At 05:40 AM 1/18/2021, Holger Wansing wrote:
>Dave Dyer <dd...@real-me.net> wrote (16 Jan 2021 04:09:02 UTC): >> Installing on an old x86 cpu which requires "non free" drivers, the >> installer correctly quotes the needed driver's name. Bravo. but... >> >> 1) it suggests adding removable media, which is basically impossible >> in the context of the installer running from a memory stick > >Why? You can simply plug in a second USB stick to the PC. My old device had only 1 usable usb port, and plug/replug didn't work. I eventually did try doing the installation with a usb hub. I don't think that worked either, because the message still referred to the .bin file. AFAIK nothing worked except installing the driver in the .img >> 2) it doesn't tell you in what path on the media to place the driver. >> I still don't know what path would be appropriate if I could figure out how >> and where to mount an additional memory stick where it would be seen, >> but if (instead) I go back and insert the file on the installer stick >> memory stick, it apparently has to go in /firmware > >That's documented in the installation-guide, see >https://d-i.debian.org/doc/installation-guide/en.amd64/ch06s04.html In the cellar, past the sign that says "beware of the leopard" You could at least put that link into the message that included the name of the driver. >> 3) in my particular case, the driver is brcm/brcmfmac43340-sdio.bin, which >> *also* requires a text file, brcm/brcmfmac43340-sdio.txt. I know this >> because >> I figured out case 2B and got the installer to accept the .bin; it then >> it mentions the need for the .txt file. (Again, thanks, it would have >> been impossible to proceed without this key information). However, >> there's apparently no way to get the installer to accept the .txt >> file in the same way that it finds the .bin. > >Hmm, looking into the package firmware-brcm80211 >(https://packages.debian.org/buster/firmware-brcm80211) >there is no such txt file there. >So I wonder where you found such file? Github + Google. And the file I found works. >> 4) a workaround, if you can complete the installation without >> the network working, is to copy both files into /lib/firmware/ and >> magically the network will work. >> >> -- >> >> This whole process is very user unfriendly - especially for for >> the case of a novice user (I'm not) trying to install linux for >> the first time. Rather than trying to put the whole book of >> possibilities in the installer, how about if such messages were >> accompanied by links pointing to detailed explanations. > >As already mentioned above, reading the installation-guide might have >helped. Might have. And a helpful link in the messages from the installer might have helped. The missing .txt (inability to find) is definitely a bug, the rest is a matter of making the process better than it is. Thanks for your attention -
