549 lines
19 KiB
Plaintext
549 lines
19 KiB
Plaintext
===============================================================================
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Installation and configuration instructions for the rt2x00 Modules
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===============================================================================
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===============================================================================
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Table of contents:
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========================
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- 1: Minimal requirements
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- 1.1: kernel
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- 1.2: gcc
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- 1.3: make
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- 2: Hardware
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- 2.1: Chipsets
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- 2.2: RF button
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- 3: Module building & Installation
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- 3.1: Introduction
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- 3.2: Configure
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- 3.3: Build
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- 3.4: Installation
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- 4: Firmware
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- 4.1: Firmware files
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- 4.2: Firmware installation
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- 4.3: Firmware requirements
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- 5: Module loading
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- 5.1: Module load order
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- 5.2: Module load options
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- 6: Interfaces
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- 6.1: Wireless interfaces
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- 6.2: Input interface
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- 7: Interface configuration
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- 7.1: Minimal configuration
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- 7.2: Configuration tools
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- 8: Distribution specific notes
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- 8.1: Debian & derivatives
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- 8.2: Fedora
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- 8.3: Gentoo
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- 8.4: Mandriva
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- 9: Problems & Troubleshooting
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- 9.1: Debug information
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- 9.2: Debugfs
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- 9.3: Bug reporting
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- 10: Problems & Workarounds
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- 10.1: udev interface naming
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- 10.2: BUG - ifdown & ifup radio failure
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- 11: TODO list
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- 12: Contact us
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===============================================================================
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1: Minimal requirements:
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=======================================
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===================
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1.1: kernel
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=========
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- The minimal required kernel version is 2.6.22-rc1
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- It is important that the installed kernel sources match
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the running kernel. Unless you are crosscompiling and you
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know what you are doing.
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- Depending on what rt2x00 components will be built,
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some kernel configuration options are mandatory.
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It does however not matter if these options are compiled
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into the kernel or compiled as module.
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Kernel config option Required for component
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------------------------------------------------------------------
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# CONFIG_NET_RADIO all
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# CONFIG_MAC80211 all
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# CONFIG_WLAN_80211 all
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# CONFIG_PCI rt2400pci, rt2500pci, rt61pci
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# CONFIG_USB rt2500usb, rt73usb
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# CONFIG_HOTPLUG rt61pci, rt73usb
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# CONFIG_FW_LOADER rt61pci, rt73usb
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# CONFIG_CRC_ITU_T rt61pci, rt73usb
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# CONFIG_DEBUG_FS rt2x00 (optional, only for debug)
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# CONFIG_RFKILL rt2400pci, rt2500pci, rt61pci (optional,
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only for button support)
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===================
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1.2: GCC
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=========
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- For building the rt2x00 components the same gcc version is required
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as was used to build your target kernel.
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===================
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1.3: make
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=========
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- The program 'make' needs to be installed on the system. There are no
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further special requirements for this program.
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===============================================================================
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2: Hardware
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=======================================
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===================
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2.1: Chipsets
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=========
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Support for each Ralink wireless chipset has been split into separate drivers.
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# rt2400pci
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- chipset: rt2400
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- supports: rt2460
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- bus type: PCI/PCMCIA/miniPCI
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# rt2500pci
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- chipset: rt2500
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- supports: rt2560
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- bus type: PCI/PCMCIA/miniPCI
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# rt2500usb
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- chipset: rt2570
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- supports: rt2570
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- bus type: USB
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# rt61pci
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- chipset: rt61 (or rt2600)
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- supports: rt2561, rt2561s, rt2661
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- bus type: PCI/PCMCIA/miniPCI
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# rt73usb
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- chipset: rt73
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- supports: rt2571(w), rt2573, rt2671
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- bus type: USB
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===================
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2.2: RF button
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=========
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On some occasions the Ralink chipset has been built into a laptop.
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If that is the case, there usually is a hardware button that controls the
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radio of the wireless interface.
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If you have such a hardware device, make sure you enable hardware button
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support for your device in the configuration before building the rt2x00
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components.
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Note: This feature requires the enabling of the rfkill driver in the kernel.
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===============================================================================
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3: Module building & Installation
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=======================================
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===================
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3.1: Introduction
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=========
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The following steps in this chapter concerning module building and
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installation need to be performed for each kernel. This means that
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after each kernel upgrade the modules need to be rebuild and
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reinstalled in order to make them work with the new kernel.
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===================
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3.2: Configure
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=========
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Before starting to build the rt2x00 components it is recommended to look into
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the 'config' file first. In this file you can configure which components of
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rt2x00 should be built. And even more importantly, you can configure with
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what options the components will be built.
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To build all the rt2x00 drivers (with debug capabilities enabled) no changes
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in the configuration file are required. For most users this would be
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sufficient to start working with rt2x00.
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===================
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3.3: Build
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=========
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To build all rt2x00 components which were enabled in the configuration file
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simply run (root privileges not required):
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# $ make
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All modules (.ko files) will be created in the current directory.
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===================
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3.4: Installation
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=========
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All rt2x00 modules can be installed by doing (with root privileges):
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# $ make install
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With this command all rt2x00 modules (including rfkill and d80211) will be
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created in a newly created folder named 'rt2x00' inside the kernel modules
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directory (usually '/lib/modules/$(uname -r)/').
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==============================================================================
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4: Firmware
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=======================================
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===================
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4.1: Firmware files
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=========
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rt61pci and rt73usb require firmware to be available while loading the module.
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The following firmware files are available for each driver:
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# rt61pci
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- rt2561.bin
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- rt2561s.bin
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- rt2661.bin
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# rt73usb
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- rt73.bin
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===================
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4.2: Firmware installation
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=========
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The latest firmware files are available in a separate .zip archive and can be
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downloaded from the support page on the Ralink website at
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http://www.ralinktech.com.
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Note that by a high level of logic, Ralink has named their firmware for rt73
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chipsets "rt71W" with a comment that it is for the rt2571W and rt2671 devices.
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For rt61pci 3 seperate firmware files are available, which one is used depends
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on which RT chip is on the device. Usually it is best to install all files.
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To install the firmware the firmware files need to be manually copied to the
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systems firmware folder (usually '/lib/firmware/') the exact folder depends
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on the distribution. When in doubt consult the distributions documentation.
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===================
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4.3: Firmware requirements
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=========
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To load firmware when the module is loaded the hotplug daemon should be
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running. Make sure you either enable hotplugging manually before loading the
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module, or make sure hotplugging is enabled during the system boot process.
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==============================================================================
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5: Module loading
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=======================================
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===================
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5.1: Module load order
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=========
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When the modules have been properly installed by following the installation
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instructions from the previous section, the module handlers (i.e. modprobe)
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will automaticly resolve all module dependencies when loading the device
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specific driver.
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When loading the modules manually with insmod, you should load them in the
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following order:
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# eeprom_93cx6.ko (optional, only required for pci devices)
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# rt2x00lib.ko
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# rt2x00pci.ko (optional, only required for pci devices)
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# rt2x00usb.ko (optional, only required for usb devices)
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# rt2400pci.ko (optional, only required for rt2400 support)
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# rt2500pci.ko (optional, only required for rt2500 support)
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# rt2500usb.ko (optional, only required for rt2570 support)
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# rt61pci.ko (optional, only required for rt61 support)
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# rt73usb.ko (optional, only required for rt73 support)
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===================
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5.2: Module load options
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=========
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None.
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==============================================================================
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6: Interfaces
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=======================================
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===================
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6.1: Wireless interfaces
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=========
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After loading the modules two interfaces will now be visible in ifconfig and
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iwconfig, namely wmaster0 and wlan0. The first device is the so called master
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device which is can be used by some userspace tools, but normally can be
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ignored by the user. The second interface wlan0 is the client interface which
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the user can configure.
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With rt2x00 it is possible to run multiple client interfaces with
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only a single device. 1 client interface can run in adhoc, managed or master
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mode while a second interface can run in monitor mode at the same time.
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More client interfaces can be added by issuing the following command
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(with root privileges):
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# $ echo -n <name> > /sys/class/ieee80211/<dev>/add_iface
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where the variable <name> is the name of the client interface that should be
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added (i.e. wlan1), and <dev> is the physical device where the new client
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interface should be attached to (i.e. phy0).
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===================
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6.2: Input interface
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=========
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When the rfkill driver is being used a new input device with the name of the
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device specific module where the button belongs to will have been created.
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Whenever the user presses the hardware button the rfkill driver will
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automatically make sure the hardware radio is being disabled or enabled
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accordingly. When the user has opened the input device the radio will
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not be automatically controlled, but instead the input device will
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report all button events (KEY_RFKILL) to userspace where the user
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could have setup script to do all the work that has to be executed.
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This means that while the input device is opened, the user is responsible
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for the correct behaviour.
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==============================================================================
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7: Interface configuration
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=======================================
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===================
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7.1: Minimal configuration
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=========
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- After loading the modules the interface should be configured to start
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an association or work in monitor mode. The following steps are required
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for a minimal configuration to associate with a non-encrypted access point.
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- Before bringing the client interface up, the working mode should be set:
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# $ iwconfig wlan0 mode managed
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- Configuration parts like essid and channel can be set before or after the
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client interface has been brought up.
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- It is usually a good idea to set the essid:
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# $ iwconfig wlan0 essid myessid
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- In some situations the device also requires the channel to be manually set:
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# $ iwconfig wlan0 channel mychannel
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- To bring the client interface up:
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# $ ifconfig wlan0 up
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- After the client interface has been brought up, scanning can be performed
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to check if the desired AP is being detected.
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# $ iwlist wlan0 scan
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- To start an association attempt, the AP address should be set:
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# $ iwconfig wlan0 ap mybssid
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===================
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7.2: Configuration tools
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=========
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To configure the interface several tools are possible, the most basic tools
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are the wireless-tools that provide the iwconfig, iwpriv and iwlist commands.
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For WPA connections the wireless-tools are not sufficient, to configure the
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interface for WPA wireless network wpa_supplicant is required.
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For master mode functionality it is possible to only use the wireless-tools,
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but it is recommended to use hostapd instead. This tool offers the best
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functionality.
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For all configuration tools (wireless-tools, wpa_supplicant and hostapd) are
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manuals and howto's present in the manpages or on the internet. It is adviced
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to have at least read the manpages before using the tools for a better
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understanding on configuring the interface.
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==============================================================================
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8: Distribution specific notes
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=======================================
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===================
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8.1: Debian & derivatives
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=========
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In some instances installing the rt2x00 drivers on debian will result
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in the problem that the files are being copied into the wrong folder,
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which results in the fact that the driver cannot be loaded.
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Installing the drivers should be done manually in this case,
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please refer to the distributions documentation regarding the proper
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location of the kernel modules.
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===================
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8.2: Fedora
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=========
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Although rt2x00 contains many backward compatibility fixes to ensure
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that all rt2x00 components will be able to compile and run on all
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systems that meet the minimal requirements, this does not work in all
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situations when the Fedora kernels are being used.
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The problem lies in the fact that Fedora (like most other distributions)
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heavily patch their kernel for better stability and more features.
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Unlike the other distributions however, Fedora does not pay attention to
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compatibility for external kernel drivers. This means that compiling rt2x00
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while using a Fedora kernel will result in compile errors regarding unknown
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fields in structures or problems with function arguments.
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For rt2x00 it is impossible to make all checks to support all Fedora kernel
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releases. This means that when rt2x00 compilation is failing while using a
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Fedora kernel we cannot give support for the compilation steps.
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We recommend the user to complain to the Fedora developers when this problem
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occurs.
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If the user has managed to compile rt2x00 for a Fedora kernel we will
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give support for possible problems while working with rt2x00. So the only
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part we do not support is the building of rt2x00.
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Please note that when you have edited the rt2x00 code to make it compile,
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it is advised to state those changes in bugreports while reporting other
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problems with rt2x00.
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===================
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8.3: Gentoo
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=========
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rt2x00 can also be found in portage, both the beta releases and the cvs tree.
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Because rt2x00 is still experimental these ebuild are still masked, this means
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that before you can emerge them they first have to be unmasked.
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Gentoo provides various instructions on how this can be done on their website.
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===================
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8.4: Mandriva
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=========
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In some instances installing the rt2x00 drivers on Mandriva will result
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in the problem that the files are being copied into the wrong folder,
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which results in the fact that the driver cannot be loaded.
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Installing the drivers should be done manually in this case,
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please refer to the distributions documentation regarding the proper
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location of the kernel modules.
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==============================================================================
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9: Problems & Troubleshooting
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=======================================
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===================
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9.1: Debug information
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=========
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When reporting problems make sure the driver has been compiled with debug
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enabled.
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If you have done so, the debug output can be found in the output
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of 'dmesg' and also in /var/log/messages and /var/log/syslog.
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===================
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9.2: Debugfs
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=========
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rt2x00 provides several debugfs entries which can be used to help
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provide more information about the interface.
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To see the rt2x00 debugfs entries, debugfs should first be mounted,
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to do this you should issue the following command:
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# $ mount -t debugfs none /debug
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Where /debug is the directy on which the debugfs entries should appear,
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make sure this directory exists when mounting debugfs.
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With the debugfs folder, the rt2x00 folder with the rt2x00 debugfs entries
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will be created. Within the rt2x00 folder, each physical device will be
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represented by a folder named after the interface which belongs to this
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device. Within the folder the following files can be found:
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# register
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- This file contains the register contents of the interface.
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# eeprom
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- This file contains the eeprom contents of the interface.
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===================
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9.3: Bug reporting
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=========
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When reporting a bug or problem with the rt2x00 module,
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make sure you report the following information:
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# How to reproduce
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# RT2x00 debug output, usually found in /var/log/messages
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# Module version
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# Wireless card chipset, model and manufacturer
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# Kernel version (i.e. 2.6.17)
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# Hardware architecture (i.e. x86, AMD64, Sparc)
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# rt2x00 code changes done by the user
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# Anything else you may think will help us resolve the issue
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==============================================================================
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10: Problems & Workarounds
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=======================================
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===================
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10.1: udev interface naming
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=========
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In some cases when loading the rt2x00 drivers the interface names are
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different from the names used in this README. This is usually caused by the
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udev handler who has set some rules regarding the interface. These rules
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are usually set up by the distribution and have been created especially for
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for the legacy driver and their strange behavior.
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To change the rules udev applies to your interface you should edit the udev
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rules stored in /etc/udev/rules.d/ (exact location might be different
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depending on distribution).
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When editing this file, search for the line that contains something like this:
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# ACTION=="add", SUBSYSTEM=="net", DRIVERS=="?*",
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# SYSFS{address}=="<mac address>", NAME="<interface>"
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(line has been wrapped due to max line length limit)
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Where <mac address> is the hardware address of your wireless networkcard,
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and <interface> is the interface name the interface takes as soon as the
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rt2x00 modules are loaded.
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This line should be changed to look like:
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# ACTION=="add", SUBSYSTEM=="net", DRIVERS=="?*",
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# SYSFS{address}=="<mac address>", SYSFS{type}=="801",
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# NAME="wmaster0"
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# ACTION=="add", SUBSYSTEM=="net", DRIVERS=="?*",
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# SYSFS{address}=="<mac address>", NAME="wlan0"
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(the 2 lines have been wrapped due to max line length limit)
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Where <mac address> is the hardware address of your wireless networkcard,
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and thus should be the same as on the original line.
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===================
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10.2: BUG - ifdown & ifup radio failure
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=========
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It is a known issue (and BUG) that the driver will fail to correctly resume
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its radio operations after the interface has been brought down and up again.
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It is still unknown what the cause for this issue could be, besides the fact
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that for some reason the device's registers have been incorrectly initialized.
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This issue also has impact on the device status after a suspend/resume
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operation. There is no known workaround for this yet.
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==============================================================================
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11: TODO list
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=======================================
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See http://rt2x00.serialmonkey.com/wiki/index.php/Rt2x00_beta
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==============================================================================
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12: Contact us
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=======================================
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- Website
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# http://rt2x00.serialmonkey.com/
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# http://rt2x00.serialmonkey.com/wiki/index.php/Rt2x00_beta
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- Forums:
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# http://rt2x00.serialmonkey.com/phpBB2/
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- Mailing list:
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# general: rt2400-general@lists.sourceforge.net
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# developers: rt2400-devel@lists.sourceforge.net
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- Sourceforge:
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# http://sourceforge.net/projects/rt2400
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