I've been working on this problem for a bit and I'd like to appeal to a high authority for solutions to this. I have a toshiba tecra s1 laptop with builtin centrino wireless (ipw2100). Although i've read many sucess stories about people using knoppix with this driver, mine seems to have an inability to load properly. first of all I am using the latest version of knoppix (3.4 5-17-2004) and 'knoppix fb1024x768 screen=1024x768' to load. there don't appear to be any other problems outside devices that have no linux support yet.

here is trundicated output from dmesg regarding the problem
Code:
parport0: PC-style at 0x378 (0x778) [PCSPP,TRISTATE]
parport0: irq 7 detected
hw_random: cannot enable RNG, aborting
hostap_crypt: registered algorithm 'NULL'
ipw2100: Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 2100 Network Driver, 0.44
ipw2100: Copyright(c) 2003-2004 Intel Corporation
Detected ipw2100 PCI device at 02:04.0, dev: eth0, mem: 0xD0001000-0xD0001FFF -> e0c4a000, irq: 11
eth0: Using hotplug firmware load.
remove_proc_entry: 02:04.0/loading busy, count=1
remove_proc_entry: firmware/02:04.0 busy, count=1
eth0: Firmware 'ipw2100-1.1.fw' not available or load failed.
eth0: ipw2100_get_firmware failed: -2
eth0: Failed to power on the adapter.
eth0: Failed to start the firmware.
de_put: deferred delete of loading
de_put: deferred delete of 02:04.0
hostap_crypt: unregistered algorithm 'NULL' (deinit)
Intel(R) PRO/100 Network Driver - version 2.3.38-k1
Copyright (c) 2004 Intel Corporation

e100: selftest OK.
e100: eth0: Intel(R) PRO/100 Network Connection
  Hardware receive checksums enabled

Intel 810 + AC97 Audio, version 0.24, 19:47:54 Apr 17 2004
PCI: Setting latency timer of device 00:1f.5 to 64
i810: Intel ICH4 found at IO 0xe100 and 0xe000, M

upon checking the hotplug based firmware location (/usr/lib/hotplug/firmware/) i find the 1.0 firmware and license but not the 1.1 firmware that the dmesg appears to be looking for. this part of knoppix is read only, so i've been unable to temporarily add my own copy of the firmware from usb drive or create a symlink for the same purpose.

One note that the pre.44 versions of the ipw2100 driver require 1.0 firmware, while port .44 versions require the 1.1 version. If others are able to sucessfully get ipw2100 drivers working, then I would assume that the driver and firmware versions supplied in knoppix are the correct compliments.


~Eric
PS If their are users who were able to get ipw2100 firmware working, even if they lack any ideas regarding this one, I would apperciate a post to say they were sucessful on a particular model and if they did any manual work to achieve it (even just 'scewed with it a bit')