I have successfully configured (and am currently using) the Broadcom Airport Extreme wireless card inside of the iBook G4. There are many theories about why Apple was not able to release the specs on their wireless card to the free software community (even to their own open source OS, Darwin), but the truth of the matter is that Apple just doesn’t care. If there was some financial benefit to doing it, they would have spared no effort to make it happen.
Anyway, the drivers were reversed engineered by some software geniuses, and, after months of trial and error, Linux (the Kernel) now has a driver for the Broadcom chipset, which is also on many PC network cards and a LinkSys router.
I did not compile the drivers from source, so I cannot predict if you will be successful in doing so. The latest Kernel that I’m using, 2.6.15, comes with the driver installed and enabled. Getting the card to connect to a wireless network and retrieve an IP address was an entirely different beast.
For that I went to a Gentoo forum and found the solution to my problem.
The following formula worked for me on the iBook G4:
1. First I had to steal the firmware code from Apple (it sounds more scandalous that it was). I went into Mac OS X and, I uploaded the file /System/Library/Extensions/AppleAirPort2.kext/Contents/MacOS/AppleAirPort2 to a remote location on lanterntorch.net
2. I then downloaded that firmware package to Linux and used fwcutter to cut out the firmware. I then installed it into /lib/firmware (please follow the directions that come with it).
3. Interestingly, my particular computer kept assigning the broadcom card a network ID of “eth0_clashed.” This was unacceptable. So, I went into “/etc/modprobe.d/aliases” and added an alias “eth1 bcm43xx”.
4. Next, I needed to get the card to connect to a wireless network and receive an IP address from DHCP. The normal methods were not working. It had to be done in a certain order.
To accomplish this, I made the following script:
#!/bin/sh
ifconfig eth1 down
ifconfig eth1 up
iwconfig eth1 channel #
iwconfig eth1 rate #M
iwconfig eth1 essid “AP_ESSID”
Of course, generic “#” and “AP_ESSID” were filled with real values. I then made a menu entry in the Kmenu so that I could run the script easily. I also mapped it to a shortcut key-combo. I have two shortcuts, “Command/Apple + H” gives me a wireless connection at home. “Command/Apple + W” gives me a wireless connection at work.
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Thanks a bunch for the info on how to do this on a mac, im about to install ubuntu so this is just what I was looking for. However, in response to why apple didnt post the protocol, broadcomm makes the protocol and its in use by the government (they subcontracted broadcomm), and as a result, such information is to be kept private for “security reasons”. No sneaky apple conspiracy, just government BS
[...] http://www.lanterntorch.com/free-software/149/airport-extreme-lives-in-linux/ [...]
[...] Om du har en iBook G4 och gärna vill köra Linux på den så vore det kanske också kalas om du kunde få det inbyggda Airport Extreme-kortet att lira? Kolla då in denna guide för tips och information om hur du bär dig åt. [...]
[...] As I’ve mentioned in other posts, I have the Airport Extreme wireless card in my Apple iBook G4 working. I also mentioned, however, that I had to run through a certain process to get it to come up and connect to the network. At the time I originally posted on this subject, I could not get any graphical configuration program to work with it. Instead, I wrote a script and used hotkeys to implement it. That is good, as long as I am only going to and from work, but when I go other places, I’d have to make new scripts. [...]
[...] Thanks to Lantern Torch [...]
Hey. I’m an avid Windows user/Computer Business owner, and I just recently acquired a free iBook G4 from one of my irritated customers. The OS X 10.3.x was corrupt, so, me not having used, god-forbid own, an apple or it’s install disks, my only other option(save for forking out $110+ for Tiger) was to install Linux. Now, I’ve never worked with Linux that much, let alone ppc Linux, so this is all a new experience for me. I’ve tried for about a week now to get the Airport Extreme card to work, and I’ve came to the conclusion that I need to get a copy of the firmware for it. Unfortunately I have no access to a mac, and I can’t find anywhere that I can get a download of the Linux compatable firmware(not to be ran on Linux, but an OS X tarball) so that I can use fwcutter on them.
If anyone has a copy of kernel 2.6.18 compatable AirPort Extreme OS X firmware, or even the end product of fwcutter, it would be highly appriciated, and I’m sure I’m not the only one ;D. My email is ii ( A | T ) insaneinnovations ( D | O | T ) ( C | O | M )
Thanks so much, oh, and I will be using it personally, not selling it, so that I can get better aquainted with Linux.
[...] Code: http://www.lanterntorch.com/free-software/149/airport-extreme-lives-in-linux/ As you can see, this is very frustrating for me, because I’ve scoured Google for a copy of the AirPort drivers/firmware. If anyone could copy one of their system drivers for me, I would be so, so happy. The dir from the root of your HD is: [...]
That’s good to hear Laz. I wish you a lot of luck in your PowerPC and Linux experience. I’m going to try and get Airport Extreme working on my powerbook soon, so I’ll remember you and your firmware when I do.
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