# ath9k and 3.x kernel fix

## jaapkroe

Hi,

I just tried installing the latest gentoo release (install-x86-minimal-20111101) on my EeePC 1101HA.

However I ran in to the problem that my wireless card is not recognized on the liveCD.

I need to use wlan at the moment (i'm in a hotel for a while).

On my current system (debian, linux 2.6.32) I use the ath9k module and everything works fine 

However when I 'modprobe ath9k' on the liveCD (linux 3.0.6) no wlan0 shows up.

After some trial-and-error and searching the web I found that the problem is in the kernel compilation, in the kernel's ".config" file there should be a line

CONFIG_ATH9K_PCI=y

One of the pages discussing this is 

https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-p-6776642.html

and it seems there should be a fix, but in my downloaded iso the option is still disabled.

"zgrep CONFIG_ATH9K_PCI /proc/config.gz" returns "disabled".

It seems to me I cannot recompile the kernel from the liveCD (maybe I'm wrong here but there is no /usr/src/linux...)

Is there any way I can fix this? Can I somehow recompile the kernel (maybe from debian)? 

Should I download the dvd-iso? 

Or is a simple way?

Thanks for any suggestions!

----------

## turtles

Welcome to the forums.

So you need a ath9k module compiled for a 3.0.6 kernel for a live cd?

I put mine here:

http://www.think-electric.com/pentium4/ath9k/

If you can download them and get them on a thumb drive.

boot the live cd and 

copy them into:

```
/lib/modules/3.0.6-gentoo/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/
```

it might work.

EDIT:

I have always wanted to try this

----------

## jaapkroe

Thanks for the suggestion. I had a quick try.

I downloaded the files, made the same folder structure, mounted my debian home dir and modprobed with

modprobe -d /mnt/h/lib ath9k

Unfortunately no luck, still no wlan0 (or other wireless device). I will try more extensively tonight.

Thanks again.

----------

## turtles

What kind of error did you get from modprobe?

EDIT there are three modules.

When you boot the minimal live cd check that it is not loading any ath9k modules with a lsmod.

or

```
modprobe -l | grep ath
```

You will need to load the modules one at a time:

Check for these on the cd:

cfg80211.ko:

compat.ko:

mac80211.ko:

ath.ko:

Get these off the usb:

ath9k.ko:

ath9k_common.ko:

ath9k_hw.ko:

Modprobe the ones off the cd then

then do a 

```
modprobe ath9k_common /path/to/where/you/put/ath9k_common.ko
```

for each one off the usb.

You should have all of them in a lsmod.

check dmesg after that

Then you will have to manually set up your wireless interface.

Cheers

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## cach0rr0

i would recommend (as others do) using SystemRescueCD to do your gentoo installation if you are going to need to use wireless 

it will be an older kernel, but, your installed gentoo system does not use the LiveCD's kernel; it uses the kernel you install to your actual gentoo system. Thusly, using an older kernel to do the install should be just fine

I would not expect pulling ath9k.ko from another system to work, even of the same version.

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## turtles

 *cach0rr0 wrote:*   

> 
> 
> I would not expect pulling ath9k.ko from another system to work, even of the same version.

 

Just currious why do you think so?

x86 vs x86_64 or?

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## KillerHonky

I had the same problem with the newest livecd. I just ended up using the previous version 11.0, works all the same as you are probably just installing.

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## jaapkroe

Thanks for all the replies. I ended using the SysRescCD (latest version) and it now works fine.

As I type, it is emerging the last things to get a working desktop.

Emerging takes forever of course on this intel-atom cpu, but I hope I will work a bit faster after everything's installed.

My wireless and wired work (compiling atl1c and ath9k into the kernel and using wpa_supplicant for wireless).

In case anyone else is someday interested, my /etc/conf.d/net looks like this:

(note: no driver needed, i.e. no wpa_supplicant_wlan0=..)

```
config_eth0="dhcp"

config_wlan0="dhcp"

modules="wpa_supplicant"

iwconfig_wlan0="mode managed"
```

and after setting up wpa_supplicant.conf as described in the manual it just works.. ! 

Thanks again!

----------

