Arch Linux

PieterO

Member

From: Belgium

Registered: 2004-03-03

Posts: 27

ipw2200 problem [SOLVED]

I'm running Arch with a beyond and standard kernel but I have some trouble using my ipw2200 wireless card. When I start my pc I can't get my ipw2200 card working. This is my kernel.log error message

ipw2200: ipw2200-bss.fw request_firmware failed: Reason -2
Aug  4 23:02:56 LaptopLinux ipw2200: Unable to load firmware: -2
Aug  4 23:02:56 LaptopLinux ipw2200: failed to register network device
Aug  4 23:02:56 LaptopLinux ipw2200: probe of 0000:01:02.0 failed with error -5

But when I'm logged in I do

rmmod ipw2200
insmod /lib/modules/2.6.17-ARCH/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/ipw2200.ko

and then my card appears as eth2 (however I expected rather eth1) and I can use the card and go online

This is my mkinitcpio.conf file

# MODULES
# The following modules are loaded before any boot hooks are
# run.  Advanced users may wish to specify all system modules
# in this array.  For instance:
#     MODULES="piix ide_disk reiserfs"
MODULES="ata_piix libata b44 ipw2200"

# BINARIES
# This setting includes, into the CPIO image, and additional
# binaries a given user may wish.  This is run first, so may
# be used to override the actual binaries used in a given hook.
# (Existing files are NOT overwritten is already added)
# BINARIES are dependancy parsed, so you may safely ignore libraries
BINARIES=""

# FILES
# This setting is similar to BINARIES above, however, files are added
# as-is and are not parsed in anyway.  This is useful for config files.
# Some users may wish to include modprobe.conf for custom module options,
# like so:
#    FILES="/etc/modprobe.conf"
FILES=""
# HOOKS
# This is the most important setting in this file.  The HOOKS control the
# modules and scripts added to the image, and what happens at boot time.
# Order is important, and it is recommended that you do not change the
# order in which HOOKS are added.  Run 'mkinitcpio -H <hook>' for
# help on a given hook.
# 'base' is _required_ unless you know precisely what you are doing.
# 'udev' is _required_ in order to automatically load modules
# 'modload' may be used in place of 'udev', but is not recommended
# 'filesystems' is _required_ unless you specify your fs modules in MODULES
# Examples:
#    This setup specifies all modules in the MODULES setting above.
#    No raid, lvm, or encrypted root is needed.
#    HOOKS="base"
#
#    This setup will autodetect all modules for your system and should
#    work as a sane default
#    HOOKS="base udev autodetect ide scsi sata filesystems"
#
#    This setup will generate a 'full' image which supports most systems.
#    No autodetection is done.
#    HOOKS="base udev ide scsi sata usb filesystems"
#
#    This setup assembles an ide raid array with an encrypted root FS.
#    Note: See 'mkinitcpio -H raid' for more information on raid devices.
#    HOOKS="base udev ide filesystems raid encrypt"
#
#    This setup loads an LVM volume group on a usb device.
#    HOOKS="base udev usb filesystems lvm"
HOOKS="base udev sata filesystems"

karsten

Member

Registered: 2006-07-14

Posts: 261

Re: ipw2200 problem [SOLVED]

what is your lsmod results, and rc.conf?

luca

Member

From: Rome

Registered: 2005-10-30

Posts: 280

Re: ipw2200 problem [SOLVED]

Did you install ipw2200-fw package?
It contains the firmware software.

PieterO

Member

From: Belgium

Registered: 2004-03-03

Posts: 27

Re: ipw2200 problem [SOLVED]

Apparently I had to specify ipw2200 in rc.conf and not in mkinitcpio.conf
I don't know if this is a bug, but in any case my problem is solved.

karsten

Member

Registered: 2006-07-14

Posts: 261

Re: ipw2200 problem [SOLVED]

i have that same chipset, and have it in the modules section of rc.conf is why i was asking

Apparently I had to specify ipw2200 in rc.conf and not in mkinitcpio.conf
I don't know if this is a bug, but in any case my problem is solved.

PieterO

Member

From: Belgium

Registered: 2004-03-03

Posts: 27

Re: ipw2200 problem [SOLVED]

Yes,

it was your reply that remind me of rc.conf
And I tried that and it worked like a charm so thanx

dekiruhito

Member

From: Los Angeles

Registered: 2006-08-12

Posts: 11

Re: ipw2200 problem [SOLVED]

I'm running the same card but insteading using 2.6.16 kernel instead of .17.
I'm getting the same error-2 when I boot, however, when I run pacman -Sy ipw2200-fw after a clean install (and I mean clean as in not doing anything else but getting dhcp to work via eth0) it says that the package can't be found in the db. I've only got one machine that can be online at once so there may be something I am missing and lynx didn't want to run due to not having libssl or something so I'm sure its my fault, however, there's something I'm not doing right here.

I also edited rc.conf and added "ipw2200" to the modules() array and rebooted but still no luck. Can you tell I'm a n00b?

Any info is greatly appreciated.

karsten

Member

Registered: 2006-07-14

Posts: 261

Re: ipw2200 problem [SOLVED]

I'm running the same card but insteading using 2.6.16 kernel instead of .17.
I'm getting the same error-2 when I boot, however, when I run pacman -Sy ipw2200-fw after a clean install (and I mean clean as in not doing anything else but getting dhcp to work via eth0) it says that the package can't be found in the db. I've only got one machine that can be online at once so there may be something I am missing and lynx didn't want to run due to not having libssl or something so I'm sure its my fault, however, there's something I'm not doing right here.

I also edited rc.conf and added "ipw2200" to the modules() array and rebooted but still no luck. Can you tell I'm a n00b?

Any info is greatly appreciated.

try downloading it directly from one of the arch repos in your .conf files and make sure you have wireless_tools installed as well.

dekiruhito

Member

From: Los Angeles

Registered: 2006-08-12

Posts: 11

Re: ipw2200 problem [SOLVED]

I downloaded the ipw2200-fw package from the developers site. Can I use this instead? It seems to contain .fw files but no .ko loadable modules. Also, when I tried pacman -Sy ipw2200-fw, it said package could not be found in DB. Since I could only have one computer connected I couldn't check the forums to see what was wrong. I'm a total n00b and I have limited connectivity so forgive me for being difficult.

The extent of my knowledge stops at knowing how to run lsmod, lshwd, insmod and editing rc.conf and conf.d/wireless and even that I'm not so good at. So I understand what's going on better, are you saying that by editing those two files I have done everything right and that I shold be seeing the interface show up with ifconfig? Are there any other steps or files I should edit to enable the interface? I'm on a thinkpad t43p and I clicked fn+f5 to make sure the wireless came on but I only saw the bluetooth light.

If there's something else I'm missing please let me know, I was unable to download from the repository the latest fw file but I was able to install lynx so I'm pretty sure that I had a system that could connect to the arch package servers.

Thanks again!

karsten

Member

Registered: 2006-07-14

Posts: 261

Re: ipw2200 problem [SOLVED]

i'm running a T43 as well so here's what i did

1) do a base install of arch

2) download the ipw-2200 arch linux package on a computer that has the internet working and save it to a usb flash key or burn it to a cd or something.  or just plug in your ethernet on your laptop to a working internet hookup and download it with lynx.  don't get it from the developer's site, you need the arch .pkg. file.  here's the link:
ftp://ftp.archlinux.org/extra/os/i686/i … pkg.tar.gz

3) mount your usb key if you did it that way, as root do:

# mkdir /mnt/flash
# mount -t vfat /dev/sdb1 /mnt/flash

change to the directory where you have the file:

# cd /mnt/flash

4) then do a

# pacman -A ipw2200-fw-3.0-1.pkg.tar.gz

5) do you have wireless_tools package installed? you need it for wireless to work.  do 

pacman -Q wireless_tools

, it should return the version if it's installed.  if not download and install it the same way:
ftp://ftp.archlinux.org/0.7.2/os/i686/w … pkg.tar.gz

6) install ifplugd:
ftp://ftp.archlinux.org/extra/os/i686/i … pkg.tar.gz

6) as root, edit /etc/rc.conf:
in modules, add ieee80211, ieee80211_crypt, and ipw2200.

check what your wireless adapter is named, it might be wlan0 or eth1 or eth0 depending, i've had it change.  do a

iwconfig

to see what has wireless extensions.  say it is eth1 then do:

in networking section of /etc/rc.conf, make it like this:
eth0="dhcp"
eth1="dhcp"
INTERFACES=(lo eth0 eth1)

in DAEMONS section add @ifplugd, and @network.

reboot your system, and you should see your wireless indicator light come on all by itself without you having to hit Fn+F5.  let me know how that works.

dekiruhito

Member

From: Los Angeles

Registered: 2006-08-12

Posts: 11

Re: ipw2200 problem [SOLVED]

Thanks so much for this detailed reply. So far the only thing that's been different was I had to use /dev/sdb instead of sdb1 (i'm just posting this so the next n00b can read it) and the ifplugd package won't install because it requires libdaemon which I havent found yet on ftp://ftp.archlinux.org/0.7.2/os/i686...

Any ideas?

dekiruhito

Member

From: Los Angeles

Registered: 2006-08-12

Posts: 11

Re: ipw2200 problem [SOLVED]

from /os/extra/i686 on ftp://ftp.archlinux.org/ and both packages installed fine.. Continuing...

karsten

Member

Registered: 2006-07-14

Posts: 261

Re: ipw2200 problem [SOLVED]

no problem here's libdaemon:

ftp://ftp.archlinux.org/extra/os/i686/l … pkg.tar.gz

(it's in the "extra" section).  is it working otherwise?

dekiruhito

Member

From: Los Angeles

Registered: 2006-08-12

Posts: 11

Re: ipw2200 problem [SOLVED]

I rebooted after editing the rc.conf file to load the modules and the only module found was the ipw2200. When i ran iwconfig after reboot it showed eth0 as being the 802.11 adapter and eth1 as not having wireless extensions (i'm assuming this is the physical connection). I haven't finished the other steps yet. Do I need to download those other modules elsewhere?

dekiruhito

Member

From: Los Angeles

Registered: 2006-08-12

Posts: 11

Re: ipw2200 problem [SOLVED]

So, the network works but I still have those modules to install. Whoever else reads this can follow your instructions to a "tee" and it will work. I didn't do anything else outside of what has been mentioned.

Do you know the names of those other packages?

karsten

Member

Registered: 2006-07-14

Posts: 261

Re: ipw2200 problem [SOLVED]

what other packages? just download and install those listed and you should be up and running.  does your wireless indicator light turn on now?

dekiruhito

Member

From: Los Angeles

Registered: 2006-08-12

Posts: 11

Re: ipw2200 problem [SOLVED]

However, the problem I was talking about was related to the additional modules you had me specify in rc.conf. I wanted to make sure that I didn't need to install those as they didn't seem to be on my system after I installed the packages you listed.

I'm thinking of building a page specific to getting Arch up and running on this machine and I wanted to know if there were any other posts you had bookmarked related to getting things up and running like APM, bluetooth, sound, etc. I did a search for your name and I saw you had some issues that were never resolved.

Do you have any bookmarks or notes for setting up other hardware for the T43? Once I get a base system with X, sound, apm, bluetooth, and the thinkpad control utilities working I want to make a howto so that I don't forget myself and so other people don't have to struggle like I did

karsten

Member

Registered: 2006-07-14

Posts: 261

Re: ipw2200 problem [SOLVED]

cool idea.  i've never tried bluetooth (don't have any bluetooth devices), sound i finally got working by adding snd snd-intel8x0 soundcore to modules in rc.conf, and alsa to daemons.  install alsa-lib and alsa-utils programs.  then from the wiki run alsactl store.  the volume control buttons work great on the T43 with no modifications necessary.  mute and volume up/down. 

also, if you haven't seen it, there's a brand new thinkpad-specific kernel that an arch person just released.  it supports suspend, undervolting, and a bunch of other goodies:

http://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php? … highlight=

i gave up on network manager because of an annoying password prompt but there's a workaround for that, i started using wifi-radar instead and it suits my needs. 

oh, and here's a couple of other modules that i have in rc.conf for the thinkkpad: !acpi-cpufreq !p4_clockmod intel-agp i915 i810 speedstep-centrino cpufreq-ondemand i2c-i801 i2c-core, not sure what chipset the T43P has you might have to check.

just put those modules in there, you'll get errors on bootup if arch can't find them, they should be there after a base install and installing those packages.

dekiruhito

Member

From: Los Angeles

Registered: 2006-08-12

Posts: 11

Re: ipw2200 problem [SOLVED]

I've got another post open here
http://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php? … highlight=

Would you mind taking a peek and letting me know if you had this same problem?

Thanks!