Linux Solutions

Welcome to the tutorial guide. The guide will provide you with instructions and guidance on how to upgrade Fedora using yum. The guide will cover video driver and wireless driver issues.

Video Drivers
Let’s have a look at video drivers .
For NVidia users, please install the Livna repositories and yum for kmod-nvidia and reboot. For ATI users, please note that if the video card is older than Radeon 9600, it should workout-of-the-box, if not, the you will need to wait until ATI releases a new driver for kernel 2.6.23 and yum for kmod-fglrx from Livna after it has been released. For Intel user, good news is that it works out of the box.

Now, let’s have a look at more detail for NVidia, ATI and Intel.
- Nvidia
Please get the Linux drivers from Nvidia and note that the x86_64bit version works well on the AMD Athlon X2 notebook.

- Nvidia (96xx)
Please note that for Nvidia (96xx), you need to ensure that the Livna Repository is enabled. This is if your cards are older.
su -c ‘yum -y install kmod-nvidia-96xx’

- ATI
Just like Nvidia (96xx), where Livna Repository is enabled, you need to have the Livna Repository enabled for ATI
su -c ‘yum -y install kmod-fglrx xorg-x11-drv-fglrx-libs-32bit’

Wireless Drivers
Now, you need to know how to install wireless drivers.
- Intel IPW3945
This is a guide to installing and setting up the Intel 3945 A/B/G wireless network adapter using FreshRPMS.
We will go through two methods of installation.
The first method requires you to install the FreshRPMS repository by using following command as below:
su -c ‘yum –enablerepo=freshrpms install dkms-ipw3945′

Remember, not to forget to configure the wireless using sytem-config-network. You can configure this through system-config-network. You need to delete wlan0 and install eth1 and the go on:
- System
- Administration
- Network

Regarding second method you need to do following:
- Blacklist the offending modules by typing following:
nano /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist
- now you can add these exact lines at the bottom then save and exit:

#iwl3945
blacklist iwl3945
blacklist mac80211

- Reboot the system:
This can be done by typing in: reboot

- Now, please create a temp directory on the desktop and name it as ipw3945
- After that, now download the following files into it:
mkdir /home/$user/Desktop/ipw3945 (replace $user with your username)

- Install kernel development packages and gcc compiler:
You can install kernel development package and gcc compiler by: yum install kernel-devel gcc

- Unpack the gzipped tarballs into the directory on your desktop called ‘ipw3945′ that were created earlier. This can be done by running following command:

tar xvfz ipw3945-1.2.1.tgz
tar xvfz ipw3945-ucode-1.14.2.tgz
tar xvfz ipw3945d-1.7.22.tgz

- Copy ucode firmware and regulatory daemon to their respective locations. This can be done by:
cp ipw3945-ucode-1.14.2/ipw3945.ucode /lib/firmware && cp ipw3945d-1.7.22/x86/ipw3945d /sbin

- Compile and copy the resuling kernel module to the correct location
This can be done by:
cd ipw3945-1.2.1 && make
su –login
cp /home/$user/Desktop/ipw3945/ipw3945-1.2.1/ipw3945.ko lib/modules/`uname -r`/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/
chmod 744 /lib/modules/`uname -r`/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/ipw3945.ko
depmod -ae

- Install startup init script:
The install startup init script is provided below:
cp /home/$user/Desktop/ipw3945/ipw3945 /etc/init.d
chmod +x /etc/init.d/ipw3945
chkconfig –add ipw3945 && chkconfig ipw3945 on

- Reboot the system:
This is done by running following command:
reboot

- Configure the device:
You can configure the device by:
system-config-network

- new –> wireless connection –> Intel Corporation PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection –> forward

- Restart the network:
You can restart the network by running following command: service network restart

Please note that before compiling the kernel module uncomment the following line:
CONFIG_IPW3945_MONITOR=y CONFIG_IEEE80211_RADIOTAP=y CONFIG_IPW3945_PROMISCUOUS=y

- Madwifi
Madwifi is another wireless driver. Please note that you need to install the Livna repository. Please run the following command:
su -c ‘yum -y install madwifi kmod-madwifi’

Now, please add the following lines to the modprobe.conf file
su -c ‘gedit /etc/modprobe.conf’
## Start Atheros Stuff
alias wifi0 ath_pci
alias ath0 ath_pci
options ath_pci autocreate=sta
## End Atheros Stuff

In order to configure the wireless, please go to:
- System
- Administration
- Network

- IPW2×00
IPW2×00 is another wireless driver that can be installed, but before we install it we need to establish what wireless card we have. This can be found by running following command:
su -c ‘/sbin/lspci | grep Wireless’

The output should be as below:
02:01.0 Network controller: Intel Corporation PRO/Wireless 2200BG (rev 05)
02:01.0 Network controller: Intel Corporation PRO/Wireless LAN 2100 3B Mini PCI Adapter (rev 04)

Now, you need to install the relevant firmware by running followig command:
su -c ‘yum -y install ipw2xxx-firmware’

After installing the firmware, you can now reboot the machine and then configure the network by going on:
- System
- Administration
- Network

- Broadcom b43 (official driver)
First of all, please enable the RPM Fusion repo and then install the driver by running following command:
su -c ‘yum update’
su -c ‘yum install broadcom-wl’
After installing the driver, now please go to:

- System
-Administration
- Network
Now please select the wireless device and check “Controlled by Network Manager” and “Activate device when computer starts”.

- Broadcom b43
Please run the following command:
su -c ‘yum -y install b43-fwcutter’

Now download the appropriate package based on this file
su -c ‘gedit /usr/share/doc/b43-fwcutter-008/README’

You can now run the fwcutter program by following command:
su -c ‘b43-fwcutter -w /lib/firmware ~/Downloads/bcmwl5.sys’

Now please add it to the modules to test.
su -c ‘/sbin/modprobe b43′

You can configure the network by going to:
- System
- Administration
- Network

If you followed all the instructions and guidance as provided in this tutorial, then video drivers and wireless drivers will be successfully installed.