I've started a compatibility package for the Linux wireless subsystem for kernels >= 2.6.22. You can download it here: http://linuxwireless.org/download/compat-wireless-2.6/compat-wireless-2.6.tar.bz2 If you'd like to send patches to add new drivers (as you test them from wireless-2.6.git), please send against git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/mcgrof/compat-wireless-2.6.git I'll just paste the README here now as most info is already there. -- Linux Wireless comptatibility package ===================================== This is a Linux wireless comptatibility package which provides the latest Linux wireless subsystem enhancements for kernels 2.6.22 and above. We provide comptatibility support since 2.6.22 as that is when mac80211 was introduced onto the stock kernel. This adds mac80211 and mac80211 drivers as we go on testing them. Where to get the latest ----------------------- This package lets you build your own 'latest', all you need is a local git repository checkout of wireless-2.6.git. However since not many users are expected to keep the git repository updated we provide hourly snapshots against the latest at: http://linuxwireless.org/download/compat-wireless-2.6/ Building, and installing ------------------------ Build: build the latest linux wireless subsystem make Install: We use the updates/ directory so your distribution's drivers are left intact. sudo make install Uninstall: This nukes our changes to updates/ so you can go back to using your distribution's supported drivers. sudo make uninstall Load: This unloads your old mac80211 and wireless drivers and loads the new shiny ones. For example if ipw3945 and its proprietary daemon are found it'll be stopped and the module unloaded and then iwl3945 will be loaded. sudo make load Drivers ------- We'll add more as we go... Driver 2.6.22 2.6.23 ath5k OK ? b43 + ssb ? ? iwl3945 OK ? iwl4965 ? ? zd1211rw-mac80211 OK ? Known issues ------------ * Strange wireless device names: On Ubuntu and Fedora you may end up with strange network device names, for example, wlan0_rename. This is a known issue and will be worked on. * nl80211: More compatibility work is needed to add nl80211 * b43: We still need to iron out some compat stuff for b43 * MadWifi: If MadWifi is present the build system will detect this and only recommend what to do. At the present time ath_pci is being picked up over ath5k if both are present. What the build system currently suggests is to just rename ath_pci.ko to ath_pci.ko.ignore and then running depmod -ae. This is not required with ipw3945 and iwl3945. Why? ---- For users or developers stuck on older kernels that want to help test or patch wireless work. Additionally if you're on a recent kernel this lets you get the latest and greatest wireless-2.6 git work without much effort. This may mean new drivers for some users. Last but not least we hope this will encourage vendors and developers to post patches upstream first rather than forking or maintaining their own mac80211 releases with their own patches for their own drivers. Bugs ----- If you've found a bug please report it to our linux-wireless mailing list: linux-wireless@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Report the bug because you are working with the latest and greatest. If your bug is compatibility-related then we should still try to fix it within the compat.[ch] work. License ------- This work is a subset of the Linux kernel as such we keep the kernel's Copyright practice. Some files have their own copyright and in those cases the license is mentioned in the file. All additional work made to building this package is licensed under the GPLv2. Developers ---------- Please try adding new drivers, test them and if they work enable them. You can then send patches. Compatibility work goes into compat/compat.[ch]. If using those files do not suffice additional actual code changes can go into compat/compat.diff. scripts/admin-clean.sh - Cleans the compat-wireless-2.6 tree scripts/admin-update.sh - Updates compat-wireless-2.6 with your git tree scripts/admin-refresh.sh - Does the above two To add new drivers: 1. Add directory to scripts/admin-update.sh $DRIVERS variable 2. Add new compat-wireless-2.6/ dir to obj-y on the local Makefile 3. Update compat patch: cp drivers/foo/Makefile drivers/Makefile.old # edit drivers/foo/Makefile and make necessary changes to enable module diff -u drivers/foo/Makefile.old drivers/foo/Makefile >> \ compat/compat.diff # Append to compat/compat.[ch] any new changes needed # to support the driver, please be specific about the reasons # for your additions 4. Refresh and test: ./scripts/admin-refresh.sh 5. Send patches of the work Patches ------- Please send patches against: git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/mcgrof/compat-wireless-2.6.git To: Luis R. Rodriguez <mcgrof@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> CC: linux-wireless@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [PATCH] compat-2.6: add driver foo - To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-wireless" in the body of a message to majordomo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html
