What do these rpms do?

[Suresh Govindachar]

Hello,

Please explain the role played by the material in each of 
  the following three rpms found on rpmfusion:

1) broadcom-wl-5.60.48.36-1.fc13.noarch.rpm

Common files for Broadcom 802.11 STA driver

This package contains the license, readme and configuration
     files for the Broadcom 802.11 Linux STA Driver for WiFi, a
     linux device driver for use with Broadcom's BCM4311-,
     BCM4312-, BCM4321-, and BCM4322-based hardware.

2) kmod-wl-2.6.35.6-48.fc14.x86_64-5.60.48.36-2.fc14.2.x86_64.rpm

wl kernel module(s) for 2.6.35.6-48.fc14.x86_64

This package provides the wl kernel modules built for the
     Linux kernel 2.6.35.6-48.fc14.x86_64 for the x86_64 family
     of processors.

3) kmod-wl-5.60.48.36-2.fc14.2.x86_64.rpm

Metapackage which tracks in wl kernel module for newest kernel

This is a meta-package without payload which sole purpose
     is to require the wl kernel module(s) for the newest
     kernel.  to make sure you get it together with a new
     kernel.

The reference URL provided for all three packages is the same,
  viz., http://www.broadcom.com/support/802.11/linux_sta.php

(Note that the material on the reference URL is newer than any
  of the three rpms;  but what I am trying to understand in this 
  thread is the role played by the stuff in each of the 3 rpms.)

Thanks,

--Suresh

[Kevin Fenzi]

On Sat, 26 Feb 2011 07:29:02 -0800
"Suresh Govindachar"  wrote:
> Hello,
>
> Please explain the role played by the material in each of 
>   the following three rpms found on rpmfusion:

You describe the role under each one? 
How can we expand on it?  :)

The common subpackage has the docs and such. The versioned kmod is one
for a specific kernel, and the generic kmod-wl subpackage is to allow
you to pull in the latest specific kmod version. ;)

kevin

[Suresh Govindachar]

Kevin Fenzi wrote:
> > On Sat, 26 Feb 2011 07:29:02 -0800
> > "Suresh Govindachar" wrote:
> >
> > Please explain the role played by the material in each
> > of the following three rpms found on rpmfusion:

I was able to look inside two of the three rpms -- although
  commands like rpm2cpio foo.rmp | cpio -idmv failed to extract
  the following rpms either rhel5 or fc5, they could be
  extracted using 7zip on Win XP!
> > broadcom-wl-5.60.48.36-1.fc13.noarch.rpm
> >
> > Common files for Broadcom 802.11 STA driver
> >
> > This package contains the license, readme and
> > configuration files for the Broadcom 802.11 Linux STA
> > Driver for WiFi, a linux device driver for use with
> > Broadcom's BCM4311-, BCM4312-, BCM4321-, and
> > BCM4322-based hardware.

Contains:
     /etc/modprobe.d/broadcom-wl-blacklist.conf
     /usr/share/doc/broadcom-wl-5.60.48.36/LICENSE.txt
     /usr/share/doc/broadcom-wl-5.60.48.36/README.txt

cat of broadcom-wl-blacklist.conf
     # modules blacklisted for broadcom-wl
     blacklist bcm43xx
     blacklist ssb
     blacklist b43
     blacklist ndiswrapper
> > kmod-wl-2.6.35.6-48.fc14.x86_64-5.60.48.36-2.fc14.2.x86_64.rpm
> >
> > wl kernel module(s) for 2.6.35.6-48.fc14.x86_64
> >
> > This package provides the wl kernel modules built for
> > the Linux kernel 2.6.35.6-48.fc14.x86_64 for the x86_64
> > family of processors.

Contains:
     /lib/modules/2.6.35.6-48.fc14.x86_64/extra/wl/wl.ko
> > kmod-wl-5.60.48.36-2.fc14.2.x86_64.rpm
> >
> > Metapackage which tracks in wl kernel module for newest kernel
> >
> > This is a meta-package without payload which sole
> > purpose is to require the wl kernel module(s) for the
> > newest kernel.  to make sure you get it together with a
> > new kernel.

The cpio file in the rpm (viz., kmod-wl-5.60.48.36-2.fc14.2.x86_64.cpio)
  could not be read!  I suppose that is what the rpm's author
  means by "package without payload".
> > The reference URL provided for all three packages is the same,
> > viz., http://www.broadcom.com/support/802.11/linux_sta.php
> >
> > (Note that the material on the reference URL is newer than any
> > of the three rpms;  but what I am trying to understand in this
> > thread is the role played by the stuff in each of the 3 rpms.)
>
> You describe the role under each one? 
> How can we expand on it?  :)

I copied the descriptions from rpmfusion;  I had to extract
  the rpms to understand what they were about!
> The common subpackage has the docs and such. The versioned
> kmod is one for a specific kernel, and the generic kmod-wl
> subpackage is to allow you to pull in the latest specific
> kmod version. ;)

I still don't understand how
       kmod-wl-5.60.48.36-2.fc14.2.x86_64.rpm 
  helps achieve what it is supposed to help achieve.

--Suresh

[Kevin Fenzi]

On Sat, 26 Feb 2011 22:30:20 -0800
"Suresh Govindachar"  wrote:
> Kevin Fenzi wrote:
> > > On Sat, 26 Feb 2011 07:29:02 -0800
> > > "Suresh Govindachar" wrote:
> > >
> > > Please explain the role played by the material in each
> > > of the following three rpms found on rpmfusion:
>
> I was able to look inside two of the three rpms -- although
>   commands like rpm2cpio foo.rmp | cpio -idmv failed to extract
>   the following rpms either rhel5 or fc5, they could be
>   extracted using 7zip on Win XP!

Yes, the rpm format has changed since rhel5/fc5. You will need a more
modern fedora to extract things.
> > > broadcom-wl-5.60.48.36-1.fc13.noarch.rpm
> > >
> > > Common files for Broadcom 802.11 STA driver
> > >
> > > This package contains the license, readme and
> > > configuration files for the Broadcom 802.11 Linux STA
> > > Driver for WiFi, a linux device driver for use with
> > > Broadcom's BCM4311-, BCM4312-, BCM4321-, and
> > > BCM4322-based hardware.
>
> Contains:
>      /etc/modprobe.d/broadcom-wl-blacklist.conf
>      /usr/share/doc/broadcom-wl-5.60.48.36/LICENSE.txt
>      /usr/share/doc/broadcom-wl-5.60.48.36/README.txt
>
> cat of broadcom-wl-blacklist.conf
>      # modules blacklisted for broadcom-wl
>      blacklist bcm43xx
>      blacklist ssb
>      blacklist b43
>      blacklist ndiswrapper
> > > kmod-wl-2.6.35.6-48.fc14.x86_64-5.60.48.36-2.fc14.2.x86_64.rpm
> > >
> > > wl kernel module(s) for 2.6.35.6-48.fc14.x86_64
> > >
> > > This package provides the wl kernel modules built for
> > > the Linux kernel 2.6.35.6-48.fc14.x86_64 for the x86_64
> > > family of processors.
>
> Contains:
>      /lib/modules/2.6.35.6-48.fc14.x86_64/extra/wl/wl.ko
> > > kmod-wl-5.60.48.36-2.fc14.2.x86_64.rpm
> > >
> > > Metapackage which tracks in wl kernel module for newest kernel
> > >
> > > This is a meta-package without payload which sole
> > > purpose is to require the wl kernel module(s) for the
> > > newest kernel.  to make sure you get it together with a
> > > new kernel.
>
> The cpio file in the rpm (viz.,
> kmod-wl-5.60.48.36-2.fc14.2.x86_64.cpio) could not be read!  I
> suppose that is what the rpm's author means by "package without
> payload".

Yes, it's an empty package that simply requires the right kmod for your
currently running kernel.
> I copied the descriptions from rpmfusion;  I had to extract
>   the rpms to understand what they were about!

rpm -qli should provide that info as well.
> > The common subpackage has the docs and such. The versioned
> > kmod is one for a specific kernel, and the generic kmod-wl
> > subpackage is to allow you to pull in the latest specific
> > kmod version. ;)
>
> I still don't understand how
>        kmod-wl-5.60.48.36-2.fc14.2.x86_64.rpm 
>   helps achieve what it is supposed to help achieve.

It means you can:

yum install kmod-wl

and it will download that package and see that it requires the specific
version for your kernel. So you don't have to:

yum install kmod-wl-2.6.35.6-48.fc14.x86_64-5.60.48.36-2.fc14.2.x86_64

which you might note is a bit more difficult to type. :)

kevin