I have a xterasys wlan with the adm8211 chipset. I am trying to use the ndiswrapper to configure the wlan nic. I am getting errors though. I thought that it was with my kernel source but that is installed. Here is the output
Executing make install to build the module and loadndisdriver.
make -C driver install
make[1]: Entering directory `/home/tray/ndiswrapper/driver'
cc -DTEST_PM -DEXPORT_SYMTAB -DMODVERSIONS -include /lib/modules/2.4.21-144-athlon/build/include/linux/modversions.h -DLINUX -D__KERNEL__ -DMODULE -I/lib/modules/2.4.21-144-athlon/build/include -Wall -Wstrict-prototypes -fomit-frame-pointer -fno-strict-aliasing -pipe -mpreferred-stack-boundary=2 -O2 -c -o wrapper.o wrapper.c
wrapper.c:1126: error: variable `ndis_ethtool_ops' has initializer but incomplete type
wrapper.c:1127: error: unknown field `get_link' specified in initializer
wrapper.c:1127: warning: excess elements in struct initializer
wrapper.c:1127: warning: (near initialization for `ndis_ethtool_ops')
wrapper.c: In function `setup_dev':
wrapper.c:1613: error: structure has no member named `ethtool_ops'
/lib/modules/2.4.21-144-athlon/build/include/asm/string.h: At top level:
wrapper.c:1126: error: storage size of `ndis_ethtool_ops' isn't known
make[1]: *** [wrapper.o] Error 1
make[1]: Leaving directory `/home/tray/ndiswrapper/driver'
make: *** [install] Error 2
Does anybody know what I should do.

from another thread on linuxquestions.org

you have to get ndiswrapper v3 instead of v4.

works fine !

or update your kernel...

Ok, great. Where can I get that because I am not finding it.

http://sourceforge.net/projects/ndiswrapper/

under Latest File Releases click on ndiswrapper (if you have .4 version then try .5, if that also doesn't work, then try .3 version)

I got ndiswrapper v3 and it worked. Now I am configuring the card with iwconfig, but this is the output of iwconfig.
linux:/home/tray # iwconfig
lo no wireless extensions.

eth0 no wireless extensions.

sit0 no wireless extensions.
I have no idea how I got sit0, also I am unsure of what to do with eth0. The readme and install files are sketchy and at most only mention the changing of ESSID. Which I think I am not yet to that point.

from
http://ndiswrapper.sourceforge.net/faq.html

4. Make sure you have /proc/net/wireless file; otherwise, you need to recompile the kernel with "Wireless LAN (non-hamradio)" (CONFIG_NET_RADIO) option enabled.

-------------

I don't think you have to worry about sit0, appears to be for ipv4/ipv6 translation.

Ok, I dont have /proc/net/wireless. So, would you happen to know a site with a good run through on how to do that.

Reconfiguring the kernel:

from the top level directory of the kernel source /usr/src/linux-<version> you will do

make mrproper -> done just once

make menuconfig -> brings up menu to set options to add
support for "Wireless LAN (non-hamradio)"

make depend

make modules

make modules_install

make install -> also installs boot images, etc.


Be sure to save off your original .config file before running any makes, this is a text file that contains the kernel configuration settings that are used to build the kernel and altered by make menuconfig.


On the make menuconfig:

Go to:
Network Device support −−>
then Select:
Wireless LAN (non−hamradio) −−−>
Then Choose the options, so that it looks like below, or something as close to this. [*] Wireless LAN (non−hamradio)


I usually have problems with unable to read LABEL on the root device when trying to reboot with the recompiled kernel, which is usually fixed by adding support for RAM disk support under Device Drivers -> Block Devices -> Ram disk support and setting the RAM disk size to 8192 (what works for me on Redhat).