get the PRO/Wireless 2200BG card working in SuSE 10.0

[sgleo87]

When I tried to configure my wireless network card (Intel PRO/Wireless 2200BG) in YaST it said I need to install the ipw-firmware package. I found it on the internet and downloaded the ipw2200-1.0.0.tgz package but when I have no idea how to install it. I looked through the install file but it didn't make any sense (I'm still really new to linux, so that might be why). Is there an easier way to install this package (something like yum in Fedora Core that automatically installs it for you) or how do I get this package to work?

 

[LokeanSon]

That package is showing in Yast for me... Have you done on an online update lately?

I found it in Yast by launching Yast, going to software management, then doing a search for "2200bg", and clicking on the checkbox near "description" so it will search the package descriptions and not just the filename. If it isn't there for you, run an online update from the Yast control center and try again.

 

[sgleo87]

I did an online update and the package does still not show when I do a search in Yast...

 

[LokeanSon]

That's odd. I just went through and it looks like this is showing as part of the standard 10.0 distribution...
EDIT - This may be a difference between the 64bit distribution and the 32bit....

You can grab an RPM from the following place...
http://rpmfind.net/linux/RPM/suse/10.0/...se/noarch/ipw-firmware-5-6.noarch.html

Download it and double click it and see what happens.

 

[n0cmonkey]

Look in yast for the "ipw-firmware" package. The other one is an old driver package (or so it seems). I don't know if it includes the firmware, especially since Intel sucks and won't let distributions distribute the firmware freely. Firmware is also available here, although with a click-through license. :|

 

[sgleo87]

Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
Look in yast for the "ipw-firmware" package. The other one is an old driver package (or so it seems). I don't know if it includes the firmware, especially since Intel sucks and won't let distributions distribute the firmware freely. Firmware is also available here, although with a click-through license. :|

do you mean the rpm package is old? I can't find the ipw-firmware package in yast either. And I already downloaded the one from that website but I don't know how to install the package after I downloaded it.

Originally posted by: LokeanSon
That's odd. I just went through and it looks like this is showing as part of the standard 10.0 distribution...
EDIT - This may be a difference between the 64bit distribution and the 32bit....

You can grab an RPM from the following place...
http://rpmfind.net/linux/RPM/suse/10.0/...se/noarch/ipw-firmware-5-6.noarch.html

Download it and double click it and see what happens.

When I click on the .rpm package I just get an error...

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: sgleo87

Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
Look in yast for the "ipw-firmware" package. The other one is an old driver package (or so it seems). I don't know if it includes the firmware, especially since Intel sucks and won't let distributions distribute the firmware freely. Firmware is also available here, although with a click-through license. :|

do you mean the rpm package is old? I can't find the ipw-firmware package in yast either. And I already downloaded the one from that website but I don't know how to install the package after I downloaded it.

The driver you mentioned (ipw2200-1.0.0.tgz) is old. 1.0.8 is out. But the instructions they provide are crap. You're better off using the drivers included with SuSE. Download the firmware package, and install it.

Hell, you're better off getting a better wireless card, but I'm guessing you don't want to do that.

 

[sgleo87]

The driver you mentioned (ipw2200-1.0.0.tgz) is old. 1.0.8 is out. But the instructions they provide are crap. You're better off using the drivers included with SuSE. Download the firmware package, and install it.

Hell, you're better off getting a better wireless card, but I'm guessing you don't want to do that.

I installed SuSE 10.0 yesterday but YaST says it is not installed and when I go to software managment it doesn't show the packet when I try for search for it. I did all the online updates that were available but the package is still not available in YaST.

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: sgleo87

The driver you mentioned (ipw2200-1.0.0.tgz) is old. 1.0.8 is out. But the instructions they provide are crap. You're better off using the drivers included with SuSE. Download the firmware package, and install it.

Hell, you're better off getting a better wireless card, but I'm guessing you don't want to do that.

I installed SuSE 10.0 yesterday but YaST says it is not installed and when I go to software managment it doesn't show the packet when I try for search for it. I did all the online updates that were available but the package is still not available in YaST.

What?

Download and install the Intel firmware.

 

[drag]

Apparently there are some bastage problems with Yast and the whole intel wireless thing. The reasons for it are completely beyond me.

http://linux-noob.com/review/suse/10/

The same guy said that he had the same laptop working with Fedora Core 4 with no problem.

Here are some places for Suse specific help..
http://www.opensuse.org/Communicate

This place has a whole forum dedicated to wireless issues in Suse.
http://www.suseforums.net/index.php?showforum=26

 

[LokeanSon]

When I click on the .rpm package I just get an error...

What error?

 

[LokeanSon]

Originally posted by: drag
Apparently there are some bastage problems with Yast and the whole intel wireless thing. The reasons for it are completely beyond me.

Those are really good links and good info, I bookmarked them, but the problem that sgleo87 is having seems to be different from what I've read. He SHOULD have a package available through YAST that has the firmware, at least as far as I can tell, and it simply isn't there. He also SHOULD be able to click on an RPM and have it offer him the option to install it through YAST. These two things are really bugging me about this.

Okay, after checking here:
http://www.novell.com/coolsolutions/tip/16015.html

It looks like the ipw-firmware comes with the retail box, or the "trial" version. If you download the pure OSS version, it probably won't be there. I'm hypothesizing now, so I may be wrong. I specifically downloaded the "trial" version, and it's in my install.

But I'm really concerned that he's getting an error message when trying to install an RPM. He's not even far enough along to be having the problems the people in those links are having. At least as far as what I read from those links.

 

[sgleo87]

I do have the OSS version which seems to be the reason why the package doesn't show up in YaST. I got the RPM package working now (I clicked on the wrong link before...) and installed it but it is still not working. I might not have configured it right yet because it doesn't seem to connect right to the wireless network. I'll check out the forums in the links from drag and see if I can configure it right.

 

[sgleo87]

Alright, after installing the rpm and configuring the wireless connection I got it working. Thanks everybody for all of your help!

 

[LokeanSon]

Congratulations! Hopefully that will be the biggest problem you have. If you haven't already discovered packman, you should consider adding it to your installation source...
This as the server name:
packman.iu-bremen.de
And this as the directory on server:
suse/10.0

They have the software you need to get DVD playback working and other multimedia type goodies. Good luck!