Arch Linux

Carbono

Member

From: Quebec City, Canada

Registered: 2005-04-13

Posts: 54

Very basic modules questions (ath_pci, etc)

Hello! (I'm sorry, I posted this one in another forum first, thinking I was posting it in this one :oops: )

I have a very simple question:

Where can I find modules (e.g., ah_pci for my Atheros mini PCI wireless card), and where and how do I install them?

For example, when I do:

modprobe ath_pci, I get a message saying something like:

can't find ath_pci module;

although I've seen a directory with this name on my system (IIRC, under /sys/drivers???).

Other example:

I have a 855GM Intelchipset. How do I find the module for it and how do I install it?

Thanks a lot.

i3839

Member

Registered: 2004-02-04

Posts: 1,185

Re: Very basic modules questions (ath_pci, etc)

All installed kernel modules can be found in /lin/modules/`uname -r`/kernel/. They can be loaded at boot either automatically by hotplug, or explicitly in rc.conf with the MODULES option. But if manually modprobing doesn't work then make sure that the modules do exist and that you used the correct name.

If they aren't installed by default you need to compile them yourself from the kernel source, see wiki for more info.

(I deleted your other thread.)

Carbono

Member

From: Quebec City, Canada

Registered: 2005-04-13

Posts: 54

Re: Very basic modules questions (ath_pci, etc)

Thanks for the reply, and for deleting the other thread.

I looked for /lin/modules, and I don't have a /lin directory... Is it normal?

Or maybe you meant /bin/modules...? Anyway, I looked for this too and there is no /modules directory under /bin.

I found some modules under /sys/module. There is one named ide_cd that I put in the MODULES array of rc.conf (just for a test, I don't know why it is for...), but I get a message at bootup:

[/code]FATAL: module ide_cd not found[code]

Is this normal too? Or it has to be compiled with the kernel to work. And BTW, if I compile the kernel (I don't think I'm at this point in Linux yet!), do I loose my installation or if everything stays in place in my system?

Thanks a lot![/code]

i3839

Member

Registered: 2004-02-04

Posts: 1,185

Re: Very basic modules questions (ath_pci, etc)

Eh, typo: /lib/modules of course. (to find files you can use the "find" command and "slocate"). /sys/modules is also a good place.

Ide_cd support seems to be build in the kernel, so you don't have to load it as module. So yes, then that message is normal.

Support for your Atheros mini PCI wireless card seems a bit tougher. It seems you either need to use ndiswrapper or something like that, or use the madwifi drivers.

Carbono

Member

From: Quebec City, Canada

Registered: 2005-04-13

Posts: 54

Re: Very basic modules questions (ath_pci, etc)

Thanks a lot.

About find and locate: is it normal that sometimes I find files using

$locate FILE

and not using

$find FILE

for a same FILE name?

Gui

i3839

Member

Registered: 2004-02-04

Posts: 1,185

Re: Very basic modules questions (ath_pci, etc)

Yes, "find" is a much more complicated tool, just read its manpage. It's much slower too because it scans your filesystem while (s)locate uses a database.

phrakture

Arch Overlord

From: behind you

Registered: 2003-10-29

Posts: 7,879

Website

Re: Very basic modules questions (ath_pci, etc)

the atheros stuff is from madwifi - it's a seperate package

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http://phraktured.net