Two questions. What is DKMS and what are dependencies? I'm new to Linux and have come across them but havnt a clue what they are.

I'm not sure about DKMS, where did you run across it? And about depencencies: in short, if a program has a dependency, the program needs other programs (the dependencies) to be installed. For more info see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Couplin...ter_science%29.

For DKMS see: http://linux.dell.com/projects.shtml

Google is your friend!

I can't tell you how it works, but I know that the Mandriva 2006 install I use has it installed. Exactly what differences it makes ? The only thing that I have noticed is that if I see a new kernel version available for install, it seems that instead of having to re-install (recompile ?) the nvidia driver manually(which is what I used to have to do) it seems to work it all out i.e. I just install the new kernel version and the DKMS seems to adapt (make work) the nvidia driver.

I'm sure it does other things as well, but as yet haven't worked out what they are.

regards

John

I am trying to get my wireless network card installed but each time I try to do so I get told that It needs DKMS. Apparently there is some sort of dependency. I downloaded several versions but when I tried to install them my terminal produced the following output:

[root@localhost Linux software]# dir
access\ tutorial.rtf NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-8178-pkg1.run
AdobeReader_enu-7.0.1-1.i386.rpm rarlinux-3.3.b3.tar.gz
dkms-0.31.04-0.1.fc3.rf.i386.rpm RT2500STA-Linux-1.3.0.1.tar.gz
dkms-2.0.9-1.fc4.noarch.rpm tar-1.13.tar.gz
dkms-rt2500-1.4.6.2-1mdk.noarch.rpm urw-fonts-2.1-7.src.rpm
LimeWireOther.zip
[root@localhost Linux software]# rpm -i dkms-2.0.9-1.fc4.noarch.rpm
warning: dkms-2.0.9-1.fc4.noarch.rpm: Header V3 DSA signature: NOKEY, key ID 1ac70ce6
file /usr/sbin/dkms from install of dkms-2.0.9-1.fc4 conflicts with file from package dkms-0.31.04-0.1.fc3.rf
file /usr/share/man/man8/dkms.8.gz from install of dkms-2.0.9-1.fc4 conflicts with file from package dkms-0.31.04-0.1.fc3.rf
[root@localhost Linux software]#

How are you trying to install your wireless card? I would recommend using ndiswrapper: http://ndiswrapper.sourceforge.net. It works pretty well with most cards, and it doesn't need that DKMS thing.