Hostap will load but WILL NOT create the wlan0 interface

[Martin Polak]

Jerry wrote:
> Hello,
>  
> I have SuSE 80 with the stock kernel.  I can compile and install the 
> drivers without an error.  I can also get the drivers to load at boot, 
> or if i hotplug the pcmcia card (wpc11).
>  
> My problem is that it wont create the "wlan0" interface.  and I havent 
> been able to figure out how to create it manually.  The drivers seem 
> to load fine, now, but no interface to give an IP to...  any ideas? anyone??
>  
> I have been playing with 'ifup' but best i can get from it manually is 
> 'ifup: Could not get a valid interface name: -> skipped'.  Im kinda 
> stuck... I have tried both the CVS and the October release, and both do 
> the same thing.
>  

You could do, what I ve done:
change the name of the interface, the driver creates:

go to:
cd <path-to-hostap>/driver/modules/
grep -n wlan hostap_hw.c

//this should show you the line-numbers where the interface name is 
created: There are two lines:
xxxx:  sprintf(dev->name, "wlan%d", i++);
yyyy:  memcpy(dev->name, "wlan%d",7);

open the file hostap_hw.c in an editor and replace this two occurrencies 
with the string "eth", recompile the host_ap driver, and your interface 
will now be called ethX.

Martin