Hi,

I just installed Debian Linux 3.0rev2 on my laptop, which I use a Linksys WPC54G PCMCIA WLAN card to access the network. How to I configure the WLAN card to work? The power LEDs are on, but there's no connection.

TIA!


Regards,

Edwin

Check the card is being recognised and loaded at boot or when you plug it in if you have hotplug and/or discover by examining /var/log/syslog or messages. If not you are going to have to install the relevant driver (look for a howto on google). If it is being loaded then you are going to have to configure /etc/network/interfaces using static addressing or if the server you are connecting to uses dhcp configure the same file for dhcp (dhcp client should already be installed).

I did a search and found this site, which I think would be of good use:
http://tiefighter.et.tudelft.nl/~arthur/wpc54g/

However,

What do these prerequisites (found on the site) mean? And how can I ensure them?

prerequisites
* Debian testing (or unstable)
* kernel with correct modules (pcmcia, etc) (I use a 2.4.25 kernel built with make-kpkg)
* kernel sources available (or correct kernel-headers package installed)



TIA!!


Regards,

Edwin

Also http://linuxdrivers.foundries.source...id=12355#12529 deal with it in the same way. Looks like it could be quite a mission.

prerequisites

Debian testing (or unstable)
kernel with correct modules (pcmcia, etc) (I use a 2.4.25 kernel built with make-kpkg)
kernel sources available (or correct kernel-headers package installed)

i.e. you should be using either sarge or sid which would mean an upgrade, use at least the 2.4.25 kernel ( If you upgarde use the 2.6.X kernel ) and also install the relevant kernel headers or source because you'll need them to compile against.

Good luck

Rob

Hi,

How do I find out what kernel I'm using? And if its under 2.4.25, how do I get it upgraded?

Also, how do I install the relevant kernel headers/source?

Thanks!


Regards,

Edwin

uname -r

apt-cache search kernel-*

and then apt-get install the kernel image and headers you want.

To upgrade to sarge replace stable with sarge in you /etc/apt/sources.list and then
apt-get update && apt-get dist-upgrade

haha, this is getting more and more down to basics, but...

ok in order to download the new kernel and all that, i need to establish a connection to the net. This is what I have (alternatively from the wireless LAN card):

a PCMCIA Ethernet card which I use to connect to my router.
the router also acts as a DHCP server, issuing IP addresses to machines connected to it.

i hooked them up, and started my laptop. halfway i was prompted to enter the IP address, subnet mask, broadcast IP, network IP, default gateway. So i entered the IP address that the router WOULD HAVE issued, as well as the other values, and saved them.

but after linux and the desktop environment finished loading, i still do not have a connection to the router (it didn't even recognise the router IP). when i ran ifconfig, there was only a single entry, that of the localhost.

the PCMCIA Ethernet card is recognised, and is active (has lighted LED).

what else must i do?


Many Thanks!!


Regards,

Edwin

If the router is broadcasting dhcp how do you know the exact IP address it would have issued? For dhcp you use dhclient. Try
dpkg-reconfigure dhclient
Then check to see if it is running
ps aux | grep dhclient

You may have to obtain the Sarge CD's

'cos i configured the router to assign IP addresses sequentially.


Regards,

Edwin

But it's not getting it's other information that is distributed via DHCP. You need to run the dhclient.

ic, so i should leave out the entries during startup, and run dhclient ya?

btw, digressing, what's the HCL for?

Thanks!


Regards,

Edwin

dhcp is made to do things easy. There is no reason to do things the hard way. Try dhclient.

In order for your card to pick up the dhcp lease you need to tell the network how. Modify your /etc/network/interfaces to;
auto eth0
iface eth0 inet dhcp
then do /etc/init.d/networking restart
then check /var/log/messages or /var/log/syslog to see what has happened.

i did these two steps, and yup, it works! at least now i have a wired connection.

Thanks!

Now for the step of upgrading the kernel...


Regards,

Edwin

#uname -r
returns me 2.2.20-idepci
i suppose that means my kernel is version 2.2.20? what does the idepci mean?

#apt-cache search kernel-*
returns me quite a long list of packages... hmm... i don't really know what to make of them at the moment...

i then modified the sources.list file, and now they contain:
deb http://non-us.debian.org/debian-non-US stable/non-US main
deb http://non-us.debian.org/debian-non-US testing/non-US main

then i ran
#apt-get update
and
#apt-get dist-upgrade

but now my kernel is still 2.2.20-idepci.

did i do anything wrong, or missed out any step?

Thanks!


Regards,

Edwin