Kellwolf

Okay, now EVERYTHING works. With a great deal of help from Steve, I got the wired port up and running. I managed to stumble through my DVD problem on my own, so that's fixed. The wireless is now working, but not with madwifi. Turns out that ndiswrapper is a better solution for D-Link DWL-G630 cards. Look some tweaking, but it's all running now.

A HUGE thank you to Steve and sherpa in the IRC chat for all of your help. Couldn't have done it with out either of you.

Unfortunately, that means that ( c ) holds true and I'm stumped. Try googling for your errors on http://google.com/linux

I haven't scanned through all the search results.

Yeah, I was afraid of that. I did a Google search earlier, and I stumbled across people in multiple languages that have had the same (and different) errors. I've tried a couple of differnet fixes (such as putting the alias ath0 line in the .config file and adding the ifconfig-ath0 file in network-scripts) but none of them worked.

I really appreciate all of your help and work, and if you do manage to think of something, please let me know. If I someone manage to get it fixed on my own, I'll put the solution up here.

cd /usr/src

ln -s linux-2.6.8.1-12mdk linux

Got that and the linux@ file is there.

Then go back to your wifi directory and follow these instructions:

http://mandrakeusers.org/index.php?showtop...ndpost&p=170042

Same error as before on modprobe ath_pci

I think if I can just get this one part running, it's all downhill from here.

module-init-tools is not going to be a directory, it is a pkg:

 

urpmi module-init-tools

Did this just to make sure and it said "everything already installed."

(a) Not compiling against the right kernel source (look in /usr/src for all your linux* directories and tell me what's there)

Ok. linux-2.6.8.1-12mdk is the only directory there.

(B) You need to update module-init-tools

Only two files there, which is in /lib/module-init-tools

modprobe.compat

modprobe.default

Can't seem to find a version number, although google is pointing me to various places with m-i-t-3 and -3.1 and -3.2, as well as tools-testsuite. Continuing to look through the results there after posting this.

Okay, I found this in the Madwifi FAQ :

8.4. The drivers compile fine, but I get "unresolved symbol" errors on modprobe

 

This generally means that your kernel was built with CONFIG_MODVERSIONS set, but the madwifi modules got compiled with different options. Rebuild your kernel with it disabled, hopefully that will fix it.

 

Also make sure you have CONFIG_NET_WIRELESS=y in your .config.

Think that might have anything to do with it? I'm guessing that the .config file referred to is the one in the /boot directory. If so, then it does say this:

#

# Prism, GT/Duette 802.11(a/b/g) PCI/Cardbus support

#

CONFIG_PRISM54=m

CONFIG_NET_WIRELESS=y

Not sure if that's what they mean or not. When it says "rebuild your kernel" is that what the urpmi command does?

BTW, I did manage to do something on my own. I fixed the DVD problem by installing libdvdcss. I actually managed to install it on my own, so I guess that's a little progress. :)

Tried all of the above, but we're still getting the same error. I tried

modprobe wlan

and that appeared to work, but ath_pci still refuses to cooperate. When running lsmod, it shows wlan and ath_hal running.

The madwifi directory is currently sitting on the desktop for Kell. Potential newbie error, should it be moved somewhere else? If that's been the problem the entire time I'll feel like a dumbass but at least I will have learned something.

Hope you're sufficiently recovered from your evening. ;)

If you're using a Mandrake kernel, you have the support. Before you can build the driver, you need the kernel source installed:

 

urpmi kernel-source-2.6

The wife here, again. Bonzai! That worked. One thing, though:

cp net/80211/* /lib/modules/`uname -r`/kernel/drivers/net/wireless

There is no slash between net and 80211. Leaving the slash in gets the error

cp: cannot stat 'net/80211/*': no such file or directory.

Taking the slash out gives

cp: omitting directory 'net80211/CVS'

cp: omitting directory 'net80211/linux'

So far so good, but when I get to modprobe ath_pci, I get the following:

FATAL. Error inserting ath.pci (/lib/modules/2.6.8.1-12 mdk/kernel/drivers/met/wireless/ath_pci.ko): unknown symbol in module, or unknown parameter (see dmesg)

Dmesg starts with

ISO 9660 Extensions: Microsoft Joliet Level 3

[goes on for a few lines]

ath_hal: module license 'Proprietary' taints kernel.

ath_hal: 0.9.14.9 (AR5210, AR5211, AR5212, RF5111, RF5112, RF2413)

wlan: 0.8.4.5 (EXPERIMENTAL)

ath_pci: Unknown symbol ath_rate_tx_complete

ath_pci: Unknown symbol ath_rate_attach

ath_pci: Unknown symbol ath_rate_newassoc

ath_pci: Unknown symbol ath_rate_node_copy

ath_pci: Unknown symbol ath_rate_node_cleanup

ath_pci: Unknown symbol ath_rate_detach

ath_pci: Unknown symbol ath_rate_node_init

ath_pci: Unknown symbol ath_rate_findrate

ath_pci: Unknown symbol ath_rate_newstate

ath_pci: Unknown symbol ath_rate_setupxtxdesc

I'm running through the FAQs I have pulled up, but if you happen to know an answer right off I'd love to hear it. :)

BTW, there was much rejoicing when the urpmi kernel command worked, and even more rejoicing when making madwifi worked. Huge party at the Castle Anthrax. ;)

Ok, I have MadWifi 20050212, but I don't know what I'm doing beyond that. I'm not exactly sure how to build the driver, and I don't know how to check and see if I have the following in my kernel:

wireless extensions ver 14 or later

sysctl support

crypto API support

Current kernel is 2.6.8.

Edit from The Wife: Kell is taking a break. I've found the How Tos on Madwifi.net, so I'm working on those while he relaxes for a bit. Again, major thank yous for all your help so far.

Cool. Off to try that. :) Thank you again for all your help, and I'll post my progress in case this can help anyone else.

I think now I know how Dr. Frankenstein felt when his monster starting moving on the table. IT'S ALIVE! :)

Internet is now working through the wired ethernet port. Thank you SO much!

Not one to rest on my laurels, what step should I take to start working on the wireless connection?

Make sure you have.

 

alias eth0  3c59x

 

in /etc/modprobe.conf

It's there.

modprobe 3c59x

ifup eth0

Look like 3c59x is running according to lsmod. Here's what it has to say about 3/4 of the way down the list:

3c59x 35240 0

Here's what I got from ifup eth0:

Deteriming IP information for eth0.... done.

/sbin/ifup: line 466: 4307 Hangup /etc/init.d/tmdns reload >/dev/null 2>&1

Whether that works or not, edit /etc/lilo.conf as root and change or add:

acpi=off

in all the append lines and save the file. Then run:

lilo -v

and reboot.

Only two appends in the lilo.conf that I could see, and both now have "acpi=off"

Also make sure PnP is turned off in the BIOS.

This Thinkpad is so old, I couldn't even find a PnP option in the BIOS settings. Not sure if it's even an option.

BTW, I really appreciate all the help. I'm starting to learn how to navigate Linux at least. :)

Ok, changed that file. First try, eth0 wasn't brought up during startup (bringing up interface eth0 ----> failed). So I changed the last two items in the cfg file to:

MII_NOT_SUPPORTED=yes

NEEDHOSTNAME=no

Then after rebooting it go this:

Bringing up interface eth0

zcip[2585] found IP address 127.255.255.255 for eth0:9 (or something to that affect)

zcip[2585] starting probe 1 on 127.255.255.255

zcip[2585] starting probe 3 on 127.255.255.255

claiming ownership of address 127.255.255.255

watching for collisions

[OK]

Before it does any of that, it hangs on the "bringing up interface eth0" prompt for about a minute or 90 seconds. I got the same thing twice, but another time it was zcip[2571] instead of zcip[2585]. Not sure of the EXACT wording, but I think I got it pretty close. When going into the KDE desktop however, Konqueror doesn't access the web, and I still get the icon on the bottom right telling me that I need to configure the network on eth0 (little plug with a red X and another orange cirlce with an X in the middle).

Not sure if this is progress or not, but at least eth0 isn't FAILING everytime on startup. Not sure if this would accomplish the samething, but I wasn't sure what "service network restart" was, so I restarted the whole system after editing the ifcfg-eth0 file everytime.

Edit: after doing some more tinkering, it does this with NO cable connected, so I guess it's not really progress. I think I've also determined it's b/c of the MII_NOT_SUPPORTED=yes setting.

Ethernet controller: 3Com Corporation 3c556b Card Bus [tornado] (rev 20)

There's a second ethernet controller, which I think is the wireless card: Atheros Communications, Inc. Unknown Device 001a (rev 01)

The contents of /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-eth0:

DEVICE=eth0

BOOTPROTO=dhcp

IPADDR=192.168.0.3

NETMASK=255.255.255.255

NETWORK=192.168.0.3

BROADCAST=192.168.0.3

ONBOOT=yes

HWADDR=00:00:86:44:14:66

METRIC=10

MII_NOT_SUPPORTED=no

NEEDHOSTNAME=yes

I'd like to have it connected to the router via wireless, but will accept dhcp as at least a starting point, since nothing is working just yet. :)

Thanks for the response, and thanks in advance.

Okay, so I switched to Mandrake 10.1 because I really didn't feel like shelling out the fee to install XP on another computer. I've wanted to switch to Linux (or at least try it for a while), and I figured now was as good a time as any. The only problem is my first experiences with Linux have left me more or less hating the OS more than Windows.....

Here's my situation: I have an IBM Thinkpad T20 with a PIII 700 Mhz processor and 128 meg of RAM. It's also got a 3Com (I think) miniPCI combo card. Mandrake recognizes it on install, but eth0 fails during startup, and I can't get it working under KDE either. As far as I know, the modem (Lucent I'm pretty sure) isn't even showing up. I think I might have found a driver for that, but I'm not entirely certain how to install it. The instructions say to use the "make install" command from the root account in the shell, but that didn't work. I also bought a wireless PCMCIA card, and that's not working either. I did do the bonehead thing and buy a 802.11a/b/g card (D-Link DWL-G630), so there may or may not be drivers that work for that. I've heard of the madwifi driver and the ndiswrapper utility, but I run into the same problem of having no clue on installation.

Here's what I get off of ifconfig for eth0:

eth0

Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:00:86:44:14:66

inet6 addr: fe80::200:86ff:fe44:146/64 Scope:Link

UP BROADCAST MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1

RX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0

TX packets:5 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:5

collisions:0 txqueuelen: 1000

RX bytes:0 (0.0 b ) TX bytes:378 (378.0 b )

Interrupt:11 Base address:0x1800

lo

Link encap:Local Loopback

inet addr:127.0.0.1 Mask:255.0.0.0

inet6 addr: ::1/128 Scope:Host

UP LOOPBACK RUNNING MTU:16436 Metric:1

RX packets:118 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0

TX packets:118 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0

collisions:0 txqueuelen:0

RX bytes:7666 (7.4 b ) TX bytes:7666 (7.4 b )

I've tried plugging the cable modem (using RoadRunner) straight into the card, I've tried running through a router, and I've tried everything else cable wise I can think of. I know the cable connection works since when I plug it into my desktop running Windows, I can do everything just fine. So, I'm pretty sure it's a configuration issue on the laptop.

Now for the wireless card. Here's what cardctl info gives me:

PRODID_1=" "

PRODID_2=" "

PRODID_3=" "

PRODID_4=" "

MANFID=0000,0000

FUNCID=255

PRODID_1=" "

PRODID_2=" "

PRODID_3=" "

PRODID_4=" "

MANFID=0000,0000

FUNCID=255

The card is plugged in since the power light comes on, so I know it's at least getting power. I don't know if it's the specific card or the PCMCIA interface in the computer. I don't have any other PCMCIA devices to check out the interface ports.

Oh, I almost forgot. I get a myriad of different errors when trying to play DVDs with Kaffeine. I've read that problem may be solved by downloading patches due to some open source copyright issues. I wasn't too clear since it was 4 am at the time.

Normally, I'm not this clueless, but the Linux OS has me bufuddled. Add in the three FAA exams I've been studying for, and my brain is kinda fried. Any help would be appreciated, and I don't mind checking web sites, books or other resources to get started if any of you have recommendations on those.

Thanks,

Steve