*nix and Intel wifi 4965agn

[jgigz]

I have been trying to get wireless working on my laptop, I have the Intel wifi 4965agn and I'm running openSuSe 10.2 kernel 2.6.18.2-34.

The only drivers I have been able to find are from www.intellinuxwireless.org but to use them you must intsall the mac80211 subsytem.

This is where I have problems. I have tried about 3 times each with a fresh install to get this thing to install correctly but I keep receiving errors when I run the make command.

The site doesn't have a forum for help/discussion and I'm sure there plenty of people here who have tried this. I don't want this to be excluded to openSuSe only, but any and all flavors.

If anyone can help myself out or post info about a successful install or a failure on any other flavors etc. etc. I believe we could get a very informative thread going.



jgigz

 

[SleepWalkerX]

hmm I was able to compile just fine on, but I'm running the latest factory update for OpenSUSE 10.3. Still I don't think you should be having any issues. It seems as easy as going here, extracting the latest microcode to /lib/firmware, extracting and running make on the latest iwlwifi package. What kind of error did you get running make?

 

[jgigz]

I never got to the actual part where you download the microcode, it said that you have to install the mac80211 subsystem, which is a kernal patch. As for th errors, I'd have to run through it again and log them. Did you have to install the mac80211 subsystem or did you just dl the microcode and install that??


Thanks, Jesse

 

[SleepWalkerX]

ah ok, apparently 10.2 runs the 2.6.18 kernel while I'm running the 2.6.22. And mac80211 is apparently something new added to 2.6.21.1 and higher. Try just installing the mac80211 package as a kernel module. Its a lot easier recompiling your kernel. Make sure to have the kernel-headers and kernel-source packages installed and then just run the ./configure, make, and make install commands within the extracted mac80211 package folder. See if that works.

 

[jgigz]

Ok, I have both the kernel headers and kernel source packages installed, but after i extract it and change to the mac80211-9.0.4 directory it does not recognize the ./configure or the make install commands, only make works(just incase it was a typo, i tried /configure and configure as well to no avail though).

I don't mind upgrading the kernel or going to the newer version, I'm new to linux so I think it would be a good experience for me, but I would really like to get it to work regardless.


Thanks, Jesse

 

[jgigz]

Ok, I ran through the install steps again for the mac80211 subsystem and everything appeared install ok up to the point of the make command. These are the last few lines displayed after the make command has been completed.

no member named ?i_private?
make[4]: *** [net/mac80211/debugfs.o] Error 1
make[3]: *** [net/mac80211] Error 2
make[2]: *** [net] Error 2
make[1]: *** [_all] Error 2
make: *** [all] Error 2

I proceeded with the installation following the outline it game me and then ran the make install command. Here is the output I get after that command.

jesse-pc:/lib/modules/2.6.18.2-34-default/build # make install
make -C /usr/src/linux-2.6.18.2-34 O=/usr/src/linux-2.6.18.2-34-obj/i386/default install
sh /usr/src/linux-2.6.18.2-34/arch/i386/boot/install.sh 2.6.18.2-34-default arch/i386/boot/bzImage System.map "/boot"

*** Missing file: arch/i386/boot/bzImage
*** You need to run "make" before "make install".
The thing about the last line is I have already run the make command. Any suggestions or errors that anyone can see please let me know.

Procedure: http://www.intellinuxwireless....80211&n=HOWTO-mac80211

Thanks, Jesse

 

[drag]

Probably your best bet is to get a custom kernel. The current kernel is 2.6.22.3 and it has support for mac80211 out of the box. If that doesn't work you may need to go with the wireless development branch of the kernel.

I can't go into it for Suse since I don't know that system to well. But I bet that the OpenSuse forums would be helpful, just say that you can't get the mac80211 stuff to compile for the current Suse kernel and what is the best way to get support for mac80211 and the Intel AGN wireless device. If your lucky somebody else will already have your hardware and may have some kernel modules or kernel compiled that you can download and install.

 

[jgigz]

Thanks for the info, I'll have to check it out. I believe I don't have the latest kernel for Suse and not quite sure how to fix that without a full re-install.

 

[SleepWalkerX]

I'm sorry, there should be no ./configure script because for kernel modules the only dependency is the kernel. Oh and don't run make install until you successfully run the make command. Unfortunately it looks like the latest mac80211 package is kinda buggy. This may end up being a pain for you. I would follow drag's advice and grab the latest stable kernel. That's probably going to be the next best route to take (besides upgrading to OpenSUSE's development factory repository, but I'd first try the other way because its a lot more stable).

 

[drag]

Originally posted by: jgigz
Thanks for the info, I'll have to check it out. I believe I don't have the latest kernel for Suse and not quite sure how to fix that without a full re-install.

You just install a new kernel. Just like any other software package.

You can compile it using standard kernel.org method and install it outside your package management system. You can compile a custom kernel using the 'Suse method', which would make a rpm that you can install on multiple machines (I don't know how to do that though) or you can install a rpm kernel package that somebody else made.

You don't uninstall the older kernel either.

After you install the kernel you check /boot/grub/menu.lst to make sure that it includes a entry for your new kernel when you reboot. Then during boot-up you can select the older or newer kernel. If the new thing doesn't work then you can boot back into the old kernel.

Unfortunately I am more familar with Debian/Ubuntu-land, but I am sure that there are opensuse folks that would know more about it.

Just ask if anybody has the new AGN intel stuff and what is the best way to get support for it. Tell them you think you need mac80211, but you can't get it to compile and that you think you may need a updated kernel, but your not sure and not sure how the to do that.

There are a few Suse-specific places. Be sure to search through the forums a bit also.
http://www.google.com/search?q=opensuse%20forums