Ubuntu 10.04, Wireless chipsets, and WPA Security

Ubuntu’s latest release, 10.04, was officially posted this week. Overall, it is a very impressive effort and a milestone for the Open Source community. I have installed it on a new cheap desktop I recently built and it runs fantastically with fast boot times and nice desktop eye candy.

The one thing that spoils this effort is the continued hassles in getting wireless wifi cards working. I have a half dozen usb wifi sticks lying around and only one just works our of the box. I guess it wouldn’t be Linux if one didn’t have to at least compile a driver or two every now and then?

Anyway, I recently purchased the Asus PCE-N13 IEEE 802.11b/g/n PCI Express Wireless Adapter.

I bought the card on sale for $19.99 and on the basis that someone left comments that it worked in Ubuntu 10.04. Not sure what this fellow’s definition of working is but it doesn’t just work at least when you use WPA security. So, determined not to let this get the better of me, I embarked on a flurry of google searches.

This card uses the Ralink RT2860 chipset which is used in many products. The problem from what I’ve been able to determine is that the WPA source code definitions are wrong by default. It’s not clear why this is so but that seems to be the case. The fix and ultimate configuration is fairly straight forward if one can find clear and accurate instructions. There’s the rub.

I finally stumbled upon some good instructions but maddeningly they contained key errors that will surely frustrate the uninitiated. So, in the interest of helping those that follow, I offer my amended instructions that I have tested and believe to be accurate. With this guide you should be able to get a Ralink RT2860 based product running and connected to a secure router running WPA security and will do so after reboots.

The following steps were performed on a unmodified default Ubuntu 10.04 final code install.

Step 1
Download latest RT2860 driver source code from Ralink here. You need to enter a name and an email and press accept to download.

Step 2
Open and extract the downloaded file to a temporary directory in your Home directory.

Step 3
Using an editor such as the default Gedit, open the driver source code file ./os/linux/config.mk. Use the find command to locate HAS_WPA_SUPPLICANT and make sure it is set to yes. It should look like this when finished:

HAS_WPA_SUPPLICANT=y
and do the same for:
HAS_NATIVE_WPA_SUPPLICANT_SUPPORT=y

Close and save this file.

Step 4
Using an editor such as the default Gedit, open the file ./common/cmm_wpa.c. Use the find command to locate MIX_CIPHER_NOTUSE. Replace this entire line (keep on one line)with this code:

WPA_MIX_PAIR_CIPHER FlexibleCipher = WPA_TKIPAES_WPA2_TKIPAES;

Step 5
Perform these commands in a Terminal session one at a time. You can cut and paste. Using sudo puts you into Admin mode so you will be prompted for you Admin (probably) your default password.

sudo make
sudo make install
sudo ifconfig wlan0 down
sudo rmmod rt2860sta

Step 6
Rename the old rt2860sta.ko driver file to rt2860sta.ko.dist using a command such as:

sudo mv /lib/modules/2.6.*/kernel/drivers/staging/rt2860/rt2860sta.ko rt2860sta.ko.dist

Note you need to replace the asterisk with the actual directory name of your kernel. Consult your file system directory structure for this.

This is to prevent the old driver from being used. You could just delete the file as well I suppose.

Step 7
sudo depmod -a
sudo modprobe rt2860sta

After you issue the previous command you should see the Desktop top panel Wireless icon come to life as it tries to connect. You will be prompted for a WPA password. Give it a little while and it should connect.

Not sure this command is necessary but you can use if the Wireless isn’t started automatically.

sudo ifconfig wlan0 up

Step 8
Okay at this point you have made a lot of progress and should be happily surfing at up to 802.11n speeds. Take a break and marvel at your skills and the wonder of the Internet!

Step 9
But, and this is a biggie, what happens if you ever reboot? Unfortunately, you are back at square one without the RT2860 driver being loaded after a reboot. To remedy this situation, read on.

Step 10
Copy the newly compiled driver from your temporary build directory in ./os/linux using a command like:
sudo cp rt2860sta.ko /lib/modules/2.6.*/kernel/drivers/staging/rt2860/
Again replace the asterisk with the correct directory name.

Step 11
Update your modules boot file with the following command:
gksudo gedit /etc/modules
Add the command rt2860sta on a line at the end of the file.
Close and save the file.

Step 12

Reboot and check to see that you are now automatically connecting to your wireless network!

I hope this tutorial may be helpful for some people.

Windows Home Server 2 Beta –“Vail”

Just got finished building a new WHS server using an old Shuttle K45 case that I gutted and installed a Gigabyte GA-D510UD Atom based motherboard. The K45 case allows for custom graphics on the front so I whipped together something based on some Windows Server Wallpaper I found online.The Mini-ITX board installed perfectly. Then all I had to do was boot up the “Vail” install DVD and I was up and running. This will be a great test bed during the beta and may serve as my permanent WHS server once the beta is over. Some pictures below.

Ray Samuels Audio – F-117 The Nighthawk

My acquisition of audio goodies continues. This time it’s the just released F-117 The Nighthawk Phono Preamp from Ray Samuels Audio. Ray specializes in creating high performing minature audio gems. He has gathered quite a following for his line of portable headphone amps.

The F—117 is a full featured phone preamp with up to 75db of gain and a choice of loading options all in the package about the size of a pack of cards. It’s other unique feature is it is designed to run entirely on batteries. Using a rechargeable lithium ion battery it is rated to run 8 hours per day for about 6 days!

Although break-in time is recommended, I have already completely enjoyed this addition to my system. It is extremely quiet and seems to have loads of dynamic range and frequency extension at both ends of the spectrum. I think the freedom from noisy AC power interference must be a reason for the excellent sonics.

Home Theater Update

I’ve been immersed in Home Theater configuration these past couple of weeks. After waiting about a year, the Emotiva UMC-1 was released. This is an amazing AV Pre-Processor for the latest in Audio and Video handling. This unit replaces my long in the tooth McCormack MAP-1 all analog multi-channel preamp. Now that almost all of my sources are digital and HDMI compliant a digital preamp makes sense. Luckily, the UMC-1 also has a Direct mode that is an all analog signal path for the one remaining analog source – my phono section.

While some users have had some issues with the UMC-1, my experience has been trouble free. The audio and video are first rate. At $699 this is a real value for money product.

Migration to blogger

Well, I went through a frenzied bit of web editing the other day trying to get my blog re-hosted using a custom domain on Blogger. The impetus of this change was the announcement that Blogger would no longer support ftp publishing going forward. This also corresponded with the fact that my current hosting a e-rice.net was up for renewal at the end of March.

So I waited patiently for Google to release their migration wizard. After many delays, it was released. I jumped in thinking this would be relatively easy. I thought I understood the issues but immediately I selected the wrong option and was stuck with a new blog at Blogspot and a failed migration that would not let me back up and start over again.

After much hair pulling furious reading, I successfully edited my DNS and Cname records and finished the migration manually. I now have my blog re-hosted at Blogger but still located at my custom domain of ctbarker.info.

One issue that caused problems, is that I use google apps and I found that when I tried to change blogger to point to my re-hosted blog it kept saying a blog already existed and would not make the change. I had already correctly changed all my DNS and Cname records but it refused to budge. Finally, I stumbled upon the fact that if you have the Sites featured turned on with Google Apps then this would block you. By turning off the Sites feature, I was able to return to the Blogger publishing menu and it successfully changed to my custom domain.

One new problem I have encountered is that when I perform a search of my site the results display but when I select a link it come back with a broken link screen. This may be fallout from my failed migration but I am unsure how to fix this?

Also, my blog is still flagged as an FTP blog even though it is now hosted on Blogger and the migration wizard is stuck and will not complete? How to clear up this mess?

California Guitar Trio – Wolf Trap Barns, Virginia

Just returned from a fantastic concert by the California Guitar Trio at the intimate Barns at Wolf Trap. The last time I saw CGT was when they opened for King Crimson at the Warner Theater in 1995. They’ve been together for 18 years.

I find that at times CGT sounds like a giant harpsichord. They have truly honed their sound and interplay to a rarified level over the years. They featured songs from many of their album including Echoes from the same named recent album. Paul mentioned that they have recently been recording a new album and they played a new song that he described as a Japanese/Spanish mix featuring Bert Lams on nylon string guitar. I believe the song was called Hazardous Sea.

Another highlight was a moving version of While My Guitar Gently Weeps that CGT has prepared for an upcoming tour with the Montreal Guitar Trio.

One wonderful surprise was the option to purchase a CD recording of the show immediately after the concert. I’d say at least 100 or so people took advantage of this. They used a cd burning station that burned 9 CDs at a time. I’ve heard of this capability, but this was the first time I had attended a concert with this option. This should be mandatory at all concerts.

The CGT were gracious enough to come out and mingle and sign CDs while they were being burned. I chatted briefly with Paul and asked a bit about the Roland V-Guitar synths they were using. Apparently, they have MIDI interfaces built into their acoustic Breedlove guitars. I’ve played a Breedlove and have considered purchasing one. I also asked Paul if he was familiar with the French band Philharmonie? He respond that they indeed were and that Bert Lams (from Belgium) knew them. Apparently, Philharmonie also attended the Crafty Guitarist seminars held by Robert Fripp. CGT at times resembles the music of Philharmonie.

The house sound of the Barns was spot on and a perfect environment for what was the third appearance by CGT in this venue

First Blog From Palm Pre

My new Palm Pre arrived sooner than expected. A little hitch in activation but now all is well. Nice to have a new toy.

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Greg Maffei confirms free Sirius XM radio in the future

Okay, I’m browsing xmfan.com and see this link to an interview on CNBC with Greg Maffei (formerly CFO of Microsoft, now with Liberty Media). He says in this interview that “a certain amount of satellite radio free for all not necessarily premium.” Well, blow me down, someone is thinking outside the box! I would take this as confirmation that a free version of Sirius XM radio is in the works. IMHO, they cannot do this soon enough.

Cadillac CTS adds WiFi - Sirius XM weeps

Well, hot on the heals of my post on Sirius XM comes the announcement that Cadillac is now offering a $499 dealer installed option for in car WiFi for the CTS model. Since I own a 2008 CTS, this is a very interesting story. Apparently, it will cost $29 per month for 800Kbps service. This will make it very simple to access internet radio from an iPhone, iPod Touch, or other WiFi connected device and listen to any internet radio stream. Undoubtedly, this is a harbinger of the future and will probably become standard on all cars in the distant future.

Further proof that Sirius XM needs to change their business model now. I think they should go with commercials immediately and turn on the 60% of their radios that are currently dark in cars. Of course, they never will. They’re doomed.

55.8% of Sirius XM Radios Dark!

While reading this article in the Wall Street Journal today, I was struck by the fact that after the free trial for their pre-installed Sirius XM radio expired only 44.2% actually continued to subscribe.

As someone who recently elected to cancel my XM radio subscription, I was amazed but not surprised by this figure. I had long been skeptical of the value proposition of this service. When I did purchase a new car last year with XM, I did give it a listen and found little to hold my interest. As a lark, I did subscribe for a full year to give it a bit more time. I did find one channel, Fine Tuning, that piqued my interest. Unfortunately, when the great merger of XM and Sirius finally was culminated things changed for the worse. XM Radio customers clearly got the short end of the stick. My main area of music interests centers around Progressive, Jazz, Modern Classical, Celtic, Folk, and a host of other categories. With the elimination of Fine Tuning and Beyond Jazz as well, the value of XM really went off a cliff for me. Thus, I decided not to renew this month when my subscription expired.

Given Sirius XM's well documented revenue/debt problems, I am surprised at how unimaginative their business model is. There is still no iPhone app, despite there being dozens of internet radio apps already available for the iPhone. Their own internet radio stream has been a poor step child and poorly marketed. And now they are raising the price to compete better with all the free streams available (irony intended)!

Back to the 55.8% dark issue. I would suggest that Sirius XM implement a free commercial sponsored service of say 5 to 10 channels that featured a cross section of the full service and allow all currently dark radios to listen for free (albeit with commercial interruptions). It seems ludicrous to be so stubborn to have nearly 60% of your potential user base deaf to your service. With this service, I would suspect they would attract large advertisers and could generate a sizeable revenue stream. In effect, they could claim a 100% listener base rather than the almost 60% absent listeners they now have. I would think setting up such a service would add little expense to their existing operation. I have not seen such an idea suggested before and would strongly urge Sirius XM to consider it.