Installing drivers?

das_Schaf · 02-08-2005, 09:49 AM

Hello, I'm quite new to linux.
And this might be quite easy, but please help me, because I don't know how to do this.

I'm using FedoraCore2. The problem is, that FedoraCore2 doesn't know my ISDN-Card (AVM FRITZ-Card v2.0). I used another computer to download the drivers for Linux from the AVM website. I transphered the files (in .tar.gz format) to the PC using linux (and extrakted them into a normal folder). And that's where my question starts:
How do I tell linux to use those drivers??
Or the better question would be
"When I tell the computer to Add an ISDN-Card then I get a menu to select the "Type". How do I get my drivers for AVM FRITZ-Card v2.0 into that list?"

Sorry for the stupid question and the bad explanation.
But Linux is so completely different from windows in this point.

Thanks a lot!

Crashed_Again · 02-08-2005, 10:21 AM

There should be some sort of README or INSTALL file in the directory you extracted to. That should have the directions for installing the driver.

My guess, and this is only a guess, is that you will go have to compile the driver i.e.:

./configure
make
make install

and then load the module via modprobe:

modprobe <modulename>

Then probably restart your nic card:

/etc/init.d/network restart

I think the service is called network in Fedora but I'm not really sure.

Check out the installation instructions that came with the driver.

das_Schaf · 02-08-2005, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Crashed_Again
My guess, and this is only a guess, is that you will go have to compile the driver i.e.:

./configure
make
make install

and then load the module via modprobe:

modprobe <modulename>

Then probably restart your nic card:

/etc/init.d/network restart

I'm sorry, but could you tell me the same things in normal english once more?
The
"./configure
make
make istall"
Part is completely unclear to me. Do I have to type this somewhere?
Where?
As I said, I'm really new to linux.

And what is "modprobe"?

Thanks again, and sorry for the trouble.

slackie1000 · 02-08-2005, 10:49 AM

hi there,

what Crashed_Again means with "./configure make make install" is:
these are the basic classic commands to compile something in linux. this works 90% of the compiling cases.
you open a terminal. make a cd to /what_ever_the_program_source_is_installed
type "./configure" and press enter.this will get some system info. wait a bit.
type "make" and press enter. this will compile the stuff. wait more.
no erros?
"make install" will install it.

but considering how new you are to linux, the reading suggestion is a better way.
make a search aroung LQ. you will find a lot of info.
modprobe is the command to load a kernel module.

no problem asking. glad to help.

best regards

slackie1000

das_Schaf · 02-08-2005, 11:58 AM

Ok, I found that file.
And thanks to it and the help that you two gave me I managed to do a part of it:

Quote:

Notes for the compilation of the driver sources
(for other distributions/kernels)

In the case of directly supported distributions and versions, one method of
compiling the sources is to run the "make" file in the "fritz" directory
which is created when the driver archive file is extracted. Starting
"make" internally switches to the subdirectory "src" and executes the
"Makefile" located in this directory. The resulting .ko module should be
copied manually into the /lib/modules/`uname -r`/extra directory. For the
running kernel this can be done automatically by entering the command
"make install".

I COULD DO EVERYTHING UNTILL HERE
The compilation combines two components: the source code delivered to implement
the system and a binary, kernel-independent module in the "fritz/lib"
directory.

The hardware driver module (fXYZ.ko) itself can be compiled completely from
the "src" subdirectory, two additional components are required to port the
complete driver archive (consisting of the CAPI drivers, the CAPI tools and
CAPI libraries each in their own rpm archives). These components have existed
in the source code for quite some time now, but they are not part of the driver
archive file (also because of their size).

- The CAPI modules are part of the standard linux kernel. They can be generated
with the standard kernel as long as the correct settings are made in the kernel
configuration.

In order to use this FRITZ!Card driver, a couple of kernel modules are required:
capi.ko, kernelcapi.ko and capifs.ko. The source code for these modules
is part of the linux kernel in directory /usr/src/linux/drivers/isdn/capi and
will be compiled with the kernel if the following settings are found in the
kernel configuration:

CONFIG_EXPERIMENTAL=y

CONFIG_ISDN_CAPI=m
CONFIG_ISDN_DRV_AVMB1_VERBOSE_REASON=y
CONFIG_ISDN_CAPI_MIDDLEWARE=y
CONFIG_ISDN_CAPI_CAPI20=m
CONFIG_ISDN_CAPI_CAPIFS_BOOL=y
CONFIG_ISDN_CAPI_CAPIFS=m
CONFIG_ISDN_CAPI_CAPIDRV=m

For "make menuconfig" go to "Device Drivers", "ISDN subsystem" and select:

...
<M> CAPI2.0 support[*] Verbose reason code reporting (kernel size +=7K)[*] CAPI2.0 Middleware support (EXPERIMENTAL)
<M> CAPI2.0 /dev/capi support [*] CAPI2.0 filesystem support
<M> CAPI2.0 capidrv interface support
...

In addtion to these entries, please enable entry "Prompt for development
and/or incomplete code/drivers" in the very first menu named "Code maturity
level options".

After the kernel's compilation, all CAPI modules can be found in directory
/lib/modules/`uname -r`/kernel/drivers/isdn/capi/

- The CAPI tools and libraries originate from the capi4k-utils package
(in the capi4k-utils-XXXX-YY-ZZ.tar.gz file at
ftp://ftp.in-berlin.de/pub/capi4linux/). Detailed instructions about how to
install the packet are also provided in the "readme" file located here.

The installation copies the compiled modules into the system directory
/lib/modules/X.Y.Z/extra. Then they are loaded by the CAPI tool "capiinit".
This tool requires the information about which cards or card drivers are to
be loaded. An example for the structure of the file /etc/capi.conf can be
found in the driver package for the passive cards or directly in the
capi4k-utils package.

Could someone please "translate" the second part (starting from my remark) into "normal" english? Please excuse me. Eventhough this might be basic I'm unable to understand what I am supposed to do.
Please tell me what I have to do. While explaining please imagine that you are talking to your grandmother. Because thats how easy it will have to get... aproximately.

Thanks a lot again!