Score:2

Ubuntu

Proprietary vs Opensource drivers for Broadcomm wifi?

Seamus

10/13/23, 8:51 AM

I should say first that I have read the excellent Q&A "Installing Broadcom Wireless Drivers". I should also say that I've not actually tried the solutions posted in that Q&A because I'm a bit nervous I might break something due to previous choices I made during the recent upgrade.

My system is a 2011 Macbook Pro that I dual boot between Ubuntu and macOS. Here's what lspci reports:

$ lspci -nn -d 14e4:
02:00.0 Ethernet controller ....  # I don't use Ethernet 
03:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Broadcom Inc. and subsidiaries BCM4331 802.11a/b/g/n [14e4:4331] (rev 02)

I recall being given an option during the recent upgrade: use a proprietary driver, or use an open source driver. I decided that I would go with the open source option. I now find that my system loses its wifi connection regularly (the wifi icon in the menu bar becomes hollow with a question mark overlaid on the icon, and network connectivity fails. I can restore things by 1. Selecting wifi Turn Off, and then turning it back on. So the issue is not fatal - only annoying.

I also read that the kernel version may play a role. For my system:

$ uname -a
Linux MacBuntuPro 5.15.0-48-generic #54-Ubuntu SMP ...

My questions/concerns are primarily these:

Once I have installed the new Broadcom driver in place of the open-source driver, how can I restore my system to its current state (using the open source driver)? I ask because in the procedure outlined in this answer doesn't seem to cover this.
At the end of this procedure, the possibility of updating the "Linux firmware" is mentioned; does this refer to the "open source" driver(s)??

Addendum: Unfortunately, I have just learned that Ubuntu's auto updaters have an affinity for the open-source drivers, and they will replace your proprietary driver when an opportunity arises. And so, it seems one must persistently overrule the auto-updater to retain the driver that works best.

425

1 + 9

wireless

networking

broadcom

drivers

22.04

guiverc

10/13/23, 9:13 AM

You've not said what you want to *back out*, however the easiest solution to that question is to restore from your backups and how are we to know what backup strategy you've implemented? The URL you provide has many solutions to the problem, but you've given no clue as to which you implemented (or if you tried many things, thus cannot know what you're trying to backout)

Rinzwind

10/13/23, 9:13 AM

Use this to start: https://askubuntu.com/a/199154/15811 and the opposite would be `sudo apt-get remove bcmwl-kernel-source`

Seamus

10/15/23, 5:13 AM

@Rinzwind: MacBuntu is just the host name - nothing to be alarmed about. I'm a bit confused by your 2nd cmt: Does the answer you've linked to install the open-source driver?

Seamus

10/15/23, 5:20 AM

@guiverc: Yes, that was vague; I'll edit my question shortly, but for now: I was asking a hypothetical: **If** I install the proprietary drivers , how can I restore my system to its current configuration ?

Seamus

10/15/23, 5:34 AM

@Rinzwind: I suspected that might be the case. I may be in left field, but I read the question [***"Installing Broadcom Wireless Drivers"***](https://askubuntu.com/questions/55868/installing-broadcom-wireless-drivers) as asking how to install the proprietary drivers?!?! Is it actually about installing the open source drivers?

Rinzwind

10/15/23, 5:53 AM

@yes open source. Broadcom has been in the past a big issue in getting it to work. And some of them still have issues but there is kernel support for a lot of them,

Seamus

10/15/23, 6:17 AM

@Rinzwind: Given the issues I've described in my question, does it not make sense to try Broadcomm's driver?

Rinzwind

10/15/23, 6:40 AM

You got a lot to learn padawan ;-) Linux is about choice... so the answer to your question is "whatever rocks your spaceship go for it". I choose myself open source 1st and only 3rd party if really needed.

Seamus

2/20/24, 9:47 PM

FWIW, 'Padwan' found that the proprietary driver absolutely worked the best for the wifi hardware in his 2011 Macbook Pro. Then, yesterday, one of the senseless, nagging, *auto-updaters* swapped the proprietary driver for one it liked better. After that, I could still connect to other host & the Internet, but all incoming connections (even `ping`) was refused. The cure? Return to the proprietary driver. Open source is fine, but I like it best when it actually works. :)

Score:3

Ubuntu

chili555

10/15/23, 12:40 PM

I read the question "Installing Broadcom Wireless Drivers" as asking how to install the proprietary drivers?!?! Is it actually about installing the open source drivers?

It is actually about installing the driver, either proprietary or open source, that has been shown by many years of experience, sometimes by trial and error, to likely drive a specific device properly.

In the long and ever-growing list of devices, there are some that only work with the open source driver, some that only work with the proprietary driver and some that will work, albeit with varying degrees of success, with either.

The question to which you refer is an attempt to suggest to Broadcom users the likely most successful driver without any regard to its open or closed source status.

As you see, your device is 14e4:4331 and is assumed to work best with the open source driver; i.e. b43 and firmware. The driver b43 and its dependencies ssb, bcma and others, are already installed in all recent Ubuntu versions. The firmware is not. Therefore, the recommendation is to install the package firmware-b43-installer.

History and trial and error suggests that your device will work as expected. If it does not, however, it is easy enough to try the other driver:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install bcmwl-kernel-source

Reboot.

If there is no improvement, as we expect, simply remove it to revert to the open-source driver:

sudo apt purge bcmwl-kernel-source

Reboot.

+ 6

Seamus

10/15/23, 4:24 PM

Thanks for your answer! I'm tied up on something else at the moment, but I'll try this at my earliest opportunity. After my initial read, this seems clear and very useful. I've upvoted, but will defer acceptance until after I've tried it.

Seamus

10/23/23, 9:02 AM

Apologies for the delay, but finally tried this tonight. **1.** I installed the package `firmware-b43-installer` & learned it was already installed, and **2.** Installed `bcmwl-kernel-source` & rebooted. So far, so good... as a first impression, it seems the wifi speed is a little better. I'll be able to assess if it reduces *dropouts* after a longer observation period.

Seamus

11/5/23, 12:23 AM

Accepted! This is a great answer, and it's a great idea making both opensource and proprietary drivers available in this way. The bcmwl-kernel-source seems to make my wifi connections faster, and it most definitely reduces (actually has eliminated so far) dropouts that required on-off cycling wifi to restore function.

david.perez

1/13/24, 7:45 AM

`bcmwl-kernel-source` doesn't work with Broadcom BCM43228

chili555

1/13/24, 1:11 PM

@david.perez Please start a new question so we may help you.

david.perez

1/16/24, 7:05 AM

@chili555, It was just an informative comment. As the other driver works, no problem

Elon Musk

I sit in a Tesla and translated this thread with Ai:

EN: Proprietary vs Opensource drivers for Broadcomm wifi?

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