I just installed etch on a compaq nc6000 notebook. I have an Atheros wireless card, 5212, that I'm not having much luck with. I can't get my kernel source from apt-get. I'm entering 'apt-get install kernel-source-2.6.15-1-486' but saying that it can't find the package.

I understand that I need this to build the wireless driver. Does anyone have any suggestions for me?

Thanks.

Are you sure you are runnign a 486 ? that would be a pretty old laptop.. you might have a 686..

the 686 family includes the Pentium II, Pentium III, Pentium 4, and pentium M processors if you are running one of these CPU's and a 486 kernel you are shortchanging yourself by not allowing the system to use the advanced features of the CPU..

Either way I would try..


apt-get update
apt-cache search linux-source-2.6 - to see what is available
apt-get install linux-source-2.6.15 - this is probably what you want.

That did it. I didn't know that it changed to linux-source with 2.6.

And yeah I have a 1.4GHz Pentium M but after a 'uname -r' I'm showing 2.6.15-1-486 as being installed. Am I shortchanging myself a lot?

486 did not support any of the new CPU extension instructions such as MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3 there may be other features as well.

MMX added 57 instructions (see MMX).
SSE added 70 instructions (see SSE).
SSE2 added 144 instructions
SSe3 added 13 instructions

Seems like a lot of instructions to give up or just leave dormant in the CPU when simply swapping out the kernel will allow the system to make use of those features.

to easily install a 686 kernel you can do an apt-get install kernel-image-2.6-686 (note: it may be apt-get install linux-image-2.6-686 I don't have a system here to look at at the moment.. ) restart your system and you should have the 686 kernel installed, then you can use the config from that new kernel to start building your madwifi stuff..

Try using the Module assistant to install the madwif drivers.. might make things a bit easier on you..
http://madwifi.org/wiki/UserDocs/Distro/Debian

Thanks farslayer.

I'm definitely going to upgrade. I did get madwifi installed and configured. I'm having a problem uninstalling it now but once I get it done I'll change kernels.