Wireless setup for IBM T30 using a Linksys WPC54G adapter

tommy991 · 12-31-2008, 08:53 AM

Hi I am a newbie at this. I am a seasoned UNIX admin for many years. I have Fedora FC 9 running. I have been through a couple of the threads and its time to ask questions. Here are some facts first :

I don't believe I have the Kernel options ready to recompile. I know in unix you can change parameters in the /stand dir. Then do a mkkernel command and recompile. I am not sure with Linux.

Here is my card :
$ /sbin/lspci -v
00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation 82845 845 [Brookdale] Chipset Host Bridge (rev 04)
Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0
Memory at e0000000 (32-bit, prefetchable) [size=64M]
Capabilities: <access denied>
Kernel driver in use: agpgart-intel

00:01.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82845 845 [Brookdale] Chipset AGP Bridge (rev 04) (prog-if 00 [Normal decode])
Flags: bus master, 66MHz, fast devsel, latency 96
Bus: primary=00, secondary=01, subordinate=01, sec-latency=64
I/O behind bridge: 00003000-00003fff
Memory behind bridge: d0100000-d01fffff
Prefetchable memory behind bridge: e8000000-efffffff

00:1d.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801CA/CAM USB Controller #1 (rev 02) (prog-if 00 [UHCI])
Subsystem: IBM ThinkPad A/T/X Series
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 0, IRQ 11
I/O ports at 1800 [size=32]
Kernel driver in use: uhci_hcd
Kernel modules: uhci-hcd

00:1d.1 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801CA/CAM USB Controller #2 (rev 02) (prog-if 00 [UHCI])
Subsystem: IBM ThinkPad A/T/X Series
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 0, IRQ 11
I/O ports at 1820 [size=32]
Kernel driver in use: uhci_hcd
Kernel modules: uhci-hcd

00:1d.2 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801CA/CAM USB Controller #3 (rev 02) (prog-if 00 [UHCI])
Subsystem: IBM ThinkPad A/T/X Series
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 0, IRQ 11
I/O ports at 1840 [size=32]
Kernel driver in use: uhci_hcd
Kernel modules: uhci-hcd

00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801 Mobile PCI Bridge (rev 42) (prog-if 00 [Normal decode])
Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0
Bus: primary=00, secondary=02, subordinate=08, sec-latency=64
I/O behind bridge: 00004000-00008fff
Memory behind bridge: d0200000-dfffffff
Prefetchable memory behind bridge: f0000000-f7ffffff

00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation 82801CAM ISA Bridge (LPC) (rev 02)
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 0
Kernel modules: iTCO_wdt, intel-rng

00:1f.1 IDE interface: Intel Corporation 82801CAM IDE U100 Controller (rev 02) (prog-if 8a [Master SecP PriP])
Subsystem: IBM ThinkPad A/T/X Series
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 0, IRQ 11
I/O ports at 01f0 [size=8]
I/O ports at 03f4 [size=1]
I/O ports at 0170 [size=8]
I/O ports at 0374 [size=1]
I/O ports at 1860 [size=16]
Memory at 30000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=1K]
Kernel driver in use: ata_piix
Kernel modules: ata_piix

00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation 82801CA/CAM SMBus Controller (rev 02)
Subsystem: IBM ThinkPad A/T/X Series
Flags: medium devsel, IRQ 11
I/O ports at 1880 [size=32]
Kernel driver in use: i801_smbus
Kernel modules: i2c-i801

00:1f.5 Multimedia audio controller: Intel Corporation 82801CA/CAM AC'97 Audio Controller (rev 02)
Subsystem: IBM ThinkPad T30
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 0, IRQ 11
I/O ports at 1c00 [size=256]
I/O ports at 18c0 [size=64]
Kernel driver in use: Intel ICH
Kernel modules: snd-intel8x0

00:1f.6 Modem: Intel Corporation 82801CA/CAM AC'97 Modem Controller (rev 02) (prog-if 00 [Generic])
Subsystem: IBM ThinkPad A/T/X Series
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 0, IRQ 11
I/O ports at 2400 [size=256]
I/O ports at 2000 [size=128]
Kernel driver in use: Intel ICH Modem
Kernel modules: snd-intel8x0m

01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc Radeon Mobility M7 LW [Radeon Mobility 7500] (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
Subsystem: IBM ThinkPad T30
Flags: bus master, stepping, fast Back2Back, 66MHz, medium devsel, latency 66, IRQ 11
Memory at e8000000 (32-bit, prefetchable) [size=128M]
I/O ports at 3000 [size=256]
Memory at d0100000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=64K]
[virtual] Expansion ROM at d0120000 [disabled] [size=128K]
Capabilities: <access denied>
Kernel modules: radeonfb

02:00.0 CardBus bridge: Texas Instruments PCI1520 PC card Cardbus Controller (rev 01)
Subsystem: IBM ThinkPad T30/T40
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 168, IRQ 11
Memory at 50000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=4K]
Bus: primary=02, secondary=03, subordinate=06, sec-latency=176
Memory window 0: f0000000-f3fff000 (prefetchable)
Memory window 1: d4000000-d7fff000
I/O window 0: 00004000-000040ff
I/O window 1: 00004400-000044ff
16-bit legacy interface ports at 0001
Kernel driver in use: yenta_cardbus
Kernel modules: yenta_socket

02:00.1 CardBus bridge: Texas Instruments PCI1520 PC card Cardbus Controller (rev 01)
Subsystem: IBM ThinkPad T30/T40
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 168, IRQ 11
Memory at 51000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=4K]
Bus: primary=02, secondary=07, subordinate=07, sec-latency=176
Memory window 0: f4000000-f7fff000 (prefetchable)
Memory window 1: d8000000-dbfff000
I/O window 0: 00004800-000048ff
I/O window 1: 00004c00-00004cff
16-bit legacy interface ports at 0001
Kernel driver in use: yenta_cardbus
Kernel modules: yenta_socket

02:08.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corporation 82801CAM (ICH3) PRO/100 VE (LOM) Ethernet Controller (rev 42)
Subsystem: IBM ThinkPad A/T/X Series
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 66, IRQ 11
Memory at d0200000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=4K]
I/O ports at 8000 [size=64]
Capabilities: <access denied>
Kernel driver in use: e100
Kernel modules: e100

03:00.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4318 [AirForce One 54g] 802.11g Wireless LAN Controller (rev 02)
Subsystem: Linksys Unknown device 0049
Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 64, IRQ 11
Memory at d4000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=8K]
Kernel driver in use: b43-pci-bridge
Kernel modules: ssb

Here are the ls modes :
/sbin/lsmod
Module Size Used by
bridge 43668 0
stp 6148 1 bridge
bnep 14848 2
rfcomm 33936 4
l2cap 21504 16 bnep,rfcomm
bluetooth 48608 5 bnep,rfcomm,l2cap
rfkill_input 8320 0
fuse 49436 3
sunrpc 155924 3
ipt_REJECT 6656 2
nf_conntrack_ipv4 11528 2
iptable_filter 6528 1
ip_tables 13712 1 iptable_filter
ip6t_REJECT 7296 2
xt_tcpudp 6656 2
nf_conntrack_ipv6 15864 2
xt_state 5888 4
nf_conntrack 51424 3 nf_conntrack_ipv4,nf_conntrack_ipv6,xt_state
ip6table_filter 6400 1
ip6_tables 14736 1 ip6table_filter
x_tables 15236 6 ipt_REJECT,ip_tables,ip6t_REJECT,xt_tcpudp,xt_state,ip6_tables
dm_multipath 17292 0
scsi_dh 9476 1 dm_multipath
radeon 119044 2
drm 146404 3 radeon
ipv6 230260 22 ip6t_REJECT,nf_conntrack_ipv6
arc4 5760 2
ecb 6528 2
b43 132000 0
rfkill 11288 2 rfkill_input,b43
mac80211 173668 1 b43
cfg80211 23816 1 mac80211
input_polldev 7176 1 b43
ssb 36228 1 b43
ppdev 10372 0
snd_intel8x0 30876 3
snd_intel8x0m 16780 0
snd_ac97_codec 96548 2 snd_intel8x0,snd_intel8x0m
ac97_bus 5504 1 snd_ac97_codec
snd_seq_dummy 6660 0
snd_seq_oss 30364 0
floppy 51988 0
snd_seq_midi_event 9600 1 snd_seq_oss
snd_seq 48320 5 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi_event
snd_seq_device 9996 3 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq
snd_pcm_oss 41600 0
snd_mixer_oss 16896 1 snd_pcm_oss
snd_pcm 64772 4 snd_intel8x0,snd_intel8x0m,snd_ac97_codec,snd_pcm_oss
snd_timer 21896 2 snd_seq,snd_pcm
pcspkr 6272 0
snd 51768 17 snd_intel8x0,snd_intel8x0m,snd_ac97_codec,snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq,snd_seq_device,snd_pcm_o ss,snd_mixer_oss,snd_pcm,snd_timer
soundcore 9416 1 snd
i2c_i801 12048 0
snd_page_alloc 11144 3 snd_intel8x0,snd_intel8x0m,snd_pcm
i2c_core 21396 2 drm,i2c_i801
sr_mod 17064 0
cdrom 32664 1 sr_mod
e100 33804 0
yenta_socket 24972 3
mii 8192 1 e100
rsrc_nonstatic 13696 1 yenta_socket
video 20240 0
output 6528 1 video
parport_pc 25620 0
parport 31956 2 ppdev,parport_pc
nsc_ircc 17808 0
irda 95368 1 nsc_ircc
crc_ccitt 5760 1 irda
iTCO_wdt 13732 0
iTCO_vendor_support 6916 1 iTCO_wdt
sg 31028 0
pata_acpi 7680 0
ata_generic 8452 0
ata_piix 24836 2
libata 134892 3 pata_acpi,ata_generic,ata_piix
sd_mod 32408 3
scsi_mod 123772 5 scsi_dh,sr_mod,sg,libata,sd_mod
crc_t10dif 5632 1 sd_mod
sha256_generic 16000 0
cbc 7168 1
aes_i586 11520 2
aes_generic 31016 1 aes_i586
dm_crypt 15108 1
crypto_blkcipher 17924 4 ecb,cbc,dm_crypt
dm_snapshot 19364 0
dm_zero 5632 0
dm_mirror 19968 0
dm_log 12164 1 dm_mirror
dm_mod 48692 13 dm_multipath,dm_crypt,dm_snapshot,dm_zero,dm_mirror,dm_log
ext3 109192 2
jbd 43284 1 ext3
mbcache 10244 1 ext3
uhci_hcd 23312 0
ohci_hcd 24336 0
ehci_hcd 32780 0

I am also missing the ORINCO_CS. I try to do a make on this and get the following message:
$ make
Makefile:37: *** Wireless extensions are not enabled. Stop.

I appreciate the help.
Its great to work on Linux, I feel like I have some control over what I can do.
Thanks in advance.

Didier Spaier · 01-01-2009, 04:05 AM

May be you need a driver for your PC card.

I think only the chipset matters to find one. If not already done I suggest you search Google for:
Broadcom Corporation BCM4318 linux driver fc9.

But as I see see this:
Kernel driver in use: b43-pci-bridge

May-be you already have the driver and only need the firmware.

If you were using Slackware I would have suggested to get what you need here:
http://slackbuilds.org/result/?search=broadcom&sv=12.2

But I'm not a fc user so I can't really help you.

Now as you are a seasoned Unix admin I guess you'd feel more comfortable with a Slackware 12.2 (very Unix-like) than with a fc9 but that's another story. And of course, _it's_your_choice_

[EDIT] About recompiling a Linux kernel.

You'll find instructions how-to do that in the kernel tree itself, in the top directory. e.g. in my box it's there:
/usr/src/linux-2.6.27-7/README

*But* it's usually not necessary to recompile the whole kernel, only to add a module. You'll only have to compile the driver module itself and register it.