Applying patch to rt2x00 driver - advice welcome

[Tim McNamara]

Hi all,

I recently purchased a new, light laptop - the HP Pavilion dm1.
Unfortunately, it has a known bug in the rt2x00 driver that prevents the
wireless chip from working[0]. The fix is a trivial single line patch[1].
I'm looking for advice on how to apply that patch to my current system.

This patch has been applied to kernel in one of the recent release
candidates for 3.0. However, I don't know how long that will take to get
into distros. So, I thought it would be useful to learn how to patch the
kernel.

I assume that the process is similar to:

- download source distribution to
- apply patch
- compile driver to binary
- apply binary to kernel

Can anyone point me to references so that I go through those steps?

I run Ubuntu.

Tim McNamara
Professional \\ paperlessprojects.com
Personal \\ @timClicks <http://twitter.com/timClicks> | timmcnamara.co.nz

[0]
http://www.mail-archive.com/debian-bugs-***@lists.debian.org/msg327720.html
[1]
http://rt2x00.serialmonkey.com/pipermail/users_rt2x00.serialmonkey.com/2011-June/003942.html
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[Nevyn]

Post by Tim McNamara
Hi all,
I recently purchased a new, light laptop - the HP Pavilion dm1.
Unfortunately, it has a known bug in the rt2x00 driver that prevents the
wireless chip from working[0]. The fix is a trivial single line patch[1].
I'm looking for advice on how to apply that patch to my current system.
This patch has been applied to kernel in one of the recent release
candidates for 3.0. However, I don't know how long that will take to get
into distros. So, I thought it would be useful to learn how to patch the
kernel.
 - download source distribution to
 - apply patch
 - compile driver to binary
 - apply binary to kernel
Can anyone point me to references so that I go through those steps?
I run Ubuntu.
Tim McNamara

Is the patch for the kernel or for the module? Custom kernels are cool
in need but if you can avoid them, it's probably best. In which case,
downloading the source for the module, patching that and compiling is
a much more sustainable path. Combine that with dkms and it should
recompile the module on a kernel update. I emphasis the "should".

Regards,
Nevyn
http://nevsramblings.blogspot.com/

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[Cliff Pratt]

Post by Nevyn

Post by Tim McNamara
Hi all,
I recently purchased a new, light laptop - the HP Pavilion dm1.
Unfortunately, it has a known bug in the rt2x00 driver that prevents the
wireless chip from working[0]. The fix is a trivial single line patch[1].
I'm looking for advice on how to apply that patch to my current system.
This patch has been applied to kernel in one of the recent release
candidates for 3.0. However, I don't know how long that will take to get
into distros. So, I thought it would be useful to learn how to patch the
kernel.
- download source distribution to
- apply patch
- compile driver to binary
- apply binary to kernel
Can anyone point me to references so that I go through those steps?
I run Ubuntu.
Tim McNamara

Is the patch for the kernel or for the module? Custom kernels are cool
in need but if you can avoid them, it's probably best. In which case,
downloading the source for the module, patching that and compiling is
a much more sustainable path. Combine that with dkms and it should
recompile the module on a kernel update. I emphasis the "should".

There should be instructions with the patch, but they can vary
enormously. You'll need the kernel headers package.

Cheers,

Cliff

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[Volker Kuhlmann]

Post by Tim McNamara
This patch has been applied to kernel in one of the recent release
candidates for 3.0. However, I don't know how long that will take to get
into distros. So, I thought it would be useful to learn how to patch the
kernel.
Can anyone point me to references so that I go through those steps?

Dunno, but I would do this:

Download source rpm of the kernel to be modfied.
Unpack.
Add application of the one patch you need, to the build instructions of
the package. Appending it to the end of patches is trivial.
Build packages.

Not a lot of work first time round, but you get to redo it with every
distro kernel update. If your patch concerns a module you can take some
shortcuts.

Volker

[Nevyn]

Post by Volker Kuhlmann

Post by Tim McNamara
This patch has been applied to kernel in one of the recent release
candidates for 3.0. However, I don't know how long that will take to get
into distros. So, I thought it would be useful to learn how to patch the
kernel.
Can anyone point me to references so that I go through those steps?

Download source rpm of the kernel to be modfied.
Unpack.
Add application of the one patch you need, to the build instructions of
the package. Appending it to the end of patches is trivial.
Build packages.
Not a lot of work first time round, but you get to redo it with every
distro kernel update. If your patch concerns a module you can take some
shortcuts.
Volker

Given that you're using Ubuntu.... they have their kind of prescribed
way of doing it.
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Kernel/Compile

It is kind of cool having it become a package which you can then
potentially deploy to other machines.

Regards,
Nevyn
http://nevsramblings.blogspot.com/

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[Andrew Simpson]

On Sun, 10 Jul 2011 21:14:37 +1200

Post by Tim McNamara
Hi all,
I recently purchased a new, light laptop - the HP Pavilion dm1.
Unfortunately, it has a known bug in the rt2x00 driver that prevents the
wireless chip from working[0]. The fix is a trivial single line patch[1].
I'm looking for advice on how to apply that patch to my current system.
This patch has been applied to kernel in one of the recent release
candidates for 3.0. However, I don't know how long that will take to get
into distros. So, I thought it would be useful to learn how to patch the
kernel.
- download source distribution to
- apply patch
- compile driver to binary
- apply binary to kernel
Can anyone point me to references so that I go through those steps?
I run Ubuntu.

Have a look at this forum post [1] and follow the links through the various pages to the
additional posts.

Quite a clever solution. The module you want is in the kernel package, so they create a new module
- with new name - then blacklist the original module.

Andrew


[1] http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1743525


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[Vik Olliver]

Post by Andrew Simpson
Have a look at this forum post [1] and follow the links through the various pages to the
additional posts.
Quite a clever solution. The module you want is in the kernel package, so they create a new module
- with new name - then blacklist the original module.
Andrew
[1] http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1743525

Yeah, I got one of those. Even after you get it going throughput sucks
rocks and it won't connect to half my WPA hosts. Very disappointed with
it. The mouse in particular - what moron thought it would be a good idea
to put the mousing surface *over* the buttons? Click and the pointer
buggers off before contact.

Right click doesn't seem to work on mine either, and you really have to
smear your fingers around to make the scroll work - I bought a wireless
trackball.

Vik :v)

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[Tim McNamara]

Post by Andrew Simpson

Post by Andrew Simpson
Have a look at this forum post [1] and follow the links through the

various pages to the

Post by Andrew Simpson
additional posts.
Quite a clever solution. The module you want is in the kernel package,

so they create a new module

Post by Andrew Simpson
- with new name - then blacklist the original module.
Andrew
[1] http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1743525

Yeah, I got one of those. Even after you get it going throughput sucks
rocks and it won't connect to half my WPA hosts. Very disappointed with
it. The mouse in particular - what moron thought it would be a good idea
to put the mousing surface *over* the buttons? Click and the pointer
buggers off before contact.
Right click doesn't seem to work on mine either, and you really have to
smear your fingers around to make the scroll work - I bought a wireless
trackball.
Vik :v)

Yes, I'm encountering those problems too... sigh.
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