Re: Looking for HOWTO use airport extreme with recent kernels
On Sat, 02 Feb 2008 23:29:09 +0100
Thorsten Gunkel <tgunkel-lists@tgunkel.de> wrote:
> Hi,
> I recently updated the kernel on an iBook G4 (Debian/Etch) to 2.6.22-3. As
> far as I understood there should be a new network stack available with this
> kernel which offers the possibiltity to use WPA and WPA2 with the build
> in airport extreme. Is this right?
>
> I searched a bit about this but failed to find a recent HOWTO which explains
> how to setup this new network stack for a WEP or a WPA / WPA2 wireless
> network.
>
> I noticed that lsmod shows that ieee80211softmac is loaded, so I guess I'm
> currently still using the old network stack?
>
> TIA
> Thorsten
Hi there,
Just curious to know how you upgraded your kernel to 2.6.22-3. I have a PowerBook G4 running etch that I would like to upgrade as well.
As for your problem, I think you might have to upgrade to kernel 2.6.24. Here is a part taken from kernelnewbies.org:
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2.3. New wireless drivers and configuration interface
New wireless configuration interface
In Linux 2.6.22, Linux got a new wireless stack. This new stack is backwards compatible with the old ioctl-based configuration of the old stack. However, the new stack was designed to have a much better configuration interface, based on netlink. While the backwards compatibility isn't going away, all wireless configuration tools are recommended to have long-term plans to switch to the new interface.
Drivers
In Linux 2.6.22, the mac80211 (formerly d80211) wireless stack was merged, but not many drivers that use this new stack have been merged (only one). Linux 2.6.24 will have a lot of new wireless drivers using the new stack; 2.3 MB of source files in total:
*
iwlwifi driver for the Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG/BG Network Connection and Intel Wireless Wifi Link AGN (4965) adapters (commit)
*
rt2x00 driver for Ralink wireless hardware (rt2400 pci/pcmcia, rt2500 pci/pcmcia, rt61 pci/pcmcia, rt2500 usb, rt73 usb). Check the hardware matrix (commit)
*
adm8211 driver for the ADMtek ADM8211x based wireless cards. These are PCI/mini-PCI/Cardbus 802.11b chips found in cards such as: Xterasys Cardbus XN-2411b, Blitz Netwave Point PC, Trendnet 221pc, Belkin F5d6001, SMC 2635W, Linksys WPC11 v1, Fiberline FL-WL-200X, 3com Office Connect (3CRSHPW796), Corega WLPCIB-11, SMC 2602W V2 EU, D-Link DWL-520 Revision C (commit)
*
b43 driver for modern BCM43xx devices. This driver supports the new BCM43xx IEEE 802.11G devices, but not the old IEEE 802.11B devices - those are supported by the b43legacy driver. This driver uses V4 firmware, which must be installed separately using b43-fwcutter (commit)
*
b43legacy driver for legacy BCM43xx devices from Broadcom (BCM4301 and BCM4303) and early model 802.11g chips (BCM4306 Ver. 2) used in the Linksys WPC54G V1 PCMCIA devices. Newer 802.11g and 802.11a devices need the b43 driver. This driver uses V3 firmware, which must be installed separately using b43-fwcutter (commit)
*
p54 driver for prism54 softmac pci/usb hardware (commit)
*
Driver for Marvell Libertas 8385 Compactflash 802.11b/g cards (commit)
*
Libertas sdio driver (commit)
There are also a lot of network (non-wireless) drivers being merged, look at the section 2.14, "new drivers
**********
Amit
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