Damn Small Linux - Not!

rbeldin · Joined: 28 May 2006 Posts: 2

I've got DSL-N mostly working on a HP Compaq nc2200, which is a Pentium M laptop with a ipw2200 wireless interface. I wanted a usb-distro with a 2.6 kernel and this seemed closest to what I wanted.

At boot time the kernel recognizes the wireless card, and module ipw2200 is loaded. No network interface is created, only eth0 for the hardwired interface. I can see from the kernel messages that it is failing to find the firmware file (sorry I don't have the messages here, booted ubuntu to post). It was looking for the file:

ipw-2.2-boot.fw

which I couldn't find at all on the system. Ubuntu stashes the firmware files for hotplug in /lib/hotplug/firmware but I didn't find
that on the system.

I found the repository:

which is for the 2.4 DSL distribution and there a 'package' (unclear of the teminology here) for ipw2200.

Is there something similar for the DSL-N ?

Or do I have to build/download the fw files for ipw2200 and integrate them somehow?

Thanks,

Rick

rbeldin · Joined: 28 May 2006 Posts: 2

Did some more work on this. I decided to try and rebuild KNOPPIX compressed filesystem and simply add the ipw* files that the kernel was complaining about. i put the files in /usr/lib/hotplug/firmware/ in the newly rebuilt KNOPPIX. Some permissions problems kept me in the weeds for a while, but I finally got the system to boot after some fiddling. (I had to resize partition 1 on the usb drive with parted and that seems to have introduced a bit of a problem, but that is a separate issue).

Now I can see that under DSL-N there are the frmware files under /usr/lib/hotplug/firmware, but the ipw2200 module still returns a -2 - indicating that it either can't find the file or sysfs isn't mounted. sysfs is mounted, so I am guessing that it simply can find the file. I noticed that on Debian (Ubuntu) the firmware files are in /lib/hotplug/firmware as opposed to the /usr/lib path in DSL. The /etc/hotplug/firmware.agent script doesn't seem to have any obvious errors... Hmmm...

Unclear how to troubleshoot hotplug since the daemon is kicked by the kernel. Debug messages dont show up in /var/log/messages even with syslog on...

Thoughts?

Rick

roberts · Joined: 17 Apr 2006 Posts: 320 Location: OC CA USA

I will look into it.

joedarr · Joined: 08 Jun 2006 Posts: 3

I have the same issue as the user below. I am using an IBM Thinkpad T42 that uses an ipw2200 wireless interface. Getting DSL version 2.4 to work with this (from a "live" cd or "live" USB thumbdrive) would be terrific. My co-workers could use it with their IBM laptops:

X30
X31
X41
T41
T43

We would highly appreciate the efforts of the DSL crew to make this happen. Is there anywhere else we can post our request (if this spot is not appropriate)?

Thanks.

----------
[quote="rbeldin"]I've got DSL-N mostly working on a HP Compaq nc2200, which is a Pentium M laptop with a ipw2200 wireless interface. I wanted a usb-distro with a 2.6 kernel and this seemed closest to what I wanted.

At boot time the kernel recognizes the wireless card, and module ipw2200 is loaded. No network interface is created, only eth0 for the hardwired interface. I can see from the kernel messages that it is failing to find the firmware file (sorry I don't have the messages here, booted ubuntu to post). It was looking for the file:

ipw-2.2-boot.fw

which I couldn't find at all on the system. Ubuntu stashes the firmware files for hotplug in /lib/hotplug/firmware but I didn't find
that on the system.

I found the repository:

which is for the 2.4 DSL distribution and there a 'package' (unclear of the teminology here) for ipw2200.

Is there something similar for the DSL-N ?

Or do I have to build/download the fw files for ipw2200 and integrate them somehow?

Thanks,

Rick[/quote]

joedarr · Joined: 08 Jun 2006 Posts: 3

I did some reading and determined that I really ought to be using DSL-n so I switched to that version of the DSL distro ... got the same results. Here are the relevant messages from "dmesg":

...
ipw2200: Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 2200/2915 Network Driver, 1.0.1
ipw2200: Copyright(c) 2003-2004 Intel Corporation
ipw2200: Detected Intel PRO/Wireless 2200BG Network Connection
ipw2200: ipw-2.2-boot.fw load failed: Reason -2
ipw2200: Unable to load firmware: 0xFFFFFFFE
ipw2200: failed to register network device
ipw2200: probe of 0000:02.0 failed with error -5
...

Hope this helps to diagnose the issue.

Thanks

------
[quote="joedarr"]I have the same issue as the user below. I am using an IBM Thinkpad T42 that uses an ipw2200 wireless interface. Getting DSL version 2.4 to work with this (from a "live" cd or "live" USB thumbdrive) would be terrific. My co-workers could use it with their IBM laptops:

X30
X31
X41
T41
T43

We would highly appreciate the efforts of the DSL crew to make this happen. Is there anywhere else we can post our request (if this spot is not appropriate)?

Thanks.

----------
[quote="rbeldin"]I've got DSL-N mostly working on a HP Compaq nc2200, which is a Pentium M laptop with a ipw2200 wireless interface. I wanted a usb-distro with a 2.6 kernel and this seemed closest to what I wanted.

At boot time the kernel recognizes the wireless card, and module ipw2200 is loaded. No network interface is created, only eth0 for the hardwired interface. I can see from the kernel messages that it is failing to find the firmware file (sorry I don't have the messages here, booted ubuntu to post). It was looking for the file:

ipw-2.2-boot.fw

which I couldn't find at all on the system. Ubuntu stashes the firmware files for hotplug in /lib/hotplug/firmware but I didn't find
that on the system.

I found the repository:

which is for the 2.4 DSL distribution and there a 'package' (unclear of the teminology here) for ipw2200.

Is there something similar for the DSL-N ?

Or do I have to build/download the fw files for ipw2200 and integrate them somehow?

Thanks,

Rick[/quote][/quote]

mogina · Joined: 26 Aug 2006 Posts: 2

Hello,

first I like DSL-N very much and sorry for ma english but I'm german.

I've tried DSL-NRC4 and got the same problems with ipw2100.

dmesg:
ipw2100: Detected Intel PRO/Wireless 2100 Network Connection
hw_random: cannot enable RNG, aborting
Linux agpgart interface v0.101 (c) Dave Jones
ipw2100: eth0: Firmware 'ipw2100-1.3.fw' not available or load failed.
ipw2100: eth0: ipw2100_get_firmware failed: -2
ipw2100: eth0: Failed to power on the adapter.
ipw2100: eth0: Failed to start the firmware.
ipw2100Error calling register_netdev.
ipw2100: probe of 0000:01:04.0 failed with error -5

So I looked for the firmware and found them under:
/KNOPPIX/lib/modules/2.6.12/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/ipw2100
/KNOPPIX/lib/modules/2.6.12/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/ipw2100/ipw2100.ko
/KNOPPIX/lib/modules/2.6.12/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/ipw2200
/KNOPPIX/lib/modules/2.6.12/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/ipw2200/ipw2200.ko
/KNOPPIX/lib/modules/2.6.12/kernel/drivers/usb/serial/ipw.ko
/KNOPPIX/lib/modules/2.6.12/net/wireless/ipw2100
/KNOPPIX/lib/modules/2.6.12/net/wireless/ipw2200
/KNOPPIX/usr/lib/hotplug/firmware/ipw2100-1.3.fw
/KNOPPIX/usr/lib/hotplug/firmware/ipw2100-1.3-i.fw
/KNOPPIX/usr/lib/hotplug/firmware/ipw2100-1.3-p.fw
/ramdisk/lib/modules/2.6.12/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/ipw2100
/ramdisk/lib/modules/2.6.12/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/ipw2100/ipw2100.ko
/sys/module/ipw2100
/sys/bus/pci/drivers/ipw2100
/UNIONFS/lib/modules/2.6.12/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/ipw2100
/UNIONFS/lib/modules/2.6.12/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/ipw2100/ipw2100.ko
/UNIONFS/lib/modules/2.6.12/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/ipw2200
/UNIONFS/lib/modules/2.6.12/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/ipw2200/ipw2200.ko
/UNIONFS/lib/modules/2.6.12/kernel/drivers/usb/serial/ipw.ko
/UNIONFS/lib/modules/2.6.12/net/wireless/ipw2100
/UNIONFS/lib/modules/2.6.12/net/wireless/ipw2200
/UNIONFS/usr/lib/hotplug/firmware/ipw2100-1.3.fw
/UNIONFS/usr/lib/hotplug/firmware/ipw2100-1.3-i.fw
/UNIONFS/usr/lib/hotplug/firmware/ipw2100-1.3-p.fw

I don't know what to do but perhaps that will help to make DSL-N working on laptops with iwp2100 or ipw2200

Thanks

roberts · Joined: 17 Apr 2006 Posts: 320 Location: OC CA USA

Those firmware filea are in DSL-N.
Perhaps if you could compare full KNOPPIX dmesg and lsmod with that from DSL-N that would be most helpful.

mogina · Joined: 26 Aug 2006 Posts: 2

Thank you for answering.

The problem referred to

[quote]hw_random: cannot enable RNG, aborting [/quote]

I looked on the internet and found, that my laptop (Benq Joybook 5100U, 2 years old) doesn't support hardware random. A description of the problem can be found here: [url]
[/url]

So the solution is to put the hw_random in the blacklist file.

I also have tried the solution which is descript on [url]http://ipw2100.sourceforge.net/[/url]

[quote]To work around this, you can increase the default timeout value:

echo 100 > /sys/class/firmware/timeout

and then reload the ipw2100 module.[/quote]

But this doesn’t work.

Meanwhile I have tried Knoppix V5.0.1 and there I have no problem with the wireless device.
Here is Knoppix dmesg:

ieee80211_crypt: registered algorithm 'NULL'
ieee80211: 802.11 data/management/control stack, git-1.1.7
ieee80211: Copyright (C) 2004-2005 Intel Corporation <jketreno@linux.intel.com>
ipw2100: Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 2100 Network Driver, git-1.2.2
ipw2100: Copyright(c) 2003-2006 Intel Corporation
ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:01:04.0[A] -> Link [LNKB] -> GSI 10 (level, low) -> IRQ 10
ipw2100: Detected Intel PRO/Wireless 2100 Network Connection
ts: Compaq touchscreen protocol output
e100: Intel(R) PRO/100 Network Driver, 3.5.10-k2-NAPI
e100: Copyright(c) 1999-2005 Intel Corporation

And I also found that in the Knoppix CD this firmware for ipw2100 is included:
ipw2100-1.2.fw
ipw2100-1.2-i.fw
ipw2100-1.2-p.fw
ipw2100-1.3.fw
ipw2100-1.3-i.fw
ipw2100-1.3-p.fw
ipw2100.fw.LICENSE
ipw2200.fw.LICENSE

I think that I need the firmware ipw2100-1.2 but I’m not sure.
I also have compared lsmod and I don’t see a different. If it is necessary I can post both.

sml · Joined: 17 Sep 2006 Posts: 8

The following error appears in the dmesg kernel ring buffer output:
ipw2200: ipw-2.4-boot.fw load failed: Reason -2
ipw2200: Unable to load firmware: -2
ipw2200: failed to register network device
ipw2200: probe of 0000:02:03.0 failed with error -5

CAUSE: this may be due to any one of the following reasons:
- firmware in wrong location or wrong firmware version. Follow the
instructions in the section LOADING FIRMWARE VIA HOT-PLUG above.
- sysfs may not be mounted. Follow the instructions in the SYSFS section
above.

The firmware location is specified in:
/usr/lib/hotplug/firmware/firmware.agent

In DSL-N, the locations are:
/lib/firmware
/usr/local/lib/firmware
/usr/lib/hotplug/firmware

This does not resolve:
echo 100 > /sys/class/firmware/timeout

dreamcarrior · Joined: 27 Aug 2006 Posts: 3

I got a Dell 700m with Intel Wireless 2915abg mini pci card. I remastered the dsl-n-RC4 CD and added the firmware in /usr/lib/hotplug/firmware directory. However, it did not resolve the problem. The following is the dmesg. Note that before and after I added the firmware, "ipw2200: ipw-2.2-boot.fw load failed: Reason -2" was there. I wonder what the problem is. I think it could be the wrong version of the firmware, but for some reason, DSL tried to load ipw-2.2-boot.fw instead of other versions.

ieee80211_crypt: registered algorithm 'NULL'
ipw2200: Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 2200/2915 Network Driver, 1.0.1
ipw2200: Copyright(c) 2003-2004 Intel Corporation
ACPI: PCI Interrupt Link [LNKE] enabled at IRQ 10
ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:02:01.0[A] -> Link [LNKE] -> GSI 10 (level, low) -> IRQ 10
ipw2200: Detected Intel PRO/Wireless 2915ABG Network Connection
hw_random hardware driver 1.0.0 loaded
Linux agpgart interface v0.101 (c) Dave Jones
ipw2200: ipw-2.2-boot.fw load failed: Reason -2
ipw2200: Unable to load firmware: 0xFFFFFFFE
ipw2200: failed to register network device
ipw2200: probe of 0000:02:01.0 failed with error -5
agpgart: Detected an Intel 855 Chipset.

roberts · Joined: 17 Apr 2006 Posts: 320 Location: OC CA USA

Does anyone have a Knoppix 4.0.2 disk to test with their ipw2100/2200 system.
Is the issue a Knoppix issue and there in on our base? I wish I had a card to test with, but I do not.

hr · Joined: 18 Oct 2006 Posts: 2

I don't know much about this issue but I came across a similar problem with Slax:
So the kernel module could be in the build but the firmware might be missing.
I am sorry if I misunderstand this.

tempest · Joined: 04 Nov 2006 Posts: 6

The ipwxxx driver, like most linux wifi drivers, requires the hotplug subsystem to load firmware - http//linux-hotplug.sourceforge.net
This remains true even if you don't "hotplug" your wifi device.
[quote="rbeldin"]Ubuntu stashes the firmware files for hotplug in /lib/hotplug/firmware[/quote]
The location of the firmware is determined by the particular version of hotplug scripts. In older versions of hotplug it was /usr/lib/hotplug/firmware, but the last time I checked it was /lib/firmware.

roberts · Joined: 17 Apr 2006 Posts: 320 Location: OC CA USA

With having unionfs it should be easy to copy the firmware files that currently reside at /usr/lib/hotplug/firmware to /lib/firmware and test this.

I do not have such hardware to test this.

tempest · Joined: 04 Nov 2006 Posts: 6

... yes, but the hotplug files are also necessary, especially the main hotplug script "firmware.agent". I'm not sure if DSL-N contains these.