b43-fwcutter: add helper script for getting firmware

Larry Finger
2015-02-18T17:26:43Z

On 02/18/2015 04:03 AM, Rafa? Mi?ecki wrote:
> On 1 August 2014 at 19:41, Rafa? Mi?ecki <zajec5@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Installing a firmware was always kind of challenge for end users.
>> There were many tries of solving this:
>> 1) Distribution wiki pages with descriptions
>> 2) b43 wiki page trying to handle the most common distros
>> 3) Extra non-free packages
>> 4) Scripts like install_bcm43xx_firmware in openSUSE
>> 5) Scripts like postinst in Debian
>> Way too many of them. Way too complex.
>>
>> My idea is to add a helper script to the b43-tools / fwcutter and put
>> it during install in $(PREFIX)/bin/. This way we will know that every
>> user who installed b43-fwcutter also owns our script. Then we just
>> tell our users "hey, fire your b43_install_firmware" (or whatever).
>>
>> Of course distros still we be able to make it automatic. For example
>> Debian's postinst could simply call this script and simplify its
>> postinst. Same for RPMs.
>>
>> [The second part]
>>
>> Now, if you like my idea above, there is one more thing worth
>> considering. Offline firmware installation. It's not that common, but
>> there still appear ppl who can't use Ethernet cable and don't have
>> another Linux machine to extract firmware using it. For them our
>> script would be useless.
>>
>> So my another idea is to make our script accept passing path to the
>> driver as a command line argument. So one can download
>> broadcom-wl-6.30.163.46.tar.bz2, put it on a USB flash and call
>> b43_install_firmware /mnt/usb/broadcom-wl-6.30.163.46.tar.bz2
>> We should also remember to allows passing other archives as an
>> argument (wl_apsta-3.130.20.0.o at least!).
>>
>>
>> Do you like this idea? Could someone handle this?
>
> I'd like to resurrect this idea. So far I've prepared wiki page
> describing the problem and our plan, see:
> https://wireless.wiki.kernel.org/en/users/drivers/b43/firmware
>
> Is there anything else you would like to add? Before I start
> contacting distribution maintainers?

That looks good. For what it is worth, the openSUSE script would be a good
starting point for network installations. It only uses standard utilities, and
the only assumption it makes is that b43-fwcutter is available.

The off-line firmware installation is more important. File
http://www.lwfinger.com/b43-firmware/no_net_install_bcm43xx_firmware.tar.bz2
handles the problem, but only for a single version of the firmware.

I think you are ready to contact the distros.

Larry