Slackware 14.1 Thinkpad X61s Wireless help

Cantremember · 12-12-2015, 05:36 AM

Hi all

Returning from a long stint away from liunx
Bought a cheap thinkpad x61s to tinker with linux,

Having trouble getting wireless working using Slack 14.1, running flux gui.

Look at some guides but they seem outdated and I feel I may not need to download and install additional drivers as it looks like the module is already present in the kernel? Forgive me if I'm barking up the wrong tree.

Here's my lsmod

Quote:

Module Size Used by
ipv6 234918 14
cpufreq_ondemand 6807 1
speedstep_lib 2495 0
lp 7474 0
ppdev 4702 0
parport_pc 16472 0
parport 24879 3 lp,ppdev,parport_pc
fuse 64207 3
btusb 13524 0
coretemp 3855 0
bluetooth 189342 2 btusb
snd_hda_codec_analog 61073 1
i915 505453 2
drm_kms_helper 31326 1 i915
acpi_cpufreq 4479 1
i2c_dev 4471 0
mperf 911 1 acpi_cpufreq
iwl4965 78872 0
iwlegacy 40469 1 iwl4965
mac80211 372726 2 iwl4965,iwlegacy
drm 184126 3 i915,drm_kms_helper
video 10162 1 i915
processor 20557 2 acpi_cpufreq
mmc_block 21751 0
thermal 7128 0
cfg80211 319419 3 iwl4965,iwlegacy,mac80211
thinkpad_acpi 54245 0
thermal_sys 18829 3 video,thermal,processor
pcmcia 30357 0
nvram 4486 1 thinkpad_acpi
snd_hda_intel 29246 0
rfkill 12408 3 cfg80211,thinkpad_acpi,bluetooth
freq_table 2104 3 cpufreq_ondemand,acpi_cpufreq,thermal_sys
i2c_i801 12385 0
hwmon 997 3 coretemp,thinkpad_acpi,thermal_sys
i2c_algo_bit 4567 1 i915
snd_hda_codec 123857 2 snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec_analog
e1000e 173810 0
snd_hwdep 4730 1 snd_hda_codec
snd_pcm 60504 2 snd_hda_codec,snd_hda_intel
snd_page_alloc 5894 2 snd_pcm,snd_hda_intel
snd_timer 14195 1 snd_pcm
ptp 6692 1 e1000e
sdhci_pci 9448 0
intel_agp 8672 1 i915
tpm_tis 7457 0
yenta_socket 18759 0
intel_gtt 10108 3 i915,intel_agp
pps_core 5564 1 ptp
tpm 12775 1 tpm_tis
pcmcia_rsrc 8632 1 yenta_socket
sdhci 21781 1 sdhci_pci
lpc_ich 11181 0
pcmcia_core 10112 3 pcmcia,pcmcia_rsrc,yenta_socket
mmc_core 77618 3 mmc_block,sdhci,sdhci_pci
agpgart 21576 3 drm,intel_agp,intel_gtt
tpm_bios 8365 1 tpm
psmouse 73088 0
battery 9551 0
button 3664 1 i915
evdev 7448 8
snd 43944 7 snd_hwdep,snd_timer,snd_pcm,snd_hda_codec,snd_hda_intel,thinkpad_acpi,snd_hda_codec_analog
soundcore 4218 1 snd
uhci_hcd 19323 0
ehci_pci 2972 0
i2c_core 17440 6 drm,i915,i2c_i801,i2c_dev,drm_kms_helper,i2c_algo_bit
ehci_hcd 33259 1 ehci_pci
firewire_ohci 27363 0
firewire_core 43220 1 firewire_ohci
serio_raw 3441 0
ac 3395 0
kvm 306633 0
microcode 7469 0
loop 14679 0

Any help from here would be great.

Thank you,

magicm · 12-12-2015, 06:54 AM

How are you attmpting to start your wireless?
If you're running 14.1, the simplest is probably to use Networkmanager ... that's how I connect from my Thinkpad T420. My preferred DE is XFCE, but I start in a console (init 3), and then run startx separately. I'm posting this from fluxbox (changed to it via xwmconfig). You may need to do a little more to get an app/let compatible to configure new connections from fluxbox --- I don't know about that one. Did you check out these posts?

https://www.linuxquestions.org/quest...luxbox-882892/
https://www.linuxquestions.org/quest...t-work-898060/

Cantremember · 12-12-2015, 11:39 AM

Thanks for your reply

I have tried network manager under KDE but it does not pick up the wlan0 card - it's not listed.

keithpeter · 12-12-2015, 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cantremember

Hi all

Returning from a long stint away from liunx
Bought a cheap thinkpad x61s to tinker with linux,

Having trouble getting wireless working using Slack 14.1, running flux gui.

Did you run netconfig from root on a command line and select the network-manager option (last on the list) and exit from root?

PS: Recycled Thinkpads are the business!

STDOUBT · 12-12-2015, 03:16 PM

Your hardware switch. Is it "On"?
Does "lspci" show your wifi card as present?
(Sometimes used units ship with missing parts).

If /etc/rc.d/rc.networkmanager is executable you should be in business, especially under KDE,
unless of course, the wifi card is missing...

What does the following (as root) report:

Code:

iwconfig

No extra drivers are needed for your machine's wifi card. They are present in the Linux kernel
as shipped with Slackware! I do own an X61s. The right palmrest will heat your hand once the wifi starts working! :^)
--
Posted from my T60p

Cantremember · 12-12-2015, 04:01 PM

Hi guys

Thanks for the replies!

I loaded XFCS and used the notification area wifi section to connect to a network and it worked fine!

Question now, how do I get this to translate into fluxbox rather than having to use XFCE?

Should I Run RC.network manager in flux as STDOUBT mentioned? And somehow add it to startup script?

Apologies for seemingly stupid posts & questions, seems I am way out of touch, last time I dabbled I was using wicd and modifying inet scripts with dhcpcd to get it working but even then I remember it was a steep learning curve!

PS Loving this thinkpad x61 for 60 quid all in it's a really great machine.
PPS Not sure what it is but I absolutely love slackware, i've tried many distros in the past but have always admired slackwares no frills approach.

keithpeter · 12-12-2015, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cantremember

Hi guys

Thanks for the replies!

I loaded XFCS and used the notification area wifi section to connect to a network and it worked fine!

OK, so the card is fitted, working, and as STDOUBT mentioned, your right hand won't need any gloves this winter.

Try starting the nm-applet (the wifi notification area widget) from in an xterm in fluxbox like this...

nm-applet &

and see if the little bar chart appears in the notification area just next to the clock. It does on my X60.

If so, then I found that I could get the nm-applet to start with fluxbox by editing the .xinitrc file in my user account as follows...

Code:

.... snipped other stuff earlier in file ....
if [ -f $usermodmap ]; then
    xmodmap $usermodmap
fi
# add this line to start the nm-applet widget in the notification area
nm-applet &
# Start the window manager:
if [ -z "$DESKTOP_SESSION" -a -x /usr/bin/ck-launch-session ]; then
  exec ck-launch-session /usr/bin/startfluxbox
else
  exec /usr/bin/startfluxbox
fi

This may not be the best way of setting this up. I'm hoping a regular fluxbox user will step up and correct me if it isn't.

PS: My X60 with a nine cell 'no-name' battery does about 8 hours on a full charge...