3 Using Module-Assistant In Interactive Mode

Install module-assistant as follows:

aptitude install module-assistant

Before we start module-assistant in interactive mode, we should make sure that our /etc/apt/sources.list includes the contrib and non-free repositories because otherwise module-assistant might not be able to install required dependencies for the kernel module that we want to build:

vi /etc/apt/sources.list

[...]
deb http://ftp2.de.debian.org/debian/ lenny main contrib non-free
deb-src http://ftp2.de.debian.org/debian/ lenny main contrib non-free

deb http://security.debian.org/ lenny/updates main contrib non-free
deb-src http://security.debian.org/ lenny/updates main contrib non-free
[...]

Run

aptitude update

if you had to modify /etc/apt/sources.list.

To start module-assistant in interactive mode, simply type:

m-a

You will see the following dialogue. We must make module-assistant download the headers of the current kernel, and some tools that are needed to build packages from source (such as build-essential, etc.). To do this, select PREPARE:

Now we update the list of available kernel modules by selecting UPDATE:

Afterwards, go to SELECT:

You will see the list of available kernel modules. Pick the one you want to build by pressing the SPACE bar (I select ndiswrapper in this example), and hit Ok:

Select BUILD on the next screen:

Select Yes to install/upgrade the selected source package:

Now the kernel module is being built:

After the build process is complete, select Yes if you want to install the module:

Alternatively, you can as well select INSTALL in this menu:

After you've installed the module, select BACK to go back to the list of available modules:

Select Cancel to leave the list and go back to the main menu:

In the main menu, choose EXIT to leave module-assistant:

Now that the module is installed, we can load it into our kernel as follows:

modprobe ndiswrapper

To check if it really got loaded, run:

lsmod | grep ndiswrapper

The output should be similar to this one:

server1:~# lsmod | grep ndiswrapper
ndiswrapper           152348  0
usbcore               118160  1 ndiswrapper
server1:~#

To make sure that the module gets loaded automatically whenever you boot the system, you can add it to /etc/modules:

vi /etc/modules

[...]
ndiswrapper

That's it!

4 Links

• Debian: http://www.debian.org/