Slackware 10.1 & Dell Inspiron 600m

tuxrules · 06-02-2005, 07:56 PM

Hi guys,
I am avid slackware user and would also like to use slackware on my dell laptop (Inspiron 600m). I have couple of problems which I hope someone here would be able to help me with.

I already installed once and didn't work out well so will reinstall again. Installing on a laptop is hell of a job...anyway.

Problem 1: To use wireless networking, I need 2.6.x series kernel so should i use the 2.6.10 on the CD or should go with the one in slackware-current. Also how do I install it?

Problem 2: I have used fedora and ubuntu on the same laptop and according to ipw2100 INSTALL i have to make a file ifcfg-eth1 or eth0 whatever is the case inorder to make the card available on boot. How do i make my card available at bootup?

Problem 2: On the first install, ALSA didn't work even though i tried alsaconf...it kept on saying "no mixer found" whenever i tried alsamixer. Should I install the alsa-driver package that comes with the slackware kernels or should i download and compile it myself.

Your help is appreciated...

Tux,

Shade · 06-02-2005, 09:09 PM

Hi there, tuxrules

Well, I don't know what you mean by a 'hell of a job' installing Slackware on a laptop -- it's always been the same as a desktop for me.

I use ipw2200 as well, so I think I can help you out with that.

1- I've never installed a Slackware packaged kernel. To update, I've always just downloaded the latest kernel from www.kernel.org and configured/compiled it myself. That's my advice to you. The ipw2200 README file has all the kernel options outlined that you'll need to get that card working. /sbin/lspci will tell you most everything else you'll need to know to configure the kernel. I spent some time and typed up a howto for my own laptop, but it may help you as well:
http://mshade.kicks-ass.net:8080/html/s260.html

2- If you set up networking normally with 'netconfig', you can add this alias to /etc/modprobe.conf and your wireless NIC will be brought up on boot as eth0. The Slack scripts will take care of it from that point.

Code:

alias eth0 ipw2200

3- It depends on what the sound card is, honestly. Does yours use snd-intel8x0 ? If that's the case, there's a module that sometimes gets loaded for modem sounds, snd-intel8x0m. Add that to /etc/hotplug/blacklist and run alsaconf again. If you have a different sound chipset, download and install the latest driver/utilities/libraries from www.alsa-project.org.

--Shade

tuxrules · 06-02-2005, 09:23 PM

Hi Shade,

thanks for that quick reply. I have spent about two days to do it on my own and was a bit frustrated so I posted here...I would surely give your how-to a detailed read and compile a kernel from the source. I found cure for the sound card (same as you mentioned) and hopefully it will not bug me in future. Let me get back to work and will post if hit a wall...thanks once again for answers...i feel a breath of fresh air

Edit: 'hell of a job', I just wanted to vent out my frustration trying to fix it for two days...

arobinson74 · 06-03-2005, 08:25 AM

Here is my thread in which I did a little tutorial on installing the 2.6.10 kernel that comes with the slack source:

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...01#post1580201

tuxrules · 06-03-2005, 09:09 AM

Thanks arobinson74 for the pointer...that certainly helps.

I have a wireless network which uses WEP key and I would like to know how should i make the wireless network configuration (i mean write keys and essid) so that I can use the network right away. Which file (/etc/rc.d/rc.wireless.conf or other) should I change and what should be the change (syntax or anything specific).

Tux,

tuxrules · 06-03-2005, 11:48 PM

Voila!!! kernel 2.6.11.11 works like a charm...sound is awesome. Also installed IPW2100 driver and firmware. Now the question...I am able to use someone else's wireless (an open network) but not mine. Mine is WEP encrypted. What and where should i make changes so that my wireless picks up my access point and is ready for use at boot up.

I get this message at startup:

Code:

/etc/rc.d/rc.M: eth0 is 'Any ESSID'
dhcpcd: MAC Address = 00:04:23:62:8d:79
dhcpcd: Your IP address = 192.168.1.100

Any clues...

Thanks in advance,
Tux,

tuxrules · 06-04-2005, 01:25 AM

Okay folks!!! Case solved...did some research and found that i'd to make changes to /etc/rc.d/rc.wireless.conf...Everything is up and running...thanks for all your help...

Case closed...

Tux

tuxrules · 06-04-2005, 07:04 PM

alright back with more problems...

I just took my laptop away from my wireless connection and obviously my network was not reachable so slackware started alright and i didn't notice anything (i needed the network anyway). Now i'm back home in my network and surprisingly slackware doesnt detect my network anymore. I don't know how to solve it. I've been juggling with iwconfig and ifconfig to no avail. I've even tried netconfig...

Here's the output of ifconfig:

Code:

lo        Link encap:Local Loopback  
          inet addr:127.0.0.1  Mask:255.0.0.0
          UP LOOPBACK RUNNING  MTU:16436  Metric:1
          RX packets: 82 errors: 0 dropped: 0 overruns: 0 frame: 0
          TX packets: 82 errors: 0 dropped: 0 overruns: 0 carrier: 0
          collisions: 0 txqueuelen: 0 
          RX bytes:5324 (5.1 Kb)  TX bytes:5324 (5.1 Kb)

Here's the output of iwconfig:

Code:

lo       no wireless extensions

eth0      unassociated  ESSID:"kuiperbelt"  Nickname:"tripoli"
          Mode:Managed  Channel: 0  Access Point: 00:00:00:00:00:00  
          Bit Rate=0kb/s   Tx-Power: off   
          Retry: on   RTS thr: off   Fragment thr: off
          Encryption key:425A-7E63-7969-4B35-5E47-7A43-48   Security mode: open
          Power Management: off
          Link Quality: 0  Signal level: 0  Noise level: 0
          Rx invalid nwid: 0  Rx invalid crypt: 0  Rx invalid frag: 0
          Tx excessive retries: 0  Invalid misc: 0   Missed beacon: 0

eth1   no wireless extensions

why doesn't ifconfig show eth0?

tuxrules · 06-04-2005, 07:13 PM

I have to say I am extremely embarrassed...I am sorry to have posted that problem when...it appears, and rather mysteriously

, that my hardware radio switch was off...somebody turned it off and i was about to bang my head on my machine...

Sorry once again...

o2_sparx · 06-30-2005, 03:03 AM

I also have a 600m and i got wirless, display, sound, usb mouse all working with the help of this site http://pocketace.net/pocketace.php?p...s&ar=slackware
I found it very useful and it turned out i had somewhat of a winminipci card so i had to use the ndiswrapper to get it working