OpenSuse 13.2 Linux on Asus G750JW ROG Republic of Gamers 17" Laptop

May 15th, 2015, I began upgrading my Asus ROG Laptop to OpenSuse 13.2. Had some UEFI settings issues, but once figured those out, installed fine, however did NOT autodetect wifi, had to use wired ethernet to get updates. Now working on the rest.

Added many repositories, especially the Packman repository, necessary for multimedia and extra drivers.

Wired Ethernet Gigabat works out of the box during and after install:

Wireless, once again does not work, not even detected, chipset: BCM4352

lspci -vvnn | grep -A 9 Network
03:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Broadcom Corporation BCM4352 802.11ac Wireless Network Adapter [14e4:43b1] (rev 03)
Subsystem: AzureWave Device [1a3b:2123]
Control: I/O- Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx-
Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=fast >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR- INTx-
Latency: 0, Cache Line Size: 64 bytes
Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 4
Region 0: Memory at dd400000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=32K]
Region 2: Memory at dd200000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=2M]
Capabilities: [48] Power Management version 3
Flags: PMEClk- DSI- D1+ D2+ AuxCurrent=0mA PME(D0+,D1+,D2+,D3hot+,D3cold+)

I added broadcom-wl and broadcom-wl-kmp-default.

The usual Codecs. Due to the usual license compliance issues with most Linux distros, one must grab many of the multimedia codecs and plugins separately after install. This has been easier and easier with each year.

http://opensuse-guide.org/codecs.php

http://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/opensuse-13-2.html

It took me a lot of iterations to finally figure out the best combination for dual booting to actually work properly with my complex setup. The combination of UEFI (bios) settings, and options chosen during OpenSuse 13.2 install, while retaining untouched the Windows 8.1 install ended up best as follows:

Asus UEFI/BIOS Settings, Boot Options

• CSM = Disabled
• Fast Boot = Disabled (will try with enabled to see if any difference)
• Secureboot = Disabled (Every attempt to setup secureboot, required a fresh wipe of existing Windows setup first, so gave up on this, since didn't want to deal with that hassle at this point)

Here is what the partitioning of the two drives looks like for /dev/sda (1 TB) and /dev/sdb (240 GB SSD):

PHOTO HERE

During OpenSuse Install:

• Boot from UEFI DVD selection (had to use Escape Key to bring it up so it wouldn't boot straight to Windows, without having to permanently change bios setting to allow DVD boot)
• Select Installation, go through normal process of steps....
• Setup partitioning as desired (see additional notes below regarding /boot and /boot/efi partition)
• When at summary before the final step to install, under the listing at the top for BOOT Options, select, and change it from the default listing of "Enable Secureboot", uncheck that option)
• Save settings, and run install.
• When reboots, it presents the appropriate multi-boot-options menu between Suse and Windows.
• Suse boots normally (have to enter encryption key for the encrypted LVM I setup).
• Login.

NOTES Regarding /boot and /boot/efi

Since I am running my  root partition under an encrypted LVM volume, (this is what kicked my rear for a long time before I went "doh!") the system needs access to boot files. I kept getting a grub> enter encryption key, prompt, but it wouldn't work. So I did the following with my /boot and /boot/efi:

• Setup separate 500 MB (note the "M" not the "G") Ext2 partition that mounts to boot
• Setup separate 175 MB FAT partition that has the EFI files needed for UEFI to be content with boot options, mounted under /boot/efi

POST BASE INSTALL

Now the system boots up and logs in, but I only have ethernet device for the LAN/ethernet NIC, no wifi. This is of course because of the proprietary Broadcomm drivers "tainting the kernel", so not offered on the DVD or default repositories.

• First thing to do is hook up ethernet cable for Internet access (works as soon as plugged in).
• Then run Yast and select Updates. Let it choose defaults, it will first update zypper, Yast, etc. When those updates complete, it will go back to updates again, run those next (many other updates), and will afterwards require a reboot (kernel update).
• Problem, upon reboot, screen was 'gibberish;, and couldn't boot up. Had to kill. So subsequent boot, selected Opensuse Advanced Options from boot menu, then selected "recovery mode". This booted okay.
• Then login and run any additional updates (I only had one, for Flash).
• Once all "stock" updates are complete with the default repositories, then we can look at adding some important community repositories to fully bring OpenSuse to life, especially the wifi and multimedia.

Add the following Community Repositories:

• Packman (of course!)
• nVidia
• libdvdcss

Accept signatures from each.

Can add additional repos later.

After completed adding repos, start Software Mangement from Yast.

Search for:

broadcom

Select broadcom-wl and broadcom-wl-kmp-desktop (it will initially be -default, but you probably want to change to -desktop if on a laptop).

Search for:

nvidia

Should already show all the following selected automagically (if not, then select them):

nvidia-compute-G03

nvidia-gfxG03-kmp-desktop

nvidia-glG03

nvidia-uvm-gfxG03-kmp-desktop

x11-video-nvidiaG03

Search for:

libdvdcss

Select libdvdcss2

Click Accept.

Accept the 60 or so additional "Automatic Changes" packages suggested, includes multimedia, kernel sources, and more.

Wifi still not working. Run from command line as root:

/usr/sbin/install_bcm43xx_firmware

/usr/sbin/install_bcm43xx_firmware
Downloading b43 firmware
######################################################################## 100.0%
Extracting b43 firmware
This file is recognised as:
filename   :  wl_apsta.o
version    :  666.2
MD5        :  e1b05e268bcdbfef3560c28fc161f30e
Extracting b43/lp0initvals14.fw
Extracting b43/lcn0bsinitvals25.fw
Extracting b43/n0bsinitvals25.fw
Extracting b43/n0bsinitvals17.fw
Extracting b43/ucode17_mimo.fw
Extracting b43/ucode16_lp.fw
Extracting b43/sslpn1initvals27.fw
Extracting b43/lp2bsinitvals19.fw
Extracting b43/sslpn3bsinitvals21.fw
Extracting b43/ucode16_sslpn.fw
ucode time:     01:15:07
Extracting b43/ucode25_lcn.fw
Extracting b43/ucode21_sslpn.fw
Extracting b43/lp0bsinitvals14.fw
Extracting b43/b0g0initvals9.fw
Extracting b43/ucode20_sslpn.fw
Extracting b43/a0g1bsinitvals9.fw
Extracting b43/lp1initvals20.fw
Extracting b43/b0g0bsinitvals13.fw
Extracting b43/lp2initvals19.fw
Extracting b43/n2bsinitvals19.fw
Extracting b43/sslpn4bsinitvals22.fw
Extracting b43/ucode16_sslpn_nobt.fw
ucode date:     2011-02-23
Extracting b43/n1bsinitvals20.fw
Extracting b43/n1initvals20.fw
Extracting b43/b0g0bsinitvals5.fw
Extracting b43/ucode22_sslpn.fw
Extracting b43/b0g0initvals13.fw
Extracting b43/ht0initvals26.fw
Extracting b43/ucode33_lcn40.fw
Extracting b43/sslpn1bsinitvals20.fw
Extracting b43/lcn400bsinitvals33.fw
Extracting b43/ucode14.fw
Extracting b43/a0g0initvals5.fw
Extracting b43/lp1bsinitvals22.fw
Extracting b43/n16initvals30.fw
Extracting b43/lp0bsinitvals16.fw
Extracting b43/lcn1bsinitvals25.fw
Extracting b43/lcn400initvals33.fw
Extracting b43/n0bsinitvals24.fw
Extracting b43/lcn2bsinitvals26.fw
Extracting b43/lcn1initvals26.fw
Extracting b43/n0bsinitvals22.fw
Extracting b43/n18initvals32.fw
Extracting b43/lcn2initvals26.fw
Extracting b43/a0g1bsinitvals5.fw
Extracting b43/n0bsinitvals11.fw
Extracting b43/lcn2initvals24.fw
Extracting b43/lcn0initvals26.fw
Extracting b43/n0absinitvals11.fw
Extracting b43/ucode21_sslpn_nobt.fw
ucode time:     01:15:07
Extracting b43/ucode26_mimo.fw
Extracting b43/n2initvals19.fw
Extracting b43/sslpn3initvals21.fw
Extracting b43/a0g1bsinitvals13.fw
Extracting b43/sslpn4initvals22.fw
Extracting b43/pcm5.fw
Extracting b43/ucode22_mimo.fw
Extracting b43/ucode9.fw
Extracting b43/lcn2initvals25.fw
Extracting b43/lp1initvals22.fw
Extracting b43/sslpn1bsinitvals27.fw
Extracting b43/lcn0initvals24.fw
Extracting b43/ucode32_mimo.fw
Extracting b43/a0g0bsinitvals9.fw
Extracting b43/n18bsinitvals32.fw
Extracting b43/n0initvals24.fw
Extracting b43/n0initvals25.fw
Extracting b43/a0g1initvals5.fw
Extracting b43/ucode24_lcn.fw
Extracting b43/n0initvals17.fw
Extracting b43/n0bsinitvals16.fw
Extracting b43/lp0initvals15.fw
Extracting b43/b0g0initvals5.fw
Extracting b43/ucode20_sslpn_nobt.fw
Extracting b43/lcn1initvals24.fw
Extracting b43/sslpn0initvals16.fw
Extracting b43/a0g1initvals13.fw
Extracting b43/lp1bsinitvals20.fw
Extracting b43/sslpn2initvals19.fw
Extracting b43/a0g1initvals9.fw
Extracting b43/lcn1bsinitvals24.fw
Extracting b43/ucode5.fw
Extracting b43/lcn2bsinitvals24.fw
Extracting b43/lp0bsinitvals13.fw
Extracting b43/n0initvals16.fw
Extracting b43/ucode19_sslpn_nobt.fw
Extracting b43/b0g0bsinitvals9.fw
Extracting b43/ucode11.fw
Extracting b43/lp0initvals16.fw
Extracting b43/ucode16_mimo.fw
Extracting b43/lcn0bsinitvals26.fw
Extracting b43/ht0initvals29.fw
Extracting b43/lcn2bsinitvals25.fw
Extracting b43/a0g0initvals9.fw
Extracting b43/ucode29_mimo.fw
Extracting b43/lcn0bsinitvals24.fw
Extracting b43/ucode19_sslpn.fw
Extracting b43/lcn1initvals25.fw
Extracting b43/ucode30_mimo.fw
Extracting b43/n16bsinitvals30.fw
Extracting b43/ucode25_mimo.fw
Extracting b43/ucode24_mimo.fw
Extracting b43/ucode27_sslpn.fw
Extracting b43/lp0initvals13.fw
Extracting b43/a0g0bsinitvals5.fw
Extracting b43/ht0bsinitvals26.fw
Extracting b43/ucode13.fw
Extracting b43/sslpn2bsinitvals19.fw
Extracting b43/ucode15.fw
Extracting b43/lp0bsinitvals15.fw
Extracting b43/n0initvals11.fw
Extracting b43/lcn0initvals25.fw
Extracting b43/sslpn0bsinitvals16.fw
Extracting b43/sslpn1initvals20.fw
Extracting b43/lcn1bsinitvals26.fw
Extracting b43/n0initvals22.fw
Extracting b43/ht0bsinitvals29.fw

Downloading b43legacy firmware
######################################################################## 100.0%
Extracting b43legacy firmware
This file is recognised as:
filename   :  wl_apsta.o
version    :  295.14
MD5        :  e08665c5c5b66beb9c3b2dd54aa80cb3
Extracting b43legacy/ucode2.fw
Extracting b43legacy/ucode4.fw
Extracting b43legacy/ucode5.fw
Extracting b43legacy/ucode11.fw
Extracting b43legacy/pcm4.fw
Extracting b43legacy/pcm5.fw
Extracting b43legacy/a0g0bsinitvals2.fw
Extracting b43legacy/b0g0bsinitvals5.fw
Extracting b43legacy/a0g0initvals5.fw
Extracting b43legacy/a0g1bsinitvals5.fw
Extracting b43legacy/a0g0initvals2.fw
Extracting b43legacy/a0g1initvals5.fw
Extracting b43legacy/b0g0bsinitvals2.fw
Extracting b43legacy/b0g0initvals5.fw
Extracting b43legacy/b0g0initvals2.fw
Extracting b43legacy/a0g0bsinitvals5.fw

b43 firmware successfully installed.
b43legacy firmware successfully installed.