dlink, 2.4, and slackware

[ethereal]

I just recently decided try out slackware 7.1. When I try to compile the 2.4 kernel, for the most part everything is good, the only problem I have is I can't get my network card to work.

I included both realtek drivers that come with the kernel, but I have no eth0. As expected, I can't ping anyone. My card is a dlink 530TX+, So far every distro has been able to automaticly set it up. I believe slack did, but after I upgraded even the 2.2.16 kernel woudn't use it either. (Windows still will)

I do have the linux drivers for this on a disk, if someone could give me a quick review of how to compile it. (it's rtl8139.c)

[skweegie]

the realtek 8139 module for 2.4 is now called:

8139too

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my lame slackpage (http://www.skweegie.f2s.com)

[twist]

Yeah, the 8139 works good. I have two boxen running them. 2.2.18 works, and 2.4.0 works.

Have you tried running dmesg | less and seeing if it mentions the card on boot? Have you statically compiled it or compiled it as a module?

Try ifconfig eth0 up ; ifconfig and see if eth0 appears.

[Paul Weaver]

ahh, rtl8139. They changed the name, at least in my 2.4 kernel. It's now too8139.o. god knows why, I'm sure there is a reason.

[ethereal]

ifconfig didn't tell me much, besides my network wasn't working. So, here is my question, where is the device, eth0, it's not in /dev, maybe in a folder in /dev though. Anyone know. (This is slack 7.1)

[ethereal]

Got it working. I had to reinstall slack but it seemed to fix the problem. afer slack failes to set up the nic, I insmod the drivers, then
ifconfig eth0 up then
ifconfig -broadcast <ip address>

I'm now able to ping to my hearts content. Thanx for the help.

[ethereal]

Got it working. I had to reinstall slack but it seemed to fix the problem. afer slack failes to set up the nic, I insmod the drivers, then
ifconfig eth0 up then
ifconfig -broadcast <ip address>

I'm now able to ping to my hearts content. Thanx for the help.

[skweegie]

hiyas,

since you moved up to 2.4, do NOT use the drivers included on the dlink floppy. those are the rtl8139 drivers for the 2.2.x kernels...

now, there are a few things to consider when using an 8139 card with slack7.1 stock and then upgrading to the 2.4 kernel...

*first thing first, get out of X if you are there and once in CLI, su to root. at the prompt issue:

:# telinit 1

this will dump you to single user mode, the runlevel where every good slacker drops to when they are doing system maintenance) http://www.linuxnewbie.org/ubb/smile.gif

login as root and now,

1) if you had previously used netconfig to configure your network, you have to:
a) edit /etc/rc.d/rc.netdevices and change /sbin/modbrobe rtl8139 to /sbin/modprobe 8139too

b) note that you will not be able to use netconfig anymore to "superprobe" for your 8139 NIC card, (unless you edit the netconfig script and change the the rtl8139 entry in thr probe section of the script). but since you are configuring the card manually, editing the script kinda defeats the purpose. http://www.linuxnewbie.org/ubb/smile.gif [b]Do[/d] however still use netconfig to set up your network still (if you haven't done so already) but just make sure to skip the autoprobe section when it prompts you to. then reference a) above and make sure you get that part right...

2) you may have also uncommented the rtl8139 module in /etc/rc.d/rc.modules. if you had, then make sure you hash it out (comment it out) and right below it, (like in a) above), add the line /sbin/modprobe 8130too with NO comment (hash'#')

ok the above setup your NIC for when you have to reboot but setting up a NIC module is in no means a reason to reboot http://www.linuxnewbie.org/ubb/smile.gif

so at the prompt issue either:

:# /sbin/modprobe 8139too OR
:# /sbin/insmod 8139too

either will work. now let's see if that baby loaded:

:# lsmod

hopefully, it will show you a list of your loaded modules with 8139too being one of them. if it is, then all is well in the world and you can go back up to multiuser runlevel:

:# telinit 3

hopefully the above helps out a bit...

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my lame slackpage (http://www.skweegie.f2s.com)