G4 Powerbook Wireless

[Derick Centeno]

Hi Barry!

I've got the same type of computer you do.  According to the references I found
on-line regarding wl-4.80.53.0, for whatever reason, it is buggy and doesn't
work.  The only way around this is to have OS X running such that fwcutter can
extract the firmware from it.

I understand your feelings regarding OS X, I commiserate.  However, a running
version which is used such that a viable version of the firmware becomes
extracted from it is the best way to insure the quality of firmware you acquire
and import into YDL.  I don't envy the work ahead; I can only state that once
you pass that stage you may find that the effort was worth it.

The instructions on this page still work:
http://www.terrasoftsolutions.com/support/solutions/ydl_5.x/airport-extreme.shtml

Problems I found:

[root at arakus b43-fwcutter-009]# ./b43-fwcutter -w /lib/firmware/
\/mnt/macosx/Sys*/Libr*/Ex*/Ap*/Con*/Ma*/AppleAirPort2 Sorry, the input file is
either wrong or not supported by b43-fwcutter. This file has an unknown MD5sum
85c71d658b650fd2ef546d1d81b113a0. 
[root at arakus b43-fwcutter-009]# 


[root at arakus bcm43XX-fwcutter-006]# ./bcm43XX-fwcutter -w /lib/firmware/
\/mnt/macosx/System/Library/Extensions/AppleAirPort2.kext/Contents/MacOS/AppleAirPort2
Sorry, the input file is either wrong or not supported by bcm43XX-fwcutter.
This file has an unknown MD5sum 85c71d658b650fd2ef546d1d81b113a0.

The above was resolved by NOT copying over the ifcfg-eth1 file with the
ifcfg-eth0 file. Also the HWADDR variable in ifcfg-eth1 != the HWADDR variable
in ifcfg-eth0. Anaconda creates both files with different definitions for the
hardware location accessed for Ethernet (eth0) and Wireless (eth1).

What follows is the ifcfg-eth1 file settings located in  /etc/sys*/net*scripts:

# Broadcom Corporation BCM4306 802.11b/g Wireless LAN Controller
DEVICE=eth1
ONBOOT=no
BOOTPROTO=dhcp
HWADDR=00:11:24:90:c3:d8
NETMASK=
DHCP_HOSTNAME=arakus
IPADDR=
DOMAIN=
TYPE=Wireless
ESSID=off/any
CHANNEL=1
MODE=Managed
RATE=Auto
USERCTL=yes
IPV6INIT=yes
PEERDNS=yes

After reboot, it is then possible to do the standard manual invocation of eth1
via the terminal.

The sequence anywhere else entails looking/scanning for signals and using the
essid which are available and/or to those essid's key i've been given to use
(in the event of an encrpted network:

1. #ifconfig eth1 up
2. #iwconfig eth1
3. #iwlist eth1 scanning
4. #iwconfig eth1 channel 6 txpower on rate auto essid ????????????
5. #dhclient eth1

Explanation:  ? represent #'s and letters identifying a router or password.
In the event a router's signal has a name line 4 should be:

#iwconfig eth1 channel 6 txpower on rate auto essid 'xxxxxxxxx'
key ?????????????????

where x are the char forming the name and the key is the password sequence to
that protected router.

Of course if you decide to use wpa-supplicant -- a good idea as it is better
security, then the sequence of initiating connection between airport extreme
and the router will be different.

All the best...


On Wed, 6 Aug 2008 09:26:53 -0500
Barry Hembree <gbhembree at comcast.net> wrote:

> Hi All,
> 
> I recently installed ydl 6.0 on my g4 powerbook. I am having a hard  
> time getting the wireless interface to work. I followed the  
> instructions in the various threads but still no luck. Here are the  
> step I took:
> 
> 1) bownloaded and compiled the fwcutter program (I have the wired  
> ethernet connection working)
> 2) downloaded  wl-4.80.53.0 and extracted into /lib/firmware (I don't  
> have Mac OS X on my computer anymore)
> 3) Tried various combination of editing configuration files by hand  
> and using the network-config app.
> 
> I  do get an error message when I try to activate the device as follows:
> 
> Error wireless request "Set Mode (8B06)"
> 
> any help at this point would be gratly appreciated. I have spent far  
> too many hours on this.
> 
> Thanks
> Barry


=====
"If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician. I often
think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of
music. ... I get most joy in life out of music."  

"What Life Means to Einstein: An Interview by George Sylvester
Viereck," for the October 26, 1929 issue of The Saturday Evening Post.
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