I wouldn't doubt it, because they are a 'developed' driver written by the hardware mfg.

OMG ndiswrapper is crashing me out.

I've tried 2.6.13 kernel.

Latest version of ndiswrapper.

I've recompiled/tweaked the 2.6.13 kernel to be custom with 8k stacks no luck.

I also recompiled/tweaked the 2.6.13 kernel with APIC and APM with 8k stacks no luck.

What gives?

Maybe because the card is working at 108 mbs and linux does not like that?

It crashes wether I have wpa supplicant in or out.

Try to cut back on the speed, and see if that helps. It will at least give you an idea where to go....

ok thank you.

Well I throttled down to 54mbs and so far so good.

I even have wpa-psk going now..but I'm battling getting it going on startup.

Question: at the wpa_supplicant site, I don't understand what this "wpa_cli support is". The verbiage is ...well lacking here or I'm just plain stupid.

What does this mean: "Create wpa_supplicant configuration somewhere, say, /etc/wpa_supplicant.conf. A simple configuration such as ctrl_interface=/var/run/wpa_supplicant for wpa_cli support"

From http://ndiswrapper.sourceforge.net/m.../index.php/WPA

Do I need cli? Do i call that in console? My stuff works so far without it, why are they mentioning this? Or am i lucky I'm working and I should be doing somehting with it.

'cli' stands for 'Command Line Interface. It means that you can run it from the prompt. If you don't need it, I figure, why install it?

I have documented WPA support (and how to get it working when booting Slackware) on this page . Basically, wpa_cli support is not needed directly by you unless you want to control tha wpa_supplicant daemon yourself (using wpa_cli which is a commandline tool, you can interact with wpa_supplicant, query its status and modify settings). The /etc/rc.d/rc.wireless script however, will use wpa_cli to check if the WPA association completes successfully. So, adding the lines in /etc/wpa_supplicant.conf that enable the use of wpa_cli will definitely be advantageous:
Eric

thanks for the explanation really that makes a lot more sense to me now. printed that out for future use backup.

OK so where I'm at now is:

If I go into X ...then I have to do "ps ax" and find and kill all wireless stuff.

then i have to (at prompt)

[HTML]iwconfig wlan0 essid 'MINE'
wpa_supplicant -Dndiswrapper -iwlan0 -c/etc/wpa_supplicant.conf -Bw[/HTML]

then I wait until the (2) lights of (2) on my card are flashing together in-sync which tells me I'm hooked up to the router.

then i type:

[HTML]dhcpcd wlan0[/HTML]

and I'm golden.

Now my problem is still booting up, 2 days in to this and I'm at the same place, having to do the following:

I believe the [HTML]/etc/rc.d/rc.m[/HTML] is killing me over here at boot-up just after the pcmcia/cardmgr kicks in.

The "rc.m"want's to hook up to the net; but I believe that it's starting to try and connect before the 'modprobe ndiswrapper' starts as a result of me putting 'modprobe ndiswrapper' in my /etc/rc.d/rc.local file.

Then the ndiswrapper finally kicks in, and then I get into X. If i just type iwconfig the ESSID is not set! I don't get it. I have it set in all the right places. Or sometimes, the ESSID is in HEX form.

I almost think i need to disable 'rc.m' and just let the computer boot up, load ndiswrapper and let that start the wpa for me then I just type dhcpc wlan0.

At first the 'rc.m' was allways doing "essid is any essid" at boot. So i went in there and changed it to "MINE" That did nothing for me tho.

This is my rc.inet1.conf:
[HTML]IFNAME[4]="wlan0"
#IPADDR[4]=""
#NETMASK[4]=""
USE_DHCP[4]="yes"
DHCP_HOSTNAME[4]="pooter"
#DHCP_KEEPRESOLV[4]="yes"
#DHCP_KEEPNTP[4]="yes"
#DHCP_KEEPGW[4]="yes"
#DHCP_IPADDR[4]=""
WLAN_ESSID[4]="MINE"
#WLAN_MODE[4]=Managed
#WLAN_RATE[4]=54M
#WLAN_CHANNEL[4]="6"
WLAN_KEY[4]="64-numbers-with-quotes"
##WLAN_IWPRIV[4]="AuthMode=WPAPSK EncrypType=TKIP
WLAN_WPA[4]="wpa_supplicant"
WLAN_WPADRIVER[4]="ndiswrapper"[/HTML]

and here is my /etc/wpa_supplicant.conf
[HTML]network={
scan_ssid=1
ssid="MINE"
proto=WPA
key_mgmt=WPA-PSK
pairwise=TKIP
group=TKIP
psk=64-Numbers-Without-Quotes[/HTML]

Here is my .config in the wpa_supplicant folder i did the "make install" from:

[HTML]CONFIG_DRIVER_NDISWRAPPER=y
CONFIG_CTRL_IFACE=Y
fast_reauth=1[/HTML]

my router does not broadcast the SSID.


Or should I just install the gui for the wpa_supplicant again. Although I tried it once; it said it installed I could open it..but it always said "cannot connect to wpa_supplicant.conf" even tho it was copied to the right folder that they indicate.

I'm using all default file names and folder locations that they recommend.

I've seen scripts for start-up for others for debian with ndiswrapper. I've found startup scripts for mad-wifi but I cant seem to find a good tutorial/etc for ndiswrapper+wifi+slack.

Thanks again.

Try to move that "/sbin/modprobe ndiswrapper" line to the end of this file instead of rc.local: Eric

Ok I did that.

When I boot up now and run "ps ax" in console I have two instances of wpa_supplicant BW running.

then i type iwconfig and I still have no ESSID info set there for some reason.

i then type [HTML]iwconfig wlan0 essid "MINE"[/HTML]

i then get a connection...then BOOM it drop's.....i type iwconfig again.....and my essid is a bunch of random stuff .....probably hex and my connection is gone.

i then have to kill it all and restart it and then fine.

i check /etc/rc.d/rc.local and nothing is in there.

something keeps changing my essid at boot and making it nothing! argh!

just tried without "/sbin/modprobe ndiswrapper" in either both /etc/rc.d/rc.local or /etc/rc.d/rc.modules then get into X.

all i have to do is plug the card in when I'm in X , then set the eessid and then type dhcpcd wlan0 and I'm good.

so i think hotplug which does load automatically kicks in the ndiswrapper when i'm in X with the card in or out on boot up.

i dont know what is keeping out my essid.

and this /etc/rc.d/rc.m part of booting with my card in takes for ever.

/etc/rc.d/rc.M controls alot of things for going into multiuser mode. Don't disable it. If it seems to be stalling, put echos into the script, to check where it's stalling at. And it maybe actually stalling in rc.inet1 or rc.inet2 (the scripts in charge of networking. Only mess with rc.inet1.conf, not rc.inet1) This link here has replacement scripts for inet1 etc...

Can I use those? I'm using ndiswrapper. I thought Bob's work was for Madwifi.

I use them on wlan-ng. They are the basic scripts for network and wireless. . Used in 10.2+ installs now. But they work great.

I think I have a good clue what's wrong here.

I have this laptop backed up in powerquest drive image on CD's now.

The image includes 2.6.15.3 kernel and it has ndiswrapper ver. 1.11 installed, but no wireless drivers installed. Ndiswrapper had no erros in console after compile.

So that's the master backup. 20 minutes to restore.

Now,

I come in..install the Windows XP driver for the card. Goes in fine.

I go to /etc/rc.d/inet1.conf and set the 'essid' to 'mine'

Reboot.....

/etc/rc.d/rc.m: wlan0 is 'any essid'

but it's only for like 10-15 seconds...then hotplug kicks in.

I get instant DHCP to the router ...no security. My router only accepts if essid is set on the pc. I type 'iwconfig' and my essid is there as 'mine'.

So I'm good the default way.

Then i run/compile the wpa_supplicant version 0.4.8 from http://hostap.epitest.fi/wpa_supplicant/ as that is where the ndiswrapper wiki refers people to go and get the wpa supplicant.

I do everything they say. reboot....and then the /etc/rc.d/rc.m takes long time.

Then when i get into X the iwconfig reports nothing in the 'essid' field.

So I believe the wpa_supplicant is not going in correctly or does not like me.

I get no errors when i install it.

So i'm going to try one of the older stable releases of the wpa_supplicant and see how that goes.