How can I transfer a Wi-Fi driver from an Android phone to Linux Mint without internet access?
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MellowCactus47
I installed Linux Mint Cinnamon on an older Acer TravelMate 5760G, but I currently have no Ethernet or Wi-Fi because the Broadcom BCM43227 adapter is not working and the system lacks the needed driver. I downloaded a possible driver file onto my OnePlus 7 running Android 12 and want to copy it to the laptop using only a USB cable. However, connecting the phone only makes it charge; I do not get a file-transfer prompt, and the phone does not appear in lsusb even though MTP is enabled. USB tethering is also unavailable. I previously used a 128 GB SanDisk flash drive to create the Linux installer, after which the phone stopped recognizing the drive, although the laptop still can. What options do I have to move the file or get the Wi-Fi working without an internet connection?
Answers
A USB flash drive is probably the simplest workaround. The phone may not recognize the installer drive because its partition layout or filesystem was changed when it was made bootable. If possible, back up anything important and reformat the drive to a normal single FAT32 or exFAT partition, or use a different flash drive. A USB-C OTG adapter may also be required to connect it to the phone.
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On the phone, unlock it before connecting the cable, then open the USB notification and explicitly choose “File Transfer” or “Android Auto” instead of charging. If that option never appears, try another USB-C cable; many cables are charge-only. You can also try a different USB port on the laptop. Once MTP works, the phone should show up in Mint’s file manager and you can copy the file directly.
MellowCactus47: I already have MTP selected, but the phone only charges and does not appear in lsusb. I’ll try a different cable and port since the current cable may only support charging.
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If USB file transfer and tethering both fail, another offline option is to download the proper Mint or Ubuntu package files, along with all dependencies, using another computer and copy them over with a flash drive. However, identifying the exact package for the BCM43227 and the installed Mint kernel is important. A Linux-compatible USB Wi-Fi adapter with built-in kernel support could also get you online without needing the laptop’s internal Broadcom driver.
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Be careful downloading a random Broadcom driver from the manufacturer. Linux Mint normally uses the Ubuntu-compatible package from its repositories, and the driver may require matching kernel headers and other dependencies. A single downloaded file might not be enough. If you can get any temporary connection, USB tethering from the phone would let Mint download the correct package and dependencies automatically.
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MellowCactus47: The laptop still recognizes the drive, but the phone stopped seeing it after I used it as the Mint installer. I may need to use another drive or restore its partition layout.