Linux Noob Doesn't Want to Compile Kernel

[Hypnagogue]

Here's the story -

I just bought a brand new MSI Wind U210. I decided to load Ubuntu for my first Linux experience. I discovered quickly that my wireless chipset, the Ralink rt3090, doesn't work with 9.10. So, I did a bit of research and found these drivers in a handy .deb format. Now that these drivers are installed the rt3090 works - sort of. It will not connect to WPA secured networks, only WEP.

I found this thread on ubuntuforums.org trying to solve this problem. One fellow claims to have done so, posting:

My LG x130 has the same wireless chipset. Since the ndiswrapper did not work very well, I tried with the staging driver. I patched the 2.6.31 kernel source with all rt3090 related patches you can get from here:

http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/peo...ging/2.6/2.6.31

Compiled the kernel and installed it. You need to provide the configuration file in /etc/Wireless which I just took from the original Ralink driver. Connecting to WPA encrypted networks now works flawlessly.

Daniel

So I looked up patching the kernel. Well, it looks like I would have to build the whole thing from source and swap it out with the existing kernel. I have been using Linux all of 24 hours. I do not want to do this. The instructions I've read barely make any sense to me.

Please, help me find another solution.

[markwolfe Veteran]

Well, someone could provide an updated kernel in .deb format.

[ehlo]

http://array.org/ubuntu/

That kernel is what I use on my eeepc. Apparently the Jaunty kernels now support the Wind too? :)

[Hypnagogue]

http://array.org/ubuntu/

That kernel is what I use on my eeepc. Apparently the Jaunty kernels now support the Wind too? :)

Won't I need to downgrade to Jaunty to use those kernels? I may do that if Karmic isn't substantially better, but I don't personally know.

[Hendrick]

If it simply is a patch that made it into later versions of the kernel, it couldn't hurt to check the repo's real quick on Ubuntu to see if there is a more up to date version then what you currently have. I'm not a big fan of Ubuntu, but I know 99% of the time, the distro ISO isn't fully up to date.

[zivan56]

Should work with NDISWrapper with no recompiling required. I believe only the latest version of the driver, which is fairly new, supports WPA.

See: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/WifiDocs/...ver/Ndiswrapper

Btw, there is hardly ever a need to recompile the kernel. You just need the kernel headers to build a driver as a loadable module. I don't know who suggested rebuilding the kernel to build the driver into the kernel itself.

[Growled Member]

Dude, seriously. Compiling an OS kernel just to get wireless to work?

I want to see your defense for that. No, really. I'm serious. =/

If compiling the kernel to get a driver working is true, there is no defense. However that may not be necessary.

http://wolfs-ubuntu.blogspot.com/

The info is about middle ways down the page.

[Fred Derf Veteran]

[Thread Cleaned]

Off-topic posts have been removed since they were not helpful to the original poster's situation. If somebody wants to start a new thread about whether an OS should allow you to recompile a kernel to get access to non-supported hardware then go ahead.

[ehlo]

Won't I need to downgrade to Jaunty to use those kernels? I may do that if Karmic isn't substantially better, but I don't personally know.

At the moment, yes. However the guy who makes them is working on the Karmic versions :)

[rawr_boy81]

Have you tried downloading the drivers from:

http://www.ralinktech.com.tw/support.php?s=2

Installing the kernel-devel package; inside the file there is a readme with step by step instructions on how to compile it against your kernel release. One downside you'll need to recompile it each time you update the kernel.

[Elv13]

Using a jaunty kernel in Karmic will work just fine.