Ok so I just installed ndiswrapper-1.1 and got my wireless connection setup (goodie this didn't event try to work right in RH9 all kinds of stupid errors)
I went to activate my connection and BAM locked up system. Ok, so I saw a warning about this in the make/make install of ndiswrapper, how do I fix it?
I found information about a patch in their wiki at sourceforge and located the patch on Linuxant's website. The patch should up the kernel stack from 4K to 12K allowing drivers to work properly (this is a quote from the wiki for ndiswrapper)
"If you are using 2.6 kernels, make sure 4K stacks are not used (i.e., disable CONFIG_4KSTACKS). (Q: Is this a cause of system freezes? A: On the Webpage of the commercial Linuxant Driverloader I found the information that even with 8kb (=4k off) the system may freeze because some Windows-Drivers (in particular for the Intel BG 2200) needs 12kb. On their Webpage they are offering a 12k patch for the 2.6.7-kernel.) Note that Fedora kernels actually disable this option, so you won't see it in kernel configuration, so if you are using Fedora kernel, you should either get the patch from Linuxant or compile a vanilla kernel without 4K stacks."
Ok, so how do I install this patch?
What angers me the most out of all this is that Fedora refuses to include kernel source!!!
I have the 2.6.9-1.667 kernel, the patch I am referring to is located here:
http://www.linuxant.com/driverloader.../downloads.php
A little more than half way through that page, I quote
"Note about kernel stack size: Because some Windows drivers (notably for Intel Centrino cards) require at least 12K of stack to operate properly and the default Linux kernel stack size is a little less than 8K (4K on Fedora Core 2, 3 and some other 2.6 kernels), we recommend using a kernel with a larger stack size if you experience problems or crashes. Fedora Core 2 or 3 users can download one of our replacement "stk16" kernels provided through the distribution-specific links above. Advanced users may alternatively rebuild a custom kernel without the CONFIG_4KSTACKS option. A generic kernel patch adding CONFIG_16KSTACKS support is also available for 2.6.7, 2.6.8[.1], 2.6.9, 2.6.10 and 2.6.11."
And the exact link to my specific patch is here:
http://www.linuxant.com/driverloader...6kstacks.patch
I don't know how to patch a kernel, so any instructions on how to do this would be great. I already installed the kernel-2.6.9-1.667.src.rpm and "issued the following command rpmbuild -bp --target=i586 kernel-2.6.spec"which worked! (but because of my own filename adapting skills, because the instructions in the release notes for FC3 are a little wrong. You have to add -2.6 to a filename or else this doesn't work)
Why couldn't FC3 just put the kernel source in the /usr/src/kernel directory just like suse 9.2 did? why? WHY!? Why do they have to be so damned difficult!
My system is this:
Fedora Core 3 with dual boot Windows XP (thankyou NTFSResize!)
PCChips M800 Motherboard
AMD Athlon 750 CPU (i586)
512 MB SDRam
Western Digital WD400 40GB EIDE hard drive
and as a side note, the reason for not using different distros is this:
Redhat - getting old (things don't work like they should) and too commercial for my taste
Slackware - people say this is advanced, and I don't think I am ready for that
Mandrake - too commercial
Debian - same as slack
Suse - A tad bloated and 1 step too babying (I am a newbie but not that new)
Fedora seams just right for me, I like it and I really want this patch 4/12K to get squared away.
