Building zd1211 drivers fore WiFi dongle

[johncohn]

Note.. I posted this same query in the nabble nslu2-linux forum. Someone there suggested I try here as well. tnx

Folks.
I'm a total newb in both the debian and slug worlds... but I'm already having a blast... and want to get fluent in these things.  Right now I'm trying to get a zd1211 based wifi USB dongle working with my slug using the instructions here  . I poked around some and learned that someone had built the zd1211 drivers in a package called zd12111-firmware. When I try to install it I get

LKG7CD387:~#  apt-get install zd1211-firmware
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Package zd1211-firmware is not available, but is referred to by another package.
This may mean that the package is missing, has been obsoleted, or
is only available from another source
E: Package zd1211-firmware has no installation candidate

I looked further and found a package called zd1211-source, which I downloaded. From what I can tell, that gave me a file called zd1211.tar.bz2 in /usr/src .. Now, I suspect that  most folks know what to do with that type of file. I'm sure it's a source tar file of some sort, , but I don't yet know how to unpack it,modify it for my system config,build it and install the drivers it creates. . Is there some sort of 'Building drivers for dummy's' anywhere ? I've searched the web and this forum but most of the info assumes more knowledge than I have.  I'm eager to learn...but I just need a pointer in the right direction. Any help much appreciated ...

-jc

[Richard Bown]

On Sat, 21 Jun 2008 19:41:53 -0700 (PDT)
johncohn <johncohn@...> wrote:

>
> Note.. I posted this same query in the nabble nslu2-linux forum.
> Someone there suggested I try here as well. tnx
>
> Folks.
> I'm a total newb in both the debian and slug worlds... but I'm already
> having a blast... and want to get fluent in these things.  Right now
> I'm trying to get a zd1211 based wifi USB dongle working with my slug
> using the instructions here  . I poked around some and learned that
> someone had built the zd1211 drivers in a package called
> zd12111-firmware. When I try to install it I get
>
> LKG7CD387:~#  apt-get install zd1211-firmware
> Reading package lists... Done
> Building dependency tree... Done
> Package zd1211-firmware is not available, but is referred to by
> another package.
> This may mean that the package is missing, has been obsoleted, or
> is only available from another source
> E: Package zd1211-firmware has no installation candidate
>
> I looked further and found a package called zd1211-source, which I
> downloaded. From what I can tell, that gave me a file called
> zd1211.tar.bz2 in /usr/src .. Now, I suspect that  most folks know
> what to do with that type of file. I'm sure it's a source tar file of
> some sort, , but I don't yet know how to unpack it,modify it for my
> system config,build it and install the drivers it creates. . Is there
> some sort of 'Building drivers for dummy's' anywhere ? I've searched
> the web and this forum but most of the info assumes more knowledge
> than I have.  I'm eager to learn...but I just need a pointer in the
> right direction. Any help much appreciated ...
>
> -jc

HI
I just plugged my USB WiFi dongle in it requires wpa_suppicant as well
as zd1211rw.

That's not on a debian system , but kernel modules stay pretty much the
same across distros

HTH
Richard


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[johncohn]

Richanrd,
   Where did you get zd1211rw ? I don't see it on the nslu2 ...  Thanks !
-jc

Richard Bown wrote:

On Sat, 21 Jun 2008 19:41:53 -0700 (PDT)
johncohn <[e-mail]> wrote:

>
> Note.. I posted this same query in the nabble nslu2-linux forum.
> Someone there suggested I try here as well. tnx
>
> Folks.
> I'm a total newb in both the debian and slug worlds... but I'm already
> having a blast... and want to get fluent in these things.  Right now
> I'm trying to get a zd1211 based wifi USB dongle working with my slug
> using the instructions here  . I poked around some and learned that
> someone had built the zd1211 drivers in a package called
> zd12111-firmware. When I try to install it I get
>
> LKG7CD387:~#  apt-get install zd1211-firmware
> Reading package lists... Done
> Building dependency tree... Done
> Package zd1211-firmware is not available, but is referred to by
> another package.
> This may mean that the package is missing, has been obsoleted, or
> is only available from another source
> E: Package zd1211-firmware has no installation candidate
>
> I looked further and found a package called zd1211-source, which I
> downloaded. From what I can tell, that gave me a file called
> zd1211.tar.bz2 in /usr/src .. Now, I suspect that  most folks know
> what to do with that type of file. I'm sure it's a source tar file of
> some sort, , but I don't yet know how to unpack it,modify it for my
> system config,build it and install the drivers it creates. . Is there
> some sort of 'Building drivers for dummy's' anywhere ? I've searched
> the web and this forum but most of the info assumes more knowledge
> than I have.  I'm eager to learn...but I just need a pointer in the
> right direction. Any help much appreciated ...
>
> -jc
HI
I just plugged my USB WiFi dongle in it requires wpa_suppicant as well
as zd1211rw.

That's not on a debian system , but kernel modules stay pretty much the
same across distros

HTH
Richard


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[Wouter Verhelst]

On Sat, Jun 21, 2008 at 07:41:53PM -0700, johncohn wrote:

> Note.. I posted this same query in the nabble nslu2-linux forum. Someone
> there suggested I try here as well. tnx
>
> Folks.
> I'm a total newb in both the debian and slug worlds... but I'm already
> having a blast... and want to get fluent in these things.  Right now I'm
> trying to get a zd1211 based wifi USB dongle working with my slug using the
> instructions here  . I poked around some and learned that someone had built
> the zd1211 drivers in a package called zd12111-firmware. When I try to
> install it I get
>
> LKG7CD387:~#  apt-get install zd1211-firmware
> Reading package lists... Done
> Building dependency tree... Done
> Package zd1211-firmware is not available, but is referred to by another
> package.
> This may mean that the package is missing, has been obsoleted, or
> is only available from another source
> E: Package zd1211-firmware has no installation candidate
>
> I looked further and found a package called zd1211-source, which I
> downloaded. From what I can tell, that gave me a file called zd1211.tar.bz2
> in /usr/src .. Now, I suspect that  most folks know what to do with that
> type of file.

You want to use module-assistant to compile and install this for you:

apt-get install module-assistant
m-a prepare
m-a install zd1211

However, the zd1211 stuff has been orphaned recently, so it's possible
that it doesn't work currently. AIUI, the problem is that the maintainer
doesn't have any zd1211 hardware anymore to test with; I'd take over, if
not for the fact that my hardware died, too (and that I'm not a kernel
person).

--
<Lo-lan-do> Home is where you have to wash the dishes.
  -- #debian-devel, Freenode, 2004-09-22


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[johncohn]

Wouter,
    Thanks this looks like just what I need. I have module-assistant up and configured. When I enter

m-a install zd1211

It doesn't seem to find the source files.. Where do the source files need to be ? the file
zd1211.tar.bz2 which was in /usr/src  ..  then

m-a install zd1211  still failed.. it gave me

 Package zd1211-source was not built successfully, see
     │ /var/cache/modass/zd1211-source*buildlog* for details!


but /var/cache/modass is empty

I then cd'ed int /usr/src and manually unpacked the tarball into /usr/src  and tried m-a install zd1211 again and again it failed as above

I then moved the unpacked zd1211 int /usr/src/modules/zd1211  (and then renamed it to zd1211-source) and both gave the same response

I then cd'd into /usr/src/modules/zf1211-source and did a 'make' and got this

/lib/modules/2.6.18-6-ixp4xx/build
/usr/src/modules/zd1211-source
-I/usr/src/modules/zd1211-source/src/include -fomit-frame-pointer -O2 -Wall -Wstrict-prototypes -pipe -DZDCONF_WE_STAT_SUPPORT=1 -DHOST_IF_USB -DAMAC -DGCCK -DOFDM -DHOSTAPD_SUPPORT -DUSE_EP4_SET_REG -DDOWNLOADFIRMWARE -DfTX_GAIN_OFDM=0 -DfNEW_CODE_MAP=1 -DfWRITE_WORD_REG=1 -DfREAD_MUL_REG=1 -DENHANCE_RX=1 -DZD1211
src/zd1205.o src/zdasocsvc.o src/zdauthreq.o src/zdauthrsp.o src/zdmmrx.o src/zdshared.o src/zdhci.o src/zdglobal.o src/zdencrypt.o src/zdpmfilter.o src/zdpsmon.o src/zdsynch.o src/zdbuf.o src/zd1205_proc.o src/zdhw.o src/zddebug.o src/zdtkipseed.o src/zdmic.o src/zdusb.o src/zd1211.o
make -C /lib/modules/2.6.18-6-ixp4xx/build SUBDIRS=/usr/src/modules/zd1211-source modules
make: *** /lib/modules/2.6.18-6-ixp4xx/build: No such file or directory.  Stop.
make: *** [all] Error 2

I know I'm flailing here.. but it's so much fun !.. Any pointers on better paths to becoming less of a newb here much appreciated.

Thanks
-jc

Wouter Verhelst wrote:

On Sat, Jun 21, 2008 at 07:41:53PM -0700, johncohn wrote:
> Note.. I posted this same query in the nabble nslu2-linux forum. Someone
> there suggested I try here as well. tnx
>
> Folks.
> I'm a total newb in both the debian and slug worlds... but I'm already
> having a blast... and want to get fluent in these things.  Right now I'm
> trying to get a zd1211 based wifi USB dongle working with my slug using the
> instructions here  . I poked around some and learned that someone had built
> the zd1211 drivers in a package called zd12111-firmware. When I try to
> install it I get
>
> LKG7CD387:~#  apt-get install zd1211-firmware
> Reading package lists... Done
> Building dependency tree... Done
> Package zd1211-firmware is not available, but is referred to by another
> package.
> This may mean that the package is missing, has been obsoleted, or
> is only available from another source
> E: Package zd1211-firmware has no installation candidate
>
> I looked further and found a package called zd1211-source, which I
> downloaded. From what I can tell, that gave me a file called zd1211.tar.bz2
> in /usr/src .. Now, I suspect that  most folks know what to do with that
> type of file.

You want to use module-assistant to compile and install this for you:

apt-get install module-assistant
m-a prepare
m-a install zd1211

However, the zd1211 stuff has been orphaned recently, so it's possible
that it doesn't work currently. AIUI, the problem is that the maintainer
doesn't have any zd1211 hardware anymore to test with; I'd take over, if
not for the fact that my hardware died, too (and that I'm not a kernel
person).

--
<Lo-lan-do> Home is where you have to wash the dishes.
  -- #debian-devel, Freenode, 2004-09-22


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[Xan-3]

Perhaps it's a bug with module-assistant.
I asked in list and perhaps it's related [http://lists.debian.org/debian-arm/2008/05/msg00094.html]

Regards,
Xan.

En/na johncohn ha escrit:

Wouter,
    Thanks this looks like just what I need. I have module-assistant up and
configured. When I enter 

m-a install zd1211

It doesn't seem to find the source files.. Where do the source files need to
be ? the file 
zd1211.tar.bz2 which was in /usr/src  ..  then

m-a install zd1211  still failed.. it gave me 

 Package zd1211-source was not built successfully, see
     │ /var/cache/modass/zd1211-source*buildlog* for details!


but /var/cache/modass is empty

I then cd'ed int /usr/src and manually unpacked the tarball into /usr/src 
and tried m-a install zd1211 again and again it failed as above

I then moved the unpacked zd1211 int /usr/src/modules/zd1211  (and then
renamed it to zd1211-source) and both gave the same response

I then cd'd into /usr/src/modules/zf1211-source and did a 'make' and got
this 

/lib/modules/2.6.18-6-ixp4xx/build
/usr/src/modules/zd1211-source
-I/usr/src/modules/zd1211-source/src/include -fomit-frame-pointer -O2 -Wall
-Wstrict-prototypes -pipe -DZDCONF_WE_STAT_SUPPORT=1 -DHOST_IF_USB -DAMAC
-DGCCK -DOFDM -DHOSTAPD_SUPPORT -DUSE_EP4_SET_REG -DDOWNLOADFIRMWARE
-DfTX_GAIN_OFDM=0 -DfNEW_CODE_MAP=1 -DfWRITE_WORD_REG=1 -DfREAD_MUL_REG=1
-DENHANCE_RX=1 -DZD1211
src/zd1205.o src/zdasocsvc.o src/zdauthreq.o src/zdauthrsp.o src/zdmmrx.o
src/zdshared.o src/zdhci.o src/zdglobal.o src/zdencrypt.o src/zdpmfilter.o
src/zdpsmon.o src/zdsynch.o src/zdbuf.o src/zd1205_proc.o src/zdhw.o
src/zddebug.o src/zdtkipseed.o src/zdmic.o src/zdusb.o src/zd1211.o
make -C /lib/modules/2.6.18-6-ixp4xx/build
SUBDIRS=/usr/src/modules/zd1211-source modules
make: *** /lib/modules/2.6.18-6-ixp4xx/build: No such file or directory. 
Stop.
make: *** [all] Error 2

I know I'm flailing here.. but it's so much fun !.. Any pointers on better
paths to becoming less of a newb here much appreciated. 

Thanks
-jc



Wouter Verhelst wrote:
  

On Sat, Jun 21, 2008 at 07:41:53PM -0700, johncohn wrote:
    

Note.. I posted this same query in the nabble nslu2-linux forum. Someone
there suggested I try here as well. tnx

Folks.
I'm a total newb in both the debian and slug worlds... but I'm already
having a blast... and want to get fluent in these things.  Right now I'm
trying to get a zd1211 based wifi USB dongle working with my slug using
the
instructions here  . I poked around some and learned that someone had
built
the zd1211 drivers in a package called zd12111-firmware. When I try to
install it I get

LKG7CD387:~#  apt-get install zd1211-firmware
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Package zd1211-firmware is not available, but is referred to by another
package.
This may mean that the package is missing, has been obsoleted, or
is only available from another source
E: Package zd1211-firmware has no installation candidate

I looked further and found a package called zd1211-source, which I
downloaded. From what I can tell, that gave me a file called
zd1211.tar.bz2
in /usr/src .. Now, I suspect that  most folks know what to do with that
type of file.
      

You want to use module-assistant to compile and install this for you:

apt-get install module-assistant
m-a prepare
m-a install zd1211

However, the zd1211 stuff has been orphaned recently, so it's possible
that it doesn't work currently. AIUI, the problem is that the maintainer
doesn't have any zd1211 hardware anymore to test with; I'd take over, if
not for the fact that my hardware died, too (and that I'm not a kernel
person).

-- 
<Lo-lan-do> Home is where you have to wash the dishes.
  -- #debian-devel, Freenode, 2004-09-22


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[Alan Snelgrove]

On 24 Jun 2008, at 18:02, John M Cohn wrote:

Mr Codger...
Thanks so much rot the lead.. I was able to get the firmware in there.. but I'm not sure what commands I need to do to bring the link up and configure it. Do you have any guidance there ?

When I do an 'ifconfig wlan0 up' it tells me it cant find the device

Thanks again for your help
-jc



John Cohn PhD
IBM Fellow - Systems and Technology Group
tel: [phone] (t/l 446-), cell: 802-578-0985
asst:Jleigh Howard 802-769-6035 (jleigh@...)
blog: blog.myspace.com/johncohn



<graycol.gif>old.codger@...

old.codger@...

06/23/2008 04:56 PM

<ecblank.gif> To	<ecblank.gif> John M Cohn/Burlington/IBM@IBMUS
<ecblank.gif> cc	<ecblank.gif>
<ecblank.gif> Subject	<ecblank.gif> Re: Building zd1211 drivers fore WiFi dongle

<ecblank.gif>

<ecblank.gif>

I have a wifi dongle working on a slug using Debian Sid. But, I got  
the firmware from
http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=129083

The README says put them in  /lib/firmware/zd1211/

As I said I am using Debian Sid on the NSLU2.

You need to get wpasupplicant and wireless-tools

My /etc/network/interfaces contains either  

allow-hotplug wlan0

iface wlan0 inet dhcp

        wpa_ap_scan     1

        wpa_scan_ssid   1

        wpa_ssid        "WPAnet"

#        #psk "some password"

        wpa_psk         e36f5fbf83d5ba33aa52ff13875af7d8dabb5868aa03889704ef5ab3b0e9f65d

        wpa_proto       WPA2

        wpa_key_mgmt    WPA-PSK

        wpa_pairwise    CCMP

        wpa_group       CCMP

        wpa_auth_alg    OPEN

OR

allow-hotplug wlan0

iface wlan0 inet dhcp

        wpa_scan_ssid 1

        wpa_ssid "WEPNet"

#        #psk "helphelphelps"

        wpa_wep_key0 68656c7068656c7068656c7073

        wpa_key_mgmt NONE

        wpa_group WEP104

        wpa_auth_alg SHARED 

        wpa_wep_tx_keyidx 0

Use wpa_passphrase to generate the wpa_psk string.

I used http://paulschou.com/tools/xlate/  to convert the 13 ascii characters to hex.

you can use:  iwlist wlan0 scan

to see if the dongle finds any networks.

To get the wlan0 associated to the access point I used

ifup -v wlan0

ifconfig gives;

wlan0     Link encap:Ethernet  HWaddr 00:0e:8f:0d:64:ff  

          inet addr:192.168.1.14  Bcast:192.168.1.255  Mask:255.255.255.0

          UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST  MTU:1500  Metric:1

          RX packets:41 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0

          TX packets:62 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0

          collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000 

          RX bytes:11589 (11.3 KiB)  TX bytes:16301 (15.9 KiB)

wmaster0  Link encap:UNSPEC  HWaddr 00-0E-8F-0D-64-FF-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00  

          UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST  MTU:1500  Metric:1

          RX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0

          TX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0

          collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000 

          RX bytes:0 (0.0 B)  TX bytes:0 (0.0 B)

iwconfig gives

wlan0     IEEE 802.11  ESSID:"WPAnet"  

          Mode:Managed  Frequency:2.452 GHz  Access Point: 00:1A:59:7B:FA:2E   

          Bit Rate=18 Mb/s   Tx-Power=27 dBm   

          Retry min limit:7   RTS thr:off   Fragment thr=2352 B   

          Encryption key:782C-6F44-3267-FCD0-ADAE-2854-6FE9-1C38 [3]

          Link Quality=58/100  Signal level:75/100  

          Rx invalid nwid:0  Rx invalid crypt:0  Rx invalid frag:0

          Tx excessive retries:0  Invalid misc:0   Missed beacon:0

I have experienced some trouble resolving local addresses when the ethernet is not used.

w3m www.google.com works fine, but ping mymac.local (the computer I am ssh'd in with does not )

I also cannot do a ssh root@... from mymac.

I have found a workaround involving running "wpa_cli scan" in /etc/rc.local and 

the same one line bash script in /etc/network/if-up.d/zscan   

But this only works if you install updated drivers using compat-wireless from http://linuxwireless.org/download/compat-wireless-2.6/compat-wireless-2.6.tar.bz2

and you will need to install via apt-get  "linux-headers-2.6.25-2-all-armel" to compile compat-wireless

I have no idea why the above works for me.

Alan

 

[Wouter Verhelst]

On Mon, Jun 23, 2008 at 10:02:57AM -0700, johncohn wrote:
> I then cd'd into /usr/src/modules/zf1211-source and did a 'make' and got
> this
[...]
> SUBDIRS=/usr/src/modules/zd1211-source modules
> make: *** /lib/modules/2.6.18-6-ixp4xx/build: No such file or directory.

This means you haven't installed the kernel headers. Kernel modules need
these headers in order to be able to install stuff.

If you run 'm-a prepare', it will make sure that all the necessary
prerequisites for compiling and installing a module-assistant package
are in place.

--
<Lo-lan-do> Home is where you have to wash the dishes.
  -- #debian-devel, Freenode, 2004-09-22


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