LinuxQuestions.org - Installing driver

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Installing driver

I am trying to install drivers for my network adapter which is built into My abit Ic7g. I have downloaded them from intel and it is one file with a .tar extension. It's saved in a windows partition. I can't download it from slackware linux because i need the driver to connect to the internet. How do i install it in Linux. Help.

I'm not sure about how to install that particular driver, but I can tell you how to get to your Windows partition from Linux and at least extract the file. If this is your original kernel (probably is), then it should have the FAT32 filesystem built in.
First, boot Linux and get to a superuser command prompt (either if you boot to it, or launch 'xterm' or something similar if you're under KDE, GNOME, or other X Windows shells) by typing $ su in the command prompt. Now, do $ cd /etc and use your favorite text editor to open 'fstab'. Add a line to the bottom of it saying something like this:

/dev/hda1 /winblows auto rw,user,noauto 0 0

That is, if your Windows partition is under hda1. You can make '/winblows' whatever you want - that is your mount point (i.e. where the partition will show up). Now save and you will be able to type $ mount /winblows (or mount /whatever-you-made-it). You will now be able to browse through your Windows partition and read/write to it as if it was your Linux one. You can now copy your .tar file over to your Linux partition and extract it ($ tar -xvf whatever.tar). (Note: you can actually extract and do most anything on your windows partition as you can on your Linux partition, but there are a few things, like sripts, that can be argumentative on the windows partition.) There should be a README file or something in that .tar file. Just follow that.

ok, how do i copy the file and where do I extract the driver?

# Guides to software management
LNAG - How do I install a program I downloaded from the Internet?
Rute Guide's software explanation
You might want to check out CheckInstall to manage source code installations/uninstallation

# Compiling/installing kernel modules
You will need to have installed:
1. The developmental packages (compiler)
2. The kernel source code that matches your running kernel
3. The module source or install code

Check out your system and look under the hood and see if you installed the stuff you need to do the job. Open an x terminal and type in this sequence of commands to see what kernel we are running and see if you have the kernel source installed:

Code:

[fancy@tinwhistle fancy]$ su -

Password: 

[root@tinwhistle root]# uname -r

2.4.18-3

I am running kernel version 2.4.18-3. Do I have the proper source code?

Code:

[root@tinwhistle root]# cd /usr/src

[root@tinwhistle src]# ls -alc

total 3

drwxr-xr-x    4 root    root          136 Jun 12 14:53 .

drwxr-xr-x  16 root    root          424 Jun  4 12:04 ..

lrwxrwxrwx    1 root    root          14 Jun  4 12:11 linux-2.4 -> linux-2.4.18-3

drwxr-xr-x  16 root    root          584 Jun  4 12:11 linux-2.4.18-3

drwxr-xr-x    7 root    root          168 Jun  4 12:08 redhat

[root@tinwhistle src]#

I do have the same kernel version source code installed in the directory /usr/src/linux-2.4.18-3 and there is a symbolic link named linux-2.4 pointing to it.

If you don't see something similiar to this (but in color), you will need to install the kernel source.

NOTE: I noticed that Red Hat didn't make the symbolic link /usr/src/linux that all of the INSTALL files that I have read mentioned that I need, so I may as well make one now to save editing the files in the source code to install.So, I'll make it just now:

Code:

[root@tinwhistle src]# ln -s linux-2.4.18-3 linux        

[root@tinwhistle src]# ls -alc

total 3

drwxr-xr-x    4 root    root          160 Jun 12 15:46 .

drwxr-xr-x  16 root    root          424 Jun  4 12:04 ..

lrwxrwxrwx    1 root    root          14 Jun 12 15:46 linux -> linux-2.4.18-3

lrwxrwxrwx    1 root    root          14 Jun  4 12:11 linux-2.4 -> linux-2.4.18-3

drwxr-xr-x  16 root    root          584 Jun  4 12:11 linux-2.4.18-3

drwxr-xr-x    7 root    root          168 Jun  4 12:08 redhat

[root@tinwhistle src]#

Ah, there it is, so that's done.

Next, did I install the compiler?

Code:

[root@tinwhistle src]# gcc -v          

Reading specs from /usr/lib/gcc-lib/i386-redhat-linux/2.96/specs

gcc version 2.96 20000731 (Red Hat Linux 7.3 2.96-113)

[root@tinwhistle src]#

Yes, I have a compiler installed.

If you don't have those two things installed, you have to install them first off your install CD.

If they are installed, download the source and happy comiling. :tisk: Make sure you carefully read the README and INSTALL files after extracting and before compiling/installing. :study: