FC5 ipw3945 problem on laptop

[Manuel Moreno]

Start with a clean instalation:

1- have kernel-smp-whatever.rpm and kernel-smp-devel-whatever.rpm
available (i.e. into /var/tmp/ )

2- go to Intel place and grab the ipw3945-1.1.0 driver from
http://support.intel.com/support/notebook/sb/CS-006408.htm
and put it in /var/tmp/ too...

So you must have:
/var/tmp/kernel-smp-whatever.rpm
/var/tmp/kernel-smp-devel-whatever.rpm
/var/tmp/ipw3945-linux-1.1.0.tgz


3- clean all the cruft from failed previous attempts:
# modprobe loop (for kernel reinstalation)
# cd /lib/modules
# mv 2.6.17-1.2174_FC5smp 2.6.17-1.2174_FC5smp.old (if your kernel is
2.6.17-1.2174 SMP)
# cd /usr/src/kernels
# mv 2.6.17-1.2174_FC5smp-i686 2.6.17-1.2174_FC5smp-i686.old (same as
above)
# cd /var/tmp
# rpm -ivh --replacefiles --replacepkgs kernel*-whatever.rpm

check out that your boot kernel line in /etc/grub.conf _does_not_
disable 'acpi' (something like acpi=off or acpi=ht ...)

reboot.

4- build your new driver & 'entourage'

# cd /var/tmp
# tar xzf ipw3945-linux-1.1.0.tgz
# cd ipw3945-linux-1.1.0
# tar xzf ipw3945-1.1.0.tgz
# tar xzf ipw3945-ucode-1.13.tgz
# tar xzf ipw3945d-1.7.22.tgz

              copy ucode and daemon to their proper places:

# cp ipw3945-ucode-1.13/ipw3945.ucode /lib/firmware/.
# cp ipw3945d-1.7.22//x86/ipw3945d /sbin/.
    
    build the module:

# cd  ipw3945-1.1.0
# make

   test the module

# ./load

if all is ok then iwconfig will show a wireless device that you can
configure....

clean all the cruft

# cd /lib/modules
# rm -rf *.old
# cd /usr/src/kernels
# rm -rf *.old

put your new working driver in some safe place...

# mkdir -p /usr/local/modules/ipw3945
# cp load unload ipw3945.ko  /usr/local/modules/ipw3945/.

make a script to be run from /etc/rc.d/rc.local ...

cat > /etc/rc.d/rc.ipw3945 (and now write ...)
#!/bin/sh
cd /usr/local/modules/ipw3945
./load
CTRL-D (means press Ctrl _and_ d, you will get the root prompt again)

# chmod +x /etc/rc.d/rc.ipw3945
# echo "/etc/rc.d/rc.ipw3945" >> /etc/rc.d/rc.local

Happy End.

-- 
Manuel Moreno <manolo at miconexion.com>