howto: install rt2500 wireless drivers

[bitrain]

This is a small howto on installing the drivers for the rt2500 chipset and rt2570 (for usb).

These chipset are in the following cards (if you know of a card that has it too, please say, so I can add it here):

E-Tech WGPI03 54 Mb Wireless pci card
linksys wmp54g
Belkin F5D7000UK ver3
Billionton 802.11b/g Mini-PCI Wireless LAN adapter

A more complete list can be found here:
http://ralink.rapla.net/

Step 0.
Make sure you have all the neccesary packages, you need:
kernel-devel
gcc

If you don't have either of them, install them with:

yum install gcc kernel-devel

Step 1.
Download the drivers from here: http://rt2x00.serialmonkey.com/wiki/index.php/Downloads
You need to get these: Latest BETA rt2500 driver: v1.1.0-b2 or a later version, not the cvs.

Step 2.
Open a terminal and type:

tar xzvf rt2500-1.1.0-b2.tar.gz

Step 3.
Goto the module directory with this command:

cd rt2500-1.1.0/Module/

Step 4.
We need to make sure that there are no remains of previous drivers. Do this to check it:

cd /etc
cat modprobe.conf

If this outputs anything with rt2500, open your favorite text editor as root (see www.fedorafaq.org) and delete those lines. Then a last check (it may take a while):

updatedb
locate ifcfg-ra
locate ifcfg-eth

If one of these outputs something which is related to the wireless card, delete those files. Be carefull, with the last command your wired network card can also appear, do not delete it then!

Step 5.
type make at the commandline, followed by enter.

If this gives you an error which in line 103 in rtmp_main.c, replace line 103 in rtmp_main.c with the following:

print_name = "rt2500";//pPci_dev ? pci_name(pPci_Dev) : "rt2500";

This needs to be done because gcc4 is much stricter then gcc3, see the quote under this line.

[root@localhost Module]' make
make[1]: Entering directory `/usr/src/kernesl/2.6.11-1.1369_FV4-i686'
CC [M] /home/sup/rt2500-1.1.0/Module/rtmp_main.o
/home/sup/rt2500-1.1.0/Module/rtmp_main.c: In Funktion >>RT2500_probe<<:
/home/sup/rt2500-1.1.0/Module/rtmp_main.c:103: Error >>struct pci_dev<< has no elements named >>slot_name<<
make[2]: *** [/home/sup/rt2500-1.1.0/Module/rtmp_main.o] Error 1
make[1]: *** [_module_/home/sup/rt2500-1.1.0/Module] Error 2
make[1]: Leaving directory `/usr/src/kernels/2.6.11-1-1369_FC4_i686'
rt2500.ko failed to build
make: *** [module] Error 1

Step 6.
Switch to root with su (see www.fedorafaq.org) and type:

make install-fedora

Step 7.
Open system-config-network, this is the program with the name "Network" in the applications menu -> System settings
Click new and then select wireless device, click forward. Select the ralink rt2500 and click forward.
Make sure Mode is managed and click Specified at the Network name, enter your accespoints ESSID here (the name of your network).
If you have encryption, enter it at the key line. Note: enter 0x before your key!
DHCP settings should be ok, check that automatically obtain ip with dhcp is checked and obtain dns from provider. Click forward and then apply.

Step 8.
Your network is configured now, so enjoy!

More info can be found in the README file in the Module directory, good luck!

If you have problems after a reboot, see post 7 of this thread.


Many thanks to all people who have contributed to this howto!!


Edit:
I have experienced lockups while using the beta 3 drivers, if you have lockups too I recommend trying the beta 2 drivers!

[Elminster13]

This is a great thread thanks for the help got mine working. Although does yours not crash all the time?? Think it has something to do with 4K stack size in the kernel

[bitrain]

This is a great thread thanks for the help got mine working. Although does yours not crash all the time?? Think it has something to do with 4K stack size in the kernel

Mine works good constantly. I still have the default FC4 kernel, and before this it worked with the fc3 kernel (upgraded to 2.6.10_fc3). It could be that the line you replaced (if it was needed, so only if you have gcc4) didn't work for you, altough I doubt it since the option I put behind the comment (= the //) didn't exists acoording to gcc4.

[Elminster13]

strange im using the default kernel too. so there shouldn't be any difference...

Although my card is different, well its a dabsvalue one but the chipsets are the same so i guesss that doesn't matter. I've posted on serialmonkeys forum to ask about debug info so maybe ill get some joy there.

[Elminster13]

Heres the output of uname -a as requested:

Linux trantor 2.6.11-1.1369_FC4 #1 Thu Jun 2 22:55:56 EDT 2005 i686 athlon i386 GNU/Linux

Since I reinstalled the CVS with make debug and insmod with debug it has been unusually stable.... I don't know what to say. Ill wait for it to crash... very odd. Expect my disc fill up now though as the messages file is getting BIG!

But if its stable now ill happly live with a log trimmer in place. I shall update soon.

[bitrain]

Since I reinstalled the CVS with make debug and insmod with debug it has been unusually stable.... I don't know what to say. Ill wait for it to crash... very odd. Expect my disc fill up now though as the messages file is getting BIG!

But if its stable now ill happly live with a log trimmer in place. I shall update soon.

Is it stable if you take the cvs version without debug? You get a lot less messages then. It think it will be stable, because as far as I know, debug is just a couple of extra prints to a file.
Did you take the cvs the first time too?

[dswalins]

I didn't see any follow up on the reboot and it no longer working. I had the same problem and it was a simple selection that was required. I still had my ethernet card installed (nothing worse than troubleshooting a network problem with no connection ). Anyway, in the Network Configuration tool you'll want to add one more comment while configuring.

Under the General tab when configuing there's the option for "Activate device when computer starts". You'll want to select this.

If, like me, you left your other card in but unplugged (the whole idea of wireless eh) then be sure to desleect that same option for that device.

Good luck and thanks for the drivers.

[bitrain]

I didn't see any follow up on the reboot and it no longer working. I had the same problem and it was a simple selection that was required. I still had my ethernet card installed (nothing worse than troubleshooting a network problem with no connection ). Anyway, in the Network Configuration tool you'll want to add one more comment while configuring.

Under the General tab when configuing there's the option for "Activate device when computer starts". You'll want to select this.

If, like me, you left your other card in but unplugged (the whole idea of wireless eh) then be sure to desleect that same option for that device.

Good luck and thanks for the drivers.

Thanks for pointing that out, I made a note about it in my post.

[dswalins]

Follow up question (being fairly new to all this build stuff). When I did all this did I do something to the kernel? Question really is, when a new kernel is released do I have to do this again?

[bitrain]

Question really is, when a new kernel is released do I have to do this again?

You have to do a part all over again, I think from the make install-fedora, but it is possible that you have to do make also. (never tried it before, I don't have my card that long)

[WebX]

pci_dev->slot_name usage converted to pci_name(), so you just neet this:
print_name = pPci_dev ? pPci_Dev->slot_name : "rt2500";
and replace it with:
print_name = pPcii_dev ? pci_name(pPci_Dev) : "rt2500";
------
Thanx for you faq, it helped me to complie the driver, and to find this replacement.

[bitrain]

pci_dev->slot_name usage converted to pci_name(), so you just neet this:
print_name = pPci_dev ? pPci_Dev->slot_name : "rt2500";
and replace it with:
print_name = pPcii_dev ? pci_name(pPci_Dev) : "rt2500";
------
Thanx for you faq, it helped me to complie the driver, and to find this replacement.

Thanks, I will change the howto.

[boster]

hi i dont understand this section
[root@localhost Module]' make
make[1]: Entering directory `/usr/src/kernesl/2.6.11-1.1369_FV4-i686'
CC [M] /home/sup/rt2500-1.1.0/Module/rtmp_main.o
/home/sup/rt2500-1.1.0/Module/rtmp_main.c: In Funktion >>RT2500_probe<<:
/home/sup/rt2500-1.1.0/Module/rtmp_main.c:103: Error >>struct pci_dev<< has no elements named >>slot_name<<
make[2]: *** [/home/sup/rt2500-1.1.0/Module/rtmp_main.o] Error 1
make[1]: *** [_module_/home/sup/rt2500-1.1.0/Module] Error 2
make[1]: Leaving directory `/usr/src/kernels/2.6.11-1-1369_FC4_i686'
rt2500.ko failed to build
make: *** [module] Error 1
must i wright this down or what , pleas help...
when i write make i get a message the file dont exist.

[bitrain]

You should open the file with a text editor (like gedit), then go to line 103 and replace it with:

print_name = pPcii_dev ? pci_name(pPci_Dev) : "rt2500";

[boster]

I try bot it dont work i get this message..
lib/modules/2.6.11-1.1396_fc4/build the file or directory dosen exist
rt2500.ko faild to build

Blady card.....