modprobe ndiswrapper freezes
 

Hello,

I downloaded 1.23 source for ndiswrapper. Installed kernel-sources
from the mandriva cd (I am using the free 3 cd set) and had no
problem compiling and instaling ndiswrapper. However the command modprob ndiswrapper freezes the computer and I have to reboot...
Help!

Couple of things:
Which version of Mandriva are you addressing?
Why did you not use the supplied ndiswrapper rpm?
Would you precisely outline the steps you are taking?

With Mandriva 2005LE, 2006, and 2007RC2, I have used all the precompiled ndiswrapper rpm's with success. Also, MCC sets it up just fine. (I know, geeks don't use gui's!)I have a broadcom chip, which is probably most frequently requires ndiswrapper, although 2007 has a driver which I could not get to work.

ndiswrapper freezes
 

1. I am using Mandriva 2006 Free edition

2. uname -a gives
Linux localhost 2.6.12-12mdk-i586-up-1GB #1 Fri Sep 9 17:51:55 CEST 2005 i686 VIA Samuel 2 unknown GNU/Linux

3. For reasons not too clear to me I could not get my
WireleLinux NIC to work with version 1.22 of ndiswrapper t supplied on the CD

4. On my other machine I had to do the same thing and it
works. The uname -a on that machine gives:
Linux localhost 2.6.12mdk #1 Fri Sep 9 18:15:22 CEST 2005 i686 Pentium II (Deschutes) unknown GNU/Linux
Note that the kernel is different. What is the difference?

5. On this machine where it does not work, ndiswrapper -l
gives:

athfmwdl driver installed, hardware present
net5523 driver installed

On the machine where it works the output is
athfmwdl driver installed
net5523 driver installed, hardware present

Why the difference?

Perhaps it is a different wireless card in the second machine. Have you looked in harddrake to verify what the card hardware identification is?
Also, I believe I updated the kernel in my 2006 installation, I think it was 2.6.12-18mdk.

modprobe ndiswrapper freezing woes
 

It is the same card! I unplug from one and plug into the
other. I installed from the same set of 3 CD's. The only
difference I can see is that the kernels are different.
It works on my older machine but not the new one.

In both the cases, the ndiswrapper on the distro CD did
*not* work. I had to recompile.

BTW, I could not see a kernel-source that had the string
i586-up-1GB. The one I have reads
kernel-source-stripped-2.6-2.6.12-12mdk.i586.rpm
Could that be a problem? Is there a special
source I need? I could not find one.

In my experience this happens when you modprobe
ndiswrapper compiled against a different kernel version
to that of the one you are using (using I mean the one you boot from,
and grub can give you various choices)

post
modinfo ndiswrapper

were you sure to delete the old ndiswrapper before compiling the new one

in that case nattu you can update your kernel (and download the source)
using drakrpm (are your repositories to date?)
and try removing ndiswrapper and recompiling it

ndiswrapper freezes
 

Yes,

The ndiswrapper 1.22 in the distro did not work. modprobe
would error out.

So I recompiled it. I am trying 3 machines with and
I recompile in each machine so /boot/kernel.h reflects the
machine in question... The 3 machines have intel - pentium II,
intel - celeron(coppermine) and C3 Eden (VIA).
In the first two machines ndiswrapper works. In the third
it freezes.

The third has a memory space of less than 1 GB and the
kernel is different because of this... I checked /boot/kernel.h
and it reflects this correctly. Also, when I compiled ndiswrapper
it shows that it is compiling to a processor "i586-up-1GB".
So there is nothing that seems to be wrong with the compilation.

I am at my wits end

uname -a gives Linux localhost 2.6.12-12mdk-i586-up-1GB
can you post modinfo ndiswrapper so we can compare to uname -a

also try tail -f /var/log/syslog in terminal
then modprobe ndiswrapper
maybe we will learn something

I believe there can be a problem if the stack options are too small in the kernel

Are you sure sure sure you have the right kernel sources

Did that! Right now uname reads
#uname -a
Linux localhost 2.6.12-25mdk-i586-up-1GB #1 Fri Aug 18 13:26:47 MDT 2006 i686 VIA Samuel 2 unknown GNU/Linux

rebuilt ndiswrapper and can modprobe as long as the device is not plugged in
(indicating that ndiswrapper was compiled for the right kernel version).

Stil freezes when I inserted the device. Happens for more than 1 device so
I don't think its the specific windows drivers either....

What gives? Is there any thing special about via epia hardware and ndiswrapper
that I should know about?

modinfo ndiswrapper ?
I do not think I have the answer to your problem,
but if you do not post what you are asked, I cannot help ;)
it is not because you start a given kernel that this the one
configured for compilation, so please post
modinfo ndiswrapper

In the meatime I will have a think

THE PROBLEM SOLVED!!!!!!!!!
Sorry for shouting, but hey, after banging my head on the keyboard for 7 days nonstop
I have earned the right to it....


Problem: The ndiswrapper in the distro is not compiled for this kernel and had to be
recompiled. The compiled version worked great on all machines except the C3 processor.

Solution: GCC has a bug!!!!!!!!!! The fix is to add CFLAGS += -march=i586 to the
Makefile.

Source of inspiration: http://linuxfromscratch.org/pipermai...ry/003289.html

Yes you read it right it is Febraury 2002!


Thanks to all of you who took the trouble to reply.

I am not sure where I should post this solution so others may not have to go through what I did.
Perhaps one of you can do it.

well done, congrats.
At least the board worked as a sounding board

Thanks for the feedback. Here in this thread was very fine.
If you want to enhance searches, you could edit one of your
post and add cat /proc/cpu (or something like that)