I've got Suse 9.1 up & running, but no network yet.
I've an edimax card that ships with Linux drivers
This is the readme file:-
RTL8180 Linux Driver version 1.4
- Support Client mode for either infrastructure or adhoc mode
- Support AP mode
RTL8180 Linux Driver version 1.5
- Turn on Dynamic Carrier Sense Function.

=========================================
< Component >
The driver is composed of several parts:
(1)source code
driver module initialization and interface between rtl8180 driver and system call.
r8180_pci_init.c driver module initialization and register/unregister network device
r8180_pci_init.h include file
r8180_if.c interface between rtl8180 driver and system call
r8180_if.h include file
r8180_type.h type definition for rtl8180 driver
r8180_export.h exported function name from rtl8180 driver

(2)object code
rtl8180 driver
priv_part.o rtl8180 driver object code

(3)Default driver
rtl8180_24x.o default driver module compiled in kernel 2.4.18.

(4)Makefile
PLEASE SPECIFY INCLUDEPATH CORRECTLY ACCORDING TO YOUR LINUX ENVIRONMENT.
FOR EXAMPLE, " INCLUDEPATH=-I /usr/src/linux-2.4.18-3/include/ " in RedHat7.3.
FOR EXAMPLE, " INCLUDEPATH=-I /usr/src/linux-2.4.18-14/include/ " in RedHat8.0.

(5)wlanup/wlandown
simple script file to activate/shut_down wireless lan.


< Installation >
Please try to load linux_24x.o first by "insmod -f rtl8180_24x.o".
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".
If gcc version is 2.xx, use release driver RTL8180_24x_RH73.zip.
If gcc version is 3.xx, use release driver RTL8180_24x_RH90.zip.

(1)Modify macros in Makefile.
KERNELRELEASE - represent kernel release version
IO_FLAGS - pci I/O space mapping
ENDIAN_FLAGS - big/little endian
OP_MODE_FLAGS - Operation on either AP or Client mode
DRV_FLAGS - Driver debugging messge ...etc.

(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)Run 'make install' to install new driver module.

(5)Refer to < Set wireless lan MIBs > and modify script files,
wlanup/wlandown, to set Wireless LAN specific parameters.
Run wlanup/wlandown to activate/shut_down wireless lan.
Usage:
./wlanup {ap|infra|adhoc}
./wlandown
Note:
- "./wlanup ap" works if OP_MODE_FLAGS is assigned RTL_ACT_AS_AP in Makefile.
- "./wlanup {infra|adhoc}" works if OP_MODE_FLAGS is assigned RTL_ACT_AS_AP
in Makefile.

< Set wireless lan MIBs >
This driver uses Wireless Extension as an interface allowing you to set
Wireless LAN specific parameters.
Current driver supports "iwpriv", manipulate driver private ioctls, to set MIBs.

iwpriv wlan0 wlan_para [parameters]=[val]
where

parameter explaination [parameters] [val] constraints
----------------------- ------------- ------------------
Set beacon interval bcnint {20~1000} msec
Set channel number channel {1~14}
Set basic rates basicrates {bit0 = 1Mbps, bit1 = 2Mbps, bit2 = 5.5Mbps, bit3 = 11 Mbps}
Set operational rates oprates {bit0 = 1Mbps, bit1 = 2Mbps, bit2 = 5.5Mbps, bit3 = 11 Mbps}
Set authentication type authtype {opensystem, sharedkey, both<only AP mode>}
Set desired ssid to scan ssid2scan {0~z, less than 32 characters}
Set RTS threshold rtsthres {256~2304}
Set fragment threshold fragthres {256~2304}
Set preamble mode preamble {short,long,auto}
Set network type networktype {infra,adhoc,auto}
Set WEP mode wepmode {off,wep40,wep104}
Set WEP default key ID wepdkeyid {0~3}
Set 1st WEP40 key value wepkey40_1 {0~f, total 10 characters}
Set 2st WEP40 key value wepkey40_2 {0~f, total 10 characters}
Set 3st WEP40 key value wepkey40_3 {0~f, total 10 characters}
Set 4st WEP40 key value wepkey40_4 {0~f, total 10 characters}
Set 1st WEP104 key value wepkey104_1 {0~f, total 26 characters}
Set 2st WEP104 key value wepkey104_2 {0~f, total 26 characters}
Set 3st WEP104 key value wepkey104_3 {0~f, total 26 characters}
Set 4st WEP104 key value wepkey104_4 {0~f, total 26 characters}
Set AP ssid ssid {0~z, less than 32 characters}
Set Mac address macaddr {0~f, total 6 characters}
Set DTIM period dtimperiod {1~255}
Set hidden AP hiddenAP {true,false}
Set mac filter policy addmac {0~f, total 6 characters}
Delete mac filter policy delmac {0~f, total 6 characters}
Set deny mac filter policy denymacaddr {0~f, total 6 characters}
Delete deny mac filter deldenymacaddr {0~f, total 6 characters}
Set sta expired time expired_time {1~100000} *10 msec
Set rate adaptive autorate {true,false}
Print help message help

For example:

iwpriv wlan0 wlan_para bcnint=100
iwpriv wlan0 wlan_para channel=1
iwpriv wlan0 wlan_para basicrates=0xf
iwpriv wlan0 wlan_para oprates=0xf
iwpriv wlan0 wlan_para authtype=opensystem
iwpriv wlan0 wlan_para ssid2scan=testssid
iwpriv wlan0 wlan_para fragthres=512
iwpriv wlan0 wlan_para preamble=long
iwpriv wlan0 wlan_para wepmode=off
iwpriv wlan0 wlan_para wepdkeyid=0
iwpriv wlan0 wlan_para wepkey40_1=0123456789
iwpriv wlan0 wlan_para wepkey104_1=01234567890123456789012345
iwpriv wlan0 wlan_para networktype=infra
iwpriv wlan0 wlan_para ssid=apssid
iwpriv wlan0 wlan_para macaddr=00e04c8180ff
iwpriv wlan0 wlan_para hiddenAP=true
iwpriv wlan0 wlan_para addmac=00e04c8180ff
iwpriv wlan0 wlan_para denymacaddr=00e04c8180ff
iwpriv wlan0 wlan_para help;


Also, you could set parameters as follow:

iwpriv wlan0 wlan_para bcnint=100,channel=1,basicrates=0xf,authtype=opensystem,ssid2scan=testssid

< Driver status >
The driver status is reported by /proc filesystem.

/proc/rtl8180/status (link status for client mode)
/proc/rtl8180/ap_status (link status for ap mode)

AS A COMPLETE NEWBIE THIS IS NO HELP!
DOES ANYONE RECOGNISE THE RTL8180 AS A CLONE OF ANYTHING I MIGHT BE ABLE TO ASSOCIATE IT WITH?
OR
CAN ANYONE GIVE ME AN IDIOT'S GUIDE TO INSTALLING THIS
MANY THANKS
Alec

Alechi; try this: http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/HOWTO-INDEX
section 4.3.23 wireless tips & workaround. the in same index other help sections on most any thing linux needs.

This thread is old but...

I would be very interested to know if you ever got this card working. Or anyone else for that matter.

No, I'm sorry. I ended up getting a Cisco Aironet card- but even then I had to flash the card with old drivers to allow Linux to 'see' the card.
Good Luck
Alec

That's a shame. I've had this card in my Linux box for about 3 weeks now and I've only just managed to get the lights to blink. No connection mind you. I was hoping someone else might have figured it out, but thanks anyway for the reply.

nikkkko; hummm; it will be worth time, agnst & problem-free to attempt to do a little research & time-searching for compatible device. such as ; linuxquestions.org,s hardware compatible list in this site;http://tldp.org/HOWTO/Hardware-HOWTO/index.html.
also at the mdk.org,s. since not familiar with other distro`s ,have no idea if they have such ablility. maybe some of the other members may know! to the rescue!!!

Sadly the only research I did was on the vendor's web site which clearly states Linux compatibility. And I believed them. Duh.

Anyway, I yanked the card out today, swapped it with an old smc2662w (ver1) usb adaptor I had on another box, downloaded an amtel firmware upgrade kindly provided in friendly rpm form on the suse ftp site and hey presto, internet wireless connection in 3 minutes flat. 3 weeks vs 3 minutes. That hurts.

(If anyone with the same smc adaptor is reading this, I can't vouch for ver2 and ver3 because I believe they use different chips).