Unaddressed (maybe) ndiswrapper issues

[wombat theory]

Many, many hours of sifting through how-tos later -

I have been trying to set up wireless on my computer (just installed FC6 a few days ago - first time linux user) and am finding it absurd that there are apparently fifteen distinct ways to "install" ndiswrapper floating around, none of which have worked. Going strictly from the method on the ndiswrapper website, I am supposed to:

ln -s /usr/src/linux-<kernel-version> /lib/modules/VERSION/build

This is probably a stupid comment on that, but when I type ls /usr/src , there isn't anything in there, which explains why this linking command never works. Nothing I've read seems to consider the fact that there might not be anything there to link. Does this make sense to anyone?

Secondly, through other explanations I've seen that I should have the kernel-devel (not sure what this is) installed. When I tried to install it as told, I got the error that my computer couldn't connect to the internet - how do I install this without internet access?

As far as I can see, if I can create the link that right now isn't possible, and (if it's still needed, I'm not sure) install kernel-devel, I should be able to install ndiswrapper and have my dreams of my wireless card working crushed a little further into the process.

I can tell that was too much longer than everyone else's posts, but can anyone help me?

[leigh123@linux]

You need a i686 kernel for most drivers to work.

To check

rpm -qa --queryformat "%{NAME}-%{VERSION}-%{RELEASE}.%{ARCH}\n"|grep kernel|sort

more info on howto change kernel if needed

http://forums.fedoraforum.org/showthread.php?t=139751

This is probably a stupid comment on that, but when I type ls /usr/src , there isn't anything in there, which explains why this linking command never works. Nothing I've read seems to consider the fact that there might not be anything there to link. Does this make sense to anyone?

You need to install the kernel-devel

su -
yum install kernel-devel

The kernel-devel contains the kernel header files needed to build modules

[ppesci]

I nistalled ndiswrapper and may be i can help you.

I used the sourceforge version as you did because the fedora rpms version is old and do not work properly with my atheros card. The version is 1.33.

You need only download the kernel-devel package from your kernel version and ndiswrapper will compile fine.

In my computer, the last kernel version (2.6.19) doesn't work with ndiswrapper (my macine froze and i must to reboot :( ), use some 2.6.18-1.xxxx version.

You can get the kernel-devel from your install cd or dvd, but you must to have installed the distribution kernel and beware because when you use internet to update with yum, the older kernel may be replacer with a new one.

HTH

[wombat theory]

I cannot just do yum install kernel-devel because it tries to access the internet.

And in response to the second reply, if I can install it off the cd (which I have five of, regretfully), how do I? The only means I've seen of installing it have been something to the effect of yum install kernel-devel.

[leigh123@linux]

take it from the install media

double click on the rpm file to install

or

from the directory containing rpm

su -

rpm -i <name-of -file-to-be-install>

or

yum localinstall /path/to/rpm

[wombat theory]

Thank you, that did work to install kernel-devel i686

And I was able to make the link with

ln -s /usr/src/kernels/2. etc.. /lib/modules/2. etc... /build

But when I changed to the ndiswrapper directory and used the command make, I got a readout that it was trying to enter the directories (and followed the link) but:

make -C driver
make (1): entering directory '/home/wombattheory/Desktop/ndiswrapper-1.35driver'
make -C /lib/modules/2. etc.../build SUBDIRS=/home/wombattheory/Desktop/ndiswrapper-1.35
/usr/src/kernels/2. ... /scripts/gcc-version.sh: line 11: gcc: command not found
/usr/src/kernels/2. ... /scripts/gcc-version.sh: line 12: gcc: command not found

I don't know if that would mean anything to anyone, but I've now followed what ndiswrapper said, and it won't install. The only other thing I can think of is that in several of the howtos I saw reference to headers - is that a problem to be fixed?

[leigh123@linux]

you need to install the "gcc"rpm but there a few other packages that need to be installed as dependencies

perhaps someone running FC6 could give you a dependencies list

[wombat theory]

Thanks I'll look into that. I don't know why though my installation of FC6 didn't include this atuomatically, but most others don't appear to have this problem... whatever.

[leigh123@linux]

when you first install fedora you can select more packages groups such as development tools which include gcc and the kernel-devel.
It sounds like you done a default install ( basic gnome DE )

[ppesci]

The bad thing part is because you and me are not using the ndiswrapper rpms, i can't give you the packages dependencies.

Obvious is yuo need install the gcc package, bu if other resources are needed, put the output here and ill or other ppl try to help.

[wombat theory]

Seeing as without the internet I hadn't done anything with it yet, I reformatted the system, choosing development tools, and now ndiswrapper installs easily. However, I've been through the threads here and other forums and I still haven't found a report of my wireless adapter, a linksys wusb54gs, actually working, despite ndiswrapper's site claiming various methods, one of which I don't understand and the first which tells me install a Belkin driver that fedora doesn't know what to do with, and I can't unzip to smaller files with windows.

Does anyone know of this type of adapter working? There are many ways supposedly out there, but as with this whole process, I've started several that failed right off the bat, and most have replies in forums that they didn't work. Should I buy something easier to work with?

[leigh123@linux]

Try here --

http://forums.fedoraforum.org/forum/showthread.php?t=108944&highlight=wusb54gs

great wiki here:
http://ndiswrapper.sourceforge.net/...hp/Installation

and HCL (hardware compat list):
http://ndiswrapper.sourceforge.net/...ndex.php/List#L

These helped loads, and i guess if i had knew that to start with id of saved a load of time!!

I love FC5!!
MAniX