How do i install a driver??

[Jamboy]

Hello all,

I'm completely new to linux, so it may seem stupid but i have an asus a7v8x mobo with an onboard lan based on the broadcom 4401 chipset.
I've got Suse linux 8.1 installed, found the linux drivers for the bcm4401, but how do i install this?
Please help. :confused:

[The Ennead IX]

I have the same board but using Gentoo with kernel 2.4.20 and it autodetected it and set it up so I haven't had to do it manually myself. A quick search using Google came up with these instructions

1. from CD take a tar.gz file (file:/mnt/cdrom/Drivers/LAN/4401/Linux) bcm4400- 1.0.1.tar.gz or download full set of drivers from asus.com (this mean and windows ones because they are included in package )... copy file to /tmp
2. start kterm or xterm
su -
cd /tmp
tar -xzf *.tar.gz
cd src/
make
# don't worry about warnings this is normal for Linux
depmod
# don't worry about unresolved symbols ... if you copy
# module from another PC
insmod bcm4400.o
lsmod | grep bcm
# if you see something like this : bcm4400 30880 1
# you problems are over if you not ... you are in troubles
# if success do this :
cp bcm4400.o /lib/modules/2.4.18-17.8.0/kernel/drivers/net/
mcedit /etc/modules.conf
# and add next line in file:
alias eth0 bcm4400
# then F2 to save and exit. next step is to restart network :
service network restart
# and enjoy the melody's

3. Reboot

but for the above reasons I can't guarantee their validity. Also make sure you have your kernel source installed. If that doesn't work then other suggestions would be to extract them to a directory you've created (eg broadcom) and then try the normal

open a terminal
cd /path/to/broadcom
./configure
make
make install

then continue as above from
insmod bcm4400.o
lsmod | grep bcm

[Jamboy]

thanks for the help.

i'll try gentoo.
the make command didn't work for some reason in suse.
sai'd command unknown.

[Jamboy]

Thanks for the great help, got it working now.
Stupid me, forgot to install the kernel source, so the make command didnṫ work. Now i use RH8.0 and it works like a dream.