[SOLVED]Trying to use WIFI on my old Macbok Pro

[BitterTruth]

2 things that have me concerned:

1) your system is still using the 'old naming convention' for interface names i.e. wlan0, eth0 whne modern debian should be using enspl0, enxb359597770089787 etc
2) the admin state of wlan0 is up but the operational state is dormant and the mode is dormant

I think first try doing what @Charlie Brown suggested in post #15 and blacklisting ssb then edit /etc/network/interfaces file to

auto wlan0
allow-hotplug wlan0
iface wlan0 inet dhcp

to try bringing the interface up at boot. Save and Reboot.

Make sure to disconnect ethernet since sometimes if ethernet is connected, wifi switches off.

[Charlie Brown]

2 things that have me concerned:

1) your system is still using the 'old naming convention' for interface names i.e. wlan0, eth0 whne modern debian should be using enspl0, enxb359597770089787 etc

Same here, so we can eliminate that:

$ ip link
1: lo: ...
2: eth0:...
3: wlan0: ...

[rokytnji.1]

Just curious. I am on my MX 23 xfce shop computer redoing my wifi connection due to hail storm and router death .

Just curious what you get when ypu left click the network icon and hit the available networks line there. Can you connect OK?

Here is my shop computer that uses a dish network tv satellite antenna as amplifier for my wifi recetion

Notice on readout my wifi (wlan0) whows up now I am connected.

Code: Select all

harry@shop:~
$ inxi -Fxz
System:
  Kernel: 6.1.0-12-amd64 arch: x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 12.2.0
    Desktop: Xfce v: 4.18.1 Distro: MX-23_x64 Libretto July 31  2023 base: Debian
    GNU/Linux 12 (bookworm)
Machine:
  Type: Desktop System: Dell product: Precision WorkStation T3400 v: N/A
    serial: <superuser required>
  Mobo: Dell model: 0TP412 serial: <superuser required> BIOS: Dell v: A09
    date: 06/04/2009
CPU:
  Info: dual core model: Intel Core2 Duo E7400 bits: 64 type: MCP arch: Penryn
    rev: A cache: L1: 128 KiB L2: 3 MiB
  Speed (MHz): avg: 2267 high: 2791 min/max: N/A cores: 1: 1744 2: 2791
    bogomips: 11164
  Flags: ht lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 ssse3
Graphics:
  Device-1: NVIDIA G86 [Quadro NVS 290] driver: nouveau v: kernel arch: Tesla
    bus-ID: 01:00.0 temp: 58.0 C
  Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 1.21.1.7 driver: X: loaded: modesetting
    unloaded: fbdev,vesa dri: nouveau gpu: nouveau resolution: 1280x1024~60Hz
  API: OpenGL v: 3.3 Mesa 22.3.6 renderer: NV86 direct-render: Yes
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel 82801I HD Audio vendor: Dell driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel
    bus-ID: 00:1b.0
  API: ALSA v: k6.1.0-12-amd64 status: kernel-api
  Server-1: PipeWire v: 0.3.65 status: active
Network:
  Device-1: Broadcom NetXtreme BCM5754 Gigabit Ethernet PCI Express
    vendor: Dell Precision T3400 driver: tg3 v: kernel port: N/A bus-ID: 04:00.0
  IF: eth0 state: down mac: <filter>
  Device-2: Realtek RTL8191SU 802.11n WLAN Adapter driver: r8712u type: USB
    bus-ID: 3-5.4:5
  IF: wlan0 state: up mac: <filter>
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 1.36 TiB used: 14.81 GiB (1.1%)
  ID-1: /dev/sda vendor: Seagate model: ST3500312CS size: 465.26 GiB
  ID-2: /dev/sdc vendor: Toshiba model: External USB 3.0 size: 931.51 GiB
    type: USB
Partition:
  ID-1: / size: 62.65 GiB used: 14.81 GiB (23.6%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda1
Swap:
  Alert: No swap data was found.
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 34.0 C mobo: N/A gpu: nouveau temp: 58.0 C
  Fan Speeds (RPM): cpu: 1197 mobo: 1392
Info:
  Processes: 218 Uptime: 58m Memory: total: 6 GiB available: 5.72 GiB
  used: 2.17 GiB (38.0%) Init: SysVinit runlevel: 5 Compilers: N/A
  Packages: 2073 Shell: Bash v: 5.2.15 inxi: 3.3.28
harry@shop:~

[Griffy]

Why would it be using the old naming convention? I used a freshly downloaded .iso on a freshly partitioned HD that had never been in the mac? I'm curious as to why it would show up this way.

[Griffy]

...
I have b43, b43 legacy and a host of other drivers blocked by default...

Yep, by default wl is enabled and /etc/modprobe.d/broadcom-sta-dkms.conf looks like this:

Code: Select all

# wl module from Broadcom conflicts with the following modules:
blacklist b43
blacklist b43legacy
blacklist b44
blacklist bcma
blacklist brcm80211
blacklist brcmsmac
blacklist ssb

I just got around to trying this and it worked. Made my modprobe.d file look like this, because it was missing a few entries.
Thanks Charlie!
I am still wondering why it used the old naming conventions.

[BitterTruth]

It's probably the older bios presenting the devices in a certain way to the OS. If it works, it's fine.

Hope you enjoy your Mac. Threw mine away, prematurely a few of years ago. Regret it now. Linux has come along way in the last few years.