wireless RT61 chipset driver install

[Guest BlackDalek]

I am trying to install the linux driver for an RT61 wireless lan pci card. The Linux driver is downloaded from Ralink Technology here - http://www.ralinktech.com/supp-1.htm

The card itself is a D-Link DWL-G510 rev. C. (Australian model). It is my understanding that the ndiswrapper/Windows driver method will only work for rev. A and B of this model card which uses a different chipset to my rev. C card and I need to use the Linux driver provided by Ralink instead.

My problem is I get stuck when I get to a certain point while following the install instructions provided by Ralink in their driver download.

Firstly, here is a copy of the relevant part of the instructions -

Build Instructions:

====================

 

1> $tar -xvzf RT61_Linux_STA_Drv_x.x.x.x.tar.gz

go to "./RT61_Linux_STA_Drv_x.x.x.x/Module" directory.

 

2> $cp Makefile.6 ./Makefile

 

3> [kernel 2.4]

$chmod 755 Configure

$make config # config build linux os version

 

4> $make all # compile driver source code

 

5> $cp rt2561.bin /etc/Wireless/RT61STA/ # copy firmware

$cp rt2561s.bin /etc/Wireless/RT61STA/

$cp rt2661.bin /etc/Wireless/RT61STA/

 

6> $dos2unix rt61sta.dat

$cp rt61sta.dat /etc/Wireless/RT61STA/rt61sta.dat

# !!!check if it is a binary file before loading !!!

 

7> $load

#[kernel 2.4]

# $/sbin/insmod rt61.o

# $/sbin/ifconfig ra0 inet YOUR_IP up

 

#[kernel 2.6]

# $/sbin/insmod rt61.ko

# $/sbin/ifconfig ra0 inet YOUR_IP up

Ralink say that this driver will work with Linux kernels 2.4 and 2.6 and that it has been tested under Redhat 7.3 or later.

My kernel I'm using in Mandriva Free 2006 is "2.6.12-12mdksmp" so I am only following the parts indicated for kernel 2.6.

I can get as far as step 4 and then "make all" just responds with...

[root@localhost Module]# make all
make -C /lib/modules/2.6.12-12mdksmp/build SUBDIRS=/home/blackdalek/Desktop/RT61_Linux_STA_Drv1.0.4.0/Module modules
make: *** /lib/modules/2.6.12-12mdksmp/build: No such file or directory.  Stop.
make: *** [all] Error 2

 

What do I need to install to be able to build this in my kernel version?

 

I also don't know what "dos2unix" is supposed to do in step 6

 

Thank you for reading my post and helping if you can.

Edited September 17, 2006 by BlackDalek

[Guest BlackDalek]

...some additional info -

This is taken from the ndiswrapper wiki at sourceforge. This Linksys card has the same PCI ID and chipset as the D-Link card I have.

 

Card: Linksys #[WMP54G v4.1], 54mbps -- [link here|List#WMP54G v4.1]

 

* Chipset: Ralink RT61

* pciid: 1814:0301 and 1814:0302

* Driver: Don't use driver that ships with card, it didnt work with ndiswrapper. Use the close source driver from Ralink http://www.ralinktech.com. It compiles for 2.4 and 2.6 kernels.

* Other: The rt2x00 Open Source Project (http://rt2x00.serialmonkey.com) have now a driver - but realy beta.

* Other: The Ralink driver works great. It is not a plug and play, you need your kernel headers, the appropiate gcc (3.4) but when you can link it together and put it where it loads at startup, it works great. I am using WPA without any problem.

[ianw1974]

Do you have your kernel source installed?

 

rpm -qa | grep kernel

 

it has to match the version of kernel installed, and I'm guessing you have kernel-source-2.6-2.6.12.22mdk installed. Post back and let us know.

[Guest BlackDalek]

Ok, I've now installed a kernel-source package with the version number closest I could see to my kernel version (2.6.12-12mdk instead of 2.6.12-12mdksmp like mine). Now I can get some output from "make all". It throws up a lot of warnings... I don't know what they all mean. Can someone look at them and tell me if they spot any obvious stuff which is going to screw me up if I proceed further with the install instructions? Thanks.

 

[root@localhost Module]# make all
make -C /lib/modules/2.6.12-12mdksmp/build SUBDIRS=/home/blackdalek/Desktop/RT61_Linux_STA_Drv1.0.4.0/Module modules
make[1]: Entering directory `/usr/src/linux-2.6.12-12mdk'

 WARNING: Symbol version dump /usr/src/linux-2.6.12-12mdk/Module.symvers
	   is missing; modules will have no dependencies and modversions.

 CC [M]  /home/blackdalek/Desktop/RT61_Linux_STA_Drv1.0.4.0/Module/rtmp_main.o
 CC [M]  /home/blackdalek/Desktop/RT61_Linux_STA_Drv1.0.4.0/Module/mlme.o
/home/blackdalek/Desktop/RT61_Linux_STA_Drv1.0.4.0/Module/mlme.c: In function 'STAMlmePeriodicExec':
/home/blackdalek/Desktop/RT61_Linux_STA_Drv1.0.4.0/Module/mlme.c:734: warning: unused variable 'RxSignal'
/home/blackdalek/Desktop/RT61_Linux_STA_Drv1.0.4.0/Module/mlme.c: In function 'AsicSwitchChannel':
/home/blackdalek/Desktop/RT61_Linux_STA_Drv1.0.4.0/Module/mlme.c:3671: warning: comparison is always false due to limited range of data type
/home/blackdalek/Desktop/RT61_Linux_STA_Drv1.0.4.0/Module/mlme.c:3588: warning: 'BbpReg' may be used uninitialized in this function
/home/blackdalek/Desktop/RT61_Linux_STA_Drv1.0.4.0/Module/mlme.c: In function 'AsicAdjustTxPower':
/home/blackdalek/Desktop/RT61_Linux_STA_Drv1.0.4.0/Module/mlme.c:4268: warning: 'BbpR1' may be used uninitialized in this function
/home/blackdalek/Desktop/RT61_Linux_STA_Drv1.0.4.0/Module/mlme.c: In function 'AsicSetRxAnt':
/home/blackdalek/Desktop/RT61_Linux_STA_Drv1.0.4.0/Module/mlme.c:5397: warning: 'R77' may be used uninitialized in this function
/home/blackdalek/Desktop/RT61_Linux_STA_Drv1.0.4.0/Module/mlme.c:5421: warning: 'R77' may be used uninitialized in this function
/home/blackdalek/Desktop/RT61_Linux_STA_Drv1.0.4.0/Module/mlme.c:5446: warning: 'R77' may be used uninitialized in this function
/home/blackdalek/Desktop/RT61_Linux_STA_Drv1.0.4.0/Module/mlme.c: In function 'RadarDetectionStop':
/home/blackdalek/Desktop/RT61_Linux_STA_Drv1.0.4.0/Module/mlme.c:5781: warning: 'R66' may be used uninitialized in this function
 CC [M]  /home/blackdalek/Desktop/RT61_Linux_STA_Drv1.0.4.0/Module/connect.o
 CC [M]  /home/blackdalek/Desktop/RT61_Linux_STA_Drv1.0.4.0/Module/sync.o
 CC [M]  /home/blackdalek/Desktop/RT61_Linux_STA_Drv1.0.4.0/Module/assoc.o
 CC [M]  /home/blackdalek/Desktop/RT61_Linux_STA_Drv1.0.4.0/Module/auth.o
 CC [M]  /home/blackdalek/Desktop/RT61_Linux_STA_Drv1.0.4.0/Module/auth_rsp.o
 CC [M]  /home/blackdalek/Desktop/RT61_Linux_STA_Drv1.0.4.0/Module/rtmp_data.o
 CC [M]  /home/blackdalek/Desktop/RT61_Linux_STA_Drv1.0.4.0/Module/rtmp_init.o
 CC [M]  /home/blackdalek/Desktop/RT61_Linux_STA_Drv1.0.4.0/Module/sanity.o
 CC [M]  /home/blackdalek/Desktop/RT61_Linux_STA_Drv1.0.4.0/Module/rtmp_wep.o
 CC [M]  /home/blackdalek/Desktop/RT61_Linux_STA_Drv1.0.4.0/Module/rtmp_info.o
 CC [M]  /home/blackdalek/Desktop/RT61_Linux_STA_Drv1.0.4.0/Module/eeprom.o
 CC [M]  /home/blackdalek/Desktop/RT61_Linux_STA_Drv1.0.4.0/Module/rtmp_tkip.o
 CC [M]  /home/blackdalek/Desktop/RT61_Linux_STA_Drv1.0.4.0/Module/wpa.o
 CC [M]  /home/blackdalek/Desktop/RT61_Linux_STA_Drv1.0.4.0/Module/md5.o
 LD [M]  /home/blackdalek/Desktop/RT61_Linux_STA_Drv1.0.4.0/Module/rt61.o
 Building modules, stage 2.
 MODPOST
 CC	  /home/blackdalek/Desktop/RT61_Linux_STA_Drv1.0.4.0/Module/rt61.mod.o
 LD [M]  /home/blackdalek/Desktop/RT61_Linux_STA_Drv1.0.4.0/Module/rt61.ko
make[1]: Leaving directory `/usr/src/linux-2.6.12-12mdk'

[Guest BlackDalek]

I need to set up this wireless card to use WPAPSK.

I followed all the instuctions for building and installing the rt61 modules/firmware in the readme...

And it doesn't work. I just get no dhcp offers. I've spent (wasted?) two whole days in IRC channels trying different suggestions from people more knowledgable than me to get this thing working - no progress has been made at all.

 

I tried to follow the readme instructions in the WPA_Supplicant folder, but they make no sense.

For starters, step one tells you to copy something to the WPA_Supplicant folder. This folder does not exist. It's nuts.

If anyone can explain how to install the WPA_Supplicant in Mandriva Linux, please post here how to do it because not even I can follow instructions which tell me to do the impossible.

 

I think I will probably have to buy a new network card. But which one? It's difficult enough trying to work out which chipset an available model/brand of card uses without having to try and work out if it supports WPA under Linux as well. There are several Linux wifi compatibility lists on the internet, but most are incomplete, out of date or do not say which encryption methods the cards support under linux. It's like pot luck if you buy one which works. This could work out to be very expensive.

[ianw1974]

You can install wpa_supplicant doing:

 

urpmi wpa_supplicant

 

all files go in /etc/wpa_supplicant from memory. I've used this also, with ndiswrapper on my laptop at home and it works a treat. The wizards are crap and won't configure it correctly. I have a working config at home. If you want it I'll post it.

[Guest BlackDalek]

I think I may have discovered why I am never ever going to get this thing to work... I found some posts on the open source RT2x00 serialmonkey forums which mention that neither the open source drivers nor the RaLink drivers will work in an 'SMP' or 'preempt' kernel.

I am using an SMP kernel since I have a dual CPU board. This is probably why I have not had any success.

So that pretty much brings my quest to make this card work to an abrupt end... unless someone still thinks I would be able to do this with an SMP kernel.