ndiswrapper.ko???? Can't get ndiswrapper to work no matter what!

[resonant]

Hello, I hope some one will be able to help me with this. I am a linux newbie, I have installed Debian Sarge. I am trying to get my wusb54gs linksys usb network interface to work.

I am using debian 2.6.8-3-686, but have tried every other kernel I can think of, 386, 2.4.27, etc.

I have installed ndiswrapper using dpkg -i, it says it is there ok, can see the driver and the hardware is ok. However, when I try to modprobe ndiswrapper I get the error "FATAL: Module ndiswrapper not found.

I have searched and searched for a solution. Apparently, my ndiswrapper.ko file is not present. But I cannot find this file.

I also tried to instll ndiswrapper manually using

apt-get install cpp gcc build-essential linux-headers-$(uname -r)

but this gives me an error

E: Couldn't find package linux-headers-2.6.8-3-686

or whatever kernel I was running.

Using synaptic package manager I have added the kernel headers I can find for the relevant version, but to no avail.

The main problem seems to be that I can't install my wireless nic becuase I can't get on the net with the debian machine to get the correct things needed to get my nic working. It is an old laptop with no wired connection.

Sorry for the long winded explanation, but I wanted to give as much info as poss to start with.

I hope some one can help me.

Cheers.

[antidrugue]

I have installed ndiswrapper using dpkg -i, it says it is there ok, can see the driver and the hardware is ok. However, when I try to modprobe ndiswrapper I get the error "FATAL: Module ndiswrapper not found.

I have searched and searched for a solution. Apparently, my ndiswrapper.ko file is not present. But I cannot find this file.

That means you have to compile the NDISWRAPPER module.

I also tried to instll ndiswrapper manually using

apt-get install cpp gcc build-essential linux-headers-$(uname -r)

but this gives me an error

E: Couldn't find package linux-headers-2.6.8-3-686

Yup, that's normal : that package is named kernel-headers-2.6.8-3-686 in Debian Sarge.


The Debian way to install NDISWRAPPER would be something like that. First you need the tools to compile :

apt-get install build-essential kernel-headers-$(uname -r) module-assistant

Then NDISWRAPPER source :

apt-get install ndiswrapper-source

Finally you can compile the module :

cd /usr/src
m-a prepare
m-a a-i ndiswrapper

[craigevil]

ndiswrapper on Debian Sarge without having to compile anything -
http://www.linuxquestions.org/linux/...mpile_anything

[antidrugue]

Thanks Craigevil for correcting me

I simply forgot about those modules packages, as I never use a stock kernel myself.

I should have known. Having to compile something on Debian ? That's very suspicious indeed.

[resonant]

I have tried the modules several times, I have to download them on my xp machine, burn them to disk and then try and run them from the debian machine. Can't get them to work, it was with the module I was having the "FATAL: Module ndiswrapper not found." error. I can't get on the net to download anything directly with any debian package until I get the nic up and running.

I have also downloaded ndiswrapper-1.35 from sourceforge, but can't see how I then use "apt-get install ndiswrapper-source" to install it. I have extracted it, gone into the folder, tried running it when is unzipped, but to no avail, all I get is E: Couldn't find package ndiswrapper-1.35, or whatever I have asked it for.

I am probably doing something completly silly, or overlooking something obvious, but as I am fairly new to all this I have no idea what it is.

[resonant]

Oh, and thank you for you help so far.

Resonant.

[tpl]

what I do is
1. compile the kernel
2. compile the ndiswrapper module & tools
3. use the "wireless tools" iwlist and iwconfig plus dhclient

this is not especially easy. How about scarfing up a cheap PCMCIA network card, and getting on with the wire? Those drivers are in the standard kernel. Then you can fool around with wireless.

[iwanabeguru]

resonant:

you can install the tools from the install discs.

installing ndiswrapper from source
untar the ndiswrapper
cd to ndiswrapper directory
./configure
make && make install

[resonant]

Arrggghhh! Can't get it to work no matter what I do.

Getting a bit confused now and going round in circles I think.

Skint at the mo, so can't buy a pcmcia card.

Will see if I can borrow one of someone. Looks like it is the only way to go about it.

[antidrugue]

Before buying a new card, perhaps you should try another distro.

Debian Sarge features applications considered quite old and certainly doesn't offer much in term of wireless support.

Try Debian Etch, Ubuntu Edgy, Mandriva 2007, etc.