How Do You Use OpenFWWF?
I have a MacBook that has a Broadcom WiFi card in it and apparently, in Trisquel 8 I see there is a firmware that should work with it (surprisingly)... It's called "openfwwf" and it says its a firmware that would work with my card but I have no idea how to use it. I stumbled upon some posts on the internet about it needing to be compiled. Does anyone know how this is done? Would be cool to use free software to somehow make my internal wifi card work.
Which Broadcom card do you have? It should probably be said that OpenFWWF does not support *all* Broadcom cards. Ones known to work:
* BCM4306
* BCM4311/1
* BCM4318
* BCM4320
But even if you have a different one there's no harm in trying it.
How to use it? The same as any other: sudo apt install openfwwf
Then reboot and see what happens.
If it doesn't work with your card you can easily remove it with sudo apt purge openfwwf
Even if it doesn't work there *may* be other options, depending on your answer to which one you have...
It's already installed. I have BCM4360 (Macbook Air 2015), which doesn't work.
I didn't mention that I already installed OpenFWWF and is seems to not activate my internal WiFi.
I have the BCM43224... I'm eager to hear what other options you know of. Please tell.
I did a bit more digging at I found a link that has Linux drivers for my WiFi card (https://www.broadcom.com/products/wireless/wireless-lan-infrastructure/bcm43224#downloads). It seems to be source code. Do you know I how I can build it?
It is not free software (the text you may have not read before clicking "I agree").
OK. Why would they provide source code but then not allow it to be free software?
Who knows? They want to have control over the user and at the same time give those open source folks a lip service.
"I have the BCM43224"
Oh, with that one? Probably nothing. You could try a newer kernel (specifically: the 4.16 series), which I mention only because there are some deblobbing changes that can in some cases let things work without the firmware being uploaded from the kernel (it has worked with at least two other WiFi cards.) But: This is a stretch. The best solution is probably to replace the card or use one of those USB things.
Thanks. I do have a usb thingy. It's just rather slow. I am having trouble finding Libre Dual-Channel WiFi thingy.
I'll try the Linux Libre kernel. I haven't added that one yet.
I usually install the Linux Libre Kernel using the instructions on this link:
https://jxself.org/linux-libre
The site appears down... :/
Does anyone know how I can install it?
Yes it was because of electric work being done on my apartment building. They were replacing the electric meters. It's back now.
Anyway, not just specifically "the linux libre kernel" but the latest version: 4.16. Because it's the one with the deblobbing changes. And again, no promises. It's a last gasp.
So, I installed various Linux-Libre kernels inclusing 4.16 and it just boots into a black screen on my macbook pro mid-2010 model. I guess im just goignto go back to the default Trisquel kernel.
Any idea why this is happening?
UPDATE:
I don't have specific details, but taking a closer look at the last terminal messages seem to indicate that a non-free firmware was attempted to be loaded and it was blocked. Perhaps thi caused the DE to not load? Seems rather extreme :)