Wireless driver packages for Puppy2
Posted: Wed 07 Jun 2006, 14:05
These Linux wifi drivers are for Puppy 2.0, 2.01 and the remastered "2.02-regression".
They are not compatible with the standard Puppy 2.02
Update Aug 2006: The download location has changed slightly - http://dotpups.de/dotpups/Wifi/
A dedicated driver is one written specifically for Linux, as opposed to ndiswrapper (and the commercial Linuxant DriverLoader) which "wraps" a Windows driver.
Dedicated Linux drivers are the optimal solution, but usually involve extra effort. I have not provided a fancy wizard, you need to read the relevant README to use these drivers.
ndiswrapper has its place. It's a less complicated solution (you don't even need to know what chipset you have) and it's your only option when there's no Linux driver available.
This download site also has wifi-1.0.4-beta-2.pup (originally packaged by Bladehunter) which automates and configures ndiswrapper. It contains many popular Windows drivers ready-to-go.
So to the new drivers. With Puppy2's 2.6.16 kernel there's some bad news:
- atmelwlandriver won't compile, but there is a standard kernel driver for Atmel PCI & PCMCIA devices which should be fine.
EDIT July 20 2006, the BerliOS at76c503a driver for Atmel USB devices is now compatible.
- linux-wlan-ng (for Prism2/3) - the PCMCIA versions won't compile, but that's no problem, the HostAP driver will substitute. Fortunately the linux-wlan-ng USB driver is OK.
- Lucent-Agere Hermes1&2 (proprietary) - won't compile, but there's a standard kernel driver which should be just as good.
The good news is that there are now 4 previously unavailable wifi drivers:
Broadcom bcm43xx - I have provided the "softmac" version which is considered more developed and stable, plus the "devicescape" version which supports full (not just PSK) WPA encryption. Both versions contain additional wifi network modules, which, in the case of the softmac version are designed to overwrite Puppy2's existing wifi modules.
NOTE: Several of these driver packages here contain optimised/modified wifi network modules. Don't try to "mix-and-match" these modules. The Linux wifi network stack is undergoing change aimed at new features, but several different versions of the stack exist in the meantime.
Prism54 usb/softmac - this is the "islsm" version which supports USB adaptors with Prism54 softmac chips, and PCI/PCMCIA softmac versions.
Marvell - "mrv8k" driver for Marvell Libertas chipsets.
ipw3945 - for the Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG.
EDIT June 26/July 9 2006 - The "new code" rt2x00 Ralink drivers are not stable.
So the old code versions are here, too, which I have called "Ralink-legacy" and this package includes the recent rt61 and rt73 drivers.
Plus there are updated versions of drivers I earlier provided for Puppy 1.0.4-1.0.9 at http://mymirrors.homelinux.org/puppy/wireless/
- acx (TexasInstruments), adm8211, Hostap (Prism2/3), HostAP Daemon, ipw2100, ipw2200, linux-wlan-ng (Prism2/3 USB), MADWiFi (Atheros), Orinoco-with-rfmon-patch, Prism54, ralink-legacy, rt2x00 (Ralink), rtl8180-sa2400 (Realtek), zd1211 (Zydas), and wpa_supplicant.
I have also included "Aircrack-ng" at kirk's suggestion, for wifi network packet collection.
edit June 26 2006 - kirk's "Kismet" dotpup is now here, too. Kismet is an older wifi sniffer than Aircrack-ng. It's much larger, but has a simple gui, and will work with a larger range range of wifi adaptors.
The patched version of the orinoco drivers is now here, too, which adds support for Kismet.
They are not compatible with the standard Puppy 2.02
Update Aug 2006: The download location has changed slightly - http://dotpups.de/dotpups/Wifi/
A dedicated driver is one written specifically for Linux, as opposed to ndiswrapper (and the commercial Linuxant DriverLoader) which "wraps" a Windows driver.
Dedicated Linux drivers are the optimal solution, but usually involve extra effort. I have not provided a fancy wizard, you need to read the relevant README to use these drivers.
ndiswrapper has its place. It's a less complicated solution (you don't even need to know what chipset you have) and it's your only option when there's no Linux driver available.
This download site also has wifi-1.0.4-beta-2.pup (originally packaged by Bladehunter) which automates and configures ndiswrapper. It contains many popular Windows drivers ready-to-go.
So to the new drivers. With Puppy2's 2.6.16 kernel there's some bad news:
- atmelwlandriver won't compile, but there is a standard kernel driver for Atmel PCI & PCMCIA devices which should be fine.
EDIT July 20 2006, the BerliOS at76c503a driver for Atmel USB devices is now compatible.
- linux-wlan-ng (for Prism2/3) - the PCMCIA versions won't compile, but that's no problem, the HostAP driver will substitute. Fortunately the linux-wlan-ng USB driver is OK.
- Lucent-Agere Hermes1&2 (proprietary) - won't compile, but there's a standard kernel driver which should be just as good.
The good news is that there are now 4 previously unavailable wifi drivers:
Broadcom bcm43xx - I have provided the "softmac" version which is considered more developed and stable, plus the "devicescape" version which supports full (not just PSK) WPA encryption. Both versions contain additional wifi network modules, which, in the case of the softmac version are designed to overwrite Puppy2's existing wifi modules.
NOTE: Several of these driver packages here contain optimised/modified wifi network modules. Don't try to "mix-and-match" these modules. The Linux wifi network stack is undergoing change aimed at new features, but several different versions of the stack exist in the meantime.
Prism54 usb/softmac - this is the "islsm" version which supports USB adaptors with Prism54 softmac chips, and PCI/PCMCIA softmac versions.
Marvell - "mrv8k" driver for Marvell Libertas chipsets.
ipw3945 - for the Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG.
EDIT June 26/July 9 2006 - The "new code" rt2x00 Ralink drivers are not stable.
So the old code versions are here, too, which I have called "Ralink-legacy" and this package includes the recent rt61 and rt73 drivers.
Plus there are updated versions of drivers I earlier provided for Puppy 1.0.4-1.0.9 at http://mymirrors.homelinux.org/puppy/wireless/
- acx (TexasInstruments), adm8211, Hostap (Prism2/3), HostAP Daemon, ipw2100, ipw2200, linux-wlan-ng (Prism2/3 USB), MADWiFi (Atheros), Orinoco-with-rfmon-patch, Prism54, ralink-legacy, rt2x00 (Ralink), rtl8180-sa2400 (Realtek), zd1211 (Zydas), and wpa_supplicant.
I have also included "Aircrack-ng" at kirk's suggestion, for wifi network packet collection.
edit June 26 2006 - kirk's "Kismet" dotpup is now here, too. Kismet is an older wifi sniffer than Aircrack-ng. It's much larger, but has a simple gui, and will work with a larger range range of wifi adaptors.
The patched version of the orinoco drivers is now here, too, which adds support for Kismet.