy install?
No. If you read the first post you will see that the modifications are significant, beyond what can be installed as an add-on.
Jaybird wrote:I hope the changes that you have made can make it into the main 4.4. version.
No, absolutely not. The technical modifications to the kernel and drivers make this a customised version of Puppy, tailored to suit a limited range of hardware.
In fact, this version of Puppy isn't even compatible with all Broadcom wifi devices, only certain models.

It would be highly inappropriate to force these modifications into a mainstream release, especially if they break compatibility with other Broadcom wifi hardware, which is quite likely.

The long term solution is to wait until the opensource Broadcom wifi driver, b43, supports these non-standard devices. I understand that this is currently close to being successful with the 2.6.31 kernel, which the next major release of Puppy is likely to contain.

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