Issue with ipw2200 module, also request for skge in base/module

[svensko]

Hey guys,

Got a frugal install working on my laptop however after installation Wireless 2.6.26 and Wireless Tools, then performing sudo modprobe ipw2200, no eth1 shows up when I run iwconfig. This is on a IBM X40 and I can confirm that the wireless card uses this module in puppy linux, gentoo, etc. I ran lspci -k and got the follow...

02:02.0 Netowrk controller: Intel Corporation PRO/Wireless 2200BG Network Connection (rev 05)
Kernel modules: ipw2200

^thehatsrule^ suggested in that IRC chat that the wireless card should be detected. I'm not sure where else to go to dig deeper.

Also, would it be possible to get the skge module either in the base or as a module?

[curaga]

Please post the last lines of the "dmesg" command, right after modprobing iw2200.

[svensko]

As requested...

EXT3-fs warning: maximal mount count reached, running e2fsck is recommended
EXT3 FS on hda3, internal journal
EXT3-fs: mounted filesystem with ordered data mode.
ieee80211_crypt: registered algorithm 'NULL'
ieee80211: 802.11 data/management/control stack, git-1.1.13
ieee80211: Copyright (C) 2004-2005 Intel Corporation <jketreno@linux.intel.com>
ipw2200: Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 2200/2915 Network Driver, 1.2.2kmprq
ipw2200: Copyright(c) 2003-2006 Intel Corporation
ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:02:02.0[A] -> GSI 21 (level, low) -> IRQ 21
ipw2200: Detected Intel PRO/Wireless 2200BG Network Connection
firmware: requesting ipw2200-bss.fw
ipw2200: ipw2200-bss.fw request_firmware failed: Reason -2
ipw2200: Unable to load firmware: -2
ipw2200: failed to register network device
ACPI: PCI interrupt for device 0000:02:02.0 disabled
ipw2200: probe of 0000:02:02.0 failed with error -5
tc@box:~$

[Juanito]

Is this like the b43 driver where you have to separately obtain and load the firmware?

[svensko]

Looks that way from what I can tell but I have no experience doing that due to the fact that PuppyLinux, Ubuntu, etc. all seem to load the module flawlessly without further action.

Alright, a quick update... I googled the ipw2200 firmware and downloaded it from http://ipw2200.sourceforge.net/firmware.php
I then created /usr/lib/hotplug/firmware and copied ipw2200-bss.fw into /usr/lib/hotplug/firmware. I rebooted, sudo modprobe ipw2200 and still get the error. I'm not sure where modprobe is looking to find the firmware. Any tips?

[curaga]

Try downloading the latest firmware from http://ipw2200.sourceforge.net/firmware.php (to /lib/firmware)

We have done nothing special to avoid shipping firmware, but nothing to ship it either; seems the default for Intel wireless is to not include the firmware, and most distributions (sans the purity-aiming ones like gnewsense and debian) take the extra action of including.

For ipw2200, the firmware is not even included in the kernel, it has to be separately downloaded.

edit: I didn't see your edit. Perhaps my post clarifies the issue?

[svensko]

Got it working... went in and created /lib/firmware, copied all the .fw's, modprobed, and it's detected!!! Thank you for all the help!!!  Now my only question is... how do I make these settings permanent so I don't have to make the dir, cp the files, and then modprobe each time?

to clarify, I am running with the boot option tce=hda4.

[curaga]

Add "lib/firmware" to your backup, and add the modprobe line to /opt/bootlocal.sh

[svensko]

Problem solved! Thanks again for all of the help!!! TCL will now be my OS of choice on my laptop.

If anyone found this thread by searching due to having similar issues with the ipw2200 module then feel free to IM me at Das Vensko or e-mail me at svensko AT clemson DOT edu and I will walk you through it.

[clivesay]

Can you tell me what version of the firmware you are using? I modprobed and do the commands (correctly I think) to connect to my router. I'm given an ip address but not connecting. Wondering if the version of ipw2200 makes a difference?

Thanks,

Chris

[3rail]

for future reference, here are the steps I had to perform to get my thinkpad x40 wireless working with wpa-psk using tc 2.11.4:

• install wpa-supplicant
• download 3.1 firmware from http://ipw2200.sourceforge.net/firmware.php
• sudo mkdir /lib/firmware
• tar xvfz ipw2200-fw-3.1.tgz
• sudo cp ipw2200-fw-3.1/ipw2200-bss.fw /lib/firmware
• add lib/firmware to /opt/.filetool.lst
• add var/run/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf to /opt/.filetool.lst
• create a /var/run/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf file based on the template found in http://forum.tinycorelinux.net/index.php?topic=2624.msg13469#msg13469
• edit /opt/bootlocal.sh to include "rmmod ipw2200" followed by "modprobe ipw2200"
• run the network config gui from the control panel, create eth1, dynamic ip and hit save
• edit /opt/eth1.sh and insert the line "wpa_supplicant -Bdd -D wext -i eth1 -c /var/run/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf " before the udhcp stuff
• reboot with backup

notes:

• rmmod'ing ipw2200 before modprobe'ing it was the only way I could get the module to load properly on boot (weird).
• I chose to bundle the wpa_supplicant command inside of the eth1.sh file since that's how I like to think of it but you're welcome to stick it directly into /opt/bootlocal.sh instead
• YMMV: this is just what I had to do to get it working. I'm sure it could be refined like making an extension out of the firmware etc.

Good luck,

3rail

[Jason W]

I make an extension of my firmware and call it aaa_ipw2200.tcz so it gets loaded before any others, particularly wireless-2.6.33.3. 

If the firmware is in backup, the kernel module is getting loaded before the firmware is in place causing the need to unload and reload the module.

[3rail]

What steps would I change/add if I made an extension out of the firmware?  I tried to make that work but was unable to.

[Jason W]

I don't use wpa-supplicant so I dont know what may change in regards to that.  But if the firmware extension is placed in tce/optional and added to onboot.lst then the module from wireless-2.6.33.3 gets loaded with the firmware enabled.

[curaga]

sudo mkdir tmp/lib/firmware
tar xvfz ipw2200-fw-3.1.tgz
sudo cp ipw2200-fw-3.1/ipw2200-bss.fw tmp/lib/firmware
mksquashfs tmp myfirm.tcz