Driver Installation Ubuntu kernel 2.6.17 Basic Help

Bob Beers bob.beers
Wed Apr 4 11:17:23 PDT 2007 

On 4/4/07, ahuguet at cttc.es <ahuguet at cttc.es> wrote:
>
> Update:
>
> If I run:
>
> make -C /usr/src/linux-source-2.6.17
> without the SUBDIRS=./ modules part, seems that the compilation process is
> launched.
>
> Any ideas about why it does so without that?


Leaving out the SUBDIRS= is fine, you'll just build all modules in the
 entire tree, could take a little longer is all.

try first removing the old *.ko files in your wireless/hostap/ directory,
 or "make -C /usr/src/linux-source-2.6.17 SUBDIRS=./ clean"



> Thank you Jouni and Bob.
> >
> > I found out I needed to compile the kernel sources at least one time
> > before using your recipe Bob, so I did compile the kernel sources, and
> > installed the .deb resulting packages to have the kernel (which is now
> > 2.6.17-14)
> >
> > I'm trying then to edit some files of the driver.
> >
> > So I do:
> > gedit
> > /usr/src/linux-source-2.6.17
> /drivers/net/wireless/hostap/hostap_80211_rx.c
> >
> > in order to edit the .c file and add code to it. (I previously became
> > superuser with the su command)
> >
> > I make my changes to the file, then exit the editor.
> > After that, I try to use your recipe, Bob.
> > So:
> >
> > make -C /usr/src/linux-source-2.6.17 SUBDIRS=./ modules
> >
> > it then says it enters into /usr/src/linux-source-2.6.17
> > and I get this:
> >
> >  Building modules, stage 2.
> >   MODPOST
> >
> > Then it says it exits /usr/src/linux-source-2.6.17



see above, maybe compiler didn't think it needed to do anything since .o and
 .ko files are already there.


>
> > After I keep with your recipe:
> >
> > make -C /usr/src/linux-source-2.6.17 SUBDIRS=./ modules_install
> >
> > I get, enters into directory then:
> > DEPMOD  2.6.17.14-ubuntu1
> > then exits directory.
> >
> > I keep with:
> >
> > depmod -ae
> >
> > that returns no message.



no news is good news in this case, but maybe this was already done
 from modules_install command, which probably just re-installed the same
 (previous) *.ko files into /lib/modules/2.6.17.14-ubuntu1/whatever/

>
> > The point is, how is it that I've not been notified of any error or
> > warning at all? I even purposedly added a garbage line there, in order
> to
> > try if when doing the make command, the errors were showed to me, but
> no.
> >
> > I'll list you the content of:
> >
> > /usr/src/linux-source-2.6.17/drivers/net/wireless/hostap# ls
> >
> > built-in.o          hostap_config.h    hostap_ioctl.o    hostap_plx.c
> > hostap_80211.h      hostap_cs.c        hostap.ko         hostap_plx.ko
> > hostap_80211.h~     hostap_cs.ko       hostap_main.c
> hostap_plx.mod.c
> > hostap_80211_rx.c   hostap_cs.mod.c    hostap_main.o
> hostap_plx.mod.o
> > hostap_80211_rx.c~  hostap_cs.mod.o    hostap.mod.c      hostap_plx.o
> > hostap_80211_rx.o   hostap_cs.o        hostap.mod.o      hostap_proc.c
> > hostap_80211_tx.c   hostap_download.c  hostap.o          hostap_proc.o
> > hostap_80211_tx.o   hostap.h           hostap_pci.c      hostap_wlan.h
> > hostap_ap.c         hostap_hw.c        hostap_pci.ko     Kconfig
> > hostap_ap.h         hostap_info.c      hostap_pci.mod.c  Makefile
> > hostap_ap.o         hostap_info.o      hostap_pci.mod.o
> > hostap_common.h     hostap_ioctl.c     hostap_pci.o
> >


If you list with "ls -ltr" your newest files will be at the bottom of the
list and
 you can tell conclusively if the *.ko is newer than your edited *.[ch]'s.


> I notice that files "hostap_80211.h" and "hostap_80211_rx.c" have a copy
> > with a ~ on them, as if they were temporary files. Those two, the ones
> > ending with .c and .h have been the ones I've tried to modify.
> > I saved the changes in the editor, and closed the editor program.


The editor created the *.c~ and *.h~ files, they are backups of the .c and
.h
 files from when you opened them with the editor, but not necessarily
 the originals.  You can always re-install the originals from the tarball,
 or manually copy them to something like hostap_80211.c.orig, in case
 you want to generate a nice diff.



> The only thing I've opened right now is Firefox to compose this mail.
> > Could it be that no errors are being shown, because the files have not
> yet
> > been properly saved?
> > If so, what am I doing wrong?
> >
> > Thank you again for all your cooperation.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >> On 3/21/07, Jouni Malinen <j at w1.fi> wrote:
> >>>
> >>> On Wed, Mar 21, 2007 at 12:01:14PM +0100, ahuguet at cttc.es wrote:
> >>>
> >>> > Reading it, seems that the only way to make use of that HostAP
> driver
> >>> > (with modified code lines on .c and .h files) is to compile the
> >>> kernel
> >>> > anew?
> >>> >
> >>> > Couldn't be a way to just tell the system to compile HostAP, and use
> >>> that
> >>> > "new" version, without need of recompiling the whole kernel?
> >>
> >>
> >> My "secret recipe" for compiling just an individual driver is
> >>  approximately this:
> >>
> >> 1 - cd to the hostap directory, /usr/src/linux-source-2.6.17
> >> /drivers/net/wireless/hostap
> >> 2 - make your changes and save them


maybe add a
2.5 'make -C /usr/src/linux-source-2.6.17 SUBDIRS=./ clean'


>> 3 - 'make -C /usr/src/linux-source-2.6.17 SUBDIRS=./ modules'
> >> 4 - 'make -C /usr/src/linux-source-2.6.17 SUBDIRS=./ modules_install'
> >> 5 - 'depmod -ae'
> >>
> >> Then do the rest of what Jouni says; reload (the new) modules, and try
> >> it
> >> out.
> >>
> >> If you build Host AP driver as a kernel module, you can just rebuild it
> >>> and reload the modules to update the driver without having to
> >>> rebuild or reboot the full kernel.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>
> >> I hope this is helpful, (and anyone who finds an error, please correct
> >> me!)
> >>
> >> Bob Beers
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> HostAP mailing list
> >> HostAP at shmoo.com
> >> http://lists.shmoo.com/mailman/listinfo/hostap
> >>
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > HostAP mailing list
> > HostAP at shmoo.com
> > http://lists.shmoo.com/mailman/listinfo/hostap
> >
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> HostAP mailing list
> HostAP at shmoo.com
> http://lists.shmoo.com/mailman/listinfo/hostap
>
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