Fedora Linux 20: Install Broadcom-wl STA BCM43228 Wireless Driver

I

‘m using Dell / Lenovo laptop with Broadcom’s IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n based wireless card. How can I install Broadcom-wl STA BCM4322 Wireless driver on a Fedora Linux version 20?

 

Broadcom’s IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n driver can be installed on any Linux disruption including Fedora Linux version 20. The driver (broadcom-wl and kmod-wl) works with the following Wireless chipsets only:

BCM4311

BCM4312

BCM4313

BCM4321

BCM4322

BCM43224

BCM43225

BCM43227

BCM43228

Finding out your chipset / wireless card name on a Fedora Linux

Open the Terminal app and type the following shell command:

$ lspci

$ lspci | grep -i broadcom

 

Sample outputs:

Fig.01: Fedora Linux Find Supported Broadcom Wireless Devices Name/Chipset

How do I use Broadcom wireless cards in Fedora version 19/20?

Fedora Linux provides a version of this driver via rpmfusion repo. All you’ve to do is configure rpmfusion repo and install the driver.

Step #1: Enable rpmfusion repo

Open the Terminal app and type the following command:

# yum localinstall –nogpgcheck \

http://download1.rpmfusion.org/free/fedora/rpmfusion-free-release-$(rpm -E %fedora).noarch.rpm \

yum localinstall –nogpgcheck http://download1.rpmfusion.org/nonfree/fedora/rpmfusion-nonfree-release-$(rpm -E %fedora).noarch.rpm

 

Sample outputs:

Loaded plugins: langpacks, refresh-packagekit

rpmfusion-free-release-20.noarch.rpm                   |  15 kB     00:00

Examining /var/tmp/yum-root-Gh9BLR/rpmfusion-free-release-20.noarch.rpm: rpmfusion-free-release-20-1.noarch

Marking /var/tmp/yum-root-Gh9BLR/rpmfusion-free-release-20.noarch.rpm to be installed

Skipping: yum, filename does not end in .rpm.

Skipping: localinstall, filename does not end in .rpm.

rpmfusion-nonfree-release-20.noarch.rpm                |  15 kB     00:00

Examining /var/tmp/yum-root-Gh9BLR/rpmfusion-nonfree-release-20.noarch.rpm: rpmfusion-nonfree-release-20-1.noarch

Marking /var/tmp/yum-root-Gh9BLR/rpmfusion-nonfree-release-20.noarch.rpm to be installed

Resolving Dependencies

–> Running transaction check

—> Package rpmfusion-free-release.noarch 0:20-1 will be installed

—> Package rpmfusion-nonfree-release.noarch 0:20-1 will be installed

–> Finished Dependency Resolution

 

Dependencies Resolved

 

==============================================================================

Package               Arch   Version

Repository                            Size

==============================================================================

Installing:

rpmfusion-free-release

noarch 20-1 /rpmfusion-free-release-20.noarch    9.7 k

rpmfusion-nonfree-release

noarch 20-1 /rpmfusion-nonfree-release-20.noarch 9.9 k

 

Transaction Summary

==============================================================================

Install  2 Packages

 

Total size: 20 k

Installed size: 20 k

Is this ok [y/d/N]: y

Downloading packages:

Running transaction check

Running transaction test

Transaction test succeeded

Running transaction

Warning: RPMDB altered outside of yum.

Installing : rpmfusion-free-release-20-1.noarch                         1/2

Installing : rpmfusion-nonfree-release-20-1.noarch                      2/2

Verifying  : rpmfusion-free-release-20-1.noarch                         1/2

Verifying  : rpmfusion-nonfree-release-20-1.noarch                      2/2

 

Installed:

rpmfusion-free-release.noarch 0:20-1

rpmfusion-nonfree-release.noarch 0:20-1

 

Complete!

Step #2: Install Broadcom Wireless Drivers on Linux Fedora 20

Type the following yum command:

# yum search kmod-wl

*** COMMENT: update the system *** ##

# yum update

*** COMMENT: if a new kernel was installed reboot the system, before installing kmod-wl using following command i.e. reboot and issue the following command *** ##

# yum install kmod-wl

 

Sample outputs:

Loaded plugins: langpacks, refresh-packagekit

Resolving Dependencies

–> Running transaction check

—> Package kmod-wl.x86_64 0:6.30.223.141-5.fc20.22 will be installed

–> Processing Dependency: kmod-wl-3.14.4-200.fc20.x86_64 >= 6.30.223.141-5.fc20.22 for package: kmod-wl-6.30.223.141-5.fc20.22.x86_64

–> Running transaction check

—> Package kmod-wl-3.14.4-200.fc20.x86_64.x86_64 0:6.30.223.141-5.fc20.22 will be installed

–> Processing Dependency: wl-kmod-common >= 6.30.223.141 for package: kmod-wl-3.14.4-200.fc20.x86_64-6.30.223.141-5.fc20.22.x86_64

–> Running transaction check

—> Package broadcom-wl.noarch 0:6.30.223.141-2.fc20 will be installed

–> Finished Dependency Resolution

 

Dependencies Resolved

 

===========================================================================================

Package                     Arch   Version                Repository                 Size

===========================================================================================

Installing:

kmod-wl                     x86_64 6.30.223.141-5.fc20.22 rpmfusion-nonfree-updates  14 k

Installing for dependencies:

broadcom-wl                 noarch 6.30.223.141-2.fc20    rpmfusion-nonfree          19 k

kmod-wl-3.14.4-200.fc20.x86_64

x86_64 6.30.223.141-5.fc20.22 rpmfusion-nonfree-updates 1.1 M

 

Transaction Summary

===========================================================================================

Install  1 Package (+2 Dependent packages)

 

Total download size: 1.2 M

Installed size: 5.1 M

Is this ok [y/d/N]: y

Downloading packages:

warning: /var/cache/yum/x86_64/20/rpmfusion-nonfree/packages/broadcom-wl-6.30.223.141-2.fc20.noarch.rpm: Header V3 RSA/SHA256 Signature, key ID b5f29883: NOKEY

Public key for broadcom-wl-6.30.223.141-2.fc20.noarch.rpm is not installed

(1/3): broadcom-wl-6.30.223.141-2.fc20.noarch.rpm                   |  19 kB  00:00:01

Public key for kmod-wl-6.30.223.141-5.fc20.22.x86_64.rpm is not installed

(2/3): kmod-wl-6.30.223.141-5.fc20.22.x86_64.rpm                    |  14 kB  00:00:01

(3/3): kmod-wl-3.14.4-200.fc20.x86_64-6.30.223.141-5.fc20.22.x86_64 | 1.1 MB  00:00:04


Total                                                      250 kB/s | 1.2 MB  00:00:04

Retrieving key from file:///etc/pki/rpm-gpg/RPM-GPG-KEY-rpmfusion-nonfree-fedora-20

Importing GPG key 0xB5F29883:

Userid     :  RPM Fusion nonfree repository for Fedora (20) <rpmfusion-buildsys@lists.rpmfusion.org>

Fingerprint: a84d cf58 46cb 10b6 5c47 6c35 63c0 de8c b5f2 9883

Package    : rpmfusion-nonfree-release-20-1.noarch (@/rpmfusion-nonfree-release-20.noarch)

From       : /etc/pki/rpm-gpg/RPM-GPG-KEY-rpmfusion-nonfree-fedora-20

Is this ok [y/N]: y

Running transaction check

Running transaction test

Transaction test succeeded

Running transaction

Installing : kmod-wl-3.14.4-200.fc20.x86_64-6.30.223.141-5.fc20.22.x86_64            1/3

Installing : broadcom-wl-6.30.223.141-2.fc20.noarch                                  2/3

Installing : kmod-wl-6.30.223.141-5.fc20.22.x86_64                                   3/3

Verifying  : broadcom-wl-6.30.223.141-2.fc20.noarch                                  1/3

Verifying  : kmod-wl-3.14.4-200.fc20.x86_64-6.30.223.141-5.fc20.22.x86_64            2/3

Verifying  : kmod-wl-6.30.223.141-5.fc20.22.x86_64                                   3/3

 

Installed:

kmod-wl.x86_64 0:6.30.223.141-5.fc20.22

 

Dependency Installed:

broadcom-wl.noarch 0:6.30.223.141-2.fc20

kmod-wl-3.14.4-200.fc20.x86_64.x86_64 0:6.30.223.141-5.fc20.22

 

Complete!

Step #3: Reboot the system

Type the following reboot command to reboot the Linux based system:

# reboot

Step #4: Verify and connect to the Wireless network

Type the following command to verify that wireless interface is up and running:

$ ifconfig

$ iwconfig

 

Sample outputs:

wlp1s0    IEEE 802.11abg  ESSID:off/any

Mode:Managed  Access Point: Not-Associated   Tx-Power=200 dBm

Retry short limit:7   RTS thr:off   Fragment thr:off

Encryption key:off

Power Management:off

 

lo        no wireless extensions.

 

p1p1      no wireless extensions.

You can now connect to your wireless network using Network Manager (top right side) > Select Wi-Fi > Select Network > Select a network > Connect > Enter password for wireless network:

Fig.02: Fedora Linux Wireless Connection

References

Brodcom 802.11 Linux STA driver source code.

b43 and b43legacy are drivers for the 802.11b/g/n family of wireless chips that Broadcom produces.

 

 

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