ndiswrapper, suse 9.3, and d-link dwl-g520 card

papashangoh · 09-08-2005, 08:13 PM

hi all, i've been working this problem for about a week now and still no wireless card! here's what i've done so far:

1. i've installed suse 9.3
2. got my d-link dwl-520 network card in (and in windows shows that it's up and running)
3. downloaded and unpacked ndiswrapper 1.3 from sourceforge
4. ran 'make distclean'
5. tried running 'make' and got the following:

linux:/downloads/ndiswrapper-1.3rc1 # make
make -C driver
make[1]: Entering directory `/downloads/ndiswrapper-1.3rc1/driver'
Can't find kernel sources in /lib/modules/2.6.11.4-20a-default/build;
give the path to kernel sources with KSRC=<path> argument to make
make[1]: *** [prereq_check] Error 1
make[1]: Leaving directory `/downloads/ndiswrapper-1.3rc1/driver'
make: *** [all] Error 2
linux:/downloads/ndiswrapper-1.3rc1 #

6. i ran 'uname -a' to find out what my kernel is:

linux:/downloads/ndiswrapper-1.3rc1 # uname -a
Linux linux 2.6.11.4-20a-default #1 Wed Mar 23 21:52:37 UTC 2005 i686 athlon i386 GNU/Linux
linux:/downloads/ndiswrapper-1.3rc1 #

7. cd'd to the /usr/src directory and did an 'ls -al' command:

linux:/usr/src # ls -al
total 1
drwxr-xr-x 6 root root 248 2005-09-07 22:01 .
drwxr-xr-x 12 root root 344 2005-09-07 20:32 ..
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 19 2005-09-07 22:01 linux -> linux-2.6.11.4-21.9
drwxr-xr-x 3 root root 72 2005-09-07 22:01 linux-2.6.11.4-20a
drwxr-xr-x 19 root root 720 2005-09-07 22:00 linux-2.6.11.4-21.9
drwxr-xr-x 3 root root 72 2005-08-19 12:58 linux-2.6.11.4-21.9-obj
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 23 2005-09-07 22:01 linux-obj -> linux-2.6.11.4-21.9-obj
drwxr-xr-x 7 root root 168 2005-09-07 20:34 packages
linux:/usr/src #

8. so, tried to do 'make KSRC=/usr/src/linux':

linux:/downloads/ndiswrapper-1.3rc1 # make KSRC=/usr/src/linux
make -C driver
make[1]: Entering directory `/downloads/ndiswrapper-1.3rc1/driver'
make -C /usr/src/linux SUBDIRS=/downloads/ndiswrapper-1.3rc1/driver \
DRIVER_VERSION=1.3rc1 \
UTILS_VERSION=1.2 modules
make[2]: Entering directory `/usr/src/linux-2.6.11.4-21.9'
Makefile:494: .config: No such file or directory

WARNING: Symbol version dump /usr/src/linux-2.6.11.4-21.9/Module.symvers is missing; modules will have no modversions.

CC [M] /downloads/ndiswrapper-1.3rc1/driver/hal.o
/bin/sh: scripts/basic/fixdep: No such file or directory
make[3]: *** [/downloads/ndiswrapper-1.3rc1/driver/hal.o] Error 1
make[2]: *** [_module_/downloads/ndiswrapper-1.3rc1/driver] Error 2
make[2]: Leaving directory `/usr/src/linux-2.6.11.4-21.9'
make[1]: *** [default] Error 2
make[1]: Leaving directory `/downloads/ndiswrapper-1.3rc1/driver'
make: *** [all] Error 2
linux:/downloads/ndiswrapper-1.3rc1 #

9. with that failing, i tried the other folder 'make KSRC=/usr/src/linux-2.6.11.4-20a' and got:

linux:/downloads/ndiswrapper-1.3rc1 # make KSRC=/usr/src/linux-2.6.11.4-20a/
make -C driver
make[1]: Entering directory `/downloads/ndiswrapper-1.3rc1/driver'
make -C /usr/src/linux-2.6.11.4-20a/ SUBDIRS=/downloads/ndiswrapper-1.3rc1/driver \
DRIVER_VERSION=1.3rc1 \
UTILS_VERSION=1.2 modules
make[2]: Entering directory `/usr/src/linux-2.6.11.4-20a'
make[2]: *** No rule to make target `modules'. Stop.
make[2]: Leaving directory `/usr/src/linux-2.6.11.4-20a'
make[1]: *** [default] Error 2
make[1]: Leaving directory `/downloads/ndiswrapper-1.3rc1/driver'
make: *** [all] Error 2
linux:/downloads/ndiswrapper-1.3rc1 #

sorry for the extremely long post, but i just wanted to ensure everyone that i've tried several things to get this to work. any help would be appreciated. thank you in advance!

Hangdog42 · 09-09-2005, 08:31 AM

Your /usr src directory is pretty cluttered and there is one thing that really bothers me:

Quote:

lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 19 2005-09-07 22:01 linux -> linux-2.6.11.4-21.9

I would replace that link with one pointing to linux-2.6.11.4-20a since that is the kernel you're using.

I would also back away from the rc ndiswrapper version unless there is a real need to use that. Those tend to be buggier than the non-rc versions. With ndiswrapper, the latest isn't always the best choice.

Quote:

make[2]: *** No rule to make target `modules'. Stop.

If you still get this after making some changes, try running make oldconfig in the /usr/src/linux-2.6.11.4-20a directory.

You also might want to check out the ndiswrapper wiki (see my sig for the link) as it has some Suse specific installation instructions.

papashangoh · 09-09-2005, 08:46 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Hangdog42
Your /usr src directory is pretty cluttered and there is one thing that really bothers me:

I would replace that link with one pointing to linux-2.6.11.4-20a since that is the kernel you're using.

how do i do this? i'm not familiar with linking...

Quote:

I would also back away from the rc ndiswrapper version unless there is a real need to use that. Those tend to be buggier than the non-rc versions. With ndiswrapper, the latest isn't always the best choice.

so i should go with an older version of ndiswrapper? which version should i be looking for? i.e., which one ISN'T buggy?

Quote:

If you still get this after making some changes, try running make oldconfig in the /usr/src/linux-2.6.11.4-20a directory.

You also might want to check out the ndiswrapper wiki (see my sig for the link) as it has some Suse specific installation instructions.

i'll try it tonight. thanks for the help!

papashangoh · 09-09-2005, 08:51 AM

oh, and another thing...i actually did try to use yast in order to install ndiswrapper last night. it appeared to have been installed. i was able to run ndiswrapper -l and i installed my windows .inf file for my card. however, i can only see "driver present" and NOT "hardware present". i know my card is working (windows sees it as i have said before)

Hangdog42 · 09-09-2005, 09:04 AM

Quote:

i actually did try to use yast in order to install ndiswrapper last night

OK, you need to either install from source OR use Yast, not both. At this point I would uninstall ndiswrapper (there are good instructions on their wiki) and then pick one approach.

Quote:

however, i can only see "driver present" and NOT "hardware present"

That is usually one of two things. First is that you didn't have the .sys file that goes with the .inf file. You need both in the same diretory when you run ndiswrapper -l. The second possibility is that the Windows driver you used doesn't work with ndiswrapper. Start off using the driver suggested for you card in the ndiswrapper wiki.

Quote:

how do i do this? i'm not familiar with linking...

This is actually pretty easy and it uses the ln command. First delete the exsiting linux link (rm linux) then create a new one:

ln -s linux-2.6.11.4-20a linux

If you do a ls -al you should then see that linux now points to the 2.6.11.4-10a directory.

Quote:

so i should go with an older version of ndiswrapper? which version should i be looking for? i.e., which one ISN'T buggy?

The 1.2 version is the last non rc version. I've been using 1.1 for a bit without a problem. What I never understand is why the ndiswrapper team releases the rc versions as "stable" when they are actually testing versions. Oh well, it is their project. But again, pick either compiling or yast, not both.

papashangoh · 09-09-2005, 09:10 AM

awesome, i'll try tonight and post results later on. thanks again for the tips!

davidhilbert · 09-09-2005, 09:44 AM

On the subject of ndiswrapper version, on boot I am getting a message that ndiswrapper is "tainting" my kernel. Is this serious? Is this a bad version?

papashangoh · 09-09-2005, 09:09 PM

Quote:

That is usually one of two things. First is that you didn't have the .sys file that goes with the .inf file. You need both in the same diretory when you run ndiswrapper -l. The second possibility is that the Windows driver you used doesn't work with ndiswrapper. Start off using the driver suggested for you card in the ndiswrapper wiki.

i should also mention that when running 'lspci' my wireless card is nowhere to be found...my onboard ethernet is though so that's good but doesn't help me in any way...

Hangdog42 · 09-10-2005, 09:02 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by davidhilbert
On the subject of ndiswrapper version, on boot I am getting a message that ndiswrapper is "tainting" my kernel. Is this serious? Is this a bad version?

No, you don't have a problem, you're just encountering one of the most misleading error messages in human history. The "taininting" refers to the fact that ndiswrapper doesn't use the same open source license as the rest of the kernel so it is "taininting" the purity of the kernels open sourcedness (if that makes any sense). Only open source zealots would really give a rodents posterior about this.

papashangoh · 09-10-2005, 09:12 AM

well, unfortunately, nothing is still working...i'm not sure if it matters or not, but i'm using VMWare 5.0 on my windows XP machine to do all this. maybe i have an incorrect setting in VMWare?

Hangdog42 · 09-10-2005, 09:17 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by papashangoh
i should also mention that when running 'lspci' my wireless card is nowhere to be found...my onboard ethernet is though so that's good but doesn't help me in any way...

Hm. Thats kind of odd but it may also explain why ndiswrapper isn't picking up the card either. From what I can tell by googling, there are a couple of possible problems here. First, you don't have hotplug enabled (you should be able to see this from the boot messages) or second, the pci_acx module in your kernel is too old. This last one seems unlikely, but possible.

By the way, as I was googling I did come across the fact that this card is usually supported by the madwifi drivers. You might want to give them a shot as native linux drivers are almost always a better bet than ndiswrapper. The only downside to madwifi is that you have to become a little familiar with using CVS since they haven't had an official release. They have good instructions on their website on how to do that though. You also might want to check if Suse has a package for madwifi.

Hangdog42 · 09-10-2005, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by papashangoh
well, unfortunately, nothing is still working...i'm not sure if it matters or not, but i'm using VMWare 5.0 on my windows XP machine to do all this. maybe i have an incorrect setting in VMWare?

Oh. I'm completely unfamiliar with VMWare, so I'm not sure I can give you any useful advice.

papashangoh · 09-10-2005, 10:58 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Hangdog42
Hm. Thats kind of odd but it may also explain why ndiswrapper isn't picking up the card either. From what I can tell by googling, there are a couple of possible problems here. First, you don't have hotplug enabled (you should be able to see this from the boot messages) or second, the pci_acx module in your kernel is too old. This last one seems unlikely, but possible.

By the way, as I was googling I did come across the fact that this card is usually supported by the madwifi drivers. You might want to give them a shot as native linux drivers are almost always a better bet than ndiswrapper. The only downside to madwifi is that you have to become a little familiar with using CVS since they haven't had an official release. They have good instructions on their website on how to do that though. You also might want to check if Suse has a package for madwifi.

thanks for the help and the research! i checked out the madwifi doc and i might try that as well but do you think that my OS needs to first "find" the card before i can use madwifi/ndiswrapper? i think that may be my problem here. my VM doesn't recognize it. once i "find" it, i'm sure this other stuff will be a breeze! i'm going to do some more research, check out VM's site and see what they have to say about it. i'll post on my findings later tonight!