new to linux...please help install a driver

[dman1977]

Hi .... I am very new to linux (just installed fedora core last night) and need some help. I need to at least get internet access to start learning linux but do not know how to install the driver for my wireless card (dink dwl650+). I have downloaded the tgz file that contains the driver but do not know what to do to get it going.
thanks
dustin

[dkeav]

http://madwifi.org/wiki/UserDocs/FirstTimeHowTo

[Davy]

hi dman!

what dkeav mean's is that you're going to have to find out what kind of chipset your wireless network is build upon. (be careful because the name written on the sticker on the network card isn't necessarily the same as the chipset).

if you have some luck, the network card's manufacture will provide a driver for your network card.

otherwise check to see if your chipset is supported by madwifi. if it is, you can use dkeav's link. (you can find a list of madwifi supported chipsets here: http://madwifi.org/wiki/Compatibility )

if you chipset isn't listed as one that's compatible with madwifi you can use the ndiswrapper: http://ndiswrapper.sourceforge.net/ . (if you're using fedora core 4, the ndiswrapper should already be installed).

to find out what kind of chipset you have, plug in the card, open a terminal, then type in:

su -
***type in root password***
lspci

when the printout comes on the screen, write down what looks like might be your network card. do a google search to confirm it and then see if madwifi, ndiswrapper or manufacturer's drive will work for you

[MorphiusFaydal]

dman1977, unless I am very much mistaken (and I shouldnt be, I had the desktop version of that card, the DWL-520+) your card has a Texas Instruments ACX-100 chipset in it.

There are drivers available here.

That's http://acx100.sourceforge.net/

Good luck!

[dkeav]

heh what dkeav meant was, he looked up the card which is known to have the atheros chipset, which is the madwifi driver

there is only one revision of that card with the TI chipset, lspci should tell you more information about the specific chipset, most likely it is atheros based though, in which case you should install the madwifi drivers, in that case you read the newbie howto on their site and save me copying and pasting it here

[dman1977]

thanks for the help......i have the driver in a tgz file for the acx100 chipset. Now i just need to learn how to build the driver. If i dont get it figured out tonight im sure ill be back with more questions.\
Thanks
Dman