Debian: Problem installing 'Source RPM package' driver for winmodem
 

Hi all

Anyone who can advise please on getting a Debian (derived from the Knoppix 3.3 live CD) setup to build & install this RPM source for a winmodem driver:

I've been using Linux for about 1 week so far, so I dont really know what i'm doing *yet* -

I got from the WWW (the page has since been removed from Agere's site), the driver for the laptop's pseudo-modem. The documentation suggest this driver should work with the modem I have (according to the response I got from 'scanmodem').

The problem I have is using this Redhat/Suse source RPM with Debian:

Agere's instructions were:

> Source RPM Generic x86: "AgereSoftModemBeta-2.1.0-2.src.rpm"
>
> To install driver from the Source RPM package (*.src.rpm), you need to
> first make the Binary RPM package using the following command.
>
> RedHat # rpmbuild --rebuild AgereSoftModemxx.src.rpm
> SuSE # rpm --rebuild AgereSoftModemxx.src.rpm
>
> Install the binary package from the appropriate
> RPMS/(architecture) directory with the command
>
> # rpm -i AgereSoftModemBetaxx.i386.rpm


So I have the file "AgereSoftModemBeta-2.1.0-2.src.rpm", and I issue comand
"rpmbuild --rebuild AgereSoftModemBeta-2.1.0-2.src.rpm" at the root console.

Some things happen, files are copied, then I get a message:
"Error: ./agrinst : Line 86: /agr_softmodem : No such file or directory.

So I go and dig in "agr_inst", which I find in
"/usr/src/rpm/BUILD/AgereSoftModemBeta-2.1.0 "
along with some .c .h & .o files, and "Makefile".

Inside "agrinst" is the following: (line numbers added by me here)

62 chmod +x agr_softmodem
63 if [ -e /etc/rc.d/halt ]; then \
64 RC_DIR=`echo /etc/rc.d`; \
65 else
66 if [ -e /etc/rc.d/init.d/halt ]; then \
67 RC_DIR=`echo /etc/rc.d/init.d`; \
68 fi
69 fi
70
71 if [ -e $RC_DIR/halt ]; then \
72 cp -f ./agr_softmodem $RC_DIR/agr_softmodem; \
73 if [ -d /etc/rc.d/rc3.d ]; then \
74 ln -s $RC_DIR/agr_softmodem /etc/rc.d/rc3.d/S99agr_softmodem; \
75 fi
76 if [ -d /etc/rc.d/rc5.d ]; then \
77 ln -s $RC_DIR/agr_softmodem /etc/rc.d/rc5.d/S99agr_softmodem; \
78 fi
79 fi
80
81 mknod $device c 62 78
82 ln -s $device /dev/modem
83 chgrp $group $device
84 chmod $mode $device
85
86 $RC_DIR/agr_softmodem start
87 else
88 echo some files needed for installation are missing; \
89 fi
<EOF>

There in Line 86 the label $RC_DIR is missing, 'cos in lines 63,66,73,76 the conditions are never satisfied.

My DEBIAN installation has no "/etc/rc.d" and obviously no subdirs like "/rc3.d"
What I do have is
/etc/rc.boot
/etc/rc0.d
/etc/rc1.d
.....
/etc/rc6.d
/etc/rcS.d

all with various links/files in them, but nothing like "halt" or "init.d".

IS there any easy change to this script that will make it work?
Is there any point to doing that (getting the rc run-level links correct, since when I issue the command "agr_softmodem start" directly, I get a response that the modem driver is installed, but I still get no useful response from the modem, only that it is 'BUSY", (which is better than modem-not-found I guess).
Oh I did change device="/dev/ttyS14" (in Line 14 of agrinst) to ttyS3, since my comms software doesn't show any ports beyond S3. Are the first 4 reserved? Have I unmapped something importand by 'taking' ttyS3 like that?

At some stuge I expected to find a file:
/usr/src/rpm/RPMS/i386/AgereSoftModemBeta-2.1.0.i386.rpm
since the instuctions say I have to "rpm -i" it, but it hasn't appeared yet.
I DO have files like:
/usr/src/rpm/BUILD/AgereSoftModemBeta-2.1.0/[several .o .c .h files]
/usr/src/rpm/SOURCES/AgereSoftModemBeta-2.1.0.tar.gz
/usr/src/rpm/SPECS/AgereSoftModemBeta-2.1.0.spec

(Yes, I know I need to use 'Alien' to proces an RPM to a DEB pakage)

Thanks in anticipation.

You will find it very difficult to use this. Download the source file at;

http://www.agere.com/support/drivers...a-2.1.0.tar.gz

then compile it yourself. There should be a readme in the package but the basics for the Debian way to create a Debian package would be to untar the file into /usr/local/src and then from the command line cd to /usr/local/src . Unpack the file by doing as root tar -xvf name_of_fiile.tar.gz . Have a look at the readme but you should be able to build a debian package. First do apt-get install fakeroot then do fakeroot debian/rules binary and when the package has been created do fakeroot debian/rules clean. Check that the package is there and then do dpkg -i name_of_package.deb.
The normal way would be ./configure then do make then do make install.

Thanks for that info,
BUT
That .tar.gz driver file you mentioned, I have it, and when I examine its contents it holds exactly the same files that my "rpmbuild" command created, including that pesky "agrinst" file with all the troublesome labels concerning "/etc/rc.d" directories.

I haven't followed you instructions any further yet - but will report back when i get a chance to try it all out.

Well none of that "fakeroot debian/rules ... " works because there is/are no
debian/rule or debiam/control files anywhere.

From the make file that you gave try the following modifications;

62 chmod +x agr_softmodem
63 if [ -e /etc/rc.d/halt ]; then \ =>if [ -e /etc/init.d/halt ]
64 RC_DIR=`echo /etc/rc.d`; \ =>RC_DIR=`echo /etc/init.d`;
65 else
66 if [ -e /etc/rc.d/init.d/halt ]; then \ =>if [ -e /etc/init.d/halt ]; then \
67 RC_DIR=`echo /etc/rc.d/init.d`; \ => RC_DIR=`echo /etc/init.d`; \
68 fi
69 fi
70
71 if [ -e $RC_DIR/halt ]; then \
72 cp -f ./agr_softmodem $RC_DIR/agr_softmodem; \
73 if [ -d /etc/rc.d/rc3.d ]; then \ =>if [ -d /etc/rc3.d ]; then \
74 ln -s $RC_DIR/agr_softmodem /etc/rc.d/rc3.d/S99agr_softmodem; \ => ln -s $RC_DIR/agr_softmodem /etc/rc3.d/S99agr_softmodem; \
75 fi
76 if [ -d /etc/rc.d/rc5.d ]; then \ =>if [ -d /etc/rc5.d ]; then \
77 ln -s $RC_DIR/agr_softmodem /etc/rc.d/rc5.d/S99agr_softmodem; \ =>ln -s $RC_DIR/agr_softmodem /etc/rc5.d/S99agr_softmodem; \

Thanks again for that info - that was what I was anticipating would fix things;
However, the driver seems to install Ok now, with no errors. and I can turn it "on" and "off" with command line switches, & it responds that it is loaded & unloaded Ok, etc. (and warns me iabout tainted kernel modules), but even so, I can get no response from the modem or dev/ttyS14.
Should I conclude this is not the right driver after all ?

These drivers are very if'y and quite honestly for the amount of time and energy spent trying to get them to work you might as well go out and buy an external serial modem that just work. They are very cheap now and many about the same price as internal modems. If you want to pursue this you may need to do quite a bit of research through Google. The warning about "tainted kernel module" is normal since you have added a non-standard module.
If at any stage you want/need to get rid of this stuff in rc.d etc then do update-rc.d -f <script_name> remove.

Ah well, thanks again TigerOc for that.

No problem. I have just noticed you live in Jo'burg. I lived in 'maritzburg for 20 odd years before moving to the UK.