Wireless Configuration On Damn Small Linux How to do it...?

[Inspiron 0]

Before I start anything, I have to declare that I'm a total Linux noob. So please treat me like an idiot when replying to this thread because I really don't know what is going on in Linux. Step by step guide will be very much appreciated.I've been exploring Linux for the pass few days. I've tried Knoppix, Ubuntu and Damn Small Linux (DSL). Knoppix was pretty well build among the rest that I've tried, however it's rather complicated to use as well (remember I'm a noob!). Ubuntu was the worst, I can't even boot up from a Live-CD. It prompted me an error stating that my CD-ROM device hardware wasn't found, which was worst that in fact it was a Live-CD. I was, duh?, get what I meant? The booting cannot continue until this problem was fixed. I gave up in the end as this same process looped for almost 3 hours. Then I've tried Damn Small Linux (DSL) and being fascinated by it's "damn" small size. It was 50MB, small enough to fit into my USB-drive. I was thinking if I could create a booting DSL on a USB-drive, my life would be much easiler, as we all know that files and configurations can be then saved directly into the USB-drive, while a bootable-CD doesn't allow that. I tried its Live-CD, for testing and trial purpose. It booted up pretty fast, in fact in just 15 seconds and I was in the working desktop, which was called FluxBox in the DSL language. Everything was alien to me there, except Firefox. I tried connecting to the internet to get the rest of the guides that I need for DSL, but was unable to connect. I am using a Linksys WPA 11 version 4 wireless card. I've read the forums in DSL and the people there said that wireless cards require some ndiswrapper stuffs to get them working. I don't know what is ndiswrapper, and I don't know how to use that thing. The command prompt, or rather called the Shell in Linux, was what I believed that is used to launch ndiswrapper. Again, I don't know how to use their Shell.I wanted to post questions in their forums but I see that their threads were not replied fast. So probably some people here in Xisto can help me instead. Any Linux and DSL experts here are able to guide me?How can I get that ndiswrapper working and what should I do with it? Step by step please, I'm a noob. I'll appreciate if screenshots are accompanied. Thanks in advance.

[pbrugge 0]

ndiswrapper is software that you can use to make the windows drivers of a (in this case) wirelesscard work in side linux which is sometimes easier as compiling and searching for a driver that works in linux but...

considering the fact you are new to linux I would say ndiswrapper could be a bit hard for you to setup so better use an easier alternative like 'driverloader' which you can find on http://www.linuxant.com/driverloader/ it does the same as ndiswrapper but is much easier to install.

How to install it is told on there website in a step-to-step howto ( http://www.linuxant.com/driverloader/wlan/install.php ) just make sure to use method-C in your case.

You can download the drivers for your card from http://www.linuxant.com/driverloader/drivers.php

I hope this will point you in the right direction but remember linux is easier then you think but you need to read allot since its totaly difrent from what you are used to (windows I guess)

[Inspiron 0]

Hey thanks.. I've read the sites you provided. However I don't know how to start. Do I enter those commands in the Shell?

The drivers site which you provided doesn't provide drivers for my wireless card. But I found a Linux driver at Linksys website at http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/

What is RPM Package Manager? Does it include in DSL and will I have to bother it? And by the way I think DriverLoader is not a free product. I think I've downloaded a trial, I'm not too sure. Anyway, how do I install DriverLoader to run that product?

[pbrugge 0]

Hey thanks.. I've read the sites you provided. However I don't know how to start. Do I enter those commands in the Shell?
The drivers site which you provided doesn't provide drivers for my wireless card. But I found a Linux driver at Linksys website at http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/

What is RPM Package Manager? Does it include in DSL and will I have to bother it? And by the way I think DriverLoader is not a free product. I think I've downloaded a trial, I'm not too sure. Anyway, how do I install DriverLoader to run that product?

RPM stands for Redhat Package Management and is a package you can find on rpm based distro's like Redhat, fedora, suse and Mandriva.

DSL is a debian based distro for asfar I know and can work with rpm (with the help of alien) but it's recommended to use debian-based software which you can install with apt-get.

Try for instance:

"apt-get install alien" as root and then read in the manpage how to convert .rpm to .apt with "man alien" or look it up with google. Cant help you with that since I never used it but I been told alien is a piece of software that can be used for converting rpm-apt.