Hi, I installed ubuntu server on a mac mini late 2012, and I have now (as expected) a problem with the firmware for the Broadcom network adapter / wifi card.
I could install those firmware quite easily with the package firmware-b43-installer but I obviously cannot use apt to download and install this package.
Then I thought to manually download the package from another computer and install it manually in Ubuntu. I saved the .deb into a USB stick and tried to install it, but this package depends on other packages that are not installed on the machine.
Then I thought "ok, I'll do the same for the dependencies and I will install the manually before install the firmware-b43-installer".
The problem is, of course, that also those packages depends on something else.
I don't think is a good idea to go down into the dependency hole and look manually for all the depndendencies of the dependencies... there is a more efficient way to do this? There is a way to download a package with its recursive dependencies?
Or somebody installed already Ubuntu (or a debian based distro) on a mac mini with Broadcom chip that can put me on the right direction?
Thanks a lot.
13 Comments
Tschuuuls@feddit.de · 23 pts · 2y
If you have an android phone, plug it into the macmini via usb, connect to wifi and enable usb tethering.
hyperlink2236@feddit.it · 10 pts · 2y
Amazing. It worked, thanks a lot
lemmyreader@lemmy.ml · 3 pts · 2y
+1 Happy usb tethering user here. 👍
Sorse@discuss.tchncs.de · 1 pts · 2y
iPhones work too
gnuhaut@lemmy.ml · 6 pts · 2y
Copying this package over USB will not work anyway, even if you get all the dependencies, since
firmware-b43-installeris just a script that downloads the firmware (probably because it is illegal for Debian/Ubuntu to redistribute this firmware because of the license).You need internet. You'll need to use a different network device for this, or use a phone as the other person said.
Or you can copy the firmware files over by hand, from a different Ubuntu/Linux computer. They should be under
/usr/lib/firmware/b43.bizdelnick@lemmy.ml · 4 pts · 2y
Here is a manual on how to obtain firmware without using the script.
hyperlink2236@feddit.it · 3 pts · 2y
Right. I solved using the connection of my phone
JovialSodium@lemmy.sdf.org · 5 pts · 2y
A quick search tells me that mac mini's have ethernet. Are you able temporarily connect that way to fetch the wifi drivers?
hyperlink2236@feddit.it · 3 pts · 2y
Unfortunately also the ethernet connection wasn't detected. I solved using my phone in USB tethering
planish@sh.itjust.works · 3 pts · 2y
One approach here is the Ubuntu CD/DVD images. You can (could?) use the disk as a package source for
aptto install from.bustrpoindextr@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2y
gnuhaut@lemmy.ml · 3 pts · 2y
He doesn't have internet.
bustrpoindextr@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2y
hyperlink2236@feddit.it · 2 pts · 2y
Actually, also the ethernet connection does not work :/
TCB13@lemmy.world · 0 pts · 2y
gnuhaut@lemmy.ml · 5 pts · 2y
This is incorrect, that firmware is not included in the installer (for legal reasons, probably).
firmware-b43-installeris just a script. It downloads some driver from a website and extracts the firmware blobs from that driver using another utility calledb43-fwcutter. The package description for that reads: