Slackware 12.0 - install 1

Intro

Slackware and Slackware-based hybrids, such as Zenwalk, appear to have a learning curve after moving from Debian and Debian-based hybrids, eg. Ubuntu. But the /etc/rc.d layout in Slack is clean and nearly intuitive. Lets look at Slack 12.0. One of the great things about Slackware is it doesn't use PAM.

Older Machines

1. boot with non-smp kernel big.s
2. cfdisk and mke2fs per taste.
3."setup"
4. activate disks, skip formatting them.
5. install from CD's or DVD but don't configure the network
6. reboot, run the patch for non-smp
7. build nvidia drivers if necessary
8. build wifi drivers if necessary (madwifi, ndiswrapper, other)
9. add any modules to /etc/rc.d/rc.modules and any associated command to /etc/rc.d/rc.local
10. reboot, check wifi or eth0 with "route"
11. to make permanent see here. Essentially, there are a few files to alter if it's dual-homed.
12. configure xorg.conf or copy premade to /etc/X11/
13. set /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc softlink (ln -s) to desired WM - twm, fluxbox, xfce, etc.
14. reboot and tune.

Wireless

No need to download and compile a driver module if one came with distro: Check here:
ls /lib/modules/2.6.23.12/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/

Atheros AR242x 64 (5007 chipset)
Memory location on my card for this is 53100000. The instructions here were crucial. The ath5k doesn't work well in a Satellite, but they describe the ath5k here, and it appears the ath5k will eventually be the way to go. Currently however, steps appear to be

1. in /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist blacklist the "ath5k" module
2. reboot and lsmod - make sure the ath5k is gone
3. download madwifi-hal-0.10.5.6-r3861-20080903.tar.gz , or the newest one there, make, and install.
4. reboot again and lsmod
5. iwconfig ath0

Atheros AR5005G
download latest madwifi, eg madwifi-0.9.9.3, then the usual

$tar -xzvf madwifi*
$cd madwifi*
$make
#make install
#modprobe ath-pci

RaLink RT2600 802.11 MIMO
1. download latest ralink rt61 driver from ralink support.
2. $tar -xzvf 2008*
3. $cd RT61_Linux*
4. $cp Makefile.6 Makefile [kernel 2.6.x]
5. Alter module rtmp_main.c , by commenting out (around the bottom, line ~900):
return pci_module_init(&rt61_driver);
and replace it with:
return pci_register_driver(&rt61_driver)
6. Their "configure" file is not executable, so change it, then configure and make the module.
$chmod 755 Configure
$./Configure
$make
7. Make a directory where the module will locate configuration info and put these info files in it.
#mkdir /etc/Wireless/RT61STA
#cp rt2561.bin /etc/Wireless/RT61STA/
#cp rt2561s.bin /etc/Wireless/RT61STA/
#cp rt2661.bin /etc/Wireless/RT61STA/
8. The last file to go into that config directory may have CTRL+L line ends and we have to be sure these are eliminated: Use $dos2unix rt61sta.dat (or use sed). This file has the particulars for our LAN and WEP.
9. Copy that file to where the others are at:
#cp rt61sta.dat /etc/Wireless/RT61STA/
10. Send the module to the kernel's module folder:
#cp rt61.ko /lib/modules//misc/
11. Tell the kernel where to find the module by adding a line in /lib/modules//modprobe.dep
: "/lib/modules//misc/rt61.ko:"
12. Load the kernel:
#modprobe rt61

AFTER INSTALLING WIRELESS
1. provide permanence via /sbin/modprobe ath-pci to /etc/rc.d/rc.modules and any configuration for it (eg. iwconfig ath0 essid "loser") to /etc/rc.d/rc.local.
1b: in the case of Ralink /sbin/modprobe rt61 to /etc/rc.d/rc.modules.
2. further modify /etc/rc.d/rc.local to be sure card comes up. Last line for the card: iwconfig ra0 up or iwconfig ath0 up
3. reboot and "dhcpcd ra0" or ath0, check with "route" and a ping.