HOWTO: ipw2200 + wpa

[fulco]

@ fulco: the python script is useless since the disconnecting issue has been fixed in 1.0.3 driver version.
The sh script for booting is really useful, instead. Thanks!

@luca: for me it is useful, because my Wifi regularly disconnects in the house. This is not a driver issue (I use 1.0.3) but an issue with my reception quality due to walls, distance, electronic equipment. The problem was that, once it was disconnected, it would not reconnect automatically. Disabling/enabling the network interface would not reconnect me either. So only unloading and reloading de driver with a modprobe works for me (or rebooting, obviously). I have seen more people with this problem on this forum.

Another thing (which might actually make my bootscript useless for you if you dont use the python script): I now added these lines to my /etc/network/interfaces to (re)init wpa_supplicant (found it in the WPA WiKi):

up   /usr/sbin/wpa_supplicant -B -w -D ipw -i eth0 -c/etc/wpa_supplicant.conf -qq
down killall wpa_supplicant

This works great too. I now just use the bootscript for starting the python script that just bothers with modprobing the driver in case of connectionloss, and leave bringing up wpa_supplicant to /etc/network/interfaces.

[ChamPro]

Okay... I have the kernel headers (linux-headers-686) and the build essential meta packages installed. Do I still need the kernel source too? (linux-source-2.6.10)

I have no idea where I'm supposed to create a kernel symlink. I looked all over the forums, but couldn't find the directory I'm supposed to point to.

Thanks for the straightforward advice. I fired up synaptic and snagged the build essentials and the kernel headers and the drivers installed without a hitch!

[radhaz]

Okay... I have the kernel headers (linux-headers-686) and the build essential meta packages installed. Do I still need the kernel source too? (linux-source-2.6.10)

I have no idea where I'm supposed to create a kernel symlink. I looked all over the forums, but couldn't find the directory I'm supposed to point to.

I didn't need to install the kernel source to get it up and running

[ChamPro]

I'm still getting this error when I try to make.

make[1] Entering directory '/lib/modules/2.6.10-5-386/build'
make[1] *** No rule to make target 'modules'. Stop.
make[1] Leaving directory '/lib/modules/2.6.10-5-386/build'
make: *** [modules] Error 2

I didn't need to install the kernel source to get it up and running

[luca_linux]

Install the package linux-tree-2.6.10 too and type at console the following commands:

ln -s /usr/src/linux-source-2.6.10 /usr/src/linux
ln -s /usr/src/linux-source-2.6.10 /lib/modules/2.6.10-5-386/build

It should work now.

[ChamPro]

Thanks for being explicit for a newbie, however (always a but isn't there). I unpacked the source into that directory and used those two links (the second one I modified to 686). I then tried the make command and I have a crazy amount of warnings and errors. I really don't know what's up condering this install of Ubuntu is only a week or two old.

My errors end with this for make install. Thanks for your help.

/home/zoph/Desktop/Downloads/ipw2200/ipw2200-1.0.3/ipw2200.c:7730: error: storage size of `ipw_wx_handler_def' isn't known
/home/zoph/Desktop/Downloads/ipw2200/ipw2200-1.0.3/ipw2200.c:8097: error: storage size of `ipw_ethtool_ops' isn't known
{standard input}:6009: Error: symbol `channel' is already defined
{standard input}:7534: Error: symbol `mode' is already defined
make[2]: *** [/home/zoph/Desktop/Downloads/ipw2200/ipw2200-1.0.3/ipw2200.o] Error 1
make[1]: *** [_module_/home/zoph/Desktop/Downloads/ipw2200/ipw2200-1.0.3] Error 2
make[1]: Leaving directory `/usr/src/linux-source-2.6.10'
make: *** [modules] Error 2

Install the package linux-tree-2.6.10 too and type at console the following commands:

ln -s /usr/src/linux-source-2.6.10 /usr/src/linux
ln -s /usr/src/linux-source-2.6.10 /lib/modules/2.6.10-5-386/build

It should work now.

[luca_linux]

Try to manually copy the modules (made in the ipw2200-1.0.3 dir) into the right directories specified in the howto.

[ChamPro]

Wow... I really don't know what the #*&$ is going on. I haven't had this much trouble with Ubuntu ever.

Here's the beginning of the list of warnings I get when executing make. I tried changing the permissions of a lot of directories to no avail. The make and make install creates no kernel modules whatsoever.

zoph@nebosuke:~/Desktop/Downloads/ipw2200/ipw2200-1.0.3$ make
make -C /lib/modules/2.6.10-5-686/build SUBDIRS=/home/zoph/Desktop/Downloads/ipw 2200/ipw2200-1.0.3 MODVERDIR=/home/zoph/Desktop/Downloads/ipw2200/ipw2200-1.0.3 modules
make[1]: Entering directory `/usr/src/linux-source-2.6.10'
Makefile:484: .config: No such file or directory
  CC [M]  /home/zoph/Desktop/Downloads/ipw2200/ipw2200-1.0.3/ipw2200.o
In file included from include/linux/module.h:9,
                 from /home/zoph/Desktop/Downloads/ipw2200/ipw2200-1.0.3/ipw2200 .h:32,
                 from /home/zoph/Desktop/Downloads/ipw2200/ipw2200-1.0.3/ipw2200 .c:33:
include/linux/config.h:4:28: linux/autoconf.h: No such file or directory
In file included from include/linux/module.h:10,
                 from /home/zoph/Desktop/Downloads/ipw2200/ipw2200-1.0.3/ipw2200 .h:32,
                 from /home/zoph/Desktop/Downloads/ipw2200/ipw2200-1.0.3/ipw2200 .c:33:
include/linux/sched.h:4:37: asm/param.h: No such file or directory
In file included from include/linux/types.h:13,
                 from include/linux/capability.h:16,
                 from include/linux/sched.h:7,
                 from include/linux/module.h:10,
                 from /home/zoph/Desktop/Downloads/ipw2200/ipw2200-1.0.3/ipw2200 .h:32,
                 from /home/zoph/Desktop/Downloads/ipw2200/ipw2200-1.0.3/ipw2200 .c:33:
include/linux/posix_types.h:47:29: asm/posix_types.h: No such file or directory
In file included from include/linux/capability.h:16,
                 from include/linux/sched.h:7,
                 from include/linux/module.h:10,
                 from /home/zoph/Desktop/Downloads/ipw2200/ipw2200-1.0.3/ipw2200 .h:32,
                 from /home/zoph/Desktop/Downloads/ipw2200/ipw2200-1.0.3/ipw2200 .c:33:
include/linux/types.h:14:23: asm/types.h: No such file or directory
In file included from include/linux/capability.h:16,
                 from include/linux/sched.h:7,
                 from include/linux/module.h:10,
                 from /home/zoph/Desktop/Downloads/ipw2200/ipw2200-1.0.3/ipw2200 .h:32,
                 from /home/zoph/Desktop/Downloads/ipw2200/ipw2200-1.0.3/ipw2200 .c:33:
include/linux/types.h:18: error: syntax error before "__kernel_dev_t"
include/linux/types.h:18: warning: type defaults to `int' in declaration of `__k ernel_dev_t'
include/linux/types.h:18: warning: data definition has no type or storage class
include/linux/types.h:21: error: syntax error before "dev_t"
include/linux/types.h:21: warning: type defaults to `int' in declaration of `dev _t'

Maybe I'm heading for a another format. Lovely.

Try to manually copy the modules (made in the ipw2200-1.0.3 dir) into the right directories specified in the howto.

[MonkeyWrench32]

ChamPro, I'm getting the same errors and I have no clue what do to either.

[gondoi]

Man I don't know what's going on here... Everyone seems to be able to get wpasupplicant in a snap. Maybe it's because i'm new to Ubuntu and i'm missing a repository, but I keep getting this when i try to apt-get the wpasupplicant:

~$ sudo apt-get install wpasupplicant
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
E: Couldn't find package wpasupplicant