Trouble with ndiswrapper

Psycho · #1 25th September 2008, 03:21 PM

Alright, I'm very new to this and I'm having a lot of trouble getting my wireless card to work (dell wireless 1505 wireless-N mini-card). I try to yum install ndiswrapper and I get this:

Code:

[root@localhost ~]# yum install ndiswrapper
Loaded plugins: refresh-packagekit
Setting up Install Process
Parsing package install arguments
Resolving Dependencies
--> Running transaction check
---> Package ndiswrapper.x86_64 0:1.53-1.lvn9 set to be updated
--> Processing Dependency: ndiswrapper-kmod >= 1.53 for package: ndiswrapper
--> Running transaction check
---> Package kmod-ndiswrapper.x86_64 0:1.53-3.lvn9 set to be updated
--> Processing Dependency: kmod-ndiswrapper-2.6.25.14-108.fc9.x86_64 = 1.53-3.lvn9 for package: kmod-ndiswrapper
--> Running transaction check
---> Package kmod-ndiswrapper-2.6.25.14-108.fc9.x86_64.x86_64 0:1.53-3.lvn9 set to be updated
--> Processing Dependency: kernel-uname-r = 2.6.25.14-108.fc9.x86_64 for package: kmod-ndiswrapper-2.6.25.14-108.fc9.x86_64
--> Finished Dependency Resolution
kmod-ndiswrapper-2.6.25.14-108.fc9.x86_64-1.53-3.lvn9.x86_64 from livna has depsolving problems
  --> Missing Dependency: kernel-uname-r = 2.6.25.14-108.fc9.x86_64 is needed by package kmod-ndiswrapper-2.6.25.14-108.fc9.x86_64-1.53-3.lvn9.x86_64 (livna)
Error: Missing Dependency: kernel-uname-r = 2.6.25.14-108.fc9.x86_64 is needed by package kmod-ndiswrapper-2.6.25.14-108.fc9.x86_64-1.53-3.lvn9.x86_64 (livna)

help?

stoat · #2 25th September 2008, 05:14 PM

If you recently updated, then you probably are using a kernel that does not yet have a kmod-ndiswrapper package available yet. You can either wait for it (people have been waiting quite a while already), or you can try rebooting into one of your older kernels and try again. If its kmod-ndiswrapper installs, you can at least get going with learning how to install your driver, configure, and connect (if you don't already know). Maybe in a "few more days", the up-to-date kmods will make their appearance, and you can boot into the new kernel and simply yum update.

Psycho · #3 25th September 2008, 07:20 PM

yeah, I just set it up yesterday and updated using corded internet access.
can you direct me to or provide me with steps on how to reboot into an older kernel and the works?
Thank you.

Psycho · #4 26th September 2008, 12:14 AM

ok, I figured out how to boot from a older kernel and I'm still getting the same thing.

stoat · #5 26th September 2008, 01:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Psycho

ok, I figured out how to boot from a older kernel and I'm still getting the same thing.

Hello Psycho,

Well, I guess I was wrong about what would happen. I tested it here and got the same result as you. I currently use the latest kernel for which there is no livna kmod-ndiswrapper package yet. But I also still have installed two older kernels for which there ARE livna kmod-ndiswrapper packages. No matter which kernel I was booted into, yum still wanted to install only that one latest version of kmod-ndiswrapper for which I had a kernel.

If you installed and updated your 64-bit Fedora 9 yesterday, then you probably have these two kernels...

kernel-2.6.25-14.fc9.x86_64
kernel-2.6.26.3-29.fc9.x86_64

If you still want to try some other things to install kmod-ndiswrapper for the older kernel, then you could install the yum-allowdowngrade package and then yum install kmod-ndiswrapper again but specify the version of the old kmod-ndiswrapper package in the yum install command. I just tried this, and it worked to install an older kmod-ndiswrapper version. Pretty easy, too...

Code:

yum install yum-allowdowngrade

...then

Code:

yum --allow-downgrade install kmod-ndiswrapper-2.6.25-14.fc9.x86_64-1.52-30.lvn9.x86_64

NOTE: Please double-check me on the version numbers that you would specify by looking at the result of rpm -qa | grep kernel and at the Livna download server. See, I only guessed at what older kernel version you have and therefore what kmod-ndiswrapper version to yum install with that --allow-downgrade option.

Another idea is to download the three RPM packages from the Livna download server and manually install them with rpm -ivh package package package

kmod-ndiswrapper-1.52-30.lvn9.x86_64.rpm
kmod-ndiswrapper-2.6.25-14.fc9.x86_64-1.52-30.lvn9.x86_64.rpm
ndiswrapper-1.52-1.lvn9.x86_64.rpm

Another idea is to try the ATrpms version. I saw a version there for the latest kernels. No promises for this idea. If you decide to install that repository and try that, then don't leave the ATrpms repo enabled at all times. Enable it only for updating these packages, then disable it. See, Livna and ATrpms enabled at the same time can cause package conflicts and problems.

Another idea is to compile ndiswrapper from source. I used to do that, too. It has to be repeated after a kernel updated, but that only took me about a minute.

Then there's always the option to continue waiting on the Livna kmod version for your new kernel.

P.S.: The yum-allowdowngrade package does not have a hyphen between "allow" and "downgrade". But the yum command option for it does (--allow-downgrade). It's important.

P.P.S.: If you do get the Livna kmod package installed for the old kernel and get everything working, then when the Livna kmod package for your new kernel finally does become available, a simple yum update should install it, and the wireless should continue working. That's what happened when I used it anyway. I use b43 nowadays.

Psycho · #6 26th September 2008, 03:22 AM

so I'm still getting the same error.

I get the first code you entered to work, but when I try

Code:

yum --allow-downgrade install kmod-ndiswrapper-2.6.25-14.fc9.x86_64-1.52-30.lvn9.x86_64

I get the same error of

Code:

Error: Missing Dependency: kernel-uname-r = 2.6.25.14-108.fc9.x86_64 is needed by package kmod-ndiswrapper-2.6.25.14-108.fc9.x86_64-1.53-3.lvn9.x86_64 (livna)

when I enter rpm -qa | grep kernel I get this:

Code:

kerneloops-0.11-1.fc9.x86_64
kernel-2.6.26.3-29.fc9.x86_64
kernel-2.6.25-14.fc9.x86_64
kernel-devel-2.6.26.3-29.fc9.x86_64
kernel-headers-2.6.26.3-29.fc9.x86_64

the second option doesn't seem to work either.

I'll try ATrpms now...

Psycho · #7 26th September 2008, 03:29 AM

ok, because I'm new to this, I'm not having any luck with using ATrpms...

stoat · #8 26th September 2008, 04:05 AM

Okay. I'm running low on ideas. Old kernels don't stay around on the Fedora download server, but I found a place to download that kernel-2.6.25.14-108.fc9.x86_64.rpm. I'm sure there are other places, too. If you want to try this idea, it might be simpler to boot into the old kernel again and remove the new kernel. Then install this kernel with rpm -ivh [package]. Or, you can leave the newest kernel and try installing this one with the --force option.

Another idea that sort of popped into my head is to remove the new kernel and drop back to just the original kernel. Try to yum install kmod-ndiswrapper. Just curious what that would do. You can always re-install the new kernel.

If you don't like those ideas, what about compiling plain old ndiswrapper from source? Know how to compile source? I once used compiled ndiswrapper. It has to be recompiled after every kernel update. I think it took me about a minute or so to do it. Anyway, that sure would beat these Livna kmod busts of wireless after kernel updates. This latest incident is the worst, but it's not the first.

stoat · #9 26th September 2008, 03:01 PM

Hello again Psycho,

You probably are not interested in this any more. I wouldn't blame you. Besides, by the time you get this done, the new kmod-ndiswrapper package will probably arrive. Anyway, I learned some more about using the --allow-downgrade yum option and kmod-ndiswrapper. If you yum install all three of the relevant packages for the older kmod-ndiswrapper version with the --allow-downgrade option, then it will proceed with installing the older kmod-ndiswrapper. The three relevant packages for the version you were trying to install...

kmod-ndiswrapper-2.6.25-14.fc9.x86_64-1.52-30.lvn9.x86_64
kmod-ndiswrapper-1.52-30.lvn9.x86_64
ndiswrapper-1.52-1.lvn9.x86_64

Example yum command...

Code:

yum --allow-downgrade install kmod-ndiswrapper-2.6.25-14.fc9.x86_64-1.52-30.lvn9.x86_64 kmod-ndiswrapper-1.52-30.lvn9.x86_64 ndiswrapper-1.52-1.lvn9.x86_64

I believe what happened on your first try at this allow-downgrade idea was that yum tried to install the latest version of ndiswrapper (1.53), and that package caused the latest kmod-ndiswrapper to be installed as a dependency. I didn't notice it when I first tried because I had the new kernel installed and it did not fail. You don't have the kernel it needed so it failed. But by specifying the old ndiswrapper in the yum command, that doesn't happen. Here is my terminal ouput of doing this both ways. I was trying to install the 2.6.25.9-40.fc8.i686 version of kmod-ndiswrapper without it trying to install the newest version as a dependency (exactly what you were trying, just with different kernel versions involved). Anyway..

The result of the yum command with only the old kmod-ndiswrapper package specified...

Code:

[root@localhost ~]# yum --allow-downgrade install kmod-ndiswrapper-2.6.25.9-40.fc8-1.52-11.lvn8.1.i686
Loaded plugins: allowdowngrade
Excluding Packages in global exclude list
Finished
Setting up Install Process
Parsing package install arguments
Resolving Dependencies
--> Running transaction check
---> Package kmod-ndiswrapper-2.6.25.9-40.fc8.i686 0:1.52-11.lvn8.1 set to be updated
--> Processing Dependency: ndiswrapper-kmod-common >= 1.52 for package: kmod-ndiswrapper-2.6.25.9-40.fc8
--> Processing Dependency: kmod-ndiswrapper >= 1.52-11.lvn8.1 for package: kmod-ndiswrapper-2.6.25.9-40.fc8
--> Running transaction check
---> Package ndiswrapper.i386 0:1.53-1.lvn8 set to be updated
---> Package kmod-ndiswrapper.i686 0:1.53-3.lvn8 set to be updated
--> Processing Dependency: kmod-ndiswrapper-2.6.25.14-69.fc8 = 1.53-3.lvn8 for package: kmod-ndiswrapper
--> Running transaction check
---> Package kmod-ndiswrapper-2.6.25.14-69.fc8.i686 0:1.53-3.lvn8 set to be updated
--> Finished Dependency Resolution

Dependencies Resolved

================================================================================
 Package                              Arch    Version           Repository Size 
================================================================================
Installing:
 kmod-ndiswrapper-2.6.25.9-40.fc8     i686    1.52-11.lvn8.1    livna      90 k
Installing for dependencies:
 kmod-ndiswrapper                     i686    1.53-3.lvn8       livna     9.3 k
 kmod-ndiswrapper-2.6.25.14-69.fc8    i686    1.53-3.lvn8       livna      91 k
 ndiswrapper                          i386    1.53-1.lvn8       livna      34 k

Transaction Summary
================================================================================
Install      4 Package(s)         
Update       0 Package(s)         
Remove       0 Package(s)         

Total download size: 224 k
Is this ok [y/N]: n
Exiting on user Command
Complete!

Now the result with all three of the relevant old packages specified in the yum command...

Code:

[root@localhost ~]# yum --allow-downgrade install kmod-ndiswrapper-2.6.25.9-40.fc8-1.52-11.lvn8.1.i686 kmod-ndiswrapper-1.52-11.lvn8.1.i686 ndiswrapper-1.52-1.lvn8.i386
Loaded plugins: allowdowngrade
Excluding Packages in global exclude list
Finished
Setting up Install Process
Parsing package install arguments
Resolving Dependencies
--> Running transaction check
---> Package kmod-ndiswrapper.i686 0:1.52-11.lvn8.1 set to be updated
---> Package kmod-ndiswrapper-2.6.25.9-40.fc8.i686 0:1.52-11.lvn8.1 set to be updated
---> Package ndiswrapper.i386 0:1.52-1.lvn8 set to be updated
--> Finished Dependency Resolution

Dependencies Resolved

================================================================================
 Package                             Arch    Version           Repository Size 
================================================================================
Installing:
 kmod-ndiswrapper                    i686    1.52-11.lvn8.1    livna      9.0 k
 kmod-ndiswrapper-2.6.25.9-40.fc8    i686    1.52-11.lvn8.1    livna       90 k
 ndiswrapper                         i386    1.52-1.lvn8       livna       33 k

Transaction Summary
================================================================================
Install      3 Package(s)         
Update       0 Package(s)         
Remove       0 Package(s)         

Total download size: 132 k
Is this ok [y/N]: n
Exiting on user Command
Complete!

See what I mean?

Psycho · #10 27th September 2008, 05:18 PM

haha! that last post worked!

Thank you so much... now I just need to get my wireless card to work...

by the by, is there a site that will announce the new ndiswrapper so i can keep track?

Psycho · #11 27th September 2008, 06:41 PM

Thank you so much. I have it working now!