How do I install a driver package?

[ajkochanowicz]

My atheros wireless card isn't working, so I downloaded MadWifi. What it gave me was two files, "madwifi-0.9.4.tar.gz.gz" and "madwifi-0.9.4.tar.bz2.tar"

Now what?

Thanks

[Davno]

Most Linux distro have a madwifi package already made, it would be easier for you to install, just check the repository for your Linux distribution. (.rpm or else)
If you can not find the distro package then you will have to install from source because those files you specify are source tarball that need to be compiled.
Usually in a shell as user:
tar -xzvf /location/of the files/madwifi-0.9.4.tar.gz (not madwifi-0.9.4.tar.gz.gz)
then cd /location/where the files decompressed
then read the readme files in there for proper installation. (usually ./configure as user then make followed by make install as root)
Using the shell to install source package is not that hard but it require some reading. (google)

[ajkochanowicz]

Thanks for your reply! I installed the madwifi tools I found in the repositories, but that didn't change anything. The tarballs I downloaded were recently listed on the manufacturer's webpage

I'm using the latest version of Linux Mint (Ubuntu 8.10) so I'll try those lines you gave me.

[ajkochanowicz]

The files for installing drivers are ridiculously complicated and plum don't work.

I'm assuming maybe the driver already is installed? Does anyone know what to do now? I clicked on the networking icon in the corner and it just says "no connection" "Edit" and "about"

When I go to wireless connections, I try to click "add" and it freezes.

[je_fro]

See if the ath_pci module is loaded (that's the name of one of the driver modules) by issuing the command "lsmod" in a terminal
If not, try loading it with "modprobe ath_pci" in a terminal, as root.
If madwifi isn't installed, use your distros package manager to install it.