Thread: Installing a linux device driver

  1. #1
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    Installing a linux device driver

    I'm working on getting wlan for my laptop and I think I'm almost there. I got the drivers for my chip, but I don't know how to install them on linux. Could someone help me out?

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    Moved to Tech Board.
    Quote Originally Posted by Bjarne Stroustrup (2000-10-14)
    I get maybe two dozen requests for help with some sort of programming or design problem every day. Most have more sense than to send me hundreds of lines of code. If they do, I ask them to find the smallest example that exhibits the problem and send me that. Mostly, they then find the error themselves. "Finding the smallest program that demonstrates the error" is a powerful debugging tool.
    Look up a C++ Reference and learn How To Ask Questions The Smart Way

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    I'm sorry. I thought I was in the tech board!

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    Exactly what steps have you taken, and what is it you are struggling to do/understand?

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    Please don't PM me for help - and no, I don't do help over instant messengers.

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    My wlan chip is made by Broadcom. When I checked their website for drivers, I actually found that they support Linux. My problems are I cannot find my particular series of chip on their website, and my other problem is even if I do find the file, I don't know what to do with it. Unfortunately, that is about as far as I made it.

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    I suggest you contact the tech-support for that chip - it may be that some other version of the driver works with that chip, but they can be pretty particular about the right driver for the right chip (even if chips are exactly identical in operation, the ID will be different, and the driver will often say "Not a chip I know, I won't load").

    Generally, Linux kernel drivers (e.g. Wlan drivers) are a case of compiling the driver, so you'd need to unpack the package and follow the instructions on how to compile it. Usually, there is a decent "README" or "BUILDING" text file that describes how to get going. But it's no point in messing with it unless you either know that you have the right driver, OR you know enough about drivers and kernel componentry to know what you are doing at least fairly well - getting it wrong can have pretty noticable consequences (for example the system may not boot!).

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    Compilers can produce warnings - make the compiler programmers happy: Use them!
    Please don't PM me for help - and no, I don't do help over instant messengers.

  7. #7
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    Thank you matsp!

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    My laptop has a mini-PCIe Broadcom wifi card, too, and the native Linux driver that came with Ubuntu doesn't work with it. I had to use ndiswrapper and run the Windows driver.

    Just something to try in case it doesn't work.

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