[BL] Basiclinux 3.5 and wireless (ma401).

baslinux at lists.ibiblio.org baslinux at lists.ibiblio.org
Sun Apr 27 10:31:23 EDT 2008


On Sun, 27 Apr 2008, baslinux at lists.ibiblio.org wrote:

>>
>>  If Slackware 12 works with the MA401RA card, why not copy over the kernel
>>  and pcmcia modules from it to BL3 and try those, with the added lines in
>>  config for your card?
>
> Wouldn't that fail though, and if the pcmcia modules did work what
> about others --
> would they just fail or use too much memory?

How much memory does your computer have?

This was to test whether the card needs a later kernel.  You already have 
Slackware 12.

You said Slackware 12 uses ndiswrapper rather than orinoco_cs so this 
suggestion is irrelevant.

You can download one of my kernels and my pcmcia modules instead.

>>  Can you remind us of your error messages, and/or search for them online?
>>  Most mistakes have been made before.
>
> Well I believe it was some sort of kernel "oops". The snag is that if

This suggests a kernel problem.

I just searched the BL archives (BL site, 'support', archives) on 'linksys 
kernel 2.4.31' and found my posting from Jan 2007

'My linksys WPC11 ver 3 wireless card works with kernel 2.4.31 but not 
with 2.2.26'.  This is an orinoco card too.

There is your answer.  Try my kernel and modules instead.

My kernel 2.4.31 produces a read-only file system used with loop BL3.

I can eventually check this out again with my own laptops and cards.
It may be dependent on individual laptops (works with some, not others, 
using 2.2.26).

> I were to put them
> here I'd have to type them all out (hopefully with no mistakes, as it
> is quite long!). I would
> cut and paste but I've no way short of taking a photo of getting data
> off the laptop right

What happens if you type
dmesg | less

> now. It dosen't have a floppy drive; I have seen pcmcia floppy drives

Toshiba Libretto 50 (circa 1998-9) was designed to use pcmcia versions of 
both floppy and cdrom drives (made it smaller).

ebay is selling libretto new batteries for $30 +.

A floppy drive for $130 buy it now (from a place that wants $194 for the 
same battery).  There is also a complete computer for $50 starting bid.

The computer is pentium 75MHz, 32MB RAM, 8x4.5", with Yamaha 
sound (I compiled a ymf module that might work), 5x4" color screen, 
magnifier feature, optical mouse, and it is being sold with PC card floppy 
drive on ebay, and port expander and replicator (parallel and serial 
ports).  Can take external monitor.  1.87 lb.  8.26x4.53".

Unless you use the CD-ROM drive a lot, don't put the modules for it in rc 
because they will take up RAM.

$2000 new.

http://www.mondoinfo.com/libretto.html - provides a XF86Config file for 
the Chips video (Xfree86 3.3)

The owner had problems with the 3com network card and had to reboot after 
inserting it.  (I do that with all  my network cards on all laptops).

How did you get BL onto it in the first place?

> for sale on ebay but
> usually they are a) overpriced
definitely so.

I'll have to try to reproduce what I did to
> get the messages(!).
> They were similar to last time, eg;
>
> Oops: 0002
> CPU: 0
> EIP : 0010[<c18246ee>]
> EFLAGS: 00010246
>
> Followed by a message about the kernel not syncing.

Kernel problem.
Try mine (the la kernel is small and ought to work) at
http://keesan.freeshell.org/bl/2.4.31.

Also get the regular ('smf) and pcmcia modules and just copy over the ones 
you need.  I think this kernel also needs the three cd-rom modules.

If the computer won't
>>  boot from CD, you can make a DSL boot floppy.
>>

> x.x Wish I could alas the laptop I'm doing this on has no floppy drive, and no
> usb (too old). Right now the only external media I have for it is a pcmcia cdrom
> drive.

It probably won't boot from it.  My 133MHz DELL without USB has no CD-ROM 
boot even with a regular drive, and even Smart Boot Manager would not work 
in it.

You may have the physically smallest BL computer in the world.

Sindi

> ljoens



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