HowTo IPW3945

[ExitOnly@]

HowTo get IPW3945 working (hopefully)

This HowTo is for laptops with ipw3945. Before you start installing new stuff, you might want to try three things:
-try start bt with boot code "bt irqpoll"
-check that rf kill switch is turned off (blue light on when exiting windows, don't touch it in Backtrack!)
-try to load drivers from menu ->backtrack -> radio network analysis -> misc -> load ipw3945

If three previous didn't work, there's probably nothing you can do without a new kernel that supports rf kill switch (and maybe something else). There are two ways to proceed, depending on what you need:

1. HD INSTALL only, no liveCD/USB-install possible
2. HD INSTALL and liveCD/USB-install possibility

The first one is definitely the easiest, if you don't need liveCD/USB, then you probably are happy with this.


In this thread I'll explain the HD install Without USB/CDinstall.

The liveCD/USB option you'll find here
http://forums.remote-exploit.org/showthread.php?t=7914
(Read the section "EXTRA: IPW3945 INSTALL" carefully.)

1. Backup

The kernel build/install can be a little tricky, but the worst that happen is that you need to revert to the old kernel and try again. If this should happen, you need to boot with liveCD/USB and change in /boot/vmlinuz.old to vmlinuz and off you should go.

2. Install new kernel

from
http://www.eu.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v2.6/
Version 2.6.22.2 or higher should work, as an example, I'll use 2.6.22.2

Download the kernel to /usr/src/
and unpack it with

tar zxvf linux-2.6.22.2.tar.gz

remove old symlink from /usr/src/

rm linux

make new symlink with

ln -s linux-2.6.22.2 linux

3. configure new kernel

in /usr/src/linux/

make xconfig

Choose appropriate cpu options in "Processor type and features"
(Google for your cpu specific settings)

Then in "Networking"

expand RF switch subsystem support and compile it into kernel by selecting it and pressing y

(If unsure, please see the image attachment to make sure you have it correctly configured)


4. Build&Install new kernel

in /usr/src/linux

make bzImage
make modules
make modules_install
make install

Note: The default for "make install" is that you use lilo, if not, you need to uncomment in /usr/src/linux/arch/i386/boot/install.sh

REBOOT

Note: If, when rebooting, you get weird module dependancy errors, run in /usr/src/linux/ "depmod -e -F System.map" and REBOOT

5. Re-install ieee80211 drivers

Get new ieee80211 drivers from
http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/ieee80211/ieee80211-1.2.18.tgz?download
unpack and then

 make && make install

(when prompted to remove previous files, press y and when prompted to comment out something, press n)

6. Re-install ipw3945 drivers

Get new ipw3945 drivers from
http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/i...2.tgz?download

unpack and then

make && make install
./load

I hope that this will help those, who have difficulties with ipw3945.. All input is appreciated....


Take care you all,

[darkevil011]

Hey, i used this http://forums.remote-exploit.org/sho...ghlight=kernel
and tried this part "expand RF switch subsystem support and compile it into kernel by selecting it and pressing y" but after loading the old .config file the option wasn't there?



i noticed "make BzImage" should be "make bzImage".


Do i not need any other options checked when using make xconfig apart from what already is there?

sorry to want to be spoon fed but i have tried to recompile my kernel and my mouse and keyboard stop working :-(

[ExitOnly@]

Hey, i used this

http://forums.remote-exploit.org/sho...ghlight=kernel
and tried this part "expand RF switch subsystem support and compile it into kernel by selecting it and pressing y" but after loading the old .config file the option wasn't there?

The old .config reverts all the changes.
I wouldn't recommend using the old .config (unless you are really confident in doing the kernel recompile), as it's from an older version, which does NOT have rf_kill_thing. The default kernel configs have (in my experience) all the needed options configured, if you want to hassle with the config, do it later when you have a working new kernel.

i noticed "make BzImage" should be "make bzImage".

Thanks for the typo, corrected.

Do i not need any other options checked when using make xconfig apart from what already is there?

sorry to want to be spoon fed but i have tried to recompile my kernel and my mouse and keyboard stop working :-(

after rebooting to new kernel, try running at /usr/src/linux
depmod -e -F System.map
(added this to the howto)

[nishv]

Will it support injecting?

[ExitOnly@]

Will it support injecting?

No* There are threads about ipwraw module

*Can't say fore sure will it work if ipw3945 won't work

[darkevil011]

Hi,

I have built the kernel using the current backtrack 2 kernel .config and the 2.6.22.6 kernel version from a fresh HD install of backtrack, i also added the rf kill option into this kernel, seems to be fine i thought i would upload for others.

rename your /boot/vmlinuz to whatever then copy the unpacked vmlinuz to your /boot/ directory, or you can add a extra boot option to your /etc/lilo.conf file if you want to be able to pick which kernel to boot.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=JDV8UNUC

[ExitOnly@]

Hi,

I have built the kernel using the current backtrack 2 kernel .config and the 2.6.22.6 kernel version from a fresh HD install of backtrack, i also added the rf kill option into this kernel, seems to be fine i thought i would upload for others.

rename your /boot/vmlinuz to whatever then copy the unpacked vmlinuz to your /boot/ directory, or you can add a extra boot option to your /etc/lilo.conf file if you want to be able to pick which kernel to boot.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=JDV8UNUC

ps this didn't fix my ipw3945 must be something else as it works in ubuntu with a lower kernel version

Sorry, my mistake.. I added ieee80211 and newer ipw3945 drivers section, could you please try that and tell me what happened..

[darkevil011]

yeap will give that ago today, the rf kill switch is still orange though im sure on slackware 12 even though the drivers weren't installed the light was blue (meaning on). Will reinstall drivers and see what happens

Cheers

[darkevil011]

still no good, im missing some serious stuff i think usb doesn't even go and my lspci -v shows nothing.... i have a HP dv6303TX if anyone has got usb working on theres that wants to share how that would be cool

[fds42]

is the "load ipw3945" module from the menu supposed to cause a hard lock? I ran it both alone and with the two other steps from the first post.

i have the "intel pro/wireless 3945ABG network connection" according to windows. Unfortunately, my hd install of bt2 is on a system with an ipw2200.