Drivers for 2.6.29.2

I am compiling 3rd-party drivers for the 2.6.29.2 kernel.

Do we still need the linux-wlan-ng USB driver?

What I'm planning to do with Puppy5 is build the live-CD ISO files with all modules builtin, no 'zdrv' file in the live-CD. I do plan to release a "99MB Ubuntu replacement" which will have a cutdown selection of modules, and the left-over modules will be in a separate zdrv file, but it will be a separate file, not in the live-CD.

When Puppy 5.0 is released, this separate 'zdrv' file will be named 'zu500292.sfs'. It will be quite small, about 7MB. Now, the good thing is that as it is a separate file, a group of developers independently of me, perhaps coordinated by tempestuous or rerwin, can add to that file. This can also include firmware.

Tempestuous or rerwin can coordinate adding to this file, then can give it to WhoDo, who will be coordinating uploading of user-contributed packages to ibiblio. Contributed SFS files will go into 'sfs_modules-5' directory at ibiblio.org.

If the 'zu500292.sfs' is downloaded to /mnt/home, Puppy will automatically recognise and load the SFS file at bootup. There's nothing else to do, nothing to choose in the Boot Manager. Ditto if the SFS file is removed.

In fact, it doesn't matter if the 'zu500292.sfs' gets removed afterward, as when a module gets loaded and the firmware installed, the files are then in the 'pupsave' file and so the SFS file is no longer needed. In fact, the file will get rejected later anyway, when the version of Puppy goes up, say to 5.0.1 (zu501292.sfs would then be required).

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Comments

zdrv file or not
Username: ICPUG
I don't understand the prevarification over whether there is a zdrv file or not, which seems to oscillate with no apparent justification. When the zdrv file was first introduced I thought it was a great idea. You could support all the odd hardware out there without adding to the core size of Puppy. The user simply made available the zdrv file, which could be quite large, driver got loaded and then you can dispense with the zdrv file. I myself have never had cause to load anything from it so I don't know whether it worked as intended. What problems does having a zdrv file cause that supports doing away with it?

linux-wlan-ng usb module
Username: fmlynch
"I,for one, still need the linux-wlan-ng usb module for my old Elite Group model A-535 laptop. Also, alpha 5 also would not access drives on this laptop, so I could not fully test it. Thanks

Tags: woof