Driver installation on Fedora Red Hat
 

Hi there
I am totally new to linux, and so far like the look of it. I've installed Fedora Red Hat on my Dell Laptop and the installation went smoothly.

However I have a wireless network pcmcia card, it is a realtek 8180 card variant under the name edimax cardbus 7106pc.

It works with windows, but linux don't seem to do anything when i plug it in. Also, how do you install drivers cause it's not as easy as clicking on the add hardware wizard. Have looked in the networkin bit, but my driver isn't listed but I have them on disk. Have tried double clicking them etc but nowt happens.

I haven't got a clue about how to get a command prompt up or anything - totally new to it. So any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance. All Iwanna do is surf the net on it!

to get a command prompt up- right click on desktop and select Open Terminal

or if the driver installation requires shutting down the X Server hit Ctrl-Alt-F1 then when installation is complete 'reboot'

but i cant help you with anything else, sorry

I am having similar problems with My card. From reading other posts on this Forum it seems like the RTL8180 chipset is problematic if not impossible to install on the Fedora Kernel. So far the best result I have had were using a Driveloader program I found at www.linuxant.com. If you can get your card to work please let me know how you did it.

If anyone has advice on how to get a RTL8180 based card to work in Fedora it would be greatly appreciated.

Here are the links to the latest drivers from Realtek (They are compiled for RH9): http://www.realtek.com.tw/downloads/...eyword=rtl8180

I've got the drivers, I just wish I knew how to put them in!!

This is when linux isn't so user friendly!

Thanks again, any more advice would be nice!

what file/files have you downloaded? are they in rpm format? are they src files?

Strangely enough, they are neither rpm's or src files. It's got a readme with them and it goes into it but it's way too complicated. They are just like h and c and d files or sommat.

Way too complicated for me!! Someone please help! If I can get on the net, i'll be converted. But for now, it's win xp. Sorry, but it's just soooo much easier to set up! I like to get into it once it's up a running. But I can't run both systems together and I need my net access.

Cheers again!

what does the read me say? there should be implicit instructions in the readme. try to follow that and post any success/failure, or anything you don't understand.

Okay then here goes.
first it says this
Please try to load linux_24x.o first by "insmod -f rtl8180_24x.o
which i don't understand, then it goes on to say

If it doesn't work, you are suggested to compile loadable driver module following the steps as:
(0)Make sure the C-compile version. Run "gcc -v".
(1)Modify macros in Makefile. For example, KERNELRELEASE, IO_FLAGS, ENDIAN_FLAGS, INCLUDEPATH
and RTL8180_TARGET which represent kernel release version, pci I/O space mapping, big/little endian, rtl8180 driver name.
(2)Check pci module initialization and system call interfaces in the provided source code, r8180_pci_init.c ....etc.
(3)Run 'make' to generate new driver module.
(4)Load driver by "insmod xxx.o

This means absolutely nowt to me!! Why can't it be as simple as just running a file like on windows!

I am definately a :newbie:
Thanks again anyone in advance

open a terminal and type su -
you'll be prompted for password enter root password

now you are logged in as root at the prompt cd to the dierctory that rtl8180_24x.o is at then type

insmod -f rtl8180_24x.o

if that doesn't work, post back and i'll try to help you w/the other steps.
good luck.

Tried that one, and it just says insmod - command not recognised.

Aaaargh!

I played with this for about a week and Finally got it to work with a program called Driverloader from www.linuxant.com. First go to http://www.realtek.com.tw/downloads...keyword=rtl8180, and download the latest WinXP drivers. Then install and run Driverloader.

Have tried driverloader, but installed the wrong one due to my lack of initial knowledge. Now I can't install the right one cause it says a newer package is installed. But when i do an rpm uninstall it just reports errors saying certain files aren't found.

Also if i do get to use driverloader, don't i have to pay?

Cheers!

I think there is some info about uninstalling here http://www.linuxant.com/driverloader/wlan/install.php. As for Paying to use the Driverloader yes there is a 30 day free trial so that you can make sure that the product works for you, and after that you would need to pay $20.00 (I think) to continue using it.