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From: Dr. Deb on 11 Apr 2008 15:03

Unlike the post a few below this one, I am not a "troll," but a long time
Linux user who started using Linux with Mandrake 7.0.

I got an e-mail saying Mandrake had just released their Spring 08 edition.
So I logged on and download the Live CD version - Mandriva 1. Booted it
and the LiveCD work flawlessly, except for internet connectivity, which
required an "ndiswrapper." So I decided to do the install and add
the "ndiswrapper" after the install was complete.


It installed as I expected, and the install was flawless, as far as it could
go, since I only have one DVD/CD drive connected at the moment. Once the
install was compelete I noticed, as I expected, that the internet was not
connected. I popped my driver disk in the DVD slot, closed it, allowed it
to mount, and then opened the internet connection dialog. So far, all was
very straight forward. Then things got interesting. The app did not sense
the wireless card (D-Link DWA-552) and brought up the screen for
the "ndiswrapper." I clicked on the CD in the left window, and stepped
through the various folders, until I got to the actual driver. Clicked on
the driver and the system "hard locked." Nothing worked and I had to hit
the manual reset button. Thinking an electron might have gotten crossways
somewhere, I tried again. Same result.

What is with these Linux OS developers? The most important family of apps
in the whole system, outside of the kernel, is the internet connectivity
suite. Yet it is routinely one of the most negelected.

The usual answer to a connection query is, "Don't worry, its in the
repository." DUH!!! How does on get to the repository? That is the
usual anwer, I found a new one from Ubuntu, (and I quote) "Well, use
PCLinuxOS then." I took their advice. :-)

Deb
From: Ivan Marsh on 11 Apr 2008 15:18
On Fri, 11 Apr 2008 14:03:30 -0500, Dr. Deb wrote:

> Unlike the post a few below this one, I am not a "troll,"

Not only are you a troll, you're a multi-poster.

--
"Remain calm, we're here to protect you!"

From: J.O. Aho on 11 Apr 2008 15:22
Ivan Marsh wrote:
> On Fri, 11 Apr 2008 14:03:30 -0500, Dr. Deb wrote:
>
>> Unlike the post a few below this one, I am not a "troll,"
>
> Not only are you a troll, you're a multi-poster.

Multi-posting ain't a good sign either.


--

//Aho
From: Unruh on 11 Apr 2008 15:37
"Dr. Deb" <dgfreeman(a)mon-cre.net> writes:


>Unlike the post a few below this one, I am not a "troll," but a long time
>Linux user who started using Linux with Mandrake 7.0.

>I got an e-mail saying Mandrake had just released their Spring 08 edition.
>So I logged on and download the Live CD version - Mandriva 1. Booted it
>and the LiveCD work flawlessly, except for internet connectivity, which
>required an "ndiswrapper." So I decided to do the install and add
>the "ndiswrapper" after the install was complete.


>It installed as I expected, and the install was flawless, as far as it could
>go, since I only have one DVD/CD drive connected at the moment. Once the
>install was compelete I noticed, as I expected, that the internet was not
>connected. I popped my driver disk in the DVD slot, closed it, allowed it
>to mount, and then opened the internet connection dialog. So far, all was
>very straight forward. Then things got interesting. The app did not sense
>the wireless card (D-Link DWA-552) and brought up the screen for
>the "ndiswrapper." I clicked on the CD in the left window, and stepped
>through the various folders, until I got to the actual driver. Clicked on
>the driver and the system "hard locked." Nothing worked and I had to hit
>the manual reset button. Thinking an electron might have gotten crossways
>somewhere, I tried again. Same result.

>What is with these Linux OS developers? The most important family of apps
>in the whole system, outside of the kernel, is the internet connectivity
>suite. Yet it is routinely one of the most negelected.

Uh, hardly. The linux developers try very hard to get the wireless working.
But the manufacturers refuse to give out any information as to how to make
it work, and insist of changing chipsets every month or so. Thus your
DWA-552 has probably had 3 or 4 chipsets in its brief life-- each of which
the manufacturer decides to "imporve" by making sure it acts like no othr
wireless with the same chipset.

Anyway, first you have to load the windows driver (ndiswrapper -i
nameofwindowsdriver.inf) Make sure that you get EXACTLY the right windows
driver. Get it off the DVD that came with your wireless card.

Then do
ndiswrapper -l
to see if you can see it.

Then do
tail -f /var/log/dmesg &

Then do
modprobe ndiswrapper, and look at the messages.
It may be that there is some weirdness with the windows driver that
ndiswrapper cannot handle.

Note that you are also far better off loading the full Mandriva rather than
the ONE. The one is limited to one CD, the installation is 6CDs Ie, you are
far far more likely to get things working on the full one.




>The usual answer to a connection query is, "Don't worry, its in the
>repository." DUH!!! How does on get to the repository? That is the
>usual anwer, I found a new one from Ubuntu, (and I quote) "Well, use
>PCLinuxOS then." I took their advice. :-)

>Deb
From: Dr. Deb on 11 Apr 2008 17:31
Dr. Deb wrote:

Unruh, thanks for the advice. As I said in the original, Mandriva pops an
app up to do the work of installing the wrapper. I fully understand the
need to have "exactly" the right driver, the one I was using was the one
supplied with the card by D-Link, which works perfectly under PCLinuxOS (a
Mandriva spin off).

As far as developers working hard to get wireless working, one would think
they would. My experience has been otherwise. I have two unique
situations, the one I originally wrote about and one that requires PPPOE to
log onto ADSL. I know the Ubuntu family does not fully support this
protocol. I queried then and was told "Its on the CD we just did not load
it in the install." Does that sound a bit dense to you? NOTHING is more
important in today's world than internet connectivity.

AS for the two "true beleivers." All I was trying to do in posting to two
newsgroups is give folks a "heads-up" on a Mandriva problem. I guess you
would prefer denial.

Deb
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