I’m not sure where this one would go - it’s sort of a *nix system question. I execute a couple of commands to get my wifi module loaded, and get an error that doesn’t seem to cause any problems (does it?).
patti-probook:/home/patti # modprobe ieee80211 crypt tkip
FATAL: Error inserting ieee80211 (/lib/modules/2.6.27.45-0.1-default/kernel/net/ieee80211/ieee80211.ko): Unknown symbol in module, or unknown parameter (see dmesg)
patti-probook:/home/patti # insmod wl.ko
I tried not executing the modprobe ieee0211.ko command, but in that case, the wl.ko module failed to install. So even though modprobe throws an error, it is necessary.
Second question, how could I automate this installation so I don’t have to type it every time?
It will give you lots of output (to much to post here). To look through it at ease you beter catch it in a file:
dmesg >/tmp/dmesg-file
and then you use an editor of your choice. It takes a bit of clever searching to find what is interesting. E.g. you could serach for “ieee8021” to find the section where there is information. Then look before and after it. You could post here such a relevant piece.
I glean from the kernel version you are on suse 11.1. Correct? I have suse 11.0 and suse 11.2 so this may not be entirely relevant to you.
In suse 11.0, using /sbin/modprobe -l “ieee80211” there are three modules with similar names:
ieee80211_crypt - no dependencies
ieee80211 depends on ieee80211_crypt
ieee80211_crypt_tkip depends on iee80211_crypt
If you extract the info for any of them using /sbin/modinfo <module name>, you find none of them have parameters associated with them (which would be shown with parm: lines in the output).
In suse 11.1 there are only the modules:
ieee80211_crypt - no dependencies
ieee80211_crypt_tkip depends on iee80211_crypt
So I think when you do your ‘modprobe ieee80211 crypt tkip’, it ignores both parameters, but gives you a warning about the first, and then loads both ieee80211 and ieee80211_crypt. Your hardware then works.
You could try just doing ‘modprobe ieee80211_crypt_tkip’ which may produce the same result. I am not sure what the tkip bit does though.
If that works OK you can put ieee80211_crypt_tkip into the list of modules to be loaded at boot time:
Go to Yast -> System -> /etc/sysconfig,
Expand the tree for System, Kernel,
Add your module name to the MODULES_LOADED_ON_BOOT parameter (this is a space separated list).
Reboot and test.
This seemed to work OK, although for some reason, firefox won’t complete the login process on this website (laptop only). The print on the login page is also really small. Probably unrelated?
Edit: I think I was typing the wrong password… Here’s what I get after doing the above:
patti-probook:/home/patti # modprobe -l ieee80211
/lib/modules/2.6.27.45-0.1-default/kernel/net/ieee80211/ieee80211.ko
/lib/modules/2.6.27.45-0.1-default/kernel/net/ieee80211/ieee80211_crypt.ko
/lib/modules/2.6.27.45-0.1-default/kernel/net/ieee80211/ieee80211_crypt_wep.ko
/lib/modules/2.6.27.45-0.1-default/kernel/net/ieee80211/ieee80211_crypt_ccmp.ko
/lib/modules/2.6.27.45-0.1-default/kernel/net/ieee80211/ieee80211_crypt_tkip.ko
patti-probook:/home/patti #
The print on the login page is also really small. Probably unrelated?
I think so because the module probably only handles low level firmware stuff.
Question: where did you get your original modprobe command line from? I am thinking if you read it from a (badly printed) user guide or from someone else’s handwritten notes, then maybe it should be:
modprobe ieee80211_crypt_tkip
anyway and it just looked as though the underscores were missing.
From your list of modules, you have this module available. So maybe try again with that command line which should give you TKIP. Apparently TKIP is an upgrade to WEP as given here:
Yes, a link I’ve now lost - since it’s working via the command line now, I’m trying to automate the process during boot. Not sure how to use modprobe.d and modprobe.local.conf to do this… the syntax in man modprobe.local.conf seems very confusing compared to the command lines I’m using…
Thanks, Malcom - that may be the link I lost - it’s specific for 11.1 near the bottom rotfl!. Of course, now I’m test-installing 11.3 do my SD-RAM drive. Hopefully it will work and the wifi will get set up OOB, then I can just update 11.1 -> 11.3
While trying to get this to work a week ago, I put those lines into modprobe.conf.local, and copied wl.ko into modprobe.d But that didn’t work - it just throws a ton of errors during boot.
Now every time my laptop boots it tries to install wl.ko 3x (I see 9000 error lines each time it tries. I removed wl.ko from modprobe.d and the lines I added to modprobe.conf.local, but it still tries! I’m doing some searches for how the world the system knows where to find wl.ko… It must be a secret configuration file somewhere. :\
Sorry, I think you are doing it all wrong. ‘Modprobe.conf.local’ is not supposed to contain commands such as ‘insmod’ and ‘modprobe’ itself. Instead it contains parameter and alias definitions. ‘Modprobe.d’ also contains additional scripts for definitions and is not the place to put actual modules.
If you read the link, as posted by MalcolmLewis, it states more or less what I recommended for the module ‘ieee80211_crypt_tkip’ with an additional setup for the ‘wl.ko’ driver. All this is supposed to be done in Yast. The commands are only used to confirm that you can get the hardware working in temporary mode. So I think you do in Yast:
Go to System -> /etc/sysconfig -> Add the ieee80211_crypt_tkip to the MODULES_LOADED_ON_BOOT parameter and
Go to Network Devices → Network Setting → Click on your wireless card → Hardware tab → Select the ‘wl’ if not already done.
Do not put ‘insmod’ / ‘modprobe’ commands in modprobe configuration files. I am not surprised at 9000(!) lines of errors.
On 06/23/2010 07:56 PM, PattiMichelle wrote:
>
> While trying to get this to work a week ago, I put those lines into
> modprobe.conf.local, and copied wl.ko into modprobe.d But that didn’t
> work - it just throws a ton of errors during boot.
>
> Now every time my laptop boots it tries to install wl.ko 3x (I see 9000
> error lines each time it tries. I removed wl.ko from modprobe.d and the
> lines I added to modprobe.conf.local, but it still tries! I’m doing
> some searches for how the world the system knows where to find wl.ko…
> It must be a secret configuration file somewhere. :\
Did you do the “sudo make install” command from the wl directory? If you
did that, then you also need to add the magic command that Broadcom
forgot, namely “sudo /sbin/depmod -a”.
As a b43 developer, I really hate having to clean up Broadcom’s messes,
and certainly wait for the day that b43 supports ALL the BCM43XX cards.
