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Install deb packages with its dependencies manually on mac mini - Broadcom firmware (feddit.it)

submitted 9 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

13 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Hi, I installed ubuntu server on a mac mini late 2012, and I have now (as expected) a problem with the firmware for the Broadcom network adapter / wifi card.

I could install those firmware quite easily with the package firmware-b43-installer but I obviously cannot use apt to download and install this package.

Then I thought to manually download the package from another computer and install it manually in Ubuntu. I saved the .deb into a USB stick and tried to install it, but this package depends on other packages that are not installed on the machine.

Then I thought "ok, I'll do the same for the dependencies and I will install the manually before install the firmware-b43-installer".

The problem is, of course, that also those packages depends on something else.

I don't think is a good idea to go down into the dependency hole and look manually for all the depndendencies of the dependencies... there is a more efficient way to do this? There is a way to download a package with its recursive dependencies?

Or somebody installed already Ubuntu (or a debian based distro) on a mac mini with Broadcom chip that can put me on the right direction?

Thanks a lot.

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[–] [email protected] 24 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (3 children)

If you have an android phone, plug it into the macmini via usb, connect to wifi and enable usb tethering.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 9 months ago

Amazing. It worked, thanks a lot

[–] [email protected] 3 points 9 months ago

+1 Happy usb tethering user here. 👍

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago

iPhones work too

[–] [email protected] 7 points 9 months ago (2 children)

Copying this package over USB will not work anyway, even if you get all the dependencies, since firmware-b43-installer is just a script that downloads the firmware (probably because it is illegal for Debian/Ubuntu to redistribute this firmware because of the license).

You need internet. You'll need to use a different network device for this, or use a phone as the other person said.

Or you can copy the firmware files over by hand, from a different Ubuntu/Linux computer. They should be under /usr/lib/firmware/b43.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

Here is a manual on how to obtain firmware without using the script.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 9 months ago

Right. I solved using the connection of my phone

[–] [email protected] 5 points 9 months ago (1 children)

A quick search tells me that mac mini's have ethernet. Are you able temporarily connect that way to fetch the wifi drivers?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 9 months ago

Unfortunately also the ethernet connection wasn't detected. I solved using my phone in USB tethering

[–] [email protected] 3 points 9 months ago

One approach here is the Ubuntu CD/DVD images. You can (could?) use the disk as a package source for apt to install from.