Orange Pi mini 2 / Linux / Edimax USB WiFi Dongle [SOLVED]

jernej

I suppose that your system is using one of the newest versions of systemd (> 215)? If that is so, then you need patched kernel to be able upload FW to your wifi dongle. You can check some details here:
http://www.orangepi.org/orangepi ... ;extra=&page=31
https://github.com/jernejsk/Open ... ts/H3/patches/linux

mrdma

jernej replied at 2016-1-24 02:42
I suppose that your system is using one of the newest versions of systemd (> 215)? If that is so, th ...

Version 219. I had to google how to get systemd version.

I see the link to the forum discussion and the repo, but I have no idea how to apply the patch. If you can give me some direction, that would be great.

jernej

You said that you are using one of the loboris images? Go to his github: https://github.com/loboris/OrangePI-Kernel and download whole source code. Before you start building the kernel, you must patch it. First download the patch linux-04-Backport-firmware-loader.patch and put it inside kernel-3.4 folder. Then execute "patch -p1 < linux-04-Backport-firmware-loader.patch" in that folder. After that, you are good to proceed with kernel building as described on loboris github. When kernel building is done, just put newly compiled kernel to your sd card (be sure that you overwrite old one).

mrdma

jernej replied at 2016-1-25 05:27
You said that you are using one of the loboris images? Go to his github: https://github.com/loboris/ ...

Is the process you outlined the same process as using his update_kernel.sh method? Also - is the OrangePi mini 2 considered the OrangePi 2, and the $15 OrangePi the OrangePi PC?

mrdma

I updated the kernel using the update_kernel.sh method and verified that the .bin file is in /lib/firmware/rtlfi (see picture attachment). dmesg still reports not loading the .bin file after reboot.

jernej

If you patched correctly, new option CONFIG_FW_LOADER_USER_HELPER should appear and you should select "n" as in not supported.

mrdma

I googled CONFIG_FW_LOADER_USER_HELPER....is that in /proc/config.gz?

WereCatf

No, CONFIG_FW_LOADER_USER_HELPER is a configuration-option when you're compiling the kernel, it's not a runtime-option or anything like that. /proc/config.gz also has nothing to do with that -- /proc/config.gz simply contains the settings the currently-running kernel was compiled with. I take it that you do not have any idea how to compile a kernel yourself?

mrdma

You're right - no idea. I have some programming background with multiple languages, including assembly language, so I know what it means to compile. I realize the comparison isn't exactly the same, but the idea is similar. I bought an OPI mini 2 and OPI plus for the specific purpose of rolling up my sleeves and digging in to linux. I have a technical background in electronics/electrical (20+ years), and a programming background in the same amount of time, so I know I'm up to the task with a little direction. My hope is to get to a point where I can contribute here on some level. I've already learned quite a bit in the past two weeks. Apologies for the long response.
I just purchased Linux in a Nutshell - I'll be receiving that in a few days. Is there a book you would recommend for diving deep in to the internals, and/or kernel?

WereCatf

No need to apologize for anything. Unfortunately, the process of compiling the kernel is a tad involved and, looking at Loboris's Github for the kernel-sources ( https://github.com/loboris/OrangePI-Kernel ), it seems his build-environment requires an x86-64 Linux-system (running Linux in a virtual-machine is fine if you use Windows or OSX as your main OS) to do the compiling on. Maybe jernej or someone else here already have compiled the kernel with the patch and could provide you with the binary if you asked nicely, and you could then practice kernel-compilation later on? I would do it myself, but I am still waiting for my OPi PC to arrive and I don't feel comfortable about giving out binaries I can't actually test out myself whether they work or not.

As for book-recommendations.. I have no idea. I've never read any Linux-books or such, I tend to just dive head-long into things