Intel PRO/Wireless 3945 card question

[geeare1]

I'm planning on a first attempt at installing Gentoo and I have some questions about my wireless card. I have a Dell notebook with an Intel PRO/Wireless 3945 card. I've booted up the minimal install CD to test my network connections and the card is not recognized. I can, however, use the ethernet to connect to the internet so, here are my questions.

1. since i don't need the card for the install, should i wait until afterward to try and get the card working or should i get it working during the install before i have compiled the kernal?

2. if i should install the card before compiling the kernel, i believe intel has a linux driver for this card so, after i update the portage tree can i use emerge to install the driver? if so what would the command be?

3. if emerge dosen't work can i download it from the intel site and install it myself? again, before or after compiling?

4. i'm sure by now it's obvious that i'm a n00b so, if none of the other options are correct or possible, what do i need to do to get the card working?

5. should this post be in the installation section?

Thanks very much,
gr

[dinsmore]

If your ethernet card works fine, do the instalation using that card, and after you have your system, install the drivers for the wireless card. The wireless card works perfectly, and there's an ebuild for it in portage. just 'emerge ieee80211' and then 'emerge ipw3945'. You'll have to load the module ipw3945 and you will probably want to add it to default runlevel, so after you emerged it and modprobed it, 'rc-update add ipw3945 default'.
But first get your system running. Google a bit for the wireless card on linux, there are plenty of good mans and howto's, I don't think you'll have any problem getting the card to work.

[mamac]

Hi,

geeare1, did you succeed? I'm in the same case as you, I begin to install drivers...
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[geeare1]

jean-marc.beaune

I've run into other problems since this post so, I haven't actuallly tried to get the wireless card to work yet.

gr