Hi, On 2022-01-18 02:29, R. Toby Richards wrote: > I'm installing Debian 11. The installer says that it is missing firmware > files: b43/ucode11.fw, b43/ucode11.fw, b43-open/ucode11.fw and > b43-open/ucode.fw. If you have such media available now, insert it, and > continue. > > I downloaded the dang unofficial DVD ISO that supposedly has non-free > binaries, but the installer won't accept that media as having the > Broadcom drivers that I need. Sneakernet doesn't work because every > iteration of the ISO that I try has no working dpkg. I cannot dpkg the > stuff I need for dpkg to work if dpkg is not working. > > I appreciate your stance on non-free binaries, but at least throw me a > bone on the unofficial ISO files. > Making fast connection between different unrelated concept doesn't help both yourself in understanding of the situation AND yourself getting helped out (as no one seem to willing to help a mad men, risking of getting bitten). I have a laptop who's totally off Internet and have a local repository on hard drive to do my install, so the question about dpkg "not-working" is odd at least, ridiculous at most. Have you tried something like using the 1st DVD of the distribution, install your system (will give you a bare system), you can also use the live DVD (Gnome/KDE/LXDE/XFCE) and install this as your base system. Then use a local repository on a HD. I can install my whole system without Internet connection. This is the first part of my answer (before you write back that I don't touch your networking problem). Yes it's possible you try to install a package and it says "you need Z package as dependencies". So you simply use your two feet and get the package, do the install. Once dependencies are solved, you package that was in a "uninstalled" state will get installed and it's script run. Seems like you got confused between dpkg and apt-get (and even apt itself). The dpkg software has no reliance whatsoever on networking and if my memory's good, it doesn't even use any networking code. Regarding the bone you are looking for... Life's not binary as in : It's free so you can share it as you like It's not free, can't share and that's so bad There's what's called distribution clause. If you look at debian packages for the google android sdk, their size is 11mb for the android-sdk-platform-23 package. Did the brave Debian developer were able to do magic and squeeze it all inside a 11mb package size ? Even if those guys are some of the best programmer in the world, the answer is : NO ! And even if they would have been able, they couldn't ! Why ? Because Google prohibit third parties from distributing Android SDK. So they build a set of script that will get what's needed from the server and install it for you. Something similar also goes on with some game packager where the game engine is GPL'd but not the game media / data file. And now for your answer... This seem to be the case with you device (and some other devices too). It probably need a firmware binary blob that will be extracted from a Windows driver package or something similar. If you find another Linux distro who support your device out of the box, I'd be really surprised and would love to get the link so I can see how they work around this problem. On a last note, you ain't the only one who is using a machine off of Internet access, so your insolvable "pseudo catch 22" is something that was already calculated for and taken into account from the start. I'd remind you that Debian started at a time where not every computer had Internet access and all the tools for installing from local media are still available. A great tool you can discover is called debmirror. Another thing you can do is a hunger strike against Broadcom, this will be much more useful over blaming the choice of licensing made by Debian team. Hope this get you out of the woods... Sincerely, > -- > > _R. Toby Richards_ > > > -- Polyna-Maude R.-Summerside -Be smart, Be wise, Support opensource development
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