Problem solved: Getting ndiswrapper

[ronaldmcdonald9]

I'm interested in installing debian etch but I don't know very much about it. If I install it with the first CD, how can I get ndiswrapper (located on CD 6 or 7) without access to the Internet, and without having to burn another whole CD?

Solution: Follow the instructions on this site: http://www.debian-administration.org/articles/401 (link provided by sk8r-365)

[rippin]

Preface: my system is hard wired.

Suggestion would be to get it here: http://tinyurl.com/2vf2oo

Save it in a usable format as you desire, add it the system as needed. Then you could, presumably, get what else you wished installed via the net.

To install the deb package you do, as root, in a terminal:
dpkg -i OR --install <.deb file name>

Check your path !

This page might be helpful reading:
http://www.debian-administration.org/articles/401

HTH,

[rickh]

Maybe you should mention what kind of wireless card you have. A disturbingly large number of people don't realize their card has a native Linux driver.

[ronaldmcdonald9]

I have a wireless USB adapter, which is a D-Link DWL-G122 Rev. A2. According to the ndiswrapper web site there is apparently a native linux driver for this adapter, however, it is (according to said web site) untested, and according to the web site of the driver itself, it is incomplete. In particular, it doesn't seem to support the kind of network I have, basically one that requires a network key.

[rickh]

http://linux-wless.passys.nl/query_part ... ame=D-Link

Hmmm. Rev. A2 is not mentioned at this site, but B1 & C1 use Ralink chipsets ... 100% supported by native linux drivers. Post output of "$ lspci"

Do you know what Windows driver ndiswrapper wants you to install?

Edit: Hmmm. There is a G132 ver A2 ... That one doesn't appear to have a Linux driver ... You may be stuck with ndiswrapper at that.

[e1even1]

I'm interested in installing debian etch but I don't know very much about it. If I install it with the first CD, how can I get ndiswrapper (located on CD 6 or 7) without access to the Internet, and without having to burn another whole CD?

it's kind of a hassle because you need all of the dependencies also. but since i've already done it, i'll share it with you. the files total less than 5 MB so you could use floppies or a flash drive or a rewritable CD RW. this info assumes x86 architecture (not 64 bit) and the XFCE version of the first install CD and an unencrypted access point and a supplemental CD RW.

these are the packages and dependencies ...

coreutils (>=5.93-1) *predependency $
libacl1 (>=2.2.11-1) *predependency $
libc6 (>=2.3.6-6) *predependency $
libselinux1 (>=1.32) *predependency $
binutils (>=2.16.1cvs20051214) $
bzip2 $ not installed
cpio (>=2.4.2-2) $
cpp (>=4:4.1.1-15) $
cpp-4.1 (>=4.1.1-2) $
debhelper (>=5.0.37)
dpkg (>=1.13.20) $
dpkg-dev (>=1.13.13) $
file (>=3.23-1) $
gcc $ not installed
gcc-4.1 (=4.1.1-21) $ not installed
gcc-4.1-base (=4.1.1-21) $
gettext (>=0.12)
gettext-base $
html2text
intltool-debian (>=0.34.2+20060512)
libattr1 (>=2.4.4-1) $
libbz2-1.0 $
libdb4.4 $
libgcc1 (>=1:4.1.1-21) $
libgdbm3 $
libiw28 (>=28 ) $ not installed
libmagic1 (=4.17-5etch1) $
libssp0 $ not installed
libstdc++6 (>=4.0.1) $
libtext-charwidth-perl $
libtext-wrapi18n-perl $
make $
module-assistant
ndiswrapper-common
ndiswrapper-source
ndiswrapper-utils
ndiswrapper-utils-1.1
ndiswrapper-utils-1.9
patch (>=2.2-1) $
perl (>=5.8.8-1) $
perl-base (=5.8.8-7) $
perl-modules (>=5.8.8-7) $
po-debconf
tzdata $
wireless-tools
zlib1g (>=1:1.2.1) $

the $ sign indicates a package on the first CD, not necessarily installed.

so, on your extra CD RW, for example, you'll need ...

bzip2_1.0.3-6_i386.deb
debhelper_5.0.42_all.deb
gettext_0.16.1-1_i386.deb
html2text_1.3.2a-3_i386.deb
intltool-debian_0.35.0+20060710.1_all.deb
module-assistant_0.10.8_all.deb
ndiswrapper-common_1.28-1_all.deb
ndiswrapper-source_1.28-1_all.deb
ndiswrapper-utils_1.1-5_all.deb
ndiswrapper-utils-1.1_1.1-5_i386.deb
ndiswrapper-utils-1.9_1.28-1_i386.deb
po-debconf_1.0.8_all.deb

***PLUS*** you'll also need your 2 XP driver files on that CD. they're easier to install if you put them all in a folder named, for example, ndiswrapper. then after you install debian from the first (XFCE) cd, then ...

# apt-get install gcc wireless-tools

... from the first debian CD. and use dpkg to install the packages from your supplementary CD RW ...

# dpkg -R -i /media/cdrom0/ndiswrapper

then you can just follow the widely available instructions for installing ndiswrapper with etch and the widely available instructions for getting your card to connect to an access point.

[ronaldmcdonald9]

then you can just follow the widely available instructions for installing ndiswrapper with etch and the widely available instructions for getting your card to connect to an access point.

I've gotten ndiswrapper and the necessary drivers, but when I run modprobe ndiswrapper I get an error that tells me that it could not load this module. Possibly this has to do with the version of the kernel that comes with the basic installation. This is very difficult to deal with without an Internet connection: I can't just apt-get all kinds of crap.

Is there no way to get this working without a new kernel, etc.? Or should I just get Kubuntu......?

[synan]

This is very difficult to deal with without an Internet connection: I can't just apt-get all kinds of crap.

I understand you completely, had the same problem before with many other distros.

Is there no way to get this working without a new kernel, etc.? Or should I just get Kubuntu......?

One of these distros was kubuntu. Look, debian has a cool way of dealing with things, considering some other distros. Being without an internet connection is a bit of a hassle when you need to upgrade/install something and will require some of your time and effort. But turning to another (and, to be even funnier, a debian based) distro is not the solution. If/when you get to know your package manager then you will be fast at solving this kind of problems. Just patience

[e1even1]

This is very difficult to deal with without an Internet connection: I can't just apt-get all kinds of crap.

Is there no way to get this working without a new kernel, etc.? Or should I just get Kubuntu......?

you're welcome.

[ronaldmcdonald9]

(BTW, when I use this emoticon, I mean that I am sad, not that I am angry which this particular icon seems to be conveying.)

I don't understand what I need to do. Your method for getting things to work says nothing about getting a new kernel.

[synan]

By your post in another forum I gather you have been succesfull with getting ndiswrapper to work. Please mark your questions and problems as solved when they get solved so we can direct our attention elsewhere
And do share the info how you did it!

And glad it worked btw! See, no need to go to that nasty *buntu

[ronaldmcdonald9]

Thanks for the help everyone.

I edited the first post explaining what I did.