1) The distribution i want to install is the "Debian Etch" (AMD64).
2) My WireLess hardware is: "Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 3945ABG" (seemingly
i have been able to download a linux driver for it).
3) Any nessecary modifying (if any) before the actual installation, i
will have to be able to do in Windows XP or from a live cd/dvd linux
distribution.

It might seem like a complicated way of doing things, but the thing is
that i dont really have access to the internet other than through a
wireless connection, and further more i have to go through a private
gateway.

Anyway, it seems pretty complicated, maybe even impossible, allthough
i hope not.

Hope you can help.


Regards

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zacariaz writes:
> Any nessecary modifying (if any) before the actual installation, i will
> have to be able to do in Windows XP or from a live cd/dvd linux
> distribution.

None is needed (except for backing up your data, of course).

Just buy or download and burn a copy of the first Debian CD.  Install it
and you will have everything you need to install any other packages you
need over the Net.
--
John Hasler

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I dont know what happened with the quadruple post, hope you'll forgive
me :D

Anyway thank you for the answer even though it was not what i was
hoping for...

you say that the driver is allready included in the distribution, and
so im pretty confused that it isnt possible to load the driver during
install. Is it because it is not included in the netinst image? if
that the case, i understand, but wouldnt it be possible then to alter
the image and simply add it to the installation process?

anyhow, ill take a look at the things you have proposed.

regards

[ Post a follow-up to this message ]

zacariaz@gmail.com (<zacariaz@gmail.com> ) wrote:

> I dont know what happened with the quadruple post, hope you'll forgive
> me :D
>
> Anyway thank you for the answer even though it was not what i was
> hoping for...
>
> you say that the driver is allready included in the distribution, and
> so im pretty confused that it isnt possible to load the driver during
> install. Is it because it is not included in the netinst image? if
> that the case, i understand, but wouldnt it be possible then to alter
> the image and simply add it to the installation process?
>
> anyhow, ill take a look at the things you have proposed.


The reason that is not included on the CDs/DVDs is that it is not free.
It may be possible to include it on the image, however you do not only
need the driver itself (the kernel module), but also the firmware and
the userspace daemon ipwd. Additionally you need wireless-tools, and
wpa_supplicant if you want/need to use WPA. You also very probably
won't be able to configure the network from within the installer, so
you need to do that manually. And after installation you need to
everything all over again because the packages won't be installed.
In the end, maybe using debootstrap from within a live is the best way,
because it is reasonably well documented.

regards
Andreas Janssen

--
Andreas Janssen <andreas.janssen@bigfoot.com>
PGP-Key-ID: 0xDC801674 ICQ #17079270
Registered Linux User #267976
http://www.andreas-janssen.de/debian-tipps-sarge.html

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