So, I come to find out that I have an nVIDIA eithernet controller. And that my sarge install can't seem to find it. Now, I have a few questions about this...

1. Is it possible to, at install time, load a driver for it, so I can have it working on first bootup?
2. If not, then...well...I found the linux driver for nVidia nForce on their website. (I'm assuming that NFORCE-Linux-x86_64-1.0-0292-pkg1.run is the correct one, even though my installation is i386) Only problem is that I can only download it on a windows computer. I'm also running Windows XP serivce pack 2, so I don't think ext2fs works, and Explore2fs doesn't support writing to ext3. I really don't want to waste a CD on just that, but I might have to...is there any other way to transfer files between Windows XP SP2 and Linux ext3?
3. How do I set up networking once I install the driver?

Thank you in advance for your time.

I can't help you with getting it over to the linux machine, but I can tell you how to install the nforce drivers.

as root, type in
it should take you through the install process easily.

Now, define 'networking'.
Do you mean being able to connect to the net, or being on an MS network?

....

I am well aware of how to run a script like that. I have installed nVidia drivers in the ;past for my video card. That's not what I'm having trouble with.

I'm having trouble with obtaining it and getting on the system in the first place.

And as for the third...well...when I usually run an install of a linux distro, it will want to set up networking/connecting to the internet from setup. Since sutomatic setup wasn't working (because of lack of drivers), I chose to skip setting up networking/connecting to the internet. How do I replicate the steps that the installer goes through, so I can set up networking/internet on my own?

See man ifconfig. if your card is now working
Try "ifconfig eth0 up"
If your card is working now, that should bring it up. Then base-config or apt-setup.

I got access to the drivers by mounting my first NTFS hard drive and copying the file over. Too bad it turns out that it was a driver specific to Athlon 64 distros, and that there doesn't seem to be a i386 driver on their website.

And from fooling around with ifconfig, I've found out a few things.

I have two eithernet ports on my computer One is run by the NVIDIA networking controller, and is, according to Windows XP, Network Connection 1. The other is run by a Marvell Yukon Gigabit Eithernet controller, and is according to Windows XP, Network Connection 2.

However, by looking at the hardware addresses, I have been able to determine that Linux sees eth0 as the Marvell, and that it doesn't see the NVIDIA networking controller at all, it does not detect that an eth1 even exists.

The only problem is that the Marvell doesn't seem to work, in either Linux or XP. Under Linux, when I plug in the eithernet cable to the marvell and ifconfig eth0 up, it doesn't error out on me, but then things like wget fail to resolve. In Windows XP, it gets stuck when I ipconfig /renew. I'd just really prefer to use the NVIDIA networking controller under linux.

Any other ideas?

EDIT: Actually, I"m an idiot. An IA32 driver was sitting there staring me in the face. Will report back to see if this ends up working...

EDIT 2: Well, apparently, I need the kernel source in order to install the drivers. Looks like I'm going to have to find a kernel-source.deb by myself

EDIT 3: Or, I could see if CD #2 has the kernel source on it

One more bump for the day crew. I've tried to download and get working a 2.6.10 kernel, so I could have something to install nVidia drivers with, but it bombed out while making modules when I tried it last. Is there anyway I can just get a replica of the speakup kernel that's included (I'm assuming it's not a vanilla kernel, if it is, then I'll just get it off kernel's org) But what CD of Sarge is the kernel source on?

EDIT: Still bombs out on modues, something to do with AC97 sound. What CD of sarge can I get the old kernel?