Ubuntu 10.04 using the Ralink RT2860 WiFi chipset (e.g. EeeBox B202)

[Sven6210]

After having installed Ubuntu 10.04 successfully on my EeePC 900a I also wanted to use it on my EeeBox B202 which is used as a kind of media centre.


The installation of Ubuntu 10.04 on the EeeBox was not a big issue, but unfortunately the WiFi did not work out of the box. The EeeBox B202 is using the Ralink RT2860 WiFi chipset which apparently worked out of the box with Ubuntu 9.04 and 9.10 but not with 10.04.


After some reseach I found the solution. This is probably also working for other machines using the Ralink RT2860.


This manual is largely based on Chris Barker's description, please see


http://www.ctbarker.info/2010/05/ubuntu-1004-wireless-chipsets-and-wpa.html


Here the description step by step:


Step 1
Download latest RT2860 driver source code from Ralink


Go to http://www.ralinktech.com/
Klick on Software
Klick on Linux

Download the driver „RT2860PCI/mPCI/CB/PCIe(RT2760/RT2790/RT2860/RT2890)“ dated 01/29/2010, version 2.3.0.0

You need to enter a name and an email and press accept to download

Attention, there is a new driver available since July 2010:
Download the driver "RT2860PCI/mPCI/CB/PCIe(RT2760/RT2790/RT2860/RT2890)“ dated 07/16/2010, version 2.4.0.0

When you download the new driver you need to rename the downloaded file from
2010_07_16_RT2860_Linux_STA_v2.4.0.0.tar.bz2
to
2010_07_16_RT2860_Linux_STA_v2.4.0.0.tar
So actually you need to remove the '.bz2' ending. After that you can double-click the file and 'File Roller' can open it.


Step 2
Open and extract the downloaded file to your Home directory. Accept the standard folder and to not change the name

Attention, it is a source of later problems if you do not extract the new directory to your home directory. It must really be in the home directory so that the following commands work.

Open a terminal window

cd 2010*

Step 3

gedit ./os/linux/config.mk

Use the find command to locate HAS_WPA_SUPPLICANT and make sure it is set to y for yes. It should look like this when finished:
HAS_WPA_SUPPLICANT=y


Use the find command to locate HAS_NATIVE_WPA_SUPPLICANT_SUPPORT and make sure it is set to y for yes. It should look like this when finished:
HAS_NATIVE_WPA_SUPPLICANT_SUPPORT=y


Close and save this file.


Step 4

gedit ./common/cmm_wpa.c

You will get a message that the character encoding was not recognised, choose „Western“ and press „Retry“


Use the find command to locate MIX_CIPHER_NOTUSE. Replace the entire line (keep on one line) with this code:
WPA_MIX_PAIR_CIPHER FlexibleCipher = WPA_TKIPAES_WPA2_TKIPAES;

Attention, please make sure you do not leave a part of the original comment after the line break. This is a source of potential later problems.

Step 5
Now we need to compile a new module, in order to do so we first need to have "gcc" installed. If it is not yet installed please do so by following the steps as below. In order to install gcc you need to have a wired internet connection or 3G internet connection at least.


Go to System
Go to Administration
Klick Synaptic Package Manager
Look for „gcc“ and choose it to be installed if it is not yet there


After successfully installing gcc please execute the following commands step by step in a terminal window.

sudo make
sudo make install
sudo ifconfig wlan0 down
sudo rmmod rt2860sta

Step 6
Rename the old rt2860sta.ko driver file to rt2860sta.ko.dist using:

sudo mv /lib/modules/2.6.*/kernel/drivers/staging/rt2860/rt2860sta.ko rt2860sta.ko.dist

Attention: you need to replace the * with the actual directory name of your kernel, please check the folder name with Nautilus.


Step 7

sudo depmod -a
sudo modprobe rt2860sta

After you issue the previous command you should see the Desktop top panel wireless icon come to life as it tries to connect. You will be prompted for a WPA password. Give it a little while and it should connect.


Not sure this command is necessary but you can use if the Wireless isn’t started automatically.
sudo ifconfig wlan0 up


Step 8
Okay at this point you have made a lot of progress and should be happily surfing.


But, and this is a biggie, what happens if you reboot? Unfortunately, you are back at square one without the RT2860 driver being loaded after a reboot. To remedy this situation, continue with step 9.


Step 9
Open a terminal window

cd 2010*
cd os
cd linux
sudo cp rt2860sta.ko /lib/modules/2.6.*/kernel/drivers/staging/rt2860/

Attention: you need to replace the * with the actual directory name of your kernel, same as step 6


Step 10
Update your modules boot file with the following command:

gksudo gedit /etc/modules

Add the „rt2860sta“ on a line at the end of the file and close and save the file.


Step 11
Reboot and check to see that you are now automatically connecting to your wireless network!


I hope it works for you as well

[hmmr]

Thanks a lot.

This solution worked perfectly.

I had a similar problem on a akoya mini E1210, which uses the same wifi chips.

Now happily surfing away on my lucid netbook

[adamd1972]

Thanks so much for putting this out here. Worked perfectly for me on my Encore ENLWI-N wireless PCI adapter.

[Sven6210]

You should not thank me but Chris Baker and many others. I only posted it here so that Ubuntu users can easily find it. The real brain work was done by others in the Ubuntu community.

[Sven6210]

By the way, after an update of the kernel you will need to repeat the changes from above. I recommend to redo all steps (except the downloading of the driver if there is no new one available). The "*" is a new (latest) directory with a new (latest) kernel.

I just had to do that after I updated to the latest kernel yesterday.

[eltonw]

By the way, after an update of the kernel you will need to repeat from Step 9. The "*" is a new directory with a new kernel.

I just had to do that after I updated to the latest kernel yesterday.

Rather than having to re-compile the driver each time there is an update, I installed LUCID thus:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.p...22#post9203922 [#136]

and I am now running the 2.6.33 kernel, since the first kernel update from the Canonical channel broke my wireless connection again.
http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa....6.33.3-lucid/

HTH

[mkloch]

I can confirm that the method described above worked for me on my EeePc 1000H with Kubuntu 10.04 install. I'm glad that the process was described so well here. Going through all the steps is not very difficult, but still, that would be nice if things could just work out of the box like in Karmic.

[Sven6210]

Dear eltonw,

Actually it is not necessary to compile the driver each time you make a kernel update. It is enough to copy the once compiled kernel into the directory with the updated kernel. this is done with the command:

sudo cp rt2860sta.ko /lib/modules/2.6.*/kernel/drivers/staging/rt2860/

The command must be launched from the directory where the module is. But it is not necessary to recompile the kernel. Once done it is fine. So not such a big hassle any more.

Best regards

Sven

[nucleuskore]

Hi Sven6210

Thank you for your efforts. I have managed to install the driver; I however have to test it at home where I have a WPA network. I will update this post in another six hours from now.

In the mean time I wanted to point out a few things:

After successfully installing gcc please execute the following commands step by step in a terminal window.


sudo make
sudo make install
sudo ifconfig wlan0 down
sudo rmmod rt2860sta

Now the problem is that inspite of giving sudo ifconfig wlan0 down , the next command gives a failure message saying that the module is still in use. I am guessing that this is probably due to the fact that the connection is being handled by network manager applet. So if you disconnect the network using the network manager applet situated near the clock, and then give sudo rmmod rt2860sta , it executes without any error messages.

Step 6
Rename the old rt2860sta.ko driver file to rt2860sta.ko.dist using:


sudo mv /lib/modules/2.6.*/kernel/drivers/staging/rt2860/rt2860sta.ko rt2860sta.ko.dist


Attention: you need to replace the * with the actual directory name of your kernel, please check the folder name with Nautilus.

Please note that the above command mv does not rename but moves the file rt2860.sta from /lib/modules/2.6.*/kernel/drivers/staging/rt2860/ to the current folder and saves it as rt2860sta.ko.dist
You can verify this by giving sudo ls /lib/modules/2.6.*/kernel/drivers/staging/rt2860/ and seeing that your folder is now empty. The folder is offcourse repopulated in Step 9.

[Sven6210]

Now the problem is that inspite of giving sudo ifconfig wlan0 down , the next command gives a failure message saying that the module is still in use. I am guessing that this is probably due to the fact that the connection is being handled by network manager applet. So if you disconnect the network using the network manager applet situated near the clock, and then give sudo rmmod rt2860sta , it executes without any error messages.

I did not get this error message. Obviously network manager did not use the WiFi module when I did the change as I first needed to run the patch before I was able to use it at all. If you managed to get your WiFi to work without the patch the reason for the error message might be what you guessed.

Please note that the above command mv does not rename but moves the file rt2860.sta from /lib/modules/2.6.*/kernel/drivers/staging/rt2860/ to the current folder and saves it as rt2860sta.ko.dist
You can verify this by giving sudo ls /lib/modules/2.6.*/kernel/drivers/staging/rt2860/ and seeing that your folder is now empty. The folder is offcourse repopulated in Step 9.

You are absolutely right, 'mv' moves a file, but in the above example it actually moves and renames the file. Actually I guess we could leave that step if we would accept not being able to restore the previous original module.

Apart from that I hope everything worked out for you also on a WPA WiFi.