# compat-wireless, alx driver, fails to compile

## WvR

Hi all,

So I have a Lenovo G580 with a Broadcom wireless card and an Atheros ethernet card, neither of which are really supported in linux. I managed to get the Broadcom card working (at least, the computer tells me that there is a kernel module for it), so now I am working on the Atheros ethernet card AR8162

A friend told me to download "compat-wireless" and build the "alx" driver. So I downloaded compat-wireless-3.6.8-1-snp, unpacked it. Then 

```
 ./scripts/driver-select alx
```

, some messages, then 

```
make
```

. It fails with

```

*** no rule to make target ..../drivers/atheros/alx/Makefile

..../drivers/atheros/alx/Makefile no such file or directory

```

Has anybody been able to compile this driver (apparently my friend did succeed but he said he had no problems with the Makefile)

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## VoidMage

You could try the package without -snp suffix (though that might be an independent problem).

Also, the way to use that after driver-select is probably

```
make KLIB=/usr/src/linux KLIB_BUILD=/usr/src/linux
```

You should try making an ebuild for it.

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## Gusar

You need the package marked -snpc. You could also try patching your kernel with this: https://lkml.org/lkml/2012/8/27/52

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## WvR

The compat-wireless download page gives 5 versions of the compat-wireless package: a "plain" version, and -s, -sn, -snp, -snp, -snpc. These extra letters indicate increasing levels of patching. The homepage advises normal users to take the -snp version. I did, and it does not compile. I downloaded the -snpc version, and that one compiled without any problems. I don't understand why. At present, my computer is using the Atheros Ethernet A8162.

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