ndiswrapper and unshield help
 

So, I got Slackware 10.2 installed on my computer and absolutely love it. Now, I need internet. The only way I can get on my home network is through an 802.11g PCI card. I heard about ndiswrapper and how you can use windows drivers to make wireless cards work in Linux. When I attempt to install it, I get this:

root@darkstar:~# cd /root/ndiswrapper-1.16
root@darkstar:~/ndiswrapper-1.16# make
make -C driver
make[1]: Entering directory `/root/ndiswrapper-1.16/driver'
cc -DEXPORT_SYMTAB -DMODVERSIONS -include /lib/modules/2.4.31/build/include/linux/modversions.h -DUSB_DRIVER_OWNER -freg-struct-return -DDRIVER_VERSION=\"1.16\" -DLINUX -D__KERNEL__ -DMODULE -I/lib/modules/2.4.31/build/include -Wall -Wstrict-prototypes -fomit-frame-pointer -fno-strict-aliasing -pipe -O2 -mpreferred-stack-boundary=2 -c -o hal.o hal.c
In file included from ntoskernel.h:334,
from hal.c:24:
winnt_types.h:125:2: #error "gcc 3.4 or newer should be used for compiling this module"

In file included from hal.c:24:
ntoskernel.h:698: error: syntax error before "LONG"
ntoskernel.h:699: error: syntax error before "LONG"
ntoskernel.h:700: error: syntax error before "struct"
ntoskernel.h:702: error: syntax error before "struct"
ntoskernel.h:704: error: syntax error before "struct"
ntoskernel.h:730: error: syntax error before "NTSTATUS"
ntoskernel.h:765: error: syntax error before "KIRQL"
ntoskernel.h:766: error: syntax error before "void"
ntoskernel.h:767: error: syntax error before "KIRQL"
ntoskernel.h:768: error: syntax error before "void"
ntoskernel.h:769: error: syntax error before "void"
ntoskernel.h:770: error: syntax error before "void"
ntoskernel.h:822: error: syntax error before "LONG"
ntoskernel.h:823: error: syntax error before "void"
hal.c:122: error: syntax error before "KIRQL"
hal.c:132: error: syntax error before "void"
hal.c:140: error: syntax error before "KIRQL"
hal.c:147: error: syntax error before "void"
hal.c:154: error: syntax error before "void"
hal.c:166: error: syntax error before "void"
make[1]: *** [hal.o] Error 1
make[1]: Leaving directory `/root/ndiswrapper-1.16/driver'
make: *** [all] Error 2

Even worse, when I try running unshield to get the windows drivers, I get this:

root@darkstar:~# unshield -x data1.cab
Failed to open data1.cab as an InstallShield Cabinet File

If anyone can tell me what I'm doing wrong, that'd be awesome.
Thanks in advance,
Ben

The newest releases of ndiswrapper require a newer version of gcc than is in Slackware 10.2. You really have three options here:

1) Use an older ndiswrapper version (I use 1.10 without any trouble)
2) Wait for Slackware 11 to be released and upgrade (should happen in the near future)
3) Upgrade now to Slackware -current

Of course there is also a fourth potential option: Depending on the chipset you've got, there may be a native linux driver. This can frequently be a better choice than ndiswrapper. If you know your chipset, we might be able to point you in a proper direction.

I'm using a viewsonic PCI card. The chipset is: Broadcom Corporation BCM4306 802.11b/g Wireless LAN Controller (rev 03). How can I tell if there is a native linux driver for that chipset?

Thanks again,
Ben

Yes there is a native driver for that chipset (it is the same chipset I've got). The driver is called bcm43xx, and it has been included in the kernel since 2.6.17. If you're using one of the stock 10.2 kernels, you'll need to compile a new one. You'll also need to extract firmware for the bcm43xx driver. I've got instructions for doing that on my help site (see my sig for the link).

So that said, bcm43xx is a touch buggy so you might want to check out ndiswrapper as a backup to bcm43xx. Sometimes for me, bcm43xx just doesn't connect but switching to ndiswrapper does. Also, bcm43xx is currently limited to 802.11b speeds.

Thanks for the help! Although I haven't tried it yet, I'm pretty confident I can get it to work.

You guys are awesome,
Ben