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Asked: 2024-09-25T00:11:41+05:30 In: ,

How can I compile a driver for the Ralink RT5370 USB WiFi dongle on Ubuntu?

I’ve got this Ralink RT5370 USB WiFi dongle, and it’s been a bit of a headache trying to get it to work on my Ubuntu machine. I bought it thinking it would be a straightforward plug-and-play solution, but that was wishful thinking. Here I am, staring at the screen, and the dongle is just not being recognized.

I’ve done a bit of digging online and found out that I might need to compile a driver from source, but man, that sounds like a lot of work. I’m not the most experienced when it comes to compiling drivers, and I really don’t want to mess things up and end up with a broken system. I’ve pasted a bunch of commands into the terminal, but I’m not entirely sure what I’m doing.

Could anyone walk me through this? I’m running Ubuntu 20.04, and I’m hoping to get my dongle up and running without too many headaches.

First off, what do I even need to get started? Are there specific packages I should install? I heard something about `build-essential` and `linux-headers`, but it’s all a bit fuzzy. I also read that I might need to download the driver source code from GitHub or something. Is that the right approach?

Once I get the source code, what’s the step-by-step process to compile it? I guess I need to use `make` after navigating to the directory, but what are the exact commands I should run? And after compiling, how do I actually install the driver? Is it as simple as copying files into a folder, or do I have to run additional scripts?

Also, any tips on what to do if things don’t go as planned? I’d hate to find myself in a situation where I’ve created more problems or completely messed up the networking capabilities of my system.

I’m really hoping someone out there has been through this and can share their wisdom. Thanks in advance!

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    2 Answers



    1. Ralink RT5370 USB WiFi Dongle on Ubuntu 20.04

      Getting Your Ralink RT5370 USB WiFi Dongle Working

      No worries! Getting your dongle to work is definitely doable, even if it seems a bit overwhelming at first. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you out.

      Step 1: Install Required Packages

      First, you’ll need some essential tools to compile the driver. Open your terminal and run this command:

      sudo apt update
sudo apt install build-essential linux-headers-$(uname -r) git

      Step 2: Download the Driver Source Code

      Now, let’s grab the driver source code. A reliable source is a GitHub repository. You can do it like this:

      git clone https://github.com/MiiCraft/mt7610u.git
cd mt7610u

      Step 3: Compile the Driver

      Once you’re in the directory where the driver source code is, you can compile it with:

      make

      Wait for it to finish. If you see no errors, you’re good to go!

      Step 4: Install the Driver

      After compiling, you’ll want to install it. Just run:

      sudo make install

      Step 5: Load the Driver

      Now, let’s load the driver into the kernel:

      sudo modprobe mt7610u

      Step 6: Verify Installation

      Check if your dongle is recognized by running:

      iwconfig

      If you see your WiFi adapter listed, then you’re all set!

      Troubleshooting Tips

      If things don’t go as planned, here are a few things to check:

      • Run dmesg | grep -i usb to see if your system recognizes the dongle.
      • Make sure the driver compiled without any errors. If there are errors during `make`, they will usually give clues on what’s missing.
      • You can try to blacklist any existing conflicting drivers by adding them to /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf.

      And remember, don’t hesitate to ask for help if you hit a wall. Good luck!




    2. Getting Ralink RT5370 USB WiFi Dongle to Work on Ubuntu

      To get started with compiling the driver for your Ralink RT5370 USB WiFi dongle, you first need to install some essential packages. Open a terminal and run the following command to ensure you have the necessary tools:

      sudo apt update
sudo apt install build-essential dkms linux-headers-$(uname -r)

      Next, you will need to download the appropriate driver source code. A common place to find drivers for Ralink devices is GitHub. Search for the RT5370 driver repository, clone it using the command:

      git clone https://github.com/.../rt5370.git

      Replace the URL with the correct link to the driver repository. Once downloaded, navigate into the directory:

      cd rt5370

      Now, to compile the driver, run:

      make

      If the compilation is successful, you can install the driver with:

      sudo make install

      After installation, load the driver module with:

      sudo modprobe rt5370sta

      As for troubleshooting, if you encounter issues, check the output of dmesg for errors related to the dongle. You can also revert changes by removing the installed module or cleaning the build directories with:

      make clean

      Always ensure you have a backup or a way to access your system (like a live USB) before making significant changes. Patience and careful reading of error messages will guide you!


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