How to install the wireless driver for D-link RaLink 5360 dwa 525 on Ubuntu 12.10

Recently, my boss has been having issues with his Windows 7 OS and decided to change to Linux. So as a pilot test, he installed Ubuntu 12.10 on his work PC and plans to install it on his laptop too.

Well, his PC has a D-link wireless card dwa 525 with RaLink chipset 5360 and to my surprise Ubuntu 12.10 doesn't have its driver preloaded. But Ubuntu 13.04 has. So in this post I will show you how I fixed the issue with special help from chili555 on this Ubuntu Forum Thread

I couldn't access the internet from the PC, so I had to download the driver from another PC connected to the internet.

STEP 1
To verify the network card type you have type in the terminal
lspci -v

As you can see above, my network controller is Ralink RT5360 by D-Link System Inc DWA-525 Wireless N 150 Desktop Adapter

 Download the RaLink chipset driver via this link http://www.mediatek.com/_en/07_downl...il.php?sn=5001

Below is a snapshot of the download page, just provide a name and email, and voila, download begins.

Extract the .bz2.bz2 file you just downloaded, you'll have to extract it multiple times. And if you get stuck, like I did after the second extraction, with a file that is not recognized and won't extract, don't worry. Right click on the last extract and open with Archive Mounter, and it will be mounted, copy the folder in it to your Downloads folder.

Now open the folder (now in your Downloads folder) and drill down to OS/linux/config.mk file.

Open it with a text editor and look for the following line
HAS_NATIVE_WPA_SUPPLICANT_SUPPORT=n

and change it to
HAS_NATIVE_WPA_SUPPLICANT_SUPPORT=y

Save and close.

In the same OS/linux folder, look for pci_main_dev.c and open it with a text editor

Look for -
#ifdef RT5390
{PCI_DEVICE(NIC_PCI_VENDOR_ID, NIC5390_PCIe_DEVICE_ID)},
{PCI_DEVICE(NIC_PCI_VENDOR_ID, NIC539F_PCIe_DEVICE_ID)},
{PCI_DEVICE(NIC_PCI_VENDOR_ID, NIC5392_PCIe_DEVICE_ID)},
{PCI_DEVICE(NIC_PCI_VENDOR_ID, NIC5362_PCI_DEVICE_ID)},
#endif /* RT5390 */

add an extra line as shown below

#ifdef RT5390
{PCI_DEVICE(NIC_PCI_VENDOR_ID, NIC5390_PCIe_DEVICE_ID)},
{PCI_DEVICE(NIC_PCI_VENDOR_ID, NIC539F_PCIe_DEVICE_ID)},
{PCI_DEVICE(NIC_PCI_VENDOR_ID, NIC5392_PCIe_DEVICE_ID)},
{PCI_DEVICE(NIC_PCI_VENDOR_ID, NIC5362_PCI_DEVICE_ID)},
  {PCI_DEVICE(NIC_PCI_VENDOR_ID, NIC5360_PCI_DEVICE_ID)},
#endif /* RT5390 */

STEP 2
The Ubuntu 12.10 had build-essential package suite installed. So, I'll suggest you skip this step and continue to STEP 3, especially if you don't have your Ubuntu Live CD with you.

Some people complained online that they couldn't do the STEP 3 as their Ubuntu didn't have the build-essential package installed. The build-essential package has the make tools needed to complete the STEP 3.
So I'll show you how to install the build-essential.
If you've got internet service (perhaps via Ethernet cable connection), just type the following in the Terminal

sudo apt-get install linux-headers-generic build-essential
Voila! You're done and can move to STEP 3
But if you don't have internet access on the concerned PC, insert your Ubuntu 12.10 Live CD in to the DVD drive and do the following
sudo apt-cdrom add
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install build-essential
Voila! You're good to go to STEP 3

STEP 3
From the Terminal, do the following

cd ~/Downloads/the_folder_name
sudo su
make
make install
modprobe rt5390sta >> /etc/modules
exit

By now, the wireless icon in the taskbar will be trying to connect to any open WiFi available.
Or goto Settings and click on Network

Congrats! You can start enjoying your Ubuntu 12.10 without any (internet) limitations.