Re: Help please - install the WiFi driver

["Roman V.Leon." <roman-vl@meta.ua>]

On 04.03.2013 03:04, Mark Filipak wrote:
> On 2013/3/3 4:34 PM, Roman V.Leon. wrote:
> -big snip-
> > Why do you think you need a special driver?
> > Please type "/sbin/ifconfig -a" in your terminal to check whether you
> > have "wlan0" device or not in the list.
>
> mark@MarkFilipak:/media/usb8/Setup/Debian 6.0.6 64-bit/Packages$
> /sbin/ifconfig -a
> eth0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:18:8b:dc:30:fd
> BROADCAST MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
> RX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
> TX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
> collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
> RX bytes:0 (0.0 B) TX bytes:0 (0.0 B)
> Interrupt:18
>
> lo Link encap:Local Loopback
> inet addr:127.0.0.1 Mask:255.0.0.0
> inet6 addr: ::1/128 Scope:Host
> UP LOOPBACK RUNNING MTU:16436 Metric:1
> RX packets:24 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
> TX packets:24 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
> collisions:0 txqueuelen:0
> RX bytes:1696 (1.6 KiB) TX bytes:1696 (1.6 KiB)
>
> pan0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr ba:3e:86:e1:5a:91
> BROADCAST MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
> RX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
> TX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
> collisions:0 txqueuelen:0
> RX bytes:0 (0.0 B) TX bytes:0 (0.0 B)
>
> wlan0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:1b:77:80:2d:b9
> BROADCAST MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
> RX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
> TX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
> collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
> RX bytes:0 (0.0 B) TX bytes:0 (0.0 B)
>
> Well, 00:1b:77:80:2d:b9 is indeed the WiFi's NIC. So why can't I get to
> the Ethernet, and why does everything I see on the Internet (when I'm in
> Windows of course) say that I must obtain an Intel 3945ABG driver
> because it's non-free? "...Come to me and fall on thy knees, and I will
> set thee free!"

Hi again Mark,
I'm not sure why all the articles you've found require you a special 
driver(though it can be a serious reason for this). But i think that if 
you have wlan0 interface you do not need anything else on your system. 
There are a lot of software with GUI(NetworkManager, Wicd, ...)which 
could help you to manage your wifi interface, but I think you can read 
about it later when you find some time. To get internet working you can 
use wpa_supplicant tool, it is a CLI tool, but it is very easy. At first 
you should create a config-file with such content:
-------------------
network={
	ssid="home"
	scan_ssid=1
	key_mgmt=WPA-PSK
	psk="very secret passphrase"
}
-------------------
Rename this file as wpa_supplicant.conf. I think that content is more or 
less clear and you can adjust these parameters according your own needs. 
Then you can start your wi-fi card by command:

sudo /sbin/wpa_supplicant -cwpa_supplicant.conf -iwlan0

I think the command is also easy to understand. I hope that after these 
actions you'll get your wifi working till next reboot. Probably you will 
need to assign an IP-address manually to your NIC.

I'd recommend you to read the man pages:
1) man wpa_supplicant
2) man wpa_supplicant.conf
And download an excellent book which you'll find here:
http://debian-handbook.info/
You can read it from time to time when you are in a public transport and 
I think it will be a kind of an eye-opener for you.

--
From Russia with love,
Roman V.Leon.