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This is a really simple one I bet. I'm determined to finally get into linux and so have downloaded what I've read is the most user friendly one - mandrake. Everything is going great guns. Except for my wireless lan. So I've downloaded ndiswrapper and unzipped my windows driver. Its all there. However now I need to create a link to the source from the modules directory. so I'm about to type "ln" to create the link but then I look in usr/src and all there is in there is a folder called RPM, then a folder in that called RPMS, then several in that for different types of architecture by the looks of it. Is it just an empty directory (/usr/src) that I link to or do I have to install the kernel in here. Sorry, I cant get my head round this. Any help much appreciated. Apologies if I've missed a guide on how to do this. I have looked.
Regards
Chris
The kernel source is generally in /usr/src/linux or /usr/src/linux-<version> ... if it's not there, chances are that you didn't install the kernel-source RPM that came with Mandrake. Install it, and you'll be set.
Cheers btmiller for very quick response. Now my next question is...how do I do that? Would that be on one of the cd's I downloaded? I'll have a look. Really appreciate the help. Can anyone reccomend a good book on this?
Cheers
Chris
Okay, I think I've got it. I'm downloading the 2.6.8.1 kernel from ftp.kernel.org. Then I use urpmi to install it into /usr/src/linux or something like that. Is that right? Hell, I'll know in a bit. Then I can link to the source and we should be laughing. If I'm doing anything wrong please post. Cheers
Chris
The kernel you install via kernel.org is a source kernel - not configured for your system. Unless you want to have to learn (very quickly) about compiling a kernel, I'd stop now.
The files you want should be on your download cds. They'll be called kernel-source-x.x.x.
Thanks for your reply. I downloaded the kernel but before I was about to install I discovered that great rpm utility RPMDrake so I've installed the kernel! Feeling very proud. Now I've got a problem with mdk 10.1 locking up after running the modprobe command following make install for ndiswrapper. I've got to edit the module.dep file but need to change permissions. I think you do that in the Shell? I'm getting there though
Cheers
Chris
I managed to get Firefox working on my wireless network. So 8 hours ago I had never used mandrake on the internet and now look. Its a whole new world! Anyway, for anyone who may come across this path after me the problems I had and how I solved them:
Had to install kernel source as it wasnt there already - used RPMDrake utility
Downloaded bcmwl5 driver from belkin site kept locking up PC so used download as listed on ndiswrapper site from emachines ftp. I have a f5d7000 belkin card which utilises the broadcom 94306 chipset.
Used the wireless config utility GUI to configure card instead of Konsole.
Hope this helps
Many thanks to btmiller and XavierP but mostly to the guys who wrote ndiswrapper at sourceforge. Good work and thanks!
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