[Bug 2550] New: Review request: wl-bcm43142-kmod - X86_64 Kernel module for Broadcom wireless devices BCM43142

[RPM Fusion Bugzilla]

https://bugzilla.rpmfusion.org/show_bug.cgi?id=2550

             Bug #: 2550
           Summary: Review request: wl-bcm43142-kmod - X86_64 Kernel
                    module for Broadcom wireless devices BCM43142
    Classification: Unclassified
           Product: Package Reviews
           Version: Current
          Platform: x86_64
        OS/Version: GNU/Linux
            Status: NEW
          Severity: normal
          Priority: P5
         Component: Review Request
        AssignedTo: rpmfusion-package-review at rpmfusion.org
        ReportedBy: nicolas.vieville at univ-valenciennes.fr
                CC: rpmfusion-package-review at rpmfusion.org


SPEC file:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/25699833/rpmfusion/F-18/wl-bcm43142-kmod/wl-bcm43142-kmod.spec

SRPMS file:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/25699833/rpmfusion/F-18/wl-bcm43142-kmod/wl-bcm43142-kmod-6.20.55.19-1.fc18.src.rpm

Sources URL:
http://jas.gemnetworks.com/wireless-bcm43142/

Description:
These packages contain x86_64 Broadcom's IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n hybrid Linux device
driver for use with Broadcom's BCM43142-based hardware also known as Broadcom
bcm4365 or Dell 1704 wireless device.

rpmlint wl-bcm43142-kmod.spec 
0 packages and 1 specfiles checked; 0 errors, 0 warnings.

rpmlint wl-bcm43142-kmod-6.20.55.19-1.fc18.src.rpm 
1 packages and 0 specfiles checked; 0 errors, 0 warnings.

Package not eligible to be included in Fedora as it contains some
non-modifiable binary.

As the maintainer of the actual wl-kmod package for rpmfusion, a user asked me
if I could provide the last broadcom wireless drivers for BCM43142-based
hardware, because this chipset is not driven by the actual package. He pointed
me to the actual maintainer site of this package for Debian, and these packages
(broadcom-wl-bcm43142 review request will follow) are largely inspired from
this site (http://jas.gemnetworks.com/wireless-bcm43142/).

The original package was shipped with Ubuntu's Dell laptop, but as far as I
know (digging the Web for 2 days) neither Broadcom or Dell provided on their
websites any sources for this driver. The only source cited by the Debian
packager is actually this site:

http://wielki.tk/vostro/

According to message #60 in this thread
http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=688823#60, Broadcom will not
update the official Broadcom STA driver (aka 5.100.82.112) as the new one was a
Dell/Ubuntu specific only.

While preparing these packages, I had to make some choices and I wonder if
someone could review and comment them if needed:

1.
These new package are x86_64 architecture only. Broadcom/Dell didn't provided
any binary library for i386 (32 bits) platform. I had to make these packages
x86_64 platform only by adding a "ExclusiveArch: x86_64" directive in the SPEC
file, and adding checking in the %prep section of this file too. Is this
correct?

2.
As this new driver doesn't work with some older Broadcom chipset (mine is
bcm4313 and doesn't work with it for example) that still work correctly with
5.100.82.112 driver, I didn't choice to use conflict directive in the SPEC
file. If one has a new chipset in his laptop and plug-in an old one via USB
port the problem will be unsolvable. I preferred to rename the new build module
with a different name to let users deal with there configuration more smoothly
(I hope that modifying some udev rules might be necessary to get them working).
So the new build module was rename from wl.ko to wl_bcm43142.ko at build time.
Is this correct, or am I wrong?

3.
As stated by all the users owning such laptop and wanting to upgrade their
original Ubuntu 11.10 to the last 12.04 or 12.10, this chipset is hybrid but
actually no bluetooth is working. Some efforts are made by Ubuntu developers to
get it working, but for the moment this part of the chipset is not supported
(see
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/863051/+index?comments=all). 
What is the best thing to do to inform users of such a limitation in this
package?

4.
After all, is it worth packaging this driver?

I can provide rawhide SPEC and SRPMS files if needed.

I plan to make it available since F-17 if accepted.

Same request made for the broadcom-wl-bcm43142 package.

As I do not own myself such a device, I would not be able to test new packages
as they would be build. Are there any volunteers to achieve this task?

Last question: as I'm already a rpmfusion packager, but not so experienced, do
I need a sponsor?

Thanks in advance for your comments.

Cordially,


-- 
NVieville

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