Hi
I just installed Suse 9.3 on my laptop. I was trying to get the wireless card working. I used the ndiswrapper that came with the installation disk and was able to install the drivers. When i do ndiswrapper -l i can see the driver and hardware present. However when i do iwconfig or ifconfig i dont see the wireless connection there. For some reason it is unable to bring up the wireless interface.

Also on a slightly different topic: is it possible to use the iso images directly without having to burn them on a cd? I was trying to install the kernel source but the installer failed to read it off the cd. Any help there would be great as well.
Thanks

More than likely, the problem is that although you've configured ndiswrapper, you haven't loaded the kernel module.

try from console:
afterwards check your kernel message via:
ensure everything looks ok.. iwconfig should show the interface.

okay 2 things: modprobe ndiswrapper and dmesg show ndiswrapper.
Now the problem is i was trying to install a newer version of ndiswrapper (version 1.2). I uninstalled the 1.1 version i had in there earlier. so obviously when i do modprobe ndiswrapper i got fatal error -- /lib/module/linux version/ extra/ndiswrapper.ko not found.
I tried removing and reinstalling ndiswrapper and still same error. What is really confusing though is when i do ndiswrapper -l or ndiswrapper i get proper outputs.
So now i need to get ndiswrapper back before i do anything. Also i am having major problems reinstalling ndiswrapper. It keeps on saying it cant find a link to the kernel source. I took a look at the makefile and half of the files it is looking in there. After i make a link to the kernel file, it keeps on saying that it could not make a link to the kernel source.
HELP PLEASE!!!!

I believe from what I understand there are a few quirks between the general ndiswrapper from ndiswrapper.sourceforge.net and SUSE's stock kernel... there are some workarounds for conflicts that I've seen on the ndiswrapper wiki, but I wouldn't go this route as it's just a pain in the #@$.

Uninstall all custom versions of Ndiswrapper (the one you downloaded from sourceforge). You can do a 'make uninstall' (as root) in the ndiswrapper source directory whereever you uncompressed the source to.

Then go into YAST and go into INSTALL/REMOVE software and re-install ndiswrapper. That should do the trick.

The reason why the 'ndiswrapper -l' works but your getting kernel errors is because there are two parts to ndiswrapper. The command-line binary that configures and shows the status of ndiswrapper (i think it's in /usr/bin) and then there is the kernel module in /lib/modules/<whatever>.

Rob

I reinstalled Suse 9.3 and did a few things.
I am posting a few outputs:

Localhost:/home/nikhil# ndiswrapper -l
Installed ndis drivers:
tnet1130 driver present, hardware present

Localhost:/home/nikhil # modprobe ndiswrapper

Localhost:/home/nikhil # dmesg

Linux version 2.6.11.4-20a-default (geeko@buildhost) (gcc version 3.3.5 20050117 (prerelease) (SUSE Linux)) #1 Wed Mar 23 21:52:37 UTC 2005
--- some stuff here ----
acx_init_module: dev_info is: TI acx_pci
acx_init_module: TI acx_pci.o: Ver 0.2.0pre8 Driver initialized, waiting for cards to probe...
PCI: Enabling device 0000:02:00.0 (0000 -> 0002)
ACPI: PCI interrupt 0000:02:00.0[A] -> GSI 11 (level, low) -> IRQ 11
PCI: Setting latency timer of device 0000:02:00.0 to 64
acx_probe_pci: WARNING: ACX111 support is quite experimental!
Found ACX111-based wireless network card at 0000:02:00.0, irq:11, phymem1:0xd0120000, phymem2:0xd0100000, mem1:0xed2c0000, mem1_size:8192, mem2:0xed340000, mem2_size:131072
initial debug setting is 0x001b
acx_select_io_register_set: using ACX111 io resource addresses (size: 56)
hw_unavailable = 1
acx_probe_pci: TI acx_pci: Using IRQ 11
reset hw_unavailable++
acx_reset_mac: enable soft reset...
acx_reset_mac: disable soft reset and go to init mode...
Attention: no custom firmware directory specified (via module parameter firmware_dir), thus using our default firmware directory /lib/firmware
Firmware: '/lib/firmware/TIACX111.BIN' not found. Trying alternative firmware.
Firmware: '/lib/firmware/FwRad16.bin' not found. Trying alternative firmware.
Trying to load firmware: '/lib/firmware/FW1130.BIN'
ERROR 2 trying to open firmware image file '/lib/firmware/FW1130.BIN': file not found - make sure this EXACT filename is in eXaCtLy this directory!
acx_read_fw FAILED
acx_reset_dev: Failed to upload firmware to the ACX1xx
acx_probe_pci: TI acx_pci: MAC initialize failure!
acx_probe_pci: TI acx_pci.o: Ver 0.2.0pre8 Loading FAILED
acx_pci: probe of 0000:02:00.0 failed with error -5

ndiswrapper: unsupported module, tainting kernel.
ndiswrapper version 1.1 loaded (preempt=no,smp=no)
ndiswrapper: driver tnet1130 (Texas Instruments,07/20/2003,4.0.41) loaded
ACPI: PCI interrupt 0000:02:00.0[A] -> GSI 11 (level, low) -> IRQ 11
ndiswrapper: using irq 11
ndiswrapper (ndiswrapper_add_one_pci_dev:188): Windows driver couldn't initialize the device (C0000001)
ndiswrapper: probe of 0000:02:00.0 failed with error -22
----(some other stuff here)----
acx_pci: unsupported module, tainting kernel.
acx100: It looks like you've been coaxed into buying a wireless network card
acx100: that uses the mysterious ACX100/ACX111 chip from Texas Instruments.
acx100: You should better have bought e.g. a PRISM(R) chipset based card,
acx100: since that would mean REAL vendor Linux support.
acx100: Given this info, it's evident that this driver is still EXPERIMENTAL,
acx100: thus your mileage may vary. Reading README file and/or Craig's HOWTO is
recommended, visit http://acx100.sf.net in case of further questions/discussion.
acx100: Compiled to use 32bit I/O access (faster, however I/O timing issues might occur, such as firmware upload failure!) instead of 16bit access
acx_init_module: dev_info is: TI acx_pci
acx_init_module: TI acx_pci.o: Ver 0.2.0pre8 Driver initialized, waiting for cards to probe...
ACPI: PCI interrupt 0000:02:00.0[A] -> GSI 11 (level, low) -> IRQ 11
acx_probe_pci: WARNING: ACX111 support is quite experimental!
Found ACX111-based wireless network card at 0000:02:00.0, irq:11, phymem1:0xd0120000, phymem2:0xd0100000, mem1:0xecfc8000, mem1_size:8192, mem2:0xed440000, mem2_size:131072
initial debug setting is 0x001b
acx_select_io_register_set: using ACX111 io resource addresses (size: 56)
hw_unavailable = 1
acx_probe_pci: TI acx_pci: Using IRQ 11
reset hw_unavailable++
acx_reset_mac: enable soft reset...
acx_reset_mac: disable soft reset and go to init mode...
Attention: no custom firmware directory specified (via module parameter firmware_dir), thus using our default firmware directory /lib/firmware
Firmware: '/lib/firmware/TIACX111.BIN' not found. Trying alternative firmware.
Firmware: '/lib/firmware/FwRad16.bin' not found. Trying alternative firmware.
Trying to load firmware: '/lib/firmware/FW1130.BIN'
ERROR 2 trying to open firmware image file '/lib/firmware/FW1130.BIN': file not found - make sure this EXACT filename is in eXaCtLy this directory!
acx_read_fw FAILED
acx_reset_dev: Failed to upload firmware to the ACX1xx
acx_probe_pci: TI acx_pci: MAC initialize failure!
acx_probe_pci: TI acx_pci.o: Ver 0.2.0pre8 Loading FAILED
acx_pci: probe of 0000:02:00.0 failed with error -5

Localhost:/home/nikhil # lspci

0000:00:00.0 Host bridge: ATI Technologies Inc RS200/RS200M AGP Bridge [IGP 340M] (rev 02)
0000:00:01.0 PCI bridge: ATI Technologies Inc PCI Bridge [IGP 340M]
0000:00:06.0 Multimedia audio controller: ALi Corporation M5451 PCI AC-Link Controller Audio Device (rev 02)
0000:00:07.0 ISA bridge: ALi Corporation M1533 PCI to ISA Bridge [Aladdin IV]
0000:00:08.0 Modem: ALi Corporation M5457 AC'97 Modem Controller
0000:00:0a.0 CardBus bridge: O2 Micro, Inc. OZ6912 Cardbus Controller
0000:00:0b.0 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1 Controller (rev 50)
0000:00:0b.1 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1 Controller (rev 50)
0000:00:0b.2 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. USB 2.0 (rev 51)
0000:00:0c.0 FireWire (IEEE 1394): Texas Instruments TSB43AB21 IEEE-1394a-2000 Controller (PHY/Link)
0000:00:10.0 IDE interface: ALi Corporation M5229 IDE (rev c4)
0000:00:11.0 Bridge: ALi Corporation M7101 Power Management Controller [PMU]
0000:00:12.0 Ethernet controller: National Semiconductor Corporation DP83815 (MacPhyter) Ethernet Controller
0000:01:05.0 VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc Radeon IGP 330M/340M/350M
0000:02:00.0 Network controller: Texas Instruments ACX 111 54Mbps Wireless Interface

Localhost:/home/nikhil # lspci -vv

0000:02:00.0 Network controller: Texas Instruments ACX 111 54Mbps Wireless Interface
Subsystem: Abocom Systems Inc: Unknown device ab80
Control: I/O- Mem+ BusMaster- SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B-
Status: Cap+ 66Mhz- UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=medium >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR-
Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 11
Region 0: Memory at d0120000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=8K]
Region 1: Memory at d0100000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=128K]
Capabilities: [40] Power Management version 2
Flags: PMEClk- DSI- D1+ D2+ AuxCurrent=0mA PME(D0+,D1+,D2+,D3hot+,D3cold-)
Status: D3 PME-Enable- DSel=0 DScale=0 PME-

I am using the ndiswrapper that came with SUSE.
Please help me out -- Any help would be appreciated.

Unfortunately it seems as though you have a fairly linux-unfriendly laptop. The wireless card is a TI card that has no support at all via TI and only beta opensource drivers... but that doesn't mean it won't work. The Video card is ATI and is definately not great performance in linux.

The wireless card should be workable though. From the dmesg dump it looks like your trying to load both ndiswrapper w/driver and the acx100 driver at the same time.

This is the acx100 driver trying to load the firmware for your wireless card. Check out the acx100 webpage http://acx100.sourceforge.net/mediaw....php/Main_Page

On "Craig's Howto" he has a link to the firmware binaries that your system is missing. I haven't used the acx100 drivers before, so you'll have to read the wiki and see how to configure it. You already have it installed, probably SUSE did this for you. So don't download the CVS and install, just see how to configure it and get Suse to load the firmware properly.

_IF_ the acx100 route fails and you want to try ndiswrapper again, i think your going to need to remove acx100 from your system as I believe it conflicts. But I would try acx100 first.

Good luck.

so many people seem to be having the same problem. Im trying to get ndiswrapper working with my card too. I finally got it installed and followed instructions to get it working..and it DID work...for a few minutes.

Im using suse 9.3. It installed ok, my hardware was listed under ndiswrapper -l, I did modprobe ndiswrapper and ifconfig wlan0 which worked. It lit up. Then I did dhcpcd wlan0 and ifconfig eth0 down, and I had internet. It didnt recognise iwconfig wlan0 scan..but I thought nothing of it. I did ndiswrapper -m and when I restarted ...i got nothing.

uh so when I tried ifconfig wlan0 after restart it didnt detect wlan0. I tried modprobe ndiswrapper again (Im new to linux) and it failed (as it was already there?) I now have removed it from modprobe and am reinstalling ndiswrapper, hoping I can get back towards automation.

As is I cant redo modprobe ndiswrapper and its all going to hell. Any help would be appreciated.

to remove ndiswrapper from your loaded kernel, just do the following as root:
Then reload it:
Check to see if it loaded properly:
if not, post your dmesg here and maybe I can see something... just post the last ~15 lines.

Rob

Thanks, I'll try that.