This is the most simple way to get the Linksys wireless network card to work with debian
This document is based on the Linksys WMP54G wifi 54Mb/s card, but I am sure that these
instructions will work for the other Linksys 802.11a 802.11b and 802.11G cards.
 
 
1) First off you will need a kernel and kernel source that is higher then 2.4.20. My suggestion
is to download the Debian kernel from apt source and compile a kernel that is higher then
2.4.20. I will explain quickly how to do this below, if you already have done this or know 
how to do this then skip to step 2.
 
1b) you will need to download a kernel source from apt. to do this first you want to 
update your apt database:
  [shell]# apt-get update
 
1c) now you want to search for the latest kernel source:
 [shell]# apt-cache search kernel-source
 
 snip:
 kernel-source-2.4.25 - Linux kernel source for version 2.4.25 with Debian patches
 kernel-source-2.4.26 - Linux kernel source for version 2.4.26 with Debian patches
 
1d) next we will choose the kernel that we want (latest) and download the source:
 [shell]# apt-get install kernel-source-2.4.26
 
1e) now that the kernel source is done downloading we will have to go to the source directory
and uncompress the kernel source:
 [shell]# cd /usr/src/
 [shell]# bzip2 -d kernel-source-2.4.26.tar.bz2
 [shell]# tar xvf kernel-source-2.4.26.tar
 [shell]# ln -s kernel-source-2.4.26 linux
 
1f) ok kernel source is now downloaded and we are almost ready to go we just have to check
that we need all the nessacery packages we need to compile the kernel: 
 
 make, gcc and ncurses-dev
 
if you do not have these packages then you will have to use apt to install them
 [shell]# apt-get install make gcc ncurses-dev
 
1g) now we will compile the kernel and all the needed modules etc.. (I cannot help you 
on what needs to be compiled into the kernel you will have to figure out yourself what
needs to be in there)
 [shell]# cd /usr/src/linux
 [shell]# make menuconfig
 
1h) after you have selected the options you want in the kernel you will now compile it
run these commands one after another:
 
 [shell]# make dep
 [shell]# make clean
 [shell]# make bzImage
 [shell]# make install
 [shell]# make modules
 [shell]# make modules_install
 [shell]# /sbin/lilo
 
1i) make sure lilo will boot the right kernel then reboot the system
 
 
2) now we are going to have to get the packages we need to get the linksys wireless card to work
you will have to add these lines to your /etc/apt/sources.list
 
 deb http://rigtorp.se/debian/ unstable/
 deb-src http://rigtorp.se/debian/ unstable/  or at http://www.e.kth.se/~rigtorp/files/tmp/?C=M;O=A
 
then update the apt database again:
 
 [shell]# apt-get update
 
then install the needed packages:
 
 [shell]# apt-get install ndiswrapper-bcm94306 ndiswrapper ndiswrapper-source
 NOTES: when installing the ndiswrapper it will ask for the directory to your
 kernel source it should be /usr/src/linux or /usr/src/kernel-source-2.4.XX/
 the XX being some number.
 
2b) after those packages are finished installing you will double check that the drivers are 
loaded properly:
 
 [shell]# ndiswrapper -l
 
you should see:
 
 Installed ndis drivers:
 bcmwl5 present
 
2c) now you will have to compile the ndiswrapper driver, just type in the commands as
shown below:
 
 [shell]# cd /usr/src/modules/ndiswrapper/
 [shell]# make install
 
when the compile is finished you will need to load this module:
 
 [shell]# insmod ndiswrapper
 
check that your Linksys network card is now reconized:
 
 [shell]# dmesg 
 
you should see at the end:
 
 snip:
 wlan0: ndiswrapper ethernet device xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx
 
2d) Now you will need to activate the card:
 
 [shell]# ifconfig wlan0 up
 
check that the wlan0 interface is now visable:
 
 [shell]# ifconfig -a
 
you should see somthing like this
 
 wlan0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:0C:41:61:71:E1
  UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
 RX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
 TX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
 collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
 RX bytes:0 (0.0 b) TX bytes:0 (0.0 b)
 Interrupt:5 Memory:dd800000-dd801fff
 
2e) configure the interface in /etc/network/interface as you see fit.
 
 
 
 
 
 
----------------------------------------------------------------------
This document is provided by Netdigix Systems INC. 
No warrenty is provided with this document.
If you find any errors in this document please email
contact at netdigix.com with the changes and we will gladly
make the appropriate changes. http://www.netdigix.com
This Document can be distributed freely as long as this document 
remains unaltered.
----------------------------------------------------------------------