# How do I install wireless on persistent Pendrive Linux ?



## alanmzifa (Nov 30, 2003)

Hi, I've installed Pen drive Linux on a USB stick (and load it as persistent at boot) to use when on the move. The idea is that I can use it on my work laptop to give me a bit of privacy when using the internet etc.

It only gives me the choice of a wired connection. I've seen *this page* but get some sort of error about not finding the ip3945 module in terminal with what looks like a kernel number somewhere in there too. I'm sure this will make sense to somebody more experienced than me.

*Does anyone know what steps I need to take to do this or indeed why what I've already tried isn't working?
I'm not afraid to use terminal but just don't know what I should be doing.*

thanks
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## lotuseclat79 (Sep 12, 2003)

Hi Alan,

Exactly what messages did you get? Can you duplicate the problem and post them here?

What network card does your laptop have?

What Linux OS is your laptop running? Debian?

-- Tom


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## alanmzifa (Nov 30, 2003)

Thanks for answering.
The distro is Pen rive Linux (based on Debian Etch I think, not 100% sure).

It's intsalled on a USB stick which I untend to always use in persistent mode so that settings are saved from session to session.

The wireles device is an Intel Pro wireless 3945ABG.

Terminal produces this when I follow the instructions in the link from my previous post.


pendrivelinux:/home/user# apt-get install ipw3945-modules-$(uname -r) ipw3945d firmware-ipw3945
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
E: Couldn't find package ipw3945-modules-2.6.18-5-486
pendrivelinux:/home/user#


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## lotuseclat79 (Sep 12, 2003)

Hi Alan,

To me, it looks like like you need to provide the explicit substitute for the command:
$ uname -m
instead of $(uname -r) which specifies the machine, e.g. i686 on my computer. The command, uname -r specifies the kernel.

If the kernel name is required, the first issue the command: uname -r, and then substitute the resultant string in the apt-get command where $(uname -r) exists.

If the machine name as reported in the Error message is required, then first issue the command: uname -m, and then substitute the resultant string in the in the apt-get command where $(uname -r) exists.

For example, on my computer, where:
$ uname -r produces: 2.6.24-16-generic
and where:
$ uname -m produces: i686
then the apt-get command would be either:
pendrivelinux:/home/user# apt-get install ipw3945-modules-2.6.24-16-generic ipw3945d firmware-ipw3945
or
pendrivelinux:/home/user# apt-get install ipw3945-modules-i686 ipw3945d firmware-ipw3945

One of these two versions of the command should work for you, unless the spaces in the command should not be there.

Give it a shot and see if one of the two versions works for you.

One thing you should do before you attempt this is to update your repositories before you attempt the commands above with:
$ sudo apt-get update
and before that you should look in the file /etc/apt/sources.list to see if you can uncomment two lines for the universe repositories (at least it works that way for Ubuntu which I use which is a derivative of Debian).

-- Tom


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## alanmzifa (Nov 30, 2003)

Thanks for the reply. I've tried to add universe to the repositries but it hasn't added it. 
Continuing what you'd suggested gives the following...

_[email protected]:~$ sudo su
pendrivelinux:/home/user# apt-get install ipw3945-modules-$(uname -r) ipw3945d firmware-ipw3945
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
E: Couldn't find package ipw3945-modules-2.6.18-5-486
pendrivelinux:/home/user# uname -r
2.6.18-5-486
pendrivelinux:/home/user# apt-get install ipw3945-modules-2.6.18-5-486-generic ipw3945d firmware-ipw3945
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
E: Couldn't find package ipw3945-modules-2.6.18-5-486-generic
pendrivelinux:/home/user# apt-get install ipw3945-modules-2.6.18-5-generic ipw3945d firmware-ipw3945
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
E: Couldn't find package ipw3945-modules-2.6.18-5-generic
pendrivelinux:/home/user# apt-get install ipw3945-modules-i686-generic ipw3945d firmware-ipw3945
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
E: Couldn't find package ipw3945-modules-i686-generic
pendrivelinux:/home/user#_

What does this indicate?


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## lotuseclat79 (Sep 12, 2003)

Hi Alan,

The way you add the repositories is to read the comments in the file /etc/apt/sources.list and if it recommends uncommenting two lines, e.g. in my version of the file:
## Uncomment the following two lines to add software from the 'universe'
## repository.
## N.B. software from this repository is ENTIRELY UNSUPPORTED by the Ubuntu
## team, and may not be under a free licence. Please satisfy yourself as to
## your rights to use the software. Also, please note that software in
## universe WILL NOT receive any review or updates from the Ubuntu security
## team.
#deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu hardy universe
#deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu hardy universe

IOW, the last two lines above when uncommented would look like:
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu hardy universe
deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu hardy universe

In your case with debian, it might look like? the following (I'm guessing):
deb http://ftp.debian.org/debian lenny universe
deb-src http://ftp.debian.org/debian lenny universe

Then save the file after making the edits, and then run:
$sudo apt-get update
I'm thinking that it should then be able to update your contents with what's in the repositories that is missing when you try to run the command.

I think what the error messages you are getting indicate that the required packages are not being found in the repositories that you have activated - you just need to have the relevant repositories available to your computer.

-- Tom

P.S. That's about all I've got. If this does not fix your problem, I'd recommend you either contact the author of the pendrive webpage, or get on a debian community forum to try and answer your question.


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## lotuseclat79 (Sep 12, 2003)

Hi Alan,

I discovered the following info on how to search for a package in the repositories:
If you want to search for a program named, for example, "pack-age" you type

sudo apt-cache search pack-age

So, if the name of the package that in your case is not being found is:
ipw3945-modules-2.6.18-5-486
then use the following command in a command line window:
$ sudo apt-cache search ipw3945-modules-2.6.18-5-486

Since that package is not being found, substitute the value of the result for the command: uname -m for the 486, so where uname -a reports on my computer for Ubuntu 8.04 LTS:
Linux ubuntu 2.6.24-16-generic #1 SMP Thu Apr 10 13:23:42 UTC 2008 i686 GNU/Linux
I would use the following command instead (i.e. if I had your wireless card):
$ sudo apt-cache search ipw3945-modules-2.6.18-5-i686
i.e. where my uname -m command reports the value: i686

That aside, I would visit the Debian forum and look for a guide on including more repositories in order to find the driver. Also, if you contact the author of the pendrive web page, ask them in what repository you need to have installed information on where to find the driver that cannot be found (i.e. having explained the problem first).

-- Tom


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## alanmzifa (Nov 30, 2003)

Tom, thanks for your replies.

On the first one, I've Ubuntu for a while and I think the naming of the repositories is different from Debian, though not sure. For example I don't think Debian has a "universe" source. When I tried to include universe in my sources list nothing was found.
The sources list in PDL has no comments, just 2 uncommented lines, one for the binaries (main, contrib and non-free) and the other for the binaries of security updates for main, contrib and non-free.

I've followed your suggestions on the 2nd comment but the package isn't being found.

Thanks for taking the time to help anyway.
Perhaps someone else might know.

I'm sure the solution is probably quite simple.


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