From dc083385fe7398d50a1a4b703e878939417ee7e3 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: "Luis R. Rodriguez" Date: Tue, 4 Aug 2009 18:39:08 -0700 Subject: Add new drivers-select to let users select their drivers Only adds atheros drivers for now. Patches welcomed for other drivers. Signed-off-by: Luis R. Rodriguez --- README | 111 +++++++++++++++++++---------------------------------------------- 1 file changed, 32 insertions(+), 79 deletions(-) (limited to 'README') diff --git a/README b/README index f0b4f868..7c6c2cd1 100644 --- a/README +++ b/README @@ -3,11 +3,9 @@ Linux Wireless compatibility package ===================================== This is a Linux wireless compatibility package which provides the latest -Linux wireless subsystem enhancements for kernels 2.6.22 and above. We provide -compatibility support since 2.6.22 as that is when mac80211 was introduced -onto the stock kernel. This adds mac80211, mac80211 drivers, and any new -full MAC driver which has had fairly recent updates worth getting such as -libertas, ipw2100 and ipw2200. +Linux wireless subsystem enhancements for kernels 2.6.25 and above. +It is technically possible to support kernels < 2.6.25 but more +work is required for that. If you'd like to keep the wireless-testing git repository local as well, please read out git-guide which explains how to achieve this: @@ -26,6 +24,8 @@ and not rely on this README: http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Download +Subscribe to the wiki page to get updates on the documentation. + Where to get the latest ----------------------- @@ -34,7 +34,17 @@ checkout of wireless-testing.git. However since not many users are expected to k a local git repository of wireless-testing we provide daily snapshots of this package + the wireless subsystem code. You can find the latest snapshot at: -http://wireless.kernel.org/download/compat-wireless-2.6/compat-wireless-2.6.tar.bz2 +http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Download + +Selecting your driver +--------------------- + +If you know the driver you want you can select it with our +helper script: + +./scripts/driver-select + +Run that script to see more information. Building, and installing ------------------------ @@ -58,23 +68,7 @@ distribution's supported drivers. Load: -If you know what module you need you can simply load the module using modprobe. -Note that if you are loading a mac80211 driver you must unload your current -mac80211 drivers as you have a new one to replace it with. Note also that -broadcom, zydas, and atheros devices have old legacy drivers which -you need to be sure are removed first. We provide a mechanism to unload all -old drivers and also load all new drivers if you are not sure what you are -doing. - -So, if you simply are not sure you can use: - - sudo make load - -This unloads your old wireless subsystem drivers and loads the new -shiny ones. For example if ipw3945 and its proprietary daemon are found -it'll be stopped and the module unloaded and then iwl3945 will be loaded. -If you are simply upgrading a mac80211 driver this will unload -the old one and the old mac80211 drivers and load the new ones. +Reboot unless you know what you are doing. Drivers ------- @@ -86,10 +80,12 @@ be interested in. Driver adm8211 ath5k +ath9h +ar9170 b43 b43legacy iwl3945 -iwl4965 +iwlagn ipw2100 ipw2200 libertas_cs (Libertas) @@ -105,58 +101,22 @@ rtl8180 (Realtek) rtl8187 (Realtek) zd1211rw -Known issues ------------- - -* Strange wireless device names: - -On Ubuntu and Fedora you may end up with strange network device names, -for example, wlan0_rename. This is a known issue and will be worked on. - -* nl80211: - -Kernels <= 2.6.22 now get nl80211 support, however, genl_multicast_group -won't work. This compatibility cannot be extended to older -kernels as the struct genl_family was extended on 2.6.23 to add -the struct list_head mcast_groups. +This package also provides more drivers which may be documented here -* b43: +For a complete list see: -b43 and b43legacy now loads. Since there was an old softmac broadcom driver -we provide a load script for this driver. To load the new generation -drivers (b43 and b43legacy) you can run: - - sudo b43load b43 - -To revert back to bcm43xx you can run: - - sudo b43load bcm43xx - -* MadWifi: - -If MadWifi is present the build system will detect this and disable it. It -does this by simply renaming ath_pci.ko to ath_pci.ko.ignore. This lets us -disable the MadWifi driver without blacklisting it which could cause issues -with users later. If you would like to enable MadWifi at a later time and -disable ath5k you can run: - - sudo athload madwifi - -To revert back to ath5k you can run: - - sudo athload ath5k - -* prism54, p54pci, p54usb? +http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Download -We don't provide prism54 in this package because distributions already provide -it. p54 is its replacement. prism54 works only with full MAC cards. p54 works -with both full MAC and soft MAC cards. +Non-wireless drivers +-------------------- -* What about net/ieee80211/softmac/ and their drivers? +To support b43 ssb is also provided, and since ssb is also provided +we provide b44 (the ethernet driverl). -This stuff is long gone. +The new rfkill drivers also provided and backported. -* Firmware: +Firmware: +--------- If your driver needs firmware please be sure to check the driver page for that driver here: @@ -174,12 +134,6 @@ will encourage vendors and developers to post patches upstream first rather than forking or maintaining their own mac80211 releases with their own patches for their own drivers. -How about compatibility work for kernels < 2.6.22 ? ---------------------------------------------------- - -Sure, feel free to send patches. The main work was designed to support -kernels >= 2.6.22 as that was when mac80211 was introduced. - Building for external kernels ---------------------------------- @@ -235,7 +189,6 @@ TODO ---- * Compatibilty work for 2.6.18 --> 2.6.21 -* Dialog (make menuconfig) option for this package Patches for compatibility work ------------------------------ @@ -245,8 +198,8 @@ Please send patches against: git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/mcgrof/compat-wireless-2.6.git To: Luis R. Rodriguez -CC: compat-masters@lists.madwifi.org -Subject: [PATCH] compat-2.6: add driver foo +CC: linux-wireless@vger.kernel.org +Subject: [PATCH] compat-2.6: backport foo Patches for drivers ------------------- -- cgit v1.2.3