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Author Topic: Wifi doesn't work and firmware b43 not found  (Read 376 times)

Offline Onktebong

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Wifi doesn't work and firmware b43 not found
« on: December 22, 2025, 03:45:47 PM »
I've installed CorePlus to the HDD and am using an Ethernet cable ... because Wifi doesn't work.
During bootup I get the message:
ERROR: 'Firmware file "b43/ucode13.fw" not found' and a link to download it from kernel.org ... which doesn't work ... but I still managed to get the file from Github:
broadcom-wl-6.30.163.46.tar.bz2
Now, what do I do with it, where do I put it?
Thank you.

Online patrikg

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Re: Wifi doesn't work and firmware b43 not found
« Reply #1 on: December 22, 2025, 04:25:37 PM »
The firmware in tc are in tcz like:
Code: [Select]
firmware-broadcom_bcm43xx.tcz
firmware-broadcom_bnx2.tcz
firmware-broadcom_bnx2x.tcz

You can see the list here:
http://tinycorelinux.net/16.x/x86/tcz/

So i think firmware-broadcom_bcm43xx.tcz whould be first candidate. :)
« Last Edit: December 22, 2025, 04:27:29 PM by patrikg »

Offline Rich

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Re: Wifi doesn't work and firmware b43 not found
« Reply #2 on: December 22, 2025, 04:41:15 PM »
Hi Onktebong
Install  squashfs-tools.tcz.
Then:
Code: [Select]
mkdir -p pkg/lib/firmware/broadcom/b43/
cp ucode13.fw pkg/lib/firmware/broadcom/b43/
mksquashfs pkg ucode13.tcz -noappend

Copy  ucode13.tcz  to your  tce/optional/  directory.
Place  ucode13.tcz  on the first line of  tce/onboot.lst

Offline Rich

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Re: Wifi doesn't work and firmware b43 not found
« Reply #3 on: December 22, 2025, 04:46:59 PM »
Hi patrikg
I don't see  ucode13.fw  listed in:
http://tinycorelinux.net/16.x/x86/tcz/provides.db

Online aus9

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Re: Wifi doesn't work and firmware b43 not found
« Reply #4 on: December 22, 2025, 07:12:54 PM »
I am on TC64 16x on a tower no wifi card
Code: [Select]
tce-load -i wireless-KERNEL
modinfo b43 | grep firmware
firmware:       b43/ucode9.fw
firmware:       b43/ucode42.fw
firmware:       b43/ucode40.fw
firmware:       b43/ucode5.fw
firmware:       b43/ucode30_mimo.fw
firmware:       b43/ucode33_lcn40.fw
firmware:       b43/ucode29_mimo.fw
firmware:       b43/ucode26_mimo.fw
firmware:       b43/ucode25_mimo.fw
firmware:       b43/ucode25_lcn.fw
firmware:       b43/ucode24_lcn.fw
firmware:       b43/ucode16_mimo.fw
firmware:       b43/ucode16_lp.fw
firmware:       b43/ucode15.fw
firmware:       b43/ucode14.fw
firmware:       b43/ucode13.fw
firmware:       b43/ucode11.fw

If your dmesg claims you only need one then download and inject one.
You may like to report the output of
Code: [Select]
dmesg | grep firmware
dmesg | grep error

anyhow you need the raw file and I found one here
https://github.com/OpenELEC/wlan-firmware/raw/refs/heads/master/firmware/b43/ucode13.fw

assuming firmware pathway is /usr/local/lib/firmware/b43
then use root powers to copy from Downloads dir to that path something like
Code: [Select]
cd Downloads
[ -d /usr/local/lib/firmware/b43 ] || sudo mkdir -p /usr/local/lib/firmware/b43
sudo cp ucode13.fw  /usr/local/lib/firmware/b43/

add usr/local/lib/firmware/b43 to your backup file called /opt/.filetool.lst

reboot and try again...depending on your dmesg errors
good luck

You may need more firmware

Offline Rich

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Re: Wifi doesn't work and firmware b43 not found
« Reply #5 on: December 22, 2025, 08:23:44 PM »
Hi Onktebong
Correction to reply #2, it should be:

Install  squashfs-tools.tcz.
Then:
Code: [Select]
mkdir -p pkg/usr/local/lib/firmware/broadcom/b43/
cp ucode13.fw pkg/usr/local/lib/firmware/broadcom/b43/
mksquashfs pkg ucode13.tcz -noappend

Copy  ucode13.tcz  to your  tce/optional/  directory.
Place  ucode13.tcz  on the first line of your  tce/onboot.lst  file.

Offline Onktebong

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Re: Wifi doesn't work and firmware b43 not found
« Reply #6 on: December 23, 2025, 02:53:21 PM »
The firmware in tc are in tcz like:
Code: [Select]
firmware-broadcom_bcm43xx.tcz
firmware-broadcom_bnx2.tcz
firmware-broadcom_bnx2x.tcz

You can see the list here:
http://tinycorelinux.net/16.x/x86/tcz/

So i think firmware-broadcom_bcm43xx.tcz whould be first candidate. :)

I've installed firmware-broadcom_bcm43xx.tcz through Apps.
Now what do I do?

Offline Onktebong

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Re: Wifi doesn't work and firmware b43 not found
« Reply #7 on: December 23, 2025, 03:16:12 PM »
Hi Onktebong
Correction to reply #2, it should be:

Install  squashfs-tools.tcz.
Then:
Code: [Select]
mkdir -p pkg/usr/local/lib/firmware/broadcom/b43/
cp ucode13.fw pkg/usr/local/lib/firmware/broadcom/b43/
mksquashfs pkg ucode13.tcz -noappend

Copy  ucode13.tcz  to your  tce/optional/  directory.
Place  ucode13.tcz  on the first line of your  tce/onboot.lst  file.
Installed squashfs-tools.tcz
Ran mkdir -p pkg/usr/local/lib/firmware/broadcom/b43
Then cp ucode13.fw pkg/usr/local/lib/firmware/broadcom/b43
Error message:
Code: [Select]
cp: can't stat 'ucode13.fw': No such file or directorySo what can I do now?

Offline Rich

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Re: Wifi doesn't work and firmware b43 not found
« Reply #8 on: December 23, 2025, 04:18:25 PM »
Hi Onktebong
You need to download the firmware file before you can copy it somewhere:
Code: [Select]
wget https://github.com/OpenELEC/wlan-firmware/raw/refs/heads/master/firmware/b43/ucode13.fw
mkdir -p pkg/usr/local/lib/firmware/broadcom/b43/
cp ucode13.fw pkg/usr/local/lib/firmware/broadcom/b43/
mksquashfs pkg ucode13.tcz -noappend

Then:
Copy  ucode13.tcz  to your  tce/optional/  directory.
Place  ucode13.tcz  on the first line of your  tce/onboot.lst  file.

It should now find the firmware next time you reboot.