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Ndiswrapper the easy Debian way...

Share your HowTo, Documentation, Tips and Tricks. Not for support questions!.
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penpen
Posts: 286
Joined: 2007-03-20 13:38

#16 Post by penpen »

plugwash wrote:
penpen wrote:If you don't have an ethernet connection, just wireless (unlikely, but it could happen), could one just download all the .deb files for those packages, burn them to a disc, install them and still use module-assistant to compile the module? (I guess you'd have to download all the dependencies too)
possible but painfull, you will spend a lot of time hunting down dependencies.

if you have access to a debian system on a fast connection it should be possible to use debmirror to download a copy of contrib and non-free and burn it to DVD (note: such a DVD is almost certainly illegal to distribute). Using that as a local repositry combined with the first DVD for free stuff it should be fairly easy to set up wireless and the like.
actually, this is what i ended up doing on my last debian install (manually downloading the packages)..it was a pain, but once I had them all on my usb drive I was good to go. I have a decent connection, but I just wanted to download the packages I needed to get the base system to be able to connect to the internet so I would be able to upgrade things from there.

josh821
Posts: 3
Joined: 2008-01-03 16:40

Re: Ndiswrapper the easy Debian way...

#17 Post by josh821 »

I got up to here:

"4. Insert the module (still as root) with

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modprobe ndiswrapper
There should be no error messages from the modprobe command. If necessary, add ndiswrapper to /etc/modules for automatic insertion at boot. Next insert the wireless device, if you haven't already, and watch what happens with one or more of the commands"

At this point I got the message "FATAL: Module ndiswrapper not found."

I'm new to Linux but not to command prompts and whatnot. Still, I don't know what this command should be doing, what the error means, or if you're saying there is an ndiswrapper file (or directory) that I need to move to /etc/modules so that it loads when I boot up to fix this error. Any help is greatly appreciated.

hkoster1
Posts: 1264
Joined: 2006-12-18 10:10

Re: Ndiswrapper the easy Debian way...

#18 Post by hkoster1 »

josh821 wrote:...
At this point I got the message "FATAL: Module ndiswrapper not found."
....
The error message is self-explanatory: the ndiswrapper.ko module is not found in the /lib/modules/2.6.../... tree for your running kernel. This module should have been compiled and installed (again for the running kernel) at step 1 of the HOWTO, so you should investigate why this didn't happen. A recent kernel upgrade perhaps? In that case you should repeat step 1.
Real Debian users don't do chat...

josh821
Posts: 3
Joined: 2008-01-03 16:40

Re: Ndiswrapper the easy Debian way...

#19 Post by josh821 »

hkoster1 wrote:
josh821 wrote:...
At this point I got the message "FATAL: Module ndiswrapper not found."
....
The error message is self-explanatory: the ndiswrapper.ko module is not found in the /lib/modules/2.6.../... tree for your running kernel. This module should have been compiled and installed (again for the running kernel) at step 1 of the HOWTO, so you should investigate why this didn't happen. A recent kernel upgrade perhaps? In that case you should repeat step 1.
Ah, it appears i did miss the two m-a commands. I didn't get the same error when I went through it all again but the only one of the 4 commands at the end that seems to do anything is dmesg. I tried unplugging my ethernet cable, deactivating my ethernet connection under Networking and restarting my computer (there is an ndiswrapper folder under /etc so I'm assuming [hoping] that it loads when the computer boots) but I still get nothing out of the iwconfig, ifconfig, and iwlist scan commands.

Sorry if this is all common sense but like I said I'm net to Linux as in I've been playing around with it for all of three days.

hkoster1
Posts: 1264
Joined: 2006-12-18 10:10

#20 Post by hkoster1 »

The HOWTO should be followed "in order, without skipping a step"; those commands in Step 4 should be run with root privileges; the ndiswrapper module will load automatically when added to /etc/modules -- why am I repeating all of this? Learn to read carefully... :roll:
Real Debian users don't do chat...

josh821
Posts: 3
Joined: 2008-01-03 16:40

#21 Post by josh821 »

hkoster1 wrote:The HOWTO should be followed "in order, without skipping a step"; those commands in Step 4 should be run with root privileges; the ndiswrapper module will load automatically when added to /etc/modules -- why am I repeating all of this? Learn to read carefully... :roll:
If you're just going to talk down to me then don't bother responding. I went back through every single step in order and entered those commands as root. I'm not stupid, don't talk to me like I am. After walking through every single step in order again those commands still did nothing and I don't even have an /etc/modules folder. The closest I have is an /etc/ndiswrapper folder.

I know it's easy to be an elitist jackass in a forum that's about helping people who are trying to learn to do things they're unfamiliar with but please resist the urge. Now, if anyone cares to actually help me out and not just try and boost their ego I will be much obliged.

hkoster1
Posts: 1264
Joined: 2006-12-18 10:10

#22 Post by hkoster1 »

josh821 wrote:
hkoster1 wrote:The HOWTO should be followed "in order, without skipping a step"; those commands in Step 4 should be run with root privileges; the ndiswrapper module will load automatically when added to /etc/modules -- why am I repeating all of this? Learn to read carefully... :roll:
If you're just going to talk down to me then don't bother responding. I went back through every single step in order and entered those commands as root. I'm not stupid, don't talk to me like I am. After walking through every single step in order again those commands still did nothing and I don't even have an /etc/modules folder. The closest I have is an /etc/ndiswrapper folder.

I know it's easy to be an elitist jackass in a forum that's about helping people who are trying to learn to do things they're unfamiliar with but please resist the urge. Now, if anyone cares to actually help me out and not just try and boost their ego I will be much obliged.
Well, don't get your dander up - after all, you did miss those m-a instructions the first time around... Now, I'm wondering what else you missed or didn't say in your first post, such as

1. The missing /etc/modules file -- every current Debian distro (Etch, Lenny, Sid) has one, so why isn't there one in your case? Are you actually running a Debian distro?

2. Not all wireless devices are supported by Ndiswrapper; the HOWTO says to check the Ndiswrapper site at SourceForge. Did you do that? If so, what was the result?

3. Are you perhaps running a 64-bit OS and trying to insert a 32-bit Windows driver into Ndiswrapper? Or the reverse? Which driver did you install in Ndiswrapper, and where did you get it?

We are trying to help here and we are patient with newcomers to Linux, at least as long as they are also willing to help themselves. And no, I don't think you're stupid as long as you don't think I'm clairvoyant... :wink:
Real Debian users don't do chat...

KF
Posts: 10
Joined: 2007-01-12 22:12

#23 Post by KF »

I cant for the love of linux remember what m-a and a-i is.. Im sure it something that I will got; DOH for ... Could some one, please enlighten me?

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m-a prepare
m-a a-i ndiswrapper
-over

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roadnottaken
Posts: 158
Joined: 2007-08-20 17:54

#24 Post by roadnottaken »

/usr/bin/m-a is a symlink to /usr/bin/module-assistant, and a-i is an alias for auto-install.

KF
Posts: 10
Joined: 2007-01-12 22:12

#25 Post by KF »

Thanks! Didint know that.. :oops:

enkoan
Posts: 20
Joined: 2007-11-04 19:34

setup after install?

#26 Post by enkoan »

I did everything successful (I think, no errors). However,

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ifconfig
does not show wlan0.
However,

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dmesg
does show:

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ndiswrapper: using IRQ 177
wlan0: vendor: ''
wlan0: ethernet device 00:1a:92:48:c8:8f using NDIS driver bcmwl5, 14E4:4311.5.conf
wlan0: encryption modes supported: WEP; TKIP with WPA, WPA2, WPA2PSK; AES/CCMP with WPA, WPA2, WPA2PSK
Can anyone give me a clue on where to look to setup the wlan card now that I have the driver installed via ndiswrapper?

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uBaLd
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#27 Post by uBaLd »

:)
Last edited by uBaLd on 2010-08-02 16:28, edited 1 time in total.

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uBaLd
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#28 Post by uBaLd »

:)
Last edited by uBaLd on 2010-08-02 16:29, edited 1 time in total.

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uBaLd
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#29 Post by uBaLd »

:)
Last edited by uBaLd on 2010-08-02 16:30, edited 1 time in total.

hkoster1
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Joined: 2006-12-18 10:10

#30 Post by hkoster1 »

This thread isn't supposed to be for support questions, especially when you're not even following the steps of the Howto... :roll:

But you might take another look at the output of "ndiswrapper -l", it shows that "alternate" drivers are present -- so some kind of confusion on account of the kernel is understandable, no? Two drivers fighting to control the same device? Check the Howto on what you're supposed to do in that case.
Real Debian users don't do chat...

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uBaLd
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#31 Post by uBaLd »

Where is the howto ??

By the way is it normal that beafor installing my 2 drivers ther was nothing ??

Oh if I delete the driver alternative how i do that and where i find it ??
I tried

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ndiswrapper -e ipw2200
Sory too not enderstand your help !

Other quertion ? Wath is the
loop
sbp2
in the /etc/modules file ???
It says above that you might ave too edit the file !!??? How ??

hkoster1
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Joined: 2006-12-18 10:10

#32 Post by hkoster1 »

Where are the moderators, now that they're needed... :evil:
Real Debian users don't do chat...

ouwe_man
Posts: 13
Joined: 2008-05-10 18:10

#33 Post by ouwe_man »

Dear mr. Koster,

I understand your frustrations but I myself am a newbee and very often pulling out my hair. Since 1980 I have used all types of DOS, Pascal and others but getting older also seems to make you hesitate more.

At the very beginning of your excellent HowTo you mention that it works for kernel 2.6.24-1 but I have net installed and updated to version 2.6.18-6-686. Logic tells me that my kernel is older then the one you are talking about.

I have lost a lot of time in UBUNTU 8.04 and decided this afternoon to go to DEBIAN, mostly because of your HowTo....

My broadcom BCM4306 rev 3 is mounted on a Linksys WPC54BS pcmcia card and even the latest update for this driver seems to be the 3.100.64 (07/28/2005) and in the file they mention only 2K and less.

It is simple to try it out, blindly and see wat happens but i'm kind of tired of that.

Question: do you think your instructions will go for my setup?

Thanks
John Stap
1565 Calixa-Lavallee
Trois-Rivieres, QC
G8Y3G1 CANADA

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hellfire[bg]
Posts: 499
Joined: 2006-06-21 19:15
Location: Sliven, Bulgaria

#34 Post by hellfire[bg] »

What about the issues with the ssb module? How can it be solved with kernel 2.6.25? On my laptop the ssb module is preventing ndiswrapper from working properly hoever i cannot just blacklist it because i need it for my b44 ethernet card.
...to boldly go where no one has gone before...

hkoster1
Posts: 1264
Joined: 2006-12-18 10:10

#35 Post by hkoster1 »

hellfire[bg] wrote:What about the issues with the ssb module? How can it be solved with kernel 2.6.25? On my laptop the ssb module is preventing ndiswrapper from working properly hoever i cannot just blacklist it because i need it for my b44 ethernet card.
It's a matter of the order in which these modules are loaded, item 5. in the Howto gives some hints on how to accomplish that. Don't know if it works with kernel 2.6.25, you're on your own here, but please report back here if you get it to work. Good luck!
Real Debian users don't do chat...

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