Etch ndiswrapper

CliffLandin · 10-09-2006, 12:18 PM

Okay, so I couldn't get the ndiswrapper working on Sarge, so as suggested I gave Etch a go at it. So this is what I did:

Code:

root@debEtch:~# apt-get install module-assistant

root@debEtch:~# m-a prepare

Getting source for kernel version: 2.6.16-2-xen-686
apt-get install linux-headers-2.6.16-2-xen-686
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
The following extra packages will be installed:
  linux-headers-2.6.16-2-xen
The following NEW packages will be installed
  linux-headers-2.6.16-2-xen linux-headers-2.6.16-2-xen-686
0 upgraded, 2 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 3433kB of archives.
After unpacking 28.0MB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]?

root@debEtch:~# apt-get install ndiswrapper-source

root@debEtch:~# m-a build ndiswrapper

root@debEtch:~# apt-get install ndiswrapper-utils-1.8

root@debEtch:~# m-a install ndiswrapper
Selecting previously deselected package ndiswrapper-modules-2.6.16-2-xen-686.
(Reading database ... 68278 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking ndiswrapper-modules-2.6.16-2-xen-686 (from .../ndiswrapper-modules-2.6.16-2-xen-686_1.16-1+2.6.16-14_i386.deb) ...
Setting up ndiswrapper-modules-2.6.16-2-xen-686 (1.16-1+2.6.16-14) ...

root@debEtch:~# wget http://biginoz.free.fr/linux/bcmwl5.sys
root@debEtch:~# wget http://biginoz.free.fr/linux/bcmwl5a.inf

root@debEtch:~# ndiswrapper -i bcmwl5a.inf
Installing bcmwl5a
Forcing parameter IBSSGMode|0 to IBSSGMode|2
Forcing parameter IBSSGMode|0 to IBSSGMode|2


root@steve:~# depmod -a
root@steve:~# modprobe ndiswrapper

Everything went fine, the driver shows as installed and hardware present.

Now here comes the problem.

When I do ifconfig wlan0 up, I get an error;
wlan0: ERROR while getting interface flags: No such device

when I dmesg I get

ndiswrapper version 1.23 loaded (preempt=no, smp=yes)

but no mention of the driver.

I've been working on this for a few days now and am about to lose it.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,

CliffLandin · 10-09-2006, 01:53 PM

Hate to be one those bumping types, but I was dropping down to the bottom of the page with no solution. I really need to get an answer here, so if you can help...

XavierP · 10-09-2006, 01:57 PM

LQ is a board with members from all over the world. This means that although less than 2 hours is, to you, far too long, for others who are still asleep it's fine. LQ is also staffed entirely by volunteers - although we aim to answer every question, that doesn't always happen and there is no guarantee that it will.

What you did, by bumping your post needlessly, was to take it off the "auto bump" which returns your post to the top of the page 3 times.

While you wait read:
http://ndiswrapper.sourceforge.net/m...p/Installation
and
http://ndiswrapper.sourceforge.net/m...n_Sarge.2FEtch

CliffLandin · 10-09-2006, 05:21 PM

Upon further investigation I have found that the ndiswrapper is in the syslog, but the driver is not.

A quick search for ndiswrapper found
ndiswrapper version 1.23 loaded (preempt=no,smp=yes)

but not
ndiswrapper: driver bmcwl5a added

so I'm assuming that ndiswrapper -i isn't working even though ndiswrapper -l shows
bcmwl5a driver installed, hardware present.

when I installed the driver it displayed:
Forcing parameter IBSSGMode|0 to IBSSGMode|2
Forcing parameter IBSSGMode|0 to IBSSGMode|2

Once I installed (or didn't) the driver I did
depmod -a
modprobe ndiswrapper

I am at truly at a loss.

kel_en · 10-10-2006, 07:11 AM

I have ndiswrapper working in Etch with a Linksys WPC54G wireless card using a Broadcom chipset.

Does the file /etc/modprobe.d/ndiswrapper exist? It defines wlan0 as:

alias wlan0 ndiswrapper

The wireless configuration parameters are set in /etc/network/interfaces. You can use iwconfig to make session changes to whatever exists in the interfaces file.

I hope this helps.

CliffLandin · 10-10-2006, 08:08 AM

There is no /etc/modprobe.d/ndiswrapper file. There is an aliases file and that has no reference to either ndiswrapper or wlan0.

When I do iwconfig wlan0 it says wlan0 No such device

I have even tried adding wlan0 to the /etc/network/interfaces but that doesn't seem to make a difference.

kel_en · 10-10-2006, 08:37 AM

You will have to create the file /etc/modprobe.d/ndiswrapper as I listed using the text editor of your choice. That will define wlan0. It needs only the one line:

alias wlan0 ndiswrapper

I'm not sure but you will probably have to reload the ndiswrapper module after you create the file.