HOWTO: madwifi in FC2 (& FC2T3)

[howwoward]

Hey y'all thanks for the info!
following Picomp's directions to a tee, but when I execute the "make" in the madwifi directory, I get an eventual error as FC3 can't find .hal.o.cmd
any thoughts as to where I went wrong?

thanks so much!!!

[Picomp314]

did you install the sharutils rpm? and have you done a CVS checkout recently ?

i can't diagnose the problem without more of the error message from make than just that...

[howwoward]

Ah, sorry for the lack of info - here's the output from make! I have indeed installed sharutils and done a CVS checkout recently, but I'll try it again. Thanks Picomp!
-----------------------------------
[root@howwoward madwifi]# make
mkdir -p ./symbols
for i in ./ath_hal ath_rate/onoe ./net80211 ./ath; do \
(cd $i; make) || exit 1; \
done
make[1]: Entering directory `/usr/madwifi/ath_hal'
make -C /lib/modules/2.6.10-1.737_FC3/build SUBDIRS=/usr/madwifi/ath_hal MODVERDIR=/usr/madwifi/ath_hal/../symbols modules
make[2]: Entering directory `/lib/modules/2.6.10-1.737_FC3/build'
Building modules, stage 2.
MODPOST
Warning: could not find /usr/madwifi/ath_hal/.hal.o.cmd for /usr/madwifi/ath_hal/hal.o
make[2]: Leaving directory `/lib/modules/2.6.10-1.737_FC3/build'
make[1]: Leaving directory `/usr/madwifi/ath_hal'
make[1]: Entering directory `/usr/madwifi/ath_rate/onoe'
make -C /lib/modules/2.6.10-1.737_FC3/build SUBDIRS=/usr/madwifi/ath_rate/onoe MODVERDIR=/usr/madwifi/ath_rate/onoe/../../symbols modules
make[2]: Entering directory `/lib/modules/2.6.10-1.737_FC3/build'
Building modules, stage 2.
MODPOST
Warning: could not find /usr/madwifi/ath_hal/.hal.o.cmd for /usr/madwifi/ath_hal/hal.o
make[2]: Leaving directory `/lib/modules/2.6.10-1.737_FC3/build'
make[1]: Leaving directory `/usr/madwifi/ath_rate/onoe'
make[1]: Entering directory `/usr/madwifi/net80211'
make -C /lib/modules/2.6.10-1.737_FC3/build SUBDIRS=/usr/madwifi/net80211 MODVERDIR=/usr/madwifi/net80211/../symbols modules
make[2]: Entering directory `/lib/modules/2.6.10-1.737_FC3/build'
Building modules, stage 2.
MODPOST
Warning: could not find /usr/madwifi/ath_hal/.hal.o.cmd for /usr/madwifi/ath_hal/hal.o
make[2]: Leaving directory `/lib/modules/2.6.10-1.737_FC3/build'
make[1]: Leaving directory `/usr/madwifi/net80211'
make[1]: Entering directory `/usr/madwifi/ath'
make -C /lib/modules/2.6.10-1.737_FC3/build SUBDIRS=/usr/madwifi/ath MODVERDIR=/usr/madwifi/ath/../symbols modules
make[2]: Entering directory `/lib/modules/2.6.10-1.737_FC3/build'
Building modules, stage 2.
MODPOST
Warning: could not find /usr/madwifi/ath_hal/.hal.o.cmd for /usr/madwifi/ath_hal/hal.o
make[2]: Leaving directory `/lib/modules/2.6.10-1.737_FC3/build'
make[1]: Leaving directory `/usr/madwifi/ath'

[howwoward]

and a bit more info:
(no luck after redoing the CVS checkout)
I initially installed madwifi-0.9.4.12-14.rhfc3.at.i386.rpm
and also the kmdl for my kernel version, 2.6.10-1.737_FC3
off of atrpms.net.
Looking at the first page of this thread, I was unable to follow through with steps 4-6, not having any subdirectories below /usr/src in my build...
----------quote-------------------
4) cd /usr/src/linux-2.6.5-1.358 (adjust for your particular kernel
5)make oldconfig
make all
6) ln -s /usr/src/linux-2.6.5-1.358/vmlinux /lib/modules/2.6.5-1.358/build/vmlinux
--------end quote-------------------
also had trouble with "insmod ath/ath_pci.ko #Will return an error "-1 Unknown symbol in module"
and followed drbikey's advice (post #138), but still have the same error
anyway, hope this additional info helps - the final step that I'm stuck on now is the error message after ifconfig ath0 up, which returns: "ath0: unknown interface: No such device".

anyway, thanks again for the assistance!

[Picomp314]

yeah, i need to update the HOWTO because madwifi no longer depends on the kernel source

did you uninstall the rpms you mentioned before you began trying this??? because they could be conflicting with the build process

ok, here is what i think about why the build is failing, i have never had good success with compiling madwifi with the standard Fedora Core kernels, as they have redundant support for hardware that the normal laptop/desktop enduser will NEVER see
my suggestion is to download the latest vanilla kernel source (2.6.10 at the time of this post) and build a custom kernel for your computer with your specific hardware needs

[howwoward]

Thanks for all the help. I did the <gasp> unthinkable <gasp> and booted Knoppix 3.7, which had no trouble recognizing the card. With a quick "iwconfig ath0" and then a "pump -i ath0"
my card was working trouble free.
whew!

[Pendragon]

Ok Ok I admit it I gave up... Went back to the lothsome windows because of this damn card!! As the proud owner of a D-Link DWL-G650 will I ever be able to run Linux without having to do all all this command line stuff?? When I got it working on FC2 the range was rubbish, so was the transfer rate and I never did get the encription to work... The worse thing was the apparent hardware resouce problems that ment that the mouse was usless when transfering data...

I know this is probiably the wrong place what are the chances of a distro that it works right out of the box??? just like many did with my old D-Link DWL 650. Do I have to get a new WiFi card? If so which one will work with FC3 without any bish, bash, bosh...

[High_Noonan]

WOW! 11 pages! My eyes burn!

Anyway, I am looking for help with FC2, madwifi and wpa_supplicant. I just can not figure it out.

Kernel: 2.6.10-1.770_FC2 from atrpms
sharutils-4.2.1-18
madwifi-0.9.4.12-15.rhfc2.at
wireless-tools-26-4
wpa_supplicant-0.3.8-5.rhfc2.at

Am I missing anything?

I started with turning my WRT54G to mixed mode and no security. Eventually, I managed to get my FC2/DWL-G650 B4 system to connect to my router. Good!

I set the router to G-only..connection = good!

Set the router to WPA-TKIP and install wpa_supplicant = NOT GOOD! No connection.

I know that it is something odd in my wpa_supplicant.conf, as I have proven that it CAN work without encryption. Is it maybe that my icfg-atho has no KEY statement? I am getting desperate here.

Please help!

[High_Noonan]

My wpa_supplicant, if that helps:


network={
ssid="<my_ssid>"
scan_ssid=0
proto=WPA
key_mgmt=WPA-PSK
pairwise=CCMP TKIP
group=CCMP TKIP WEP104 WEP40
psk=<my_passphrase_converted>

}

[Picomp314]

sorry... i have no experience with wpa_supplicant