WUSB11 v2.6 working under RedHat 8

[andrewy]

Here are the directions to do it.

1. Upgrade the kernel to 2.4.20, thats the only version that will work.

2. Download the latest CVS snapshot from
http://atmelwlandriver.sourceforge.net

3. Untar the file.

4. Type "make config", choose no to all the USB
boards except the 503a RFMD

5. Type "make clean all install"

6. Add an alias to /etc/modules.conf, it is "alias eth0 usbvnetr", uncomment
the alias "post-install usbvnetr /bin/fastvnet.sh"

7. Open /tmp/.vnetrc and set it up

8. Run netconfig and set it up.

9. Run /etc/init.d/network restart
The internet should work now, at least it did for me.

If it doesn't work after that post your problem in this thread, and i'll try to help. If you need directions for upgrading the kernel I can give those to you too, just let me know.

[capitalPI]

Okay, so I logged in as root, untarred the file, ran 'make config', no problems. But when I run 'make clean all install', I get several screenfuls of error messages. I checked /etc/modules.conf just in case, but there was no 'post-install' anything. I have Mandrake 9.0, not RedHat; maybe that's the problem. I don't know. Any ideas as to why I might be getting all the errors? {If you want me to post the errors, I can, but there are a *lot* of them.}

[LazyArs808]

Allrighty, some problems i've had with Red Hat 8.0 (2.4.18-18.8.0):
1. WLAN takes over the alias of my ethernet card (eth0)
2. WEP encryption doesn't work
3. Internet sometimes works, and sometimes doesn't (without WEP)
4. I have no idea how to install (or where to get for that matter) the xforms library it likes to complain about
5. LVNet will load but hang whenever i try to change any settings

I haven't tried using netconfig; i've been using iwconfig instead. Does 2.4.20 have Wireless Lan - Non HAM Radio already compiled into the kernel?

The next time i boot into linux i will try your strategy, i've been working on this project for too long it seems now. i'm glad i'm not the only one out there with this pos adapter, and that i'm not wasting my time. thanx m8.

[LazyArs808]

Okay, so I logged in as root, untarred the file, ran 'make config', no problems. But when I run 'make clean all install', I get several screenfuls of error messages. I checked /etc/modules.conf just in case, but there was no 'post-install' anything. I have Mandrake 9.0, not RedHat; maybe that's the problem. I don't know. Any ideas as to why I might be getting all the errors? {If you want me to post the errors, I can, but there are a *lot* of them.}

When you do a 'make config' it will ask you if you wan't to build a debug version among other things. i have found that i do not need to build a debug version, and when i do i get a few "unresolved symbols" somewhere. also, when you compile the driver, make sure your usb adapter is UNPLUGGED! when the driver had finished compiling (after the 'make clean all install') run a 'depmod -a' too see if there are any of those annoying "unresolved symbols". After that, plug in your adapter and run a 'dmesg' to see what alias it gave it...defaults to eth0

[andrewy]

It's normal for their to be unresolved symbols, I have them and it still works. I'm not sure why WLAN is taking that over.. try editing /etc/modules.conf and changing "alias wlan? usbvnetr" to "alias eth? usbvnetr" Where ? is a number. I didn't use LVNET, I was able to get it working with just iwconfig and netconfig.
I don't the wireless support is enabled in the kernel unless you enable it, I would recomplile the kernel and when you get to the configuring part run "make xconfig" instead of make config or make oldconfig.
To start encryption type "iwconfig interface enc <full encryption key here>" For example if my USB adapter was eth0 and my encryption key was 0000 I would type "iwconfig eth0 enc 0000".
I had debugging enabled, it should work with it disable, though.
You can also try running "make install" instead of "make clean all install"
Hopefully that answers all your questions, if it doesn't just ask and i'll do my best to find the answer for ya.

[capitalPI]

Aha!

Apparently, I'm a moron who can't check his kernel version before complaining on forums. D'oh!

I'm told I'm running 2.4.19-16mdk or somesuch. Exactly what do I have to do to get my Mandrake up to speed? {Bear in mind that my only internet connection is currently confined to Windows, so none of this automatic download/install business I keep hearing about will work.}

Oh, and BTW: Before I figured out the kernel thing, I tried 'make install'--much fewer error messages, but there was still nothing to uncomment in '/etc/modules.conf'.

[andrewy]

Your using the Linksys Wireless USB v2.6, right?
If you are make sure you chose 503a RFMD when you did make configure and it asked you which one to build.
Here are the steps to upgrade the kernel:
Download 2.4.20 from here (http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v2.4/linux-2.4.20.tar.gz).
Put it on a FAT32 partition, if it's on an NTFS partition Linux can't read it.
Get into Linux, mount the FAT32 partition, to do this type "fdisk" or "fdisk -l" and it will tell you what the FAT32 partition is (e.g. hda1, hda2..) then type "mkdir /mnt/win" if the mkdir fails its ok. Then type "mount /dev/??? /mnt/win" where ??? is what you got from fdisk (hda1, hdb2...). Now get into /mnt/win and it should show all the directorys that you have under Windows, find the kernel in there and type "cp kernelfilename /usr/src/" where kernelfilename is the name of the kernel's tarball.
Go into /usr/src and type "tar zxvf kernelfilename" it should take a while and then make a directory with the kernel in it (e.g a directory named 2.4.20). Now get into that directory.
You must be root for the rest..
Then type "make xconfig" and make sure your in the 2.4.20 directory. Make sure you read ALL the options and make sure to enable ext3 support, FAT support and wireless lan (non hamradio). There probably alot in there that you need to enable so make sure to go through all the categorys.
Once your done with xconfig type "make dep"
Once thats finished type "make clean"
Then type "make bzImage"
Then type "make modules"
Then type "make modules_install"
Then type "make install"
It should now be installed and when you reboot your computer it should also give you the option of starting wtih kernel 2.4.20 on your GRUB or Lilo list.

[LazyArs808]

allrighty, i finally got wlan working under Red Hat Linux 8.0 (2.4.28-14). : )

It wouldn't have happened without some of the steps you took so thanks for the help bro. now on to television...

[andrewy]

Your very welcome, glad I could help.

[capitalPI]

<sigh> <grumble>

I must have screwed something up in those pages of config options. The kernel compiled, but I get a few [FAILED] messages on boot now, and worst of all, X won't load--which means I can't use 'make xconfig' to try to fix whatever I messed up. The old entry in LILO just loads the new kernel--how can I downgrade back to the old version? Do I need to start from scratch with the CDs again?

And thanks so much for all the help... this whole Linux thing *will* all be worth it in the end, right? :-)

[andrewy]

Yes it will.
Edit the LILO file and change the everything with 2.4.20 in it to 2.4.xx where xx is the version of the kernel you had previously.

[Nobody's Hero]

I'm having trouble getting the kernel to work. I've tried compiling it several times, each time changing a few options in the xconfig thing, but everytime after I restart I get the following error message:

Kernel panic: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on 00:00

Any ideas how I can fix this? I'd really appreciate it. We just switched to wireless today, so now I have to use my Windows XP partition to use the Internet and I'm not happy about it :)

Thanks so much for taking the time to explain this!

[andrewy]

Ok, boot with the old kernel and if your using Grub edit /boot/grub/grub.conf and is should list the different kernels. Goto the one you compiled and it should say something like "root=LABEL" or "ro=LABEL" or "append=root=LABEL", just something like that. Replace LABEL with your hard drive, so if your Linux HD was /dev/hda1 it would be "root=/dev/hda1"
If your using Lilo you have to do basically the same thing,but i'm not sure how you do it, since I use Grub.

[Nobody's Hero]

Yeah, I ended up figuring that out, thanks anyway though.

Just for the record, I couldn't get the new kernel working. After solving that problem, I had a whole bunch of others. I did get the linksys working with kernel 2.4.18-19.8.0 though by following your directions. The only problem I had was depmod wasn't in my path, so I kept getting an error on "make clean all install", but that was easy enough to fix.

[andrewy]

The kernel is a pain to set up if its your first try.. the first time I did it, it took about 2 days and alot of disk formats and RH reinstalls.
Right now i'm using RH 8.0.92 BETA (Phoebe), running kernel 2.4.20-2.2 and it works GREAT, way better than RH 8 stable ever did.

[Ghandi]

i'm getting an error after replacing LABEL with /dev/hda3 where hda3 is my "/" partition for boot of 2.4.20 kernal


ds: no socket drivers loaded!
kmod: failed to exec /sbinmodprobe -s -k nls_iso8859-1, errno = 2
Kernal panic: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on 03:00


i have done everything in the instructions for the installation of linux-2.4.20 kernel and the driver for the Linksys Wireless USB Adapter WUSB11 v2.6.

about the only progress i have received is in my 2.4.18-14 kernal that it actually recognizes that the adapter is made by Linksys.

thanks in advance.

[andrewy]

kmod: failed to exec /sbinmodprobe -s -k nls_iso8859-1, errno = 2

Notice that it says "/sbinmodprobe" it should be /sbin/modprobe
I'm not sure why it would be not inserting the slash.. if you have any idea as to why it isn't inserting it then try to fix it, otherwise you could copy "/sbin/modprobe" to "/sbinmodprobe" and in theory it should work fine.

[Ghandi]

that was a mistype.


kmod: failed to exec /sbin/modprobe -s -k nls_iso8859-1


i receive that error when i run the command dmesg

and also modprobe can't load any hid modules such as USB mouse, keyboard, joystick, or a module that writes the system time on shutdown/reboot.

on the failing to mount in grub i just deleted everything after LABEL and replace label with the respected partition, in my case /dev/hda3.

so...any ideas on how to get modprobe to function properly. i did try to write down the errors on boot but the text moves too fast to write anything down....would the pause|break button hold it?

[andrewy]

I have no idea why modprobe isn't working, then..
I have noticed that the USB Keyboard, HID & Mouse modules don't seem to work whenever I reboot the kernel, but everything else works fine.
Try asking at LQ, or in a different thread.