Install Wifi Driver RTL8191SE on Slackware Linux

As mentioned in previous article, my notebook – Compaq Presario CQ42-270TU – equipped with Wireless Card Realtek RTL8191SE. Slackware 13.1 could not detect it by default. I need to manually install the driver for the Wifi RTL8191SE.

This tutorial will show you how to install Wifi RTL8191SE driver for Linux kernel 2.6.X on Slackware 13.1. It also should be applicable to any Linux distros such as Redhat, Fedora, Ubuntu, Mandriva, OpenSUSE , etc running kernel 2.6.X


1. Download the driver

You can download the driver from http://www.wireless-driver.com/download/realtek/realtek-rtl8191se-rtl8192se-wireless-drivers-utility.htm. Choose the Linux driver for kernel 2.6.X

2. Unpack the downloaded file and start compiling

$ tar zxf rtl8192se_linux_2.6.0015.0127.2010.tar.gz
$ cd rtl8192se_linux_2.6.0015.0127.2010
$ make
$ sudo make install
...
[cut]
...
  IHEX2FW firmware/whiteheat.fw
  IHEX2FW firmware/keyspan_pda/keyspan_pda.fw
  IHEX2FW firmware/keyspan_pda/xircom_pgs.fw
  H16TOFW firmware/vicam/firmware.fw
  IHEX    firmware/cpia2/stv0672_vp4.bin
  IHEX    firmware/yam/1200.bin
  IHEX    firmware/yam/9600.bin
  IHEX    firmware/sb16/mulaw_main.csp
  IHEX    firmware/sb16/alaw_main.csp
  IHEX    firmware/sb16/ima_adpcm_init.csp
  IHEX    firmware/sb16/ima_adpcm_playback.csp
  IHEX    firmware/sb16/ima_adpcm_capture.csp
make[2]: Leaving directory `/usr/src/linux-2.6.33.4'
install -p -m 644 r8192se_pci.ko /lib/modules/2.6.33.4-smp/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/
depmod -a
make[1]: Leaving directory `/home/fuad/.jd/downloads/rtl8192se_linux_2.6.0015.0127.2010/HAL/rtl8192'

It will take a couple of minutes to install the driver. So be patient. If there is no error, the result should look like above. Now reboot the system to read the new installed driver.

$ sudo reboot

You should now have driver installed. Try the ‘ifconfig -a’ command, you should see a ‘wlan0’ interface.

I use Wicd Network Manager to configure network interfaces. Click ‘Refresh’ button in the Wicd to re-read available interfaces. If Wicd still can not detect the Wifi interface, try to add it manually using ‘Preferences’ and set the ‘Wireles interface’ to wlan0. Click OK and then Refresh again. Now you must see available wireless networks around you.