Ubuntu Linux 20.04 kernel 5.8.0-34 does not recognize WiFi

**la.khan** · January 7th, 2021

Hi,

I updated my UL20.04 (64 bit) this morning and my Linux kernel was updated from 5.4.0-59 to 5.8.0-34. Since then, my Dell laptop does not recognize WiFi card anymore. I have followed the steps listed in https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2214110 (How to install a driver for the Broadcom series of PCI wireless cards). These have helped me in the past for different UL versions of OS (16.04, 18.04, 20.04) and two Dell laptops.

As a test, I have switched back to kernel 5.4.0-59 and everything was working fine. However, I switched to 5.8.0-34 and followed steps in the above URL, hoping to get the WiFi working, including purging of installation of bcmwl-kernel-source. No luck in getting kernel 5.8.0-34 to detect my WiFi. So, I decided to move back to 5.4.0-59.

Since I purged bcmwl-kernel-source, I tried to install bcmwl-kernel-source using the steps listed in the above URL. The installation goes fine for kernel 5.4.0-59 but fails when it tries to process kernel 5.8.0-34.

My WiFi details are:

Code:

$lspci -nn -d 14e4:
06:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Broadcom Inc. and subsidiaries BCM43142 802.11b/g/n [14e4:4365] (rev 01)

The steps I followed are:

Code:

sudo apt purge -y bcmwl-kernel-source
sudo apt autoremove
sudo apt update
sudo apt-get install -y bcmwl-kernel-source

The output for the last command is

Code:

Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
The following additional packages will be installed:
  dkms
Suggested packages:
  menu
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  bcmwl-kernel-source dkms
0 upgraded, 2 newly installed, 0 to remove and 21 not upgraded.
Need to get 0 B/1,611 kB of archives.
After this operation, 8,364 kB of additional disk space will be used.
Selecting previously unselected package dkms.
(Reading database ... 194803 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack .../dkms_2.8.1-5ubuntu1_all.deb ...
Unpacking dkms (2.8.1-5ubuntu1) ...
Selecting previously unselected package bcmwl-kernel-source.
Preparing to unpack .../bcmwl-kernel-source_6.30.223.271+bdcom-0ubuntu5_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking bcmwl-kernel-source (6.30.223.271+bdcom-0ubuntu5) ...
Setting up dkms (2.8.1-5ubuntu1) ...
Setting up bcmwl-kernel-source (6.30.223.271+bdcom-0ubuntu5) ...
Loading new bcmwl-6.30.223.271+bdcom DKMS files...
Building for 5.4.0-59-generic 5.8.0-34-generic
Building for architecture x86_64
Building initial module for 5.4.0-59-generic
Done.

wl.ko:
Running module version sanity check.
 - Original module
   - No original module exists within this kernel
 - Installation
   - Installing to /lib/modules/5.4.0-59-generic/updates/dkms/

depmod.......

DKMS: install completed.
Building initial module for 5.8.0-34-generic
Error! Bad return status for module build on kernel: 5.8.0-34-generic (x86_64)
Consult /var/lib/dkms/bcmwl/6.30.223.271+bdcom/build/make.log for more information.
dpkg: error processing package bcmwl-kernel-source (--configure):
 installed bcmwl-kernel-source package post-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 10
Processing triggers for man-db (2.9.1-1) ...
Errors were encountered while processing:
 bcmwl-kernel-source
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

Kernel 5.4.0-59 seems to have processed fine. The process errors out when working on kernel 5.8.0-34. How do I get the installation process NOT work on kernel 5.8.0-34? How do I get the installation process to ignore kernel 5.8.0-34?

Any help/insights/pointers in making my laptop WiFi work again is appreciated. Thanks in advance!

**jeremy31** · January 7th, 2021

What results from terminal for

Code:

apt rdepends linux-image-5.8.0-34-generic

**la.khan** · January 7th, 2021

Originally Posted by jeremy31

What results from terminal for

Code:

apt rdepends linux-image-5.8.0-34-generic

@jeremy31: Thanks for the reply. Here is the output.

Code:

linux-image-5.8.0-34-generic
Reverse Depends:
  Depends: linux-image-generic-hwe-20.04
 |Depends: linux-modules-nvidia-455-5.8.0-34-generic
 |Depends: linux-modules-nvidia-450-server-5.8.0-34-generic
 |Depends: linux-modules-nvidia-450-5.8.0-34-generic
 |Depends: linux-modules-nvidia-440-server-5.8.0-34-generic
 |Depends: linux-modules-nvidia-418-server-5.8.0-34-generic
 |Depends: linux-modules-nvidia-390-5.8.0-34-generic
 |Depends: linux-modules-extra-5.8.0-34-generic
  Depends: linux-image-virtual-hwe-20.04-edge
  Depends: linux-image-virtual-hwe-20.04
  Conflicts: linux-image-unsigned-5.8.0-34-generic
  Depends: linux-image-generic-hwe-20.04-edge

**halw** · January 7th, 2021

Is there any resolution to this issue yet? I have reverted to using the 5.4 kernel to get wifi on system with broadcom BCM4360 wireless card.

**la.khan** · January 7th, 2021

Hi all,

I purged all packages that were part of kernel 5.8.0-34.

Code:

sudo apt purge linux-image-5.8.0-34-generic linux-image-unsigned-5.8.0-34-generic linux-modules-5.8.0-34-generic linux-modules-extra-5.8.0-34-generic linux-headers-5.8.0-34-generic linux-generic-hwe-20.04 linux-image-generic-hwe-20.04 linux-hwe-5.8-headers-5.8.0-34
sudo apt purge bcmwl-kernel-source
sudo apt autoremove
sudo apt update
sudo apt install bcmwl-kernel-source

Since all packages of kernel 5.8.0-34 were purged, they did not impact fresh installation bcmwl driver. Rebooted my machine and I have my WiFi working normally.

Since kernel 5.8.0-34 is the latest, I would prefer to use it. However, it is part of edge version whereas 5.4.59 is a stable version. I decided to retain what works seamlessly on my machine.

Just fyi ...

**halw** · January 7th, 2021

@la.khan, I, more or less, did the same in that I did a timeshift restore as I was having issues with sound as well.
Don't think I'll do any updates until they can sort things out.

**jeremy31** · January 7th, 2021

I have no idea why people with 20.04 and the 5.4 kernels were updated to the 5.8. I did a fresh 20.04 install yesterday using an old ISO and I had the 5.8 kernel and haven't been able to find out why

**kansasnoob** · January 8th, 2021

Originally Posted by jeremy31

I have no idea why people with 20.04 and the 5.4 kernels were updated to the 5.8. I did a fresh 20.04 install yesterday using an old ISO and I had the 5.8 kernel and haven't been able to find out why

Ditto!

https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread....7#post14012537

**halw** · January 8th, 2021

Update: Tried running Ubuntu 20.10 from a live USB which uses kernel 5.8 as well and wifi is not recognized there either. Wanted to give this a shot just to see if an older version of the 5.8 kernel had the same problem and it does.