Firmware Installation for Raspberry Pi 4

Message

Nirbodha · Post by **Nirbodha** » Thu Nov 11, 2021 4:53 pm

Hi,

I'm trying to run Gentoo on my Raspberry Pi 4 via USB booting, and it's going well. Only problem is, the documentation for installing it doesn't exactly explain what firmware is needed for Wi-Fi usage. I got the impression that I would have to emerge the firmware after getting everything else set up, but I don't have an ethernet connection available.

1. If there's a way to share my internet connection with my laptop's ethernet cable, is it possible to do so via NetworkManager? My laptop's also running Gentoo (installed 3 weeks ago if you need this information).
2. Alternatively are there any links to installing the Raspberry Pi 4 firmware for networking as opposed to emerging?

Thank you for reading this topic. If I messed up the categorization of this post (which I usually do; I'm not very bright) please do tell me.

Nirbodha

pingtoo · Post by **pingtoo** » Thu Nov 11, 2021 5:23 pm

Hi Nirbodha,

Welcome,

I think you can take your USB storage to your laptop and mount/chroot than install firmware ebuild.

On your laptop you can install qemu with USE=static-user and QEMU_USER_TARGETS="aarch64 arm". Once qemu installed then copy /usr/bin/qemu-aarch64 to $chroot/usr/bin/qemu-aarch64.

Once you copy qemu-aarch64 you should be able to emerge within chroot environment.

Post by **NeddySeagoon** » Thu Nov 11, 2021 5:42 pm

Nirbodha,

There are instructions for WiFI on the Pi4 here.
The firmware is provided in linux-firmware now, so no need to search the internet.

You can install that on the pi as pingtoo described or using 'Sneakernet".

Code: Select all

emerge -fp linux-firmware

will tell the files you need.
Put those files into $DISTDIR, on the Pi. That is /var/cache/distfiles unless you changed it.
Now emerge will not try to download them and

Code: Select all

emerge -av linux-firmware

should work.

You may have all the files in /var/cache/distfiles on your laptop already, so copy them over.

Nirbodha · Post by **Nirbodha** » Fri Nov 12, 2021 3:52 am

Thank you all for your replies.

I did not want to go to the hassle of running a QEMU environment on my laptop, so I followed this. Emerging worked. HOWEVER, the wi-fi chip is still not functional.

Maybe on the weekend, I'll try to start up the QEMU environment. Anyway, thank you all for your answers, I really appreciate it.

Post by **NeddySeagoon** » Fri Nov 12, 2021 8:24 am

Nirbodha,

We need to see all of dmesg and the output of

Code: Select all

ifconfig -a

from the Pi.
QEMU will not produce different results if its a configuration issue somewhere.

dmesg will need to be posted to a pastebin.
ifconfig -a will fit into a post.

Nirbodha · Post by **Nirbodha** » Fri Nov 12, 2021 7:00 pm

... I think I spoke too soon.

I did

Code: Select all

ifconfig -a

today and it shows the wlan0 chip now. Guess I forgot to reboot at the last step.

Thank you NeddySeagoon and pingtoo for helping me, and sorry for any time wasted with my previous reply. If you haven't seen already from my signature, I'm a bit dull.

Post by **NeddySeagoon** » Fri Nov 12, 2021 7:50 pm

Nirbodha,

You are learning, so you do not live up to, (or down to) your username.
Maybe you should be called Student instead ?

What you have gained after fixing your WiFi is experience.
Experience is what you get just after you needed it. :)