I am a newbie to linux in general...

I have the latest version of Mandrake, Slackware and Redhat.

Mandrake and Redhat installs fine, loads Gui fine and works with my mouse fine. Slackware doesnt.....

My problem right now is my Linksys LNE100TX Lan Card. Redhat and Mandrake knows the card is there....but neither one of them work. I also have a Linksys Router....in Mandrake the card doesnt show up on the router with the led lights...But in redhat it does.. Every where I look it says to compile new tulip.c file.... Can some one explain to me how to do that for mandrake or redhat?

I have the tulip.c file from the linksys floppy but the whole gcc -DMODULE stuff just gives me errors.

I hope that some one can help me out Id really like to get to the point of using linux everyday.

Thats strange. I have that card and it works for me in Mandrake 8.1 and Mandrake 9. It could be your network connections or something else. Try to put the card in a different slot. Then try setting it up through GUI programs like Mandrake Control Center. I don't know the GUI program for Redhat. Also try to click on automatically get IP address during the network config.

To compile a module or a program. You need a copy of your kernel source code. This can be easily be done through the RPM installer in Redhat and Mandrake. Do a search for kernel and install the source code. Every time you compile a program or a module it should work.

Please list your modules.conf. The file is located in /etc. Any text editor will do (Kedit, gedit, kate, kword, etc).

I'm sorry I don't have an example of my modules.conf because I change network brands--3com.

I'm not sure about the Redhat (haven't used it in a while) but I know when I was installing Mandrake 9.1 it would see my onboard NIC but wouldn't use it. I then disabled the onboard NIC and installed a standard PCI NIC but still the same.
Oddly enough, when I went into my BIOS and disabled the APCI, it works just fine, even resorting back to my onboard NIC, but now I have to change the setting back and forth whenever I reboot between WinXp and Linux. Probably a bug and kind of annoying, but worth it to get Linux to work in the meantime.

JF

Before installing LINUX. You need to change a few settings in the BIOS.

1) If PNP OS is enabled, change it to disable. Windows will still work but you can no change the IRQs of the devices within Windows.
2) ACPI also needs to be disable. Windows will still work if this is off. Both Windows and LINUX will use APM. Windows 2000 and Windows XP has a problem using APM when you trying to shut it down. Microsoft has a fix.
3) If AGP is at 4X or 8X, change it to 2X preferrely 1X.
4) Change all memory settings to their normal non agressive modes. This means change Front Side Bus speed to 100 MHz and changing CAS 2 to CAS 3.

Steps 3 and 4 should done on every OS installation for the least amount of trouble.

jfrey, for your on-board NIC. You need to know the brand and model of your NIC before you set it up in LINUX. Usually on-board NICs are from Realtek and others are from 3com. You can easily download the linux drivers and set it up. To setup the driver. Log in to any user and at the console type su. Next type your root's password. Read the instructions on how to install the drivers. Don't forget to add a line in /etc/modules.conf if the driver works.

I forgot to list a good LINUX newbie site in my previous post.
http://www.justlinux.com