Linux wireless help.

I'm running VLOS 1.1 (based off Gentoo) and I'm trying to get my D-Link DWL 520 rev. e to run. I've gotten farther than I have in past installations using this tutorial:
http://home.columbus.rr.com/andrewba.../dwl520e1.html

My kernel is patched fine and I've installed everything, but when I try to modprobe hostap_pci, I get this:
FATAL: Module hostap_pci not found.

Originally, I downloaded the hostap-drivers through Portage, and when I ran a search on my system for hostap_pci, it wasn't there, so I got the package on the tutorial site and built it. Everything went fine according to his instructions, and I can find where the module was installed, but I still get the same result.

Can anyone help me figure it out?

After you did the kernel option + patching + module building, did you actually recompile your kernel?

I know after I've installed the custom module for my PCI ADSL card to the right folder, I have to depmod and env-update, otherwise I get the same error as you do if I try to modprobe it since it doesn't know it's there.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Endless

After you did the kernel option + patching + module building, did you actually recompile your kernel?

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I recompiled after patching but before I did anything with the modules or drivers. Portage wouldn't install any of the HostAP stuff without the kernel being patched. I'll try recompiling again, though.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by cl_out

I know after I've installed the custom module for my PCI ADSL card to the right folder, I have to depmod and env-update, otherwise I get the same error as you do if I try to modprobe it since it doesn't know it's there.

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I did use depmod, like the page said, but not env-update. Is there any special usage for it? I'm still really inexperienced with a lot of Linux stuff.

I don't know :p In my case, I just compile the module, make install, depmod, env-update, than it's ready for modprobing :p I don't actually know if env-update is necessary for me, but since I compile it so infrequently, I don't really want to test :p

Also, you want to install the custom module after you've installed the kernel's own modules with make modules_install, or it'll get deleted. You might also want to check that the /usr/src/linux symlink is pointing to the right kernel sources folder when you compile/install the other module, so it gets installed to the right place for the correct kernel version.

Recompiled and now I get a new error:
FATAL: Error inserting hostap_pci (/lib/modules/2.6.9-vidalinux1/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/hostap_pci.o): Invalid module format

I read something about .ko extensions in the 2.6 kernel being the wrong module extension, but these are .o, so I'm not too sure what to do.

Last time I had that kind of error happening to me, I had sources for my kernel more recent than the kernel compiled. After rebuilding the kernel (and maybe upgrading gcc, not sure about that), it properly worked.

I think I'm in a similar situation, but bass ackwards. My src folder has a 2.4 gentoo kernel in it, where my module folder, apparantly, is 2.6. I'll try to update and see if it all works.


edit: I upgraded GCC to the most recent stable version, recompiled my kernel using the vidalinux 2.6 source, and built the most recent hostAP drivers I could find. After a reboot, I still get the same error, except expanded a bit more:
WARNING: Error inserting hostap (/lib/modules/2.6.9-vidalinux1/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/hostap.ko): Invalid module format
FATAL: Error inserting hostap_pci (/lib/modules/2.6.9-vidalinux1/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/hostap_pci.o): Invalid module format