Moma's notes for 10.nov.2010. This document is: http://www.futuredesktop.com/linux/wireless_in_linux_with_acerhk_driver.txt INSTALLING DRIVER FOR WIRELESS CONNECTION IN MANY ACER AND FUJITSU SIEMENS AMILO LAPTOPS, WHEN USING UBUNTU 10.04 (or later). ================================================================================================ If possible, use the relatively new "acer-wmi" driver instead of "acerhk". Check first if the acer-wmi driver supports your laptop model. Study the supported hardware list. http://code.google.com/p/aceracpi/wiki/SupportedHardware Unload the older acerhk driver/module (removes it for the current session only) $ sudo modprobe -r acerhk Then load the acer-wmi driver $ sudo modprobe acer-wmi Please read: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/acerhk/+bug/555828/comments/2 ======= AcerhkGUI: If you cannot use the acer-wmi method, download the "acerhkgui" package from http://sourceforge.net/projects/acerhkgui/ Install the .deb package and run the "acerhkgui" program $ sudo acerhkgui (you can also start it from the main menu) It installs the older "acerhk" driver with all necessary patches and fixes. This driver supports a wide range of Acer, Amilo and some other laptops. The acerhkgui (user interface) allows you to control the wifi and bluetooth. You may also switch the wifi on/off by using the laptop's [Fn] + ((o)) buttons. - the end - ================================================================================================ This older guide is for Ubuntu 9.10 (Karmic). The Atheros driver (ath5h) is automatically loaded but the WLAN hardware (or hotkey) is not turned on. This guide will tell you how to activate the hotkey by installing the acerhk driver, in Ubuntu 9.10. --- If you do not want to compile the 32bit driver (acerhk.ko) from source, download it directly from my website. Just do this: $ wget http://www.edbl.no/karmic/acerhk.ko $ sudo mkdir -p /lib/modules/$(uname -r)/extra/ $ sudo mv acerhk.ko /lib/modules/$(uname -r)/extra/ $ sudo depmod -a http://www.edbl.no/karmic/acerhk.ko.md5sum file contains the checksum. Then continue from step 3). ================================================== Steps to compile the acerhk driver form source: 0) Install pre-requirements $ sudo apt-get install build-essential linux-headers-$(uname -r) --- 1) Download source code $ cd $HOME $ wget http://www.edbl.no/karmic/acerhk-fixed.tar.bz2 ( the source is also avilable from * http://sourceforge.net/projects/acerhkgui/ * http://launchpadlibrarian.net/47521631/lucid-acerhk.tar.bz2 ) --- 2) Unpack and compile acerhk $ tar -xvjf acerhk-fixed.tar.bz2 $ cd acerhk-0.5.35/ $ make $ sudo make install --- 3) Test the module (do it first manually from command line ;-) # This line works for Fujitsu Siemens Amilo Li 1718 and Amilo Pro V3505. $ sudo /sbin/modprobe acerhk force_series=6805 autowlan=1 # If you have Acer Aspire 5610 then type this line: $ sudo /sbin/modprobe acerhk force_series=2020 poll=0 # Many other models may work with: $ sudo /sbin/modprobe acerhk autowlan=1 --- 4) Switch the wireless off, the led light should turn off too. $ echo 0 > /proc/driver/acerhk/wirelessled And turn it on, watch the led light. $ echo 1 > /proc/driver/acerhk/wirelessled Or simply press the Fn + ((o)) buttons. See this picture: http://www.edbl.no/karmic/Fujitsu-Siemens-Amilo-li1718.jpg --- 5) Load the acerhk module at system startup. 5a) Edit the /etc/modules file and add "acerhk" module at the bottom. $ sudo gedit /etc/modules loop lp acerhk --- 5b) Create a new file /etc/modprobe.d/acerhk.conf $ sudo gedit /etc/modprobe.d/acerhk.conf and add one of the following options lines to it. # This works with Fujitsu Siemens Amilo Li 1718 and Amilo Pro V3505. options acerhk force_series=6805 autowlan=1 --- # Enter this line if you have Acer Aspire 5610: options acerhk force_series=2020 poll=0 --- # Many other models such as Fujitsu-Siemens Amilo A1650g will need this line: options acerhk autowlan=1 --- 6) Turn the wireless ON at system startup. Edit the /etc/rc.local file. $ sudo gedit /etc/rc.local and add the following line BEFORE THE "exit 0" STATEMENT and save the file. echo 1 > /proc/driver/acerhk/wirelessled ================================================== In case of errors: Use the lsmod command to check the loaded modules. $ lsmod | egrep "ath|ace" ath5k 124260 0 <-- Wifi driver mac80211 181236 1 ath5k led_class 4096 1 ath5k ath 8060 1 ath5k cfg80211 93052 3 ath5k,mac80211,ath acerhk 30296 0 <-- Hotkey driver Looks good. Both ath5k (or ath9k) and acerhk modules are loaded. --------- You may also check the system messages. $ dmesg | egrep -i "ath5|acer" [ 11.999082] input: Acer hotkey driver as /devices/virtual/input/input7 [ 12.000945] Acer Travelmate hotkey driver v0.5.35 [ 14.384203] ath5k 0000:02:00.0: enabling device (0000 -> 0002) [ 14.384215] ath5k 0000:02:00.0: PCI INT A -> GSI 16 (level, low) -> IRQ 16 [ 14.384231] ath5k 0000:02:00.0: setting latency timer to 64 [ 14.384292] ath5k 0000:02:00.0: registered as 'phy0' [ 14.508276] ath5k phy0: Atheros AR2425 chip found (MAC: 0xe2, PHY: 0x70) ... --------- Remove duplicate copies of acerhk.ko. Find all acerhk.ko drivers in your system. First, update the file database. $ sudo updatedb Then find all acerhk.ko files. $ locate acerhk.ko It should find acerhk.ko in the /lib/modules/$(uname -r)/extra/ directory. Remove (sudo rm...) the other copies. --------- You can always unload/load the WLAN driver ath5k (or ath9k) with commands: sudo modprobe -r ath5k sudo modprobe -vv ath5k --------- Literature and references: 1) The utimate guide for Atheros wifi on Ubuntu 9.04 (Jaunty Jackalope). http://futuredesktop.com/jaunty/amilo_1718_wireless_in_linux.txt 2) http://newyork.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1294262 3) https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/acerhk/+bug/456123 4) The original source code for acerhk is available from the Ubuntu's repo. Do this: $ apt-cache search acerhk-source $ sudo apt-get install acerhk-source It puts a tar-ball into /usr/src/ directory. Unpack it with $ sudo tar -xvjf acerhk.tar.bz2 # use sudo because /usr/src/ is owned by the root user. Then look in the /usr/src/modules/acerhk/ directory. 5) Moma's homepage http://www.futuredesktop.org (.com)