ndiswrapper with 2.6.24 kernels

Mark Haney mhaney at ercbroadband.org
Mon Mar 31 11:58:56 UTC 2008


Boris Glawe wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> has anybody successfully installed the freshrpm's dkms-ndiswrapper package?
> 
> The installation itself is not the problem, but the kernel module 
> compilation fails.
> 
> The kernel modules was usually compiled and properly installed with the 
> execution of "/etc/init.d/dkms start". This command still does not show 
> any error messages, but after returning after some seconds of operation, 
> there's no kernel module in /lib/modules/`uname -r` which is confirmed 
> by modprobe : "FATAL: Module ndiswrapper not found."
> 
> Nobody's reporting any problems?! How are you using ndiswrapper WLAN 
> adapters with F8 and 2.6.24.x kernels?
> 
> Thanks and greets
> Boris
> 


IIRC (and I've been on vacation, so my brain hasn't caught up yet), 
Linus himself got involved with the NDISwrapper code being GPL'd.  He 
put the kibosh on exporting the symbols needed to load it since in his 
mind it CAN'T be GPL if it loads non-GPL binaries.  IANAL, so take that 
how you will. The thread was on Slashdot a couple weeks ago.  It's my 
understanding that ndiswrapper is broken in the .24 kernels and hasn't 
been fixed yet.

Granted, it's also my understanding the new WIFI stack is supposed to 
have much better support for cards in .24, but I can't say for certain yet.


-- 
Libenter homines id quod volunt credunt -- Caius Julius Caesar


Mark Haney
Sr. Systems Administrator
ERC Broadband
(828) 350-2415

Call (866) ERC-7110 for after hours support




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