= MadWifi =

== Debian MadWifi Packages ==

'''''As of March 12 2009, Madwifi and madwifi-tools have been removed from Debian squeeze and sid repositories.  See [http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=519446 bug report] for more info.  These packages are still available in Debian stable (Lenny & Etch).'''''

There is an official madwifi package in the {{{non-free}}} section of the [http://www.debian.org Debian] archive. Below is an example /etc/apt/sources.list file, that would allow you to use [http://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/apt-howto/index.en.html apt] to get madwifi:-

Please use EITHER unstable OR testing OR stable, everything else probably results in heavy problems. If you don't know what you're doing.

{{{
# Unstable
deb ftp://ftp.au.debian.org/debian unstable main contrib non-free
deb-src ftp://ftp.au.debian.org/debian unstable main contrib non-free

# Testing
deb ftp://ftp.au.debian.org/debian testing main contrib non-free
deb-src ftp://ftp.au.debian.org/debian testing main contrib non-free

# Stable
deb ftp://ftp.au.debian.org/debian stable main contrib non-free
deb-src ftp://ftp.au.debian.org/debian stable main contrib non-free
}}}

Please see the [http://www.debian.org/mirror/mirrors_full list of Debian mirrors] for repositories at your location or simply adjust your existing entries as required (you may need to add non-free to your existing entries).

[http://backports.org/ backports.org] also provides a version of the package for the previous stable branch, sarge. See the [http://backports.org/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=instructions instructions page] for more information.

{{{
# Sarge Backports
deb http://www.backports.org/debian sarge-backports non-free
}}}

== Installation (with module-assistant) ==

The preferred method of installing madwifi-modules uses the [http://packages.debian.org/unstable/devel/module-assistant module-assistant] (m-a) tool to automate all of the following steps: preparing the kernel source/headers, unpacking the module tarball, compiling, building a binary-modules debian package, installing and cleaning up.

{{{
$ su
# apt-get update
# apt-get install madwifi-source 
# apt-get install madwifi-tools
# m-a prepare
# m-a a-i madwifi
}}}

See '''/usr/share/doc/madwifi-source/README.Debian''' for extra details. The module-assistant documentation may also be of value (man m-a).

== Installation (with kernel-package) ==

An alternative method of building madwifi-modules involves the use of the scripts provided by kernel-package. An exhaustive set of instructions for building madwifi for Debian kernels exists on [http://www.marlow.dk/site.php/tech/madwifi Martin List-Petersen's site] and is also applicable to the madwifi-source package.

== Post-Installation ==

By now the modules should be installed to the correct location, and module dependencies updated. So it should just be a matter of loading the correct module:-

{{{
# modprobe ath_pci
}}}

In syslog or the output of '''dmesg''' you should see something similar to the following messages for successful insertion of the MadWifi modules (example with two cards):-

{{{
ath_hal: 0.9.16.16 (AR5210, AR5211, AR5212, RF5111, RF5112, RF2413, RF5413)
wlan: 0.8.4.2 (svn 1451)
ath_rate_sample: 1.2 (svn 1451)
ath_pci: 0.9.4.5 (svn 1451)
ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:02:02.0[A] -> Link [LNKC] -> GSI 10 (level, low) -> IRQ 10
wifi0: 11b rates: 1Mbps 2Mbps 5.5Mbps 11Mbps
wifi0: 11g rates: 1Mbps 2Mbps 5.5Mbps 11Mbps 6Mbps 9Mbps 12Mbps 18Mbps 24Mbps 36Mbps 48Mbps 54Mbps
wifi0: H/W encryption support: WEP AES AES_CCM TKIP
wifi0: mac 5.6 phy 4.1 radio 1.7
wifi0: Use hw queue 1 for WME_AC_BE traffic
wifi0: Use hw queue 0 for WME_AC_BK traffic
wifi0: Use hw queue 2 for WME_AC_VI traffic
wifi0: Use hw queue 3 for WME_AC_VO traffic
wifi0: Use hw queue 8 for CAB traffic
wifi0: Use hw queue 9 for beacons
wifi0: Atheros 5212: mem=0xd0000000, irq=10
ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:03:00.0[A] -> Link [LNKC] -> GSI 10 (level, low) -> IRQ 10
wifi1: 11b rates: 1Mbps 2Mbps 5.5Mbps 11Mbps
wifi1: 11g rates: 1Mbps 2Mbps 5.5Mbps 11Mbps 6Mbps 9Mbps 12Mbps 18Mbps 24Mbps 36Mbps 48Mbps 54Mbps
wifi1: turboG rates: 6Mbps 12Mbps 18Mbps 24Mbps 36Mbps 48Mbps 54Mbps
wifi1: H/W encryption support: WEP AES AES_CCM TKIP
wifi1: mac 7.9 phy 4.5 radio 5.6
wifi1: Use hw queue 1 for WME_AC_BE traffic
wifi1: Use hw queue 0 for WME_AC_BK traffic
wifi1: Use hw queue 2 for WME_AC_VI traffic
wifi1: Use hw queue 3 for WME_AC_VO traffic
wifi1: Use hw queue 8 for CAB traffic
wifi1: Use hw queue 9 for beacons
wifi1: Atheros 5212: mem=0xd2000000, irq=10
}}}

Most up-to-date systems will load this module automatically at boot time via the hotplug mechanism, if not you can make sure it is loaded by adding it to the /etc/modules list:-

{{{
# echo ath_pci >> /etc/modules
}}}

If using Gnome, you may find it useful to install Wicd manager:

http://wicd.sourceforge.net/download.php
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