issue] | Dell XPS17 702) Reply-To: In-Reply-To: <[email protected]>
A known issue with Tails: certain Broadcom WiFi hardware is not supported. This is due to the fact that the only device drivers available are proprietary (not open source). Mentioned here: https://tails.boum.org/support/known_issues/index.en.html#index20h2 Using a proprietary device driver s perhaps inconsistent with the spirit of Tails. Nevertheless, if you are willing, it is possible to do so. I have not seen this procedure detailed on the Tails web pile, so here it is. There is a sort of chicken-and-egg problem to overcome: you need network connectivity to obtain the device driver. But until you have the device driver, you have no network connectivity. The solution is to begin the procedure using a machine that does *not* have the Broadcom hardware. In particular, choose a machine that has network connectivity from Tails with no extra work. On this machine, install Tails onto a USB "thumb" drive as usual. You should use the Tails Installer program, so that you can easily configure persistent storage for Tails. After you get Tails installed, boot it. Go ahead and use the "Configure Persistent Storage" program. At a minimum, choose persistence for these three categories: * Personal Data * Apt Packages * Apt Lists Reboot Tails and select "Persistence" from the boot menu. As well, you will probably have to disable MAC address spoofing, because the Broadcom hardware does not support this in Tails. Get used to this boot procedure, you will have to repeat it each time you use Tails. Next, go to the subdirectory Persistence in your home directory. If you don't have this directory already, stop. Something is wrong. You don't have Persistence configured correctly. In the Persistence subdirectory, create a text file using your favorite editor. This will be a bash shell script, use your favorite text editor. here is the content of the file: ######################################################################### # # Install Linux image and header files consistent with your kernel # using the package manager apt-get install -y \ linux-image-$(uname -r|sed 's,[^-]*-[^-]*-,,') \ linux-headers-$(uname -r|sed 's,[^-]*-[^-]*-,,') # Install the proprietary Broadcom device driver using the package # manager apt-get install -y broadcom-sta-dkms # Unload any device drivers that may be present and that may conflict # with the proprietary Broadcom device driver modprobe -r b44 b43 b43legacy ssb brcmsmac bcma # Load the proprietary Broadcom device driver modprobe wl ######################################################################### Save the file and make it executable: chmod +x <filename> Update your package repository: sudo apt-get update Execute the file you created above, with root privilege: sudo <filename> The following three events should now occur: * The package manager obtains needed files through the network. * The package manager installs the proprietary Broadcom device driver and caches it. * The package manager loads the device driver into the kernel. Only the first two events matter. On the current machine, you don't need the proprietary Broadcom device driver. Next, shutdown Tails and carry the Tails USB drive to the machine that uses Broadcom networking hardware. Boot Tails, selecting persistence and disabling MAC address spoofing. Navigate to the Persistence subdirectory as before. The shell script you created should still be present (persistence!). Execute it as root again: sudo <filename> This time, the package manager will not access the internet. It will install needed software that is already present in its cache. You should now have network connectivity. _______________________________________________ tails-support mailing list [email protected] https://mailman.boum.org/listinfo/tails-support To unsubscribe from this list, send an empty email to [email protected].
