Wireless BCM4322 support for minimal install

[mobilejimbo]

Here is the ultimate question:

How do I incorporate broadcom-sta support into a minimal amd64 install CD? Wired network installation isn't possible. Knoppix V6.0.1 and sysrescuecd don't appear to have support built in as they (along with the gentoo minimal install CD) attempts to load the b43 module (unsuccessfully). I've been successful in the past with installing gentoo on laptops and configuring goofy wireless support (ACX100 back in 2004/2005), but I used a LAN for install.

Here is what I have to work with: acer tablet running windows XP (fully functional), my gentoo target machine (dell xps studio 13) and a spindle of blank CDs.

Thanks in advance,

Jimbo

[mobilejimbo]

I piggybacked on this forum question previously (https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-t-793811-highlight-.html); felt my question belonged in the install forum.

TIA,

Jimbo

[Kingoftherings]

I would suggest that you download the stage3 tarball and portage snapshot and put them on a USB drive or something.

For the packages that the handbook says to install, you can download them off http://mirrors.kernel.org/gentoo/distfiles/
Put those files into your /mnt/gentoo/usr/portage/distfiles directory, so when you chroot portage won't have to download them.

From what I can see, there aren't any kernel sources there, so just nab something off kernel.org, which will work until you get your network going.

And grab the broadcom driver off braodcom's website, so you'll also have that locally when you need to install it.

It'd be much easier than trying to rebuild the minimal cd.

Also, you can use any distro you want to install Gentoo. But AFAIK there aren't any distros that come with broadcom-sta by default since it's non-free. I guess if you really want to, you could install Ubuntu into a small partition, and install the broadcom driver from it's hardware manager and install Gentoo from that environment. And then wipe it when you're done.

[mobilejimbo]

Thanks

Sadly, Kubuntu was the only distro I tried (well that, knoppix v6 and sysrescuecd 1.3.1; knoppix and sysrescuecd both unsuccessful) that had my wireless working. I think I'll follow your advice about putting the distfiles on a USB.

Thanks again,

Jimbo