FATAL: Error inserting ndiswrapper
 

hello all... i am running slackware 10.2 with kernel 2.6.16.18 and am trying to use ndiswrapper to get the wifi to work --> 01:00.0 Ethernet controller: Marvell Technology Group Ltd. 88W8310 and 88W8000G [Libertas] 802.11g client chipset (rev 07)

the 88W8310(wired NIC) works fine natively(using sky2) ........................

to compile ndiswrapper i had to 'installpkg gcc-3.4.5-i486-1.tgz'(got it from slackware-current)... it compiled....

boom so i loaded the windows driver... 'ndiswrapper -i mrv8ka51.inf' then 'ndiswrapper -l" gives me -->

root@derfaust:~/ndiswrapper-1.16# ndiswrapper -l
Installed drivers: mrv8ka51 driver installed, hardware present

all seems to be good thus far, but when i 'modprobe ndiswrapper' i get -->

root@derfaust:~/ndiswrapper-1.16# modprobe ndiswrapper FATAL: Error inserting ndiswrapper (/lib/modules/2.6.16.18/misc/ndiswrapper.ko): Invalid module format

a 'dmesg' gives me --> ndiswrapper: version magic '2.6.16.18 SMP PENTIUM4 gcc-3.4' should be '2.6.16.18 SMP PENTIUM4 gcc-3.3

so, i think i see the format issue...it has something to do with gcc....but how do i fix it?.... in advance, thank you for the help....

the problem is that you upgraded your gcc and your kernel was built using a different gcc version that you are using now. (You are using GCC 3.4 and the kernel was built using GCC 3.3). The solution is to downgrade your GCC or recompile your kernel using GCC 3.4

ah...i will try that now......

rock!...that did it..... lol

thanks again.....

'modprobe ndiswrapper"

answered back without any grips.... now 'ifconfig' shows me 'wlan0'

WOOT!!

now it is off to 'iwconfig'

thanks again!

ok....now if i 'iwconfig' i get --->

wlan0 IEEE 802.11b ESSIDff/any
Mode:Managed Channel:0 Access Point: 00:00:00:00:00:00
Bit Rate:54 Mb/s Sensitivity=-200 dBm
RTS thr:2346 B Fragment thr:2346 B
Encryption keyff
Power Managementff
Link Quality:0 Signal level:0 Noise level:0
Rx invalid nwid:0 Rx invalid crypt:0 Rx invalid frag:0
Tx excessive retries:0 Invalid misc:0 Missed beacon:0

cool...now the next step is 'ifconfig wlan0 inet 10.0.0.172 broadcast 10.0.0.255 netmask 255.255.255.0 up'

now a 'ifconfig' will give me --->

wlan0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:11:2F:3C:XX:XX
inet addr:10.0.0.172 Bcast:10.0.0.255 Mask:255.255.255.0
inet6 addr: fe80::211:2fff:fe3c:157a/64 Scope:Link
UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
RX bytes:0 (0.0 b) TX bytes:0 (0.0 b)
Interrupt:22 Memory:cfdd0000-cfde0000

all is as it should be thus far....i then 'iwconfig wlan0 essid derfaust' to connect to my network.

it will connect.....now the final step ---> 'iwconfig wlan0 key XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX'

and poof....i am surfing the internet using my wifi....

but after a short while my computer/kernel will crash.....locking up the system and i have to hard reboot.

it seems that 'iwconfig wlan0 essid derfaust' is the culprit....i can assign the IP info......but soon after i set the ESSID the computer will crash....

i used the suggested drivers from ndiswrapper.wiki...

thanks for the help.......

i usually use iwlist eth0 scan (yes, i'm using Centrino, so it is detected as eth0) to scan any available networks and i do something like this iwconfig eth0 essid ukdw mode Ad-Hoc key restricted XXXXXXXX (see man iwconfig for this) and when i'm in, i will get the IP address by typing /sbin/dhcpd -d -t 10 eth0. After this, i can surf again :D

here are my articles : http://www.informatix.or.id/willy/ac...o-on-linux.php

the problem is that when i set the essid my system locks up.....

after some searching, I think that it may have something to do CONFIG_4KSTACKS in .config....which is set to off

so i am running a 8KSTACK kernel.....but looking here(third paragraph) -->
http://www.slackware.com/~alien/doku...re:ndiswrapper

i may need a 32K STACK?........how do i do that?......

i think you may have to reconfigure your kernel for that.

the kernel hacking section only has one option about the STACK size.....that option is to use 4k stacks.....

hmmmmm

The kernel configurator allows only to set 4Kb stacks instead of the default 8Kb. I read about the 16 or 32 Kb stack size question in non-Slackware mailing lists, and the kernel needs patching to support this. So, for Slackware and as long as you do not experience weird kernel crashes, the stock Slackware kernel will be fine. I will update that Wiki page with this info as well... don't want people to go hunting the kernel config for non-existing options.

Eric

awesome...thanks....

would have any other ideas why this crash is happening?

nice site btw..... :)

update....

i tried the 16KSTACK idea... the patch installed correctly....all was well...but, alas; it didnt work...

the patch can be found patch here...

still having the crash when i assign the essid......like i said before, all is good until i assign the essid.....you can set the IP, subnet mask, broadcast, etc.... no crashes.... but a 'iwconfig wlan0 essid put.yours.here' is like lighting a bomb fuse.....within 3 minutes the computer will crash...

it does work while the fuse is burning......i can probe it with wireless scanning tools, browse the internet, ping til infinity, etc.....

so any ideas?....thank you again for your time....