Linus distro that works on PowerPro A:238 with 4965AGN wifi

Has anyone found a Linux distro that works on the PowerPro A:238 with the Intel 4965AGN wifi card? I've installed Ubuntu 7.0.4 64-bit and it doesn't support the 4965AGN.

The Ubuntu forums have lots of tales of woe of people trying ndiswrapper with XP drivers, attempting to use the native drivers that are still under development, or back porting code from a dev. kernel version with support for the 4965AGN. I need something that really works, not a research project.

I've also checked into USB wifi devices. The only one that is reported to work under Ubuntu 7.0.4 is the Asus MSI US54SE and its not readily available in the US.

As a last resort I can run WinXP under VMWare on Ubuntu and try to use the wireless connection from Windows XP (I'm dual booting Ubuntu and WinXP). I'd rather find a Linux solution either with a different distro or a USB wifi device, though.

Thanks for your help.

 

http://intellinuxwireless.org/?p=iwlwifi

 

That's a driver that is in development. The download page calls it experimental.

They also have a link to stable, production quality Linux drivers on Intel's web site, but Intel doesn't have one for the 4965AGN.

 

This happens in Linux a lot, but I've never had many problems with experimental software in Linux. It usually tends to be stable enough to use. I would suggest you at least try it.

Using WinXP in VMware won't do anything by the way, because it will simply share the net connection with Linux; it depends on you having a connection within Linux to get a connection within Windows. Therefore, if you don't have a working wireless card in Linux, you can't get it to work in Windows through VMware.

 

I wouldn't bet on the iwlwifi driver working. It's only at version 0.35. Here's what others have found:

http://ubuntuforums.org/archive/index.php/t-471755.html
http://ubuntuforums.org/archive/index.php/t-471755.html
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=493095

It requires a new kernel (2.6.22) and even then it works in some cases but not in others. In cases where it works it requires you to manually turn the ethernet card off and on when rebooting. My laptop, PowerPro A:238, doesn't have a hardware switch or hot key for that, however.

One thing is clear from my research into this issue: avoid ndiswrapper.

You're right about that. I checked the VMWare web site and the host cannot share the guest's network connection. The guest has to share the host's connection.

It looks like I'll have to run Linux under WinXP until there is a production quality driver for the 4965AGN. That's a sad statement.

Hopefully Intel will get a Linux driver for their wifi card quickly.

 

I would expect there to be a relatively stable version in the Gutsy release. You don't honestly believe that Windows drivers are always final releases do you? The nVidia Vista drivers are a perfect example of the contrary.

 

i have compiled the driver for alpha 2 of ubuntu 7.10 with success

 

I also have a PowerPro A 2:38 (ASUS Z84JP) -- awesome Linux machine. But I got mine while it still came with the 3945 wireless, which works great in Ubuntu Feisty.

I believe you'll either have to try alpha drivers or put up with only Windows, for the time being. Hopefully you can plug into wired Ethernet?

Ubuntu Gutsy will be your friend, I think.

 

Since the 3945 works under Feisty maybe the best thing to do is to downgrade the wireless card. I'll check with PowerNotebooks and see about downgrading.

This is the kind of thing that made me seriously consider going to OSX, but it has its own set of problems.

Microsoft's world is full of viruses. The Linux world has these issues. With OSX you pay a hefty premium to Steve Jobs for a machine with sub-standard Java support and a mentality that would rather sell music players than computers.

 

Forgot to ask: Does the 3945/Feisty combination support WPA2 security?

 

Of course it does.

 

It should, but you may have to install wpasupplicant.

 

Supported it out of the box for me.

 

So you want straight up support for the 4965 out of the door? It may be that the new Linux Mint edition (came out last month, I think) has this. I haven't checked it out yet since I don't use that distro.

 

If you ask let me know what they say. Powernotebooks definitely aims to please. Maybe you should have asked that when placing the order, but kind of late now.

Alternatively, look for a used 3495 on ebay and install it yourself. Then when Gutsy comes out, or whatever version supports 4695, put the one you got back in.

 

Forgot to say, I don't think I've tried WPA with this one yet, but like others say it should work.

BTW, come and join us in the "Z84J owners lounge" in the ASUS forum here. You'll get lots of good tips on this laptop.