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| — | slackware:rt2xxx [2008/03/10 23:06] – Fix incorrect IWPRIV example. alien |
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| | ===== The rt2x00 project ===== |
| |
| | Wireless cards based on RaLink's chipsets are very well-suited for Linux computers. RaLink actively supports Linux and the Open Source community by releasing the code for a driver and configuration utility. Based on that code, a re-developed driver for these cards is hosted at [[http://rt2x00.serialmonkey.com]]. This driver (although still in beta) is working good and is quite stable. It is different from other modern wireless drivers in that it has built-in WPA support. It is not dependent on a third-party tool like [[http://hostap.epitest.fi/wpa_supplicant/ | wpa_supplicant]]. The rt2x00 driver will eventually replace the current rt2400, rt2500 and rt2570 drivers. |
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| | |
| | === Getting the software === |
| | |
| | I maintain a Slackware package for the rt2500 driver (54Mbit wireless cards) [[http://www.slackware.com/~alien/slackbuilds/rt2500/ | here]]. Install a package for your release of Slackware (the version number should correspond with your running kernel) or build your own package using the [[http://www.slackware.com/~alien/slackbuilds/rt2500/build/rt2500.SlackBuild | SlackBuild script]] and the other files found in that location. An easy way to download all source files in one command is <code> |
| | lftp -c "open http://www.slackware.com/~alien/slackbuilds/rt2500/; mirror build" |
| | </code> When this command completes, you will end up with a subdirectory called "//build//" in your current directory. Build the package as follows: <code> |
| | cd build |
| | sh rt2500.SlackBuild |
| | </code> THe resulting package will be created in the ''/tmp'' directory and can be installed with (for example) <code> |
| | installpkg /tmp/rt2500-1.1.0.b4_2.6.13-i486-1.tgz |
| | </code> |
| | |
| | === Loading and configuring the rt2500 driver === |
| | |
| | After installing the software, a simple <code>/sbin/modprobe rt2500</code> is enough to load the driver. A reboot would do the same, if you have enabled hotplug. Without hotplug, you can add the line ''/sbin/modprobe rt2500'' to the end of either <code>/etc/rc.d/rc.netdevice</code> or <code>/etc/rc.d/rc.modules</code> so that the driver will load upon boot.\\ |
| | This will create an network device called //__ra0__// . Slackware since release 10.2 can handle network devices that are not called //ethX// and you can have a look at the [[#sample_configuration | sample configuration below]]. For older releases of Slackware, you can have a look at [[http://www.slackware.com/~alien/rc_scripts/ | my updated network scripts]] that are written as a drop-in replacement for your current //rc.inet1// and/or //rc.wireless// scripts (if you upgrade, upgrade them both!). |
| | |
| | === Sample configuration === |
| | |
| | Taken from my ''/etc/rc.d/rc.inet1.conf'', your configuration for a rt2x00 driven card could look like this (several parameter values are specific to your own network and you should edit where appropriate): |
| | <code> |
| | # Config information for ra0: |
| | IFNAME[5]="ra0" |
| | IPADDR[5]="" |
| | NETMASK[5]="" |
| | USE_DHCP[5]="yes" |
| | DHCP_HOSTNAME[5]="icculus" |
| | WLAN_ESSID[5]=MYWAVES |
| | WLAN_MODE[5]=Managed |
| | WLAN_CHANNEL[5]="auto" |
| | WLAN_IWPRIV[5]="set AuthMode=WPAPSK | set EncrypType=TKIP | set WPAPSK=1234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234" |
| | </code> |
| | The last line (//WLAN_IWPRIV[5]//) is the necessary configuration for WPA. The 64-character string '//12345.....901234//' I copied in there should be replaced by your Access Point's 64-character hexadecimal WPA key. |
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| | <note warning>The above notation for the **//WLAN_IWPRIV//** variable has changed starting with Slackware 12.0. The old notation for ''IWPRIV'' in before Slackware 12.0 was like this: \\ ''WLAN_IWPRIV[5]="AuthMode=WPAPSK EncrypType=TKIP WPAPSK=the64characterkey"'' \\ Starting with Slackware 12.0, you should use the new syntax <code> |
| | WLAN_IWPRIV[5]="set AuthMode=WPAPSK | set EncrypType=TKIP | set WPAPSK=the64characterkey" |
| | </code></note> |
