Request: ipw2200

[snop]

Hi,

I don't know if it's really possible to package a new ipw2200 (I don't know how tied is this to kernel).

Many people is having issues with this, mainly connection drops (see http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=21056 where I proposed an ugly hack).

The ipw2200 driver for Hoary is a bit outdated and connection drop issues where well known by ipw2200 developers. It seems that newer versions of this driver correct those problems (found at http://ipw2200.sourceforge.net/).

So I wonder if this could be "backported" easily (or if it has been backported already).

Edit: I've just read that driver/kernel backports are not encouraged (which I can understand) but this driver is really buggy and thus this can bring many laptop users to abandon Ubuntu because of frustration so perhaps is good to give it a try. Any other opnion's welcome.

Thanks in advance.

SnOp

PD: I've been too lazy to compile the driver myself but I think this time I'm gonna make an effort and try to package either the driver myself or a kernel with the new driver. Anyway any clue/hint/suggestion will be appreciated.

[jdong]

Is it a part of linux-restricted-modules? I couldn't find a separate package

I'd recommend first notifying Ubuntu developers of this, via the Ubuntu Bugzilla link in the top-right corner. They are supposed to be rolling out update packages "some time after Hoary is released". :) :)


I'll look into it.

[Psquared]

Yeah, this is a problem and it is getting worse -- at least for me. My wifi got dropped 3 times yesterday. I kept getting up and looking at my router until I read the ipw2200 threads here. The fixes on here are temporary workarounds -- unless someone has the gumption to compile themselves. (no offense to you snop - you worked hard on those scripts) There is a good thread about this by luca_linux, but I swear it looks tricky.

Anyway, the current version of the driver is 1.03 and Hoary is using ver .19. Go figure.

Jdong - pls see what you can do. :smile:

[jdong]

I'll ask again:

What package is this driver in?

[jdong]

Ugh, answered my own question -- it's in the monster "linux-image" package. I'll try to patch a new driver, either from the official site or from Linus's Git tree, and issue a kernel update in the "bleeding" tree.


It'll be better if you guys all filed a bug report with Ubuntu, though.

[snop]

Thanks for that fast answers.


It'll be better if you guys all filed a bug report with Ubuntu, though.

In fact the bug was filled more than once but the update was delayed because of Hoary freeze:

https://bugzilla.ubuntu.com/buglist.cgi?bug_status=UNCONFIRMED&bug_status=NEW&bug_status=ASSIGNED&bug_status=REOPENED&bug_status=NEEDINFO&bug_status=UPSTREAM&bug_status=PENDINGUPLOAD&field0-0-0=product&type0-0-0=substring&value0-0-0=ipw2200&field0-0-1=component&type0-0-1=substring&value0-0-1=ipw2200&field0-0-2=short_desc&type0-0-2=substring&value0-0-2=ipw2200&field0-0-3=status_whiteboard&type0-0-3=substring&value0-0-3=ipw2200

I'll try to compile the driver and see if it actually solves this issue.

Bye

PD: It's odd that this kind of things (i.e. drivers) must follow the same "freeze" as some other packages specialy when this driver is really buggy.

[Psquared]

Thanks for that fast answers.



In fact the bug was filled more than once but the update was delayed because of Hoary freeze:

https://bugzilla.ubuntu.com/buglist.cgi?bug_status=UNCONFIRMED&bug_status=NEW&bug_status=ASSIGNED&bug_status=REOPENED&bug_status=NEEDINFO&bug_status=UPSTREAM&bug_status=PENDINGUPLOAD&field0-0-0=product&type0-0-0=substring&value0-0-0=ipw2200&field0-0-1=component&type0-0-1=substring&value0-0-1=ipw2200&field0-0-2=short_desc&type0-0-2=substring&value0-0-2=ipw2200&field0-0-3=status_whiteboard&type0-0-3=substring&value0-0-3=ipw2200

I'll try to compile the driver and see if it actually solves this issue.

Bye

PD: It's odd that this kind of things (i.e. drivers) must follow the same "freeze" as some other packages specialy when this driver is really buggy.

Snop, if you are successful compiling the driver (I assume as a module and not the kernel) please post your results. The instructions by Luca_linux are not very novice friendly.

Thanks. O:)

[snop]

After some research it seems that the newest driver (1.0.3) from ipw2200.sourceforge.net dosen't have the needed patches to be merged into a kernel. This means that it will be probably packaged apart on Breezy.

This is both good and bad: It means that it would probably be easily updated in the future but also that it's probably a little harder to package than earlier versions.

Apart from this I've been triying 1.0.3 and connection dropouts seem to be a think of the past. I created a tgz with all the needed files to be installed with 2.6.10-686-5 kenrels (instructions here http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=161217&postcount=35).

This is yet an ugly hack (but not as ugly as the first python script I wrote).

If this helps someone great. Otherwise... I works for me, at least. ;)

Bye