How to install stuff without internet

[okuma_10]

I guess I just had it!, with trying to do it on my own. So I ask for help.

Decided to star using Linux last week. I installed KDE neon and that worked out of the box just fine. All the drivers worked fine. I was able to connect to my wifi(even during the install). Had no problems until, for the second time,while uninstalling something(the last time was Wacom's drivers) all of the desktop environment got deleted. Annoyed and having found about Timeshift I decided to do a clean install and make sure I install Timeshift. But, somehow using the same usb stick with the same KDE neon iso, this time my wifi drivers didn't work. Tried few times but nothing. Decided to move to another distribution(maybe the problem was with neon). A lot of people recommended Manjaro so I decided to install that. I do but on Manjaro it's the same thing.

Looked up the net and unfortunately I have that Broadcom 4360 chip that needs special setup. But here is the kicker...all solutions require internet connection. Found some offline solutions but when I run them with the downloaded github snapshots, I keep getting errors that there are missing packages. Even the offline solutions end up requiring internet.

So, how can I install the bloody Broadcom drivers without having internet. Getting an ethernet connection is out of the question for at least a month. If it is impossible then I guess I have to stick with Windows for now.

[fbodymechanic]

Interesting question. If you have no internet, how are you downloading the ISO? Or even posting this question?

[okuma_10]

Interesting answer. I have dual boot with Windows.

[cscs]

You will have to be more specific about what software you are trying to have offline .. are there packages ? do you need to compile manually ? what errors do you get ?

[FastGame]

So there is no possible way for Ethernet cable hookup ?

[okuma_10]

@cscs I'm trying to install wifi drivers for my wifi adapter:

Device-2: Broadcom and subsidiaries BCM4360 802.11ac Wireless Network Adapter driver: bcma-pci-bridge v: N/A 
           port: d000 bus ID: 05:00.0 chip ID: 14e4:43a0

That's my problem, everything requires internet, but with no internet a simple Linux installation appears almost useless.I do have an ethernet adapter to the motherboard, but as I said, I don't have a cable to connect to my router.I tried using the direct cable from the device of the provider, but then the internet was whining about the MAC address, even though I entered the same MAC address from the router. I did had a ethernet cable with the router, but it appears someone in the house decided to throw it away a long time a go.So...I'm stuck with only wifi connection.

I've looked up and saw people recommending installing b43-firmware package from AUR and/or broadcome-wl-ck.
I downloaded the snapshots from github, from the time I used KDE neon, I learned that you have to build the downloaded packages. There the command was make then make install . I think for Manjaro is makepkg for make. So I did this in the downlaoded package directory(as I did in neon). and I got this:
for b43-firmware makepkg:

==> Making package: b43-firmware 6.30.163.46-1 (17.12.2019 (вт)  0:13:41 EET)
==> Checking runtime dependencies...
warning: database file for 'core' does not exist (use '-Sy' to download)
warning: database file for 'extra' does not exist (use '-Sy' to download)
warning: database file for 'community' does not exist (use '-Sy' to download)
warning: database file for 'multilib' does not exist (use '-Sy' to download)
==> Checking buildtime dependencies...
warning: database file for 'core' does not exist (use '-Sy' to download)
warning: database file for 'extra' does not exist (use '-Sy' to download)
warning: database file for 'community' does not exist (use '-Sy' to download)
warning: database file for 'multilib' does not exist (use '-Sy' to download)
==> Retrieving sources...
  -> Downloading broadcom-wl-6.30.163.46.tar.bz2...
  % Total    % Received % Xferd  Average Speed   Time    Time     Time  Current
                                 Dload  Upload   Total   Spent    Left  Speed
  0     0    0     0    0     0      0      0 --:--:-- --:--:-- --:--:--     0curl: (6) Could not resolve host: www.lwfinger.com
Warning: Transient problem: timeout Will retry in 3 seconds. 3 retries left.
  0     0    0     0    0     0      0      0 --:--:-- --:--:-- --:--:--     0curl: (6) Could not resolve host: www.lwfinger.com
Warning: Transient problem: timeout Will retry in 3 seconds. 2 retries left.
  0     0    0     0    0     0      0      0 --:--:-- --:--:-- --:--:--     0curl: (6) Could not resolve host: www.lwfinger.com
Warning: Transient problem: timeout Will retry in 3 seconds. 1 retries left.
  0     0    0     0    0     0      0      0 --:--:-- --:--:-- --:--:--     0curl: (6) Could not resolve host: www.lwfinger.com
==> ERROR: Failure while downloading http://www.lwfinger.com/b43-firmware/broadcom-wl-6.30.163.46.tar.bz2
    Aborting...

and for broadcom-wl-ck makepkg :

/run/media/okuma_10/Backup/Backup/Linux/BroadCom/broadcom-wl-ck/broadcom-wl-ck/PKGBUILD: line 46: /usr/src/linux-ck/version: No such file or directory
==> Making package: broadcom-wl-ck 6.30.223.271-162 (17.12.2019 (вт)  0:15:15 EET)
==> Checking runtime dependencies...
warning: database file for 'core' does not exist (use '-Sy' to download)
warning: database file for 'extra' does not exist (use '-Sy' to download)
warning: database file for 'community' does not exist (use '-Sy' to download)
warning: database file for 'multilib' does not exist (use '-Sy' to download)
==> Missing dependencies:
  -> linux-ck>=5.2
  -> linux-ck<5.3
==> Checking buildtime dependencies...
warning: database file for 'core' does not exist (use '-Sy' to download)
warning: database file for 'extra' does not exist (use '-Sy' to download)
warning: database file for 'community' does not exist (use '-Sy' to download)
warning: database file for 'multilib' does not exist (use '-Sy' to download)
==> Missing dependencies:
  -> linux-ck-headers>=5.2
  -> linux-ck-headers<5.3
==> ERROR: Could not resolve all dependencies.

Now I'm a complete noob, but from what I can understand these drivers depend on packages that are missing in the system, so it is trying to download them but naturally it can't because there is no internet connection.

[anon85858489]

Since Ethernet is out of the question here. Do you have an Android Phone? You can tether your phone to your Manjaro machine via USB and use its connection, although that will consume your phone's data if you are not on wifi. Enable USB tethering in your Android phone's settings and allow it to share your connection.

Otherwise, you could manually download whatever packages you want via a different system and then install via local method, though this is dangerous if the system is not up to date.

See section 4 of pacman overview

https://wiki.manjaro.org/index.php?title=Pacman_Overview#Installing_Packages

[eugen-b]

The mobile phone should be able to connect to WiFi and won't consume mobile data.

[cscs]

@okuma_10

I've looked up and saw people recommending installing b43-firmware package from AUR and/or broadcome-wl-ck.
I downloaded the snapshots from github, from the time I used KDE neon, I learned that you have to build the downloaded packages. There the command was make then make install . I think for Manjaro is makepkg for make . So I did this in the downlaoded package directory(as I did in neon). and I got this:
for b43-firmware makepkg :

..See this - this is all wrong.

make is the same on all linux.
makepkg is something entirely different - and specific to PKGBUILDs (arch and manjaro package build scripts)

If you were using the git source you would use make like any other scenario...
except you shouldnt.

If a compatible package exists - you should use that over manually compiling and installing.

So .. lets say you need b43-firmware
That is an AUR package. So you would download it from there
https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/b43-firmware/
(you can use your browser and click 'download snapshot or a command like:)
git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/b43-firmware.git

Once you have the source (you may need to unzip the archive if you downloaded the snapshot) you can run makepkg properly
Simply enter the directory : cd /path/to/b43-firmware
Then run makepkg: makepkg -sric

except you need to make sure to get the dependencies too. In this case just b43-fwcutter which might even be available in the install media. But just in case make sure to get it from the repos. I will choose the oft-updated german moson mirror.
https://manjaro.moson.eu/stable/core/x86_64/
These two:
https://manjaro.moson.eu/stable/core/x86_64/b43-fwcutter-019-3-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
https://manjaro.moson.eu/stable/core/x86_64/b43-fwcutter-019-3-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz.sig

These are packages. Meaning you dont need to compile them, and you dont need to use makepkg. You can use the package manager directly.

It would be installed like

sudo pacman -U /path/to/b43-fwcutter-019-3-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz

(again - make sure to have fwcutter installed first, as it is a depend of b43-firmware)

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Makepkg
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Pacman
https://wiki.manjaro.org/index.php?title=Main_Page#Software_Management_.2F_Applications

[anon85858489]

Correct. Will update post accordingly

[eugen-b]

@okuma_10

I have that Broadcom 4360 chip

I would search that model and read the topics marked as solved on this forum. They are numerous. Don't try Arch or Ubuntu solutions.
This one is the most promising

Broadcom wifi driver fails to install properly

If your Broadcom wireless adapter driver is detected as "bcma-pci-bridge" or "b43-pci-bridge", your driver has likely been installed incorrectly. Examples: Kernel driver in use: bcma-pci-bridge Kernel modules: bcma Kernel driver in use: b43-pci-bridge Kernel modules: ssb If your WiFi connection is not working correctly you will need an alternate means to connect to the internet. You can use a wired LAN connection if your computer has a wired NIC (and a connection is available). The other…

When you get to the step that you need to download something, you can try to download the files on the different machine, copy them on a USB stick. If the files re packages, then find the path where the USB stick is mounted and run
sudo pacman -U /path/to/the/USB7stick/package-name.pkg.tar.xz

But this is far more complicated than using a mobile phone connected to Wifi for USB tethering.

[Fabby]

I agree with @Fastgame: go rummage in the box that came with your router, get the Ethernet cable out of there, connect that way and then solve your wireless issues solidly connected through said cable. If you only have an Access point and the router is inaccessible (E.G. In the basement in a locked cage) take your laptop to a friend, bring them a six-pack of beer, a box of chocolates or a bunch of flowers and tell them:

"Hey, I'll be using your router with this Ethernet cable for 30 minutes, enjoy the beer / chocolates / flowers in the meantime."

Because using Windows to download the packages / reboot every time you run into another dependency is going to take you more time than that...

[okuma_10]

@cscs trying that got me to another dependency that it required. broadcom-wl-6.30.163.46.tar.bz2

But before logging in Windows I tried @anon85858489 's suggestion about the USB tethering . And that worked. A bit of a bummer is that before I noticed I was using the mobile data, and most likely I drained that, before I switched to the wifi - yeah...should had done that from the get go.
From there I just searched the forum and managed to get it working from there.
So phew...I'm back in the game.
To be honest I kept seeing this idea of using your phone. But up until now I used the tethering only with wifi. And I was thinking "ok, if I can't run my wifi adapter, what's the point of having the phone transmitting the wifi" . Never knew I could do it with the USB .

[tbg]

@okuma_10

but then the internet was whining about the MAC address,

Many Broadcom adapters do not function correctly unless you disable MAC Address randomization.

Network Related Scripts

Network Manager's MAC Address Randomization feature can often interfere with wifi connectivity. There is an easy one line command that can automatically create the required file in etc/NetworkManager/conf.d that will disable that feature. Enter the following command in the terminal to automatically generate the required configuration file: echo -e "[device]\nwifi.scan-rand-mac-address=no" | sudo tee /etc/NetworkManager/conf.d/disable-random-mac.conf After creating the new conf file, reboot bo…

[anon85858489]

@okuma_10

So phew...I'm back in the game.

Glad to hear it! I had a similar issue to yours and that's how I resolved it. I was waiting on a USB dongle for my Cinnamon desktop and I needed to install some updates to get a certain program to work. I was lost at first but I thought to myself, "you know, there's a package installed that says 'android tools'; I really wonder if..." and violla! Updates installed!

[10yearslate]

Can we just take a moment to appreciate USB tethering? I had this same issue on a HP stream a couple of years ago and that didn't have an ethernet port! Would have been stuffed without the phone. Glad you got your wifi working

[fbodymechanic]

@okuma_10

Interesting answer. I have dual boot with Windows.

I'm sorry I didn't understand. When I read "Getting ethernet connection is out of the question for at least a month." I just flat out assumed you had zero internet at all available to you. Not that you were dual boot.

Everyone else after me has addressed this pretty thoroughly for you though. I'd suggest the phone/wifi tethering option. it's the easiest wired connection you can make. Good luck!