No power on Linksys WPC54G Laptop Wireless Card

[fanfan1313]

dmesg seems to show that SuSE can see the card...but chooses not to load it. The tutorial said:

SuSE 9.1, 9.2

1. You must first get the card up and running using the start_net script, or by feeding commands via ifconfig/iwconfig/route at the shell(Konsole), don't fail to do this first.
2. After your card is working, go to the menu and run Yast, it will want the root password
3. Setup the card as desired using Yast, and save the config

Which makes me believe that in SuSE that unconfigured cards don't get turned on. To turn it on it on you, "run the start_net script, or by feeding commands via ifconfig/iwconfig/route," but there doesn't seem to be a start_net script and I'm completly clueless on what commands I would use with ifconfig/iwconfig/route.

Help still appreciated! And thanks a lot for the help so far.
-Brian

EDIT: I have a friend whose laptop I'm working on with the same wireless card and same os...and the light comes on! GRRRRRR (not sure if this has any relevence)

[AlexK]

iirc the start_net script is for the hose of craig howto. Now what exactly does dmesg say regarding the card. If it says something like firmware not found, then you'll have to install the firmware for the card to from memory /usr/lib/firmware or /etc/firmware.

[fanfan1313]

dmesg doesn't mention the card specifically, but it says something is plugged in and to me it looks like it's activated, but I'm new to this...

I do get an error however that says:

pcmia_core: module not supported by novell, setting U taint flag

I posted the entire dmesg output here: (I'm not expecting you to read all this, just posting it in case it helps) http://mysite.verizon.net/vzep38ie/dmesg.pdf

Thanks a lot for your time
-Brian

[beagle2]

AlexK is spot on - acx firmware not found . Craig's script normally installs firmware to /usr/share/acx so check there first. If they are there then maybe copy them to locations suggested by AlexK, not sure where suse keeps firmware myself.
Just rmmod acx_pci and modprobe acx_pci when youve copied the firmware and check dmesg to see what happens.

Regarding your friends laptop, there are 5 different chipsets for that card and he must have struck it lucky regarding linux support unless you can confirm its the same chipset as yours?

[fanfan1313]

Allright,

Following Craig's Instructions to the letter, and after trying to make the acx drivers on his site I get the following error:

fanfan@linux-7m5f:~/acx100-0.2.0pre8_plus_fixes_57> make
Kernel version file: /lib/modules/2.6.16.13-4-default/build/include/linu
x/version.h
Kernel configuration file: /lib/modules/2.6.16.13-4-default/build/.confi
g
Make damn sure these really match your currently running kernel!!

Kernel configuration found, performing sanity checks
All of the following items are required by the driver:
Loadable modules support is enabled.
Wireless LAN (non-hamradio) support is enabled.
Wireless extensions support is enabled.
The following is needed for PCMCIA/CardBus cards:
PCMCIA support is enabled.
CardBus support is enabled.
The following is needed for USB card support:
USB support is enabled.
The following is needed for PCI card support:
PCI support is enabled.
Kernel configuration satisfies the minimum requirements, continuing.
Wireless header file is WIRELESS_EXT version 19.
gcc version 4.1.0 (SUSE Linux)
Running linux 2.6.16.13-4-default
Compile info: will choose to use code infrastructure for NEWER wireless
extension interface version (>= 13)
Symmetric multiprocessing support (CONFIG_SMP) is disabled.
make -C src
make[1]: Entering directory `/home/fanfan/acx100-0.2.0pre8_plus_fixes_57
/src'
if test -n ; then \
mkdir -p /home/fanfan/acx100-0.2.0pre8_plus_fixes_57/src/tmp; \
cp /lib/modules/2.6.16.13-4-default/build/.config /home/fanfan/acx100-0.
2.0pre8_plus_fixes_57/src/tmp; \
fi
# use "make V=1" to see full compile execution
make -C /lib/modules/2.6.16.13-4-default/build SUBDIRS=/home/fanfan/acx1
00-0.2.0pre8_plus_fixes_57/src \
MODVERDIR=/home/fanfan/acx100-0.2.0pre8_plus_fixes_57/src WLAN_H
OSTIF=WLAN_PCI modules
make[2]: Entering directory `/usr/src/linux-2.6.16.13-4'
scripts/Makefile.build:17: /home/fanfan/acx100-0.2.0pre8_plus_fixes_57/s
rc/Makefile: No such file or directory
make[3]: *** No rule to make target `/home/fanfan/acx100-0.2.0pre8_plus_
fixes_57/src/Makefile'. Stop.
make[2]: *** [_module_/home/fanfan/acx100-0.2.0pre8_plus_fixes_57/src] E
rror 2
make[2]: Leaving directory `/usr/src/linux-2.6.16.13-4'
make[1]: *** [modules] Error 2
make[1]: Leaving directory `/home/fanfan/acx100-0.2.0pre8_plus_fixes_57/ src'
make: *** [driver] Error 2

Now my old driver is uninstalled...

Sigh

Help still desperetly needed...but thanks so far

-Brian

[beagle2]

Ok what's output of ls /lib/modules/`uname -r`/build/include/linux/version.h and ls -l /lib/modules/`uname -r`/build/.config

Edit: Just struck me now, looking at your dmesg acx module appears there as an error - either its already there included in kernel or you have installed it yourself and probably that's why ndiswrapper wont work. You can only use one driver for your card at a time. Did you follow craig's advice on removing existing acx modules? If yes try ndiswrapper again and see what happens before installing the module from craig's how to.

[fanfan1313]

modprobed it, still nothing

[beagle2]

modprobed what? Nothing appears in dmesg when you modprobe x? Assume you have removed any acx modules as per how to, outputs of ls /lib/modules/`uname -r`/build/include/linux/version.h and ls -l /lib/modules/`uname -r`/build/.config ?

[fanfan1313]

modprobed ndiswrapper:

modprobe -l ndiswrppaer

dmesg says that it is installed

all acx modules are gone

Still no lights on the card...

Sorry for the lack of information on the last post. Please tell me if posting my dmesg output would help.

-Thanks
Brian

[beagle2]

Ok first rmmod ndiswrapper then do ndiswrapper -l . If you dont see hardware present try uninstalling driver , ndiswrapper -e xxxx.inf and re-installing , ndiswrapper -i xxxx.inf (lstinds.inf) . Hopefully ndiswrapper -l then shows hardware present, then modprobe ndiswrapper and see what happens with iwconfig. You did confirm your chipset right?