Error while installing wireless-bcm43142-dkms-6.20.55.19: dependency linux-headers is not satisfiable

Question

I have to install a .deb file with the firmware for the wifi card (This is the name of the file: wireless-bcm43142-dkms-6.20.55.19_amd64.deb; I've downloaded the file from here: http://www.filewatcher.com/m/wireless-bcm43142-dkms_6.20.55.19-1_amd64.deb.1337086-0.html ).

When I try to install the .deb file, I double click on the file but it gives to me this error:

"Failed to install file. Unknown error. Please refer to detailed report and report in your distribution bug tracker.

More details:  This package is uninstallable. Dependency is not satisfiable: linux-headers-generic|linux-headers".

How can I fix it, so that i will be able to install the .deb file?

I've already update the system, through the commands apt-get update and apt-get upgrade and apt-get dist-upgrade.

Moreover I've also tried to install linux-headers-generic (Don't know if this could be the solution) with the command: apt-get install linux-headers-generic.

But it gives this error:

Package linux-headers-generic is not available, but is referred to by another package. This may mean that the package is missing, has been obsoleted, or is only available from another source.
E: Package "linux-headers-generic" has no installation candidate."

This is the output of dpkg -i wireless-bcm43142-dkms-6.20.55.19_amd64.deb:

    Selecting previously unselected package wireless-bcm43142-dkms-6.20.55.19_amd64-deb
     (Reading database… 347343 files and directories currently installed.)
     Unpacking wireless-bcm43142-oneiric-dkms (from wireless-bcm43142-dkms-6.20.55.19_amd64.deb) …
     dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of wireless-bcm43142-oneiric-dkms:
    wireless-bcm43142-oneiric-dkms depends on linux-headers-generic | linux-headers; however:
     Package linux-headers-generic is not installed.
     Package linux-headers is not installed.

dpkg: error processing wireless-bcm43142-oneiric-dkms (--install):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured 
Errors were encountered while processing: 
 wireless-bcm43142-oneiric-dkms

Whereas the output of apt-get -f install :

Reading package lists… Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information… Done
Correcting dependencies… Done
The following extra packages will be installed:
 linux-headers-3.2.0-4-common-rt linux-headers-3.2.0.4-rt-amd64 linux-kbuild-3.2
The following NEW packages will be installed:
 linux-headers-3.2.0-4-common-rt linux-headers-3.2.0.4-rt-amd64 linux-kbuild-3.2
0 upgraded, 3 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
1 not fully installed or removed.
Need to get 4,433 kB of archives.
After this operation, 27.9 MB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]? Y
Get:1 http://security.debian.org/ wheezy/updates/main linux-headers-3.2.0-4-common-rt amd64 3.2.57-3+deb7u1 [3576 kB]
Get:2 http://debian.net/debian/ wheezy/ main linux-kbuild-3.2 amd64 3.2.17-1 [238 kB]
Get:3 http://security.debian.org/ wheezy/ updates/main linux-headers-3.2.0-4-rt-amd64 amd64 3.2.57-3+deb7u1 [618 kB]
Fetched 4,433 kB in 13s (325 kB/s)
Selecting previously unselected package linux-headers-3.2.0-4-common-rt.
(Reading database… 347406 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking linux-headers-3.2.0-4-common-rt (from .../linux-headers-3.2.0-4-common-rt_3.2.57-3+deb7u1_amd64.deb) …
Selecting previously unselected package linux-kbuild-3.2.
Unpacking linux-kbuild-3.2 (from .../linux-kbuild-3.2_3.2.17-1_amd64.deb) …
Selecting previously unselected package linux-headers-3.2.0-4-rt-amd64.
Unpacking linux-headers-3.2.0-4-rt-amd64 (from .../linux-headers-3.2.0-4-rt-amd64_3.2.57-3+deb7u1_amd64.deb) …
Setting up linux-headers-3.2.0-4common-rt (3.2.57-3+deb7u1) …
Setting up linux-kbuild-3.2 (3.2.17-1) …
Setting up linux-headers-3.2.0-4-rt-amd64 (3.2.57-3+deb7u1) …
Examining /etc/kernel/header_postinst.d.
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/header_postinst.d/dkms 3.2.0-4-rt-amd64
Setting up wireless-bcm43142-oneiric-dkms (6.20.55.19~bdcom0602.0400.1000.0400-0somerville1) …
Loading new wireless-bcm43142-oneiric-dkms-6.20.55.19~bdcom0602.0400.1000.0400 DKMS files …
First Installation: checking all kernels…
Building only for 3.12-kalil-amd64
Building for architecture x86_64
Building initial module for 3.12-kalil-amd64
Error! Bad return status for module build on kernel: 3.12-kalil-amd64 (x86_64)
Consult /var/lib/dkms/wireless-bcm43142-oneiric-dkms/6.20.55.19~bdcom0602.0400.1000.0400/build/make.log for more information.
update-initramfs: deferring update (trigger activated)
Processing triggers for initramfs-tools…
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-3.12-kalil-amd64

Here's the make.log :

DKMS make.log for wireless-bcm43142-oneiric-dkms-6.20.55.19~bdcom0602.0400.1000.0400 for kernel 3.12-kali1-amd64 (x86_64)
Wed May 14 10:44:27 PDT 2014
make: Entering directory `/usr/src/linux-headers-3.12-kali1-amd64'
CFG80211 API is prefered for this kernel version
Using CFG80211 API
  LD      /var/lib/dkms/wireless-bcm43142-oneiric-dkms/6.20.55.19~bdcom0602.0400.1000.0400/build/built-in.o
  CC [M]  /var/lib/dkms/wireless-bcm43142-oneiric-dkms/6.20.55.19~bdcom0602.0400.1000.0400/build/src/shared/linux_osl.o
  CC [M]  /var/lib/dkms/wireless-bcm43142-oneiric-dkms/6.20.55.19~bdcom0602.0400.1000.0400/build/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.o
/var/lib/dkms/wireless-bcm43142-oneiric-dkms/6.20.55.19~bdcom0602.0400.1000.0400/build/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.c:50:24: fatal error: asm/system.h: No such file or directory
compilation terminated.
make[3]: *** [/var/lib/dkms/wireless-bcm43142-oneiric-dkms/6.20.55.19~bdcom0602.0400.1000.0400/build/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.o] Error 1
make[2]: *** [_module_/var/lib/dkms/wireless-bcm43142-oneiric-dkms/6.20.55.19~bdcom0602.0400.1000.0400/build] Error 2
make[1]: *** [sub-make] Error 2
make: *** [all] Error 2
make: Leaving directory `/usr/src/linux-headers-3.12-kali1-amd64'

Solution 1

You may want to see this link for a step-by-step guide. I'm copying the steps (with minor modifications) here in case the link expires.

1. Open up a terminal and run sudo apt-get update, then sudo apt-get install linux-headers-generic build-essential dkms broadcom-sta-modules
2. Go to the directory containing the package (likely cd ~/downloads or similar)
3. Install the package by running: sudo dpkg -i wireless-bcm43142-dkms_6.20.55.19-1_amd64.deb
4. Activate it with sudo modprobe wl

It should work after these steps.

Solution 2

The kali linux FAQ suggests the following:

apt-get install -y linux-headers-$(uname -r)

If that doesn’t work, I would check your /etc/apt/sources.list file. You need the main repo and the updates, and you may need to have contrib and non-free for both of them:

deb http://http.kali.org/kali kali main contrib non-free
deb http://security.kali.org/kali-security kali/updates main contrib non-free

Comments

[Alen Milakovic]

Please provide some details. What is your card? What is the deb file you used, and where did you download it from? Please note people on this site are not mind-readers.

[user67621]

I've just added the details of the wifi card and the .deb file, sorry If I didn't write them before.

[Alen Milakovic]

Ok. Try running dpkg -i wireless-bcm43142-dkms-6.20.55.19_amd64.deb on the command line. And post the output in your question. If this command gives errors, try apt-get -f install after that and post the output in your question.

[user67621]

Added the output of the two commands.

[Alen Milakovic]

The output of dpkg -i wireless-bcm43142-dkms-6.20.55.19_amd64.deb suggests the file is not there. Please check the file is there before you run the command. Actually dpkg -i wireless... should tab complete if the file is there.

[user67621]

I've figured out why it said "No such file or directory" : I had to run this command before: cd /root/Desktop and then the command dpkg -i . I've just updated the two outputs, and in the second one, it gives me an Error: Error! Bad return status for module build on kernel: 3.12-kalil-amd64 (x86_64)

[Alen Milakovic]

Ok. Look at the log file mentioned - /var/lib/dkms/wireless-bcm43142-oneiric-dkms/6.20.55.19~bdco‌​m0602.0400.1000.0400‌​/build/make.log and post the relevant portions.

[Alen Milakovic]

I'm not sure what is going wrong here. It seems the compilation is not finding asm/system.h. Can you run dpkg -S asm/system.h and see if it returns a linux-header package as it should?

[Alen Milakovic]

I see the problem. Your kernel does not match your headers. Where did you get ` 3.12-kalil-amd64` from? You'll need to get your headers from the same place. Just to be clear, what kernel are you currently running? What does uname -a say?

[user67621]

The output of uname -a is: Linux CordisDia 3.12-kalil-amd64 #1 SMP Debian 3.12.6-2kalil (2014-01-06) x86_64 GNU/Linux .

[Alen Milakovic]

OK, as I already said, you need the headers corresponding to that kernel. Where did you get this kernel from? You can try doing apt-cache search 3.12.6-2kalil.

[user67621]

I've tried the command: apt-cache search 3.12.6-2kalil , but unfortunately it doesn't give an output.

[Alen Milakovic]

You didn't say where this kernel came from. Did you custom compile it, or is it a system package that was automatically installed?

[user67621]

I've already tried to follow that guide, but when I run the command apt-get install linux-headers-generic build-essential dkms broadcom-sta-modules , it gives this error: Reading package lists… Done / Building dependency tree / Reading state information… Done / Note, selecting 'broadcom-sta-dkms' instead of "broad com-sta-modules" / Package linux-headers-generic is not available, but is referred to by another package. / This may mean that the package is missing, has been obsolete, or is only available from another source. / E: Package 'linux-headers-generic' has no installation candidate.