Broadcom 4352 installation if you have no ethernet

[oshunluvr]

Working on a 2015 XPS 13. I reset Windows 10 back to factory, disabled fast boot, then shrunk the NTFS partition and installed Kubuntu 22.04 along side in a dual boot configuration.

This laptop is too thin for an ethernet port and too old for thunderbolt so the only 'net connection is WiFi. Of course, it's a Broadcom BCM4352 which means no driver with the installation.

A little sleuthing revealed the DKMS driver is in fact included on the ISO in a folder:

/pool/restricted/b/bcmwl/bcmwl-kernel-source_6.30.223.271+bdcom-0ubuntu8_amd64.deb

However, when I went to install it - it has a missing dependent - dctrl-tools - which is NOT on the ISO. Annoying, but I thought I'd just d/l it on to a thumb drive with a different PC.

It took me almost an hour to find it! Dozens of searches lead to servers that are down, websites with source but no DEB package, etc. I found a dctrl debug symbols package right away but not the main package. Ridiculous at best.

I finally found it here: https://mirrors.egr.msu.edu/ubuntu/p...d/dctrl-tools/

Getting it and installing it did the trick.


Seems really incompetent or at least thoughtless on Canonical's part to not include the dependencies for a package that is included on the ISO. Why even bother having it there if you can't install it?

I get the restricted licence thing, but why supply a purposely crippled install disc? It's not like these Broadcom modems are rare AND Dell sells computers with Linux on them.

Did the conversation go like this?

"Hey, maybe we should put drivers for those Broadcom WiFi units on the ISO."
"Umm OK, but let's make it so the users can't actually install them."
"Yeah, great idea!"

Seriously, how stupid...

[claydoh]

https://cdimage.ubuntu.com/kubuntu/r...amd64.manifest
dctrl-tools is listed in the manifest for 22.04, so *should* be actually installed in the OS image.
DKMS, as well as bcmwl-kernel-source are on the disk, but not installed.
You used to be able to add the usb/optical disk as a source for this specifically for offline driver installs, using the Software Sources tool from live session,( maybe?), or post-install. Not sure if it still works or not.




BUTT:

I forget post-install package removals,the dctrl-tools package is on the list of those to be removed post-install??
(/casper/filesystem.mainfest-remove)
As is libdpkg-perl, also a dep I think , for dkms.
Same on Ubuntu.
I had no problems finding and downloading the file, though.

Now the rabbit-hole squirrell! thing is to find out why?
Does installing the driver pre-install cause it to be added to the image being blasted to the drive, or to be installed during/after this process?

[oshunluvr]

Hmm, my ISO isn't the latest but it def does not have the dctrl package in it. Mine is 5/22.

The weird thing was a long list of repos on the Ubuntu website that simply wouldn't load or open. Very odd.

[claydoh]

It IS included as part of the live OS image (not in the apt archive like the driver and dkms packages), but is one of the things removed post-install along with Ubiquity, etc. after that live image has been copied to the drive.
The manifest is in /Kubuntu 22.04 LTS amd64/casper/
As well as the list of packages removed afterward.
I haven't booted my iso (also from May), but usually these manifests are accurate.

[GreyGeek]

This has saved my bacon many times when Internet connections fail, or during iso installs.
https://www.amazon.com/USB-Ethernet-...s%2C114&sr=1-3

[claydoh]

Hmm... does checking the 'install third party software...' option detect the wifi card?
bcmwl-kernel-source from the live session is easily installed from the desktop live session, without any network connection, before starting the install.

I am testing in a virtual machine to see if installing it carries over top the installed system. Obviously I don't have the card to check if the driver-manager sees this in the installer, and might save a step or two.

annnd.....nope.

What a weird silly mess, to have these things on the disk, but not be able to use them like they used to.

[kc1di]

I used to have a dell with broadcom wifi and faced the same problem. Best place to look for dependencies is at Ubuntu Package Search here: https://packages.ubuntu.com
Then select your version Then utilities and there it is https://packages.ubuntu.com/kinetic/utils/dctrl-tools Of course you will have to download it via another machine and install it before installing the The Broadcom driver. But I agree if they offer the driver on the .iso file they should also offer the dependencies to make it all work. Glad you found a solution though.