Broadcom driver not working in kernel 4.x

I installed Ubuntu 15.10 today, which includes the 4.2.0-16 kernel, on my XPS 13 (9343) laptop containing the Broadcom BCM4352 wifi/bluetooth card.

The Wifi works fine (as it did in Ubuntu 15.04, kernel 3.19).

The Bluetooth continues to fail, in the same way it did in kernel 3.19.  It finds my Microsoft 5000 mouse, but can't connect to it. :-(

In other words, there is no change in partial support for the Broadcom BCM4352 going from Ubuntu 15.04 to 15.10.

Boo, Dell!  When are you going to get this fixed?

There is a newer Broadcom driver which might fix your Bluetooth issues. We're still waiting for Canonical to package it for Ubuntu.

It can be found here: www.broadcom.com/support

Jared, there are no Linux drivers at the link you provided for the BCM4352.

I got fed up with the constant pain this wireless card is providing when trying to update the kernel.  I've now ordered the Intel card.

Buying this laptop was one of the worst experience ever.  I got the DE version to be sure the hardware was linux compatible since I wanted a linux machine to fully jump in python development.  Who'd knew Dell was actually  bold enough to actually offer a Linux laptop that still has half-backed support for the hardware in it!  

Like another person wrote in another thread, it seems like the DE acronym actually means you'll have to develop the kernel yourself to make this machine work properly.

Jared, there are no Linux drivers at the link you provided for the BCM4352.

You have to click on the link. There's a "?gid=1" after the "support/". Here are the direct links too:

http://www.broadcom.com/docs/linux_sta/hybrid-v35_64-nodebug-pcoem-6_30_223_271.tar.gz

http://www.broadcom.com/docs/linux_sta/README_6.30.223.271.txt

Also, I hope I didn't sound snarky. I meant that the URL and what was displayed by the TechCenter software were different.

Hi Jared--

Yes, I clicked on the link.  On that page, the entry in the results for "802.11" for "Linux® STA 64-bit driver" version 6.30.223.271 does not list the BCM4352 as a supported device.  So I stopped there.

I see now that the README does list the 4352.

The README says this version was updated to support the 3.19 kernel.  No mention of support for the 4.2 kernel in Ubuntu 15.10.  I don't know if the relevant kernel APIs have changed from 3.19 to 4.2, so perhaps it would work, but I'd prefer to see a positive statement of support for 4.2 from Broadcom.

Another problem is this limitation:

#76739 Ubuntu9.04: unable to connect to hidden network after stdby/resume

I had this problem on Ubuntu 15.04 and now on 15.10.  It drives me crazy.

The README says that for Ubuntu, the easy way is to install the pre-compiled driver like this:

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get --reinstall install bcmwl-kernel-source

I tried that, but I got a version older than 6.30.223.271, which didn't solve my Bluetooth problem.

If that doesn't work, then one has to compile the driver and copy some files around.

I'm capable of doing this, but it exceeds my pain threshold.

It's hard for me to comprehend how six months after I bought this machine, it still doesn't have working Bluetooth, won't reconnect to a hidden network, and sometimes panics on resume.

Dell, please make an official statement in which you commit to date to deliver a version of Ubuntu that supports all the hardware in the XPS 9343.

Either that, or send me a free Intel wifi/bluetooth card, which is known to work.

Greg

On that page, the entry in the results for "802.11" for "Linux® STA 64-bit driver" version 6.30.223.271 does not list the BCM4352 as a supported device.  So I stopped there.

Yes, the documentation on Broadcom's site is lacking. The readme also does not mention the support for 802.11d, which was added at our request.

The README says this version was updated to support the 3.19 kernel.  No mention of support for the 4.2 kernel in Ubuntu 15.10.  I don't know if the relevant kernel APIs have changed from 3.19 to 4.2, so perhaps it would work, but I'd prefer to see a positive statement of support for 4.2 from Broadcom.

There were API changes in 3.19, so this addresses that too. My understanding is it'll work with later kernels too. (4.0 was originally going to be 3.20, but Linus decided not to let the minor version get so big.)

Another problem is this limitation: #76739 Ubuntu9.04: unable to connect to hidden network after stdby/resume I had this problem on Ubuntu 15.04 and now on 15.10.  It drives me crazy.

Do you have a Launchpad bug report or Dell case number about this that I can use to escalate to Broadcom?

If that doesn't work, then one has to compile the driver and copy some files around. I'm capable of doing this, but it exceeds my pain threshold.

I completely understand. Unfortunately, we're waiting on Canonical to take this latest Broadcom driver and get it packaged in Ubuntu. Yesterday, I escalated this issue to them again.

It's hard for me to comprehend how six months after I bought this machine, it still doesn't have working Bluetooth, won't reconnect to a hidden network, and sometimes panics on resume.

We're very aware--as seen on this forum--with the issues customers have been having with the Broadcom wireless card in this system and the general dissatisfaction with the closed source model it uses. As I've mentioned before, we're working to use non-Broadcom cards in future developer edition systems. We can't give a definitive answer on that happening until our fixed hardware configurations are built and shipping, but I can assure you that making this happen is a top priority for us.

Is it possible to replace the broadcom card for free?

It seems the only solution.

Ubuntu 15.10 doesn't recognize it.

Battery on 14.04 is over after 4 hours of surfing, in my experience.

I paid already around 1.600 euro for a laptop that crashed the first time I opened it.

I feel scammed.

Will Dell take its own responsibility?