Knoppix 6.x runs, but can't start, Intel pro 3945 wireless

[Capricorny]

I thought this might be just a glitch with Knoppix 6.0, but when 6.2 showed up with this very same problem, I want to ask about it. Knoppix 6.x does not seem to be able to start the Intel pro 3945 wireless card on my Fujitsu-Siemens Amilo pro V3405, but when I have booted Windows XP, which can start it, all goes well on rebooting with the wireless interface turned on. Of course I would like to skip the otherwise meaningless Windows step when booting Knoppix - there should be a way, shuldn't it?

[chip.ling]

I thought this might be just a glitch with Knoppix 6.0, but when 6.2 showed up with this very same problem, I want to ask about it. Knoppix 6.x does not seem to be able to start the Intel pro 3945 wireless card on my Fujitsu-Siemens Amilo pro V3405, but when I have booted Windows XP, which can start it, all goes well on rebooting with the wireless interface turned on. Of course I would like to skip the otherwise meaningless Windows step when booting Knoppix - there should be a way, shuldn't it?

Check out the following page for the Intel pro 3945 wireless card on linux:


http://ipw3945.sourceforge.net/

Also you may need to check out Q2, 11, 12, 13 from below:

http://knoppix.net/wiki/Network_FAQ

rgds,
Chip

[Capricorny]

Actually, I think this has to do with Knoppix. If I am not quite mistaken, Mandriva 2009 could start the wlan itself, Knoppix 6.X can't. When I assign essid to wlan0, it's all ok, but then on ifconfig wlan0 up I just get SIOCSIFFLAGS: No such device. Hardware is recognised, but the right signal isn't sent, it seems.

[chip.ling]

Actually, I think this has to do with Knoppix. If I am not quite mistaken, Mandriva 2009 could start the wlan itself, Knoppix 6.X can't. When I assign essid to wlan0, it's all ok, but then on ifconfig wlan0 up I just get SIOCSIFFLAGS: No such device. Hardware is recognised, but the right signal isn't sent, it seems.

That's the catch of the LiveCD. We live on somebody's remastering copy. Most likely the Wireless driver is not correctly compiled or the knoppix tries to use a wrong driver. The person who help out to create the LiveCD is not possible to check all possible combination of wireless hardware and drivers, so it is very likely some of them will not work on some hardware. Unless somebody is willing to pay him to buy all those hardwares.

Mandriva is not a 100% free product, so they may have more funding to support their staffs to come up with a better LiveCd version.

Another option is to install a full Linux distro (not knoppix), maybe Ubuntu or whatever you like, once you setup the wireless correctly at the first time, it will wok exactly as the Windows even you reboot it.

Rgds,
Chip

[Capricorny]

That's the catch of the LiveCD. We live on somebody's remastering copy. Most likely the Wireless driver is not correctly compiled or the knoppix tries to use a wrong driver. The person who help out to create the LiveCD is not possible to check all possible combination of wireless hardware and drivers, so it is very likely some of them will not work on some hardware. Unless somebody is willing to pay him to buy all those hardwares.

Sure, and I'm not complaining! Just trying to figure out how to make this thing even more useful. Some of us could go into the hardware-detection code, and find out more about diagnostics and remedies. Writing it all up in the wiki here, and eventually provide tools for download.

This can't be cutting edge stuff, but most of us won't need that, either. We can safely limit our ambitions to hardware where there are well documented, open solutions.
Maybe a place to start, is to uppdate the wiki for 6.x? And a wireless FAQ for 6.x - like you have contributed so well to for 5.x?