Driver Installation Ubuntu kernel 2.6.17 Basic Help

[ahuguet at cttc.es]

> I don't know how kernel modules are distributed in Ubuntu, but my guess
> would be that this hostap-source is not the correct version and the you
> should be one from the kernel tree instead. You may need hostap-utils
> (e.g., if you need to upgrade the firmware on the card). hostapd would
> be needed only if you are planning on setting the card in AP mode.
>
> I think that you are looking at incorrect package.

Indeed.

Fortunately I noticed, by opening the file and examining dates of the
archives inside that the hostap-source that synaptics fetched was 0.4.1. I
did not unpack its contents, and deleted the file.

Probably due to my initiation into the Linux world, I did not express
myself with enough clarity. I'll try to rewrite it again, trying to be
more accurate, as I go understanding a bit more the OS.

As mentioned, I've installed Ubuntu.
Right out of the box, Ubuntu has linux kernel headers, but not the sources
inside /usr/src directory.
The HostAP driver is provided as a "module".
This means it can be loaded with "modprobe" command, and unloaded with
"modprobe -r" or "rmmod".

Theoretically, that way one can make a wifi device use hostAP as driver.
But that was not enough to my needs, as I need to make certain
modifications to the hostAP code, in order to perform certain lab
experiments, trying to simulate modifications to the standard protocols.

Having the driver in module form, I think there's no way to edit its code
(that is, there is no .c nor .h file to be found related to HostAP driver,
anywhere)

That's why I tried to fetch the hostap source through synaptics. As you
very well said, Jouni, that file was outdated, and I did not use it.

Instead, I've downloaded this time, the linux-source-2.6.17, which
contains the kernel source.

That way, by uncompressing the tar file, now at:
/usr/src/linux-source-2.6.17/drivers/net/wireless
I've a hostap folder, containing the .c and .h files, together with a
Makefile and Kconfig file:

hostap_80211.h     hostap_common.h    hostap_hw.c     hostap_plx.c
hostap_80211_rx.c  hostap_config.h    hostap_info.c   hostap_proc.c
hostap_80211_tx.c  hostap_cs.c        hostap_ioctl.c  hostap_wlan.h
hostap_ap.c        hostap_download.c  hostap_main.c   Kconfig
hostap_ap.h        hostap.h           hostap_pci.c    Makefile

Seems that this is what you told me to do on your first reply.

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?

Also, how can I know what version of HostAP is the one at
/usr/src/linux-source-2.6.17/drivers/net/wireless/hostap?

Thank you for the help and guidance through all this process.