Alright, I've just installed Gentoo Linux with the 2.4.20 gaming kernel onto an Athlon XP1600+ on an A7V233-E mobo with 512mb RAM. Right now I've got two issues:
#1
According to WinXP, I've got a DFE-538TX D-Link NIC running. However, I can't get Linux to work with it. I've included kernel support for the 8139too, 8139cp and via-rhine NIC drivers but none have successfully booted it. Compiling the drivers and seperate modules and using modules gives me:
/lib/modules/2.4.20-gaming-r3/kernel/drivers/net/8139too.o: unresolved symbol _mmx_memcpy

The other problem is that I'd normally go into /proc/pci for some more information or at least a little headway, but it doesn't appear in my proc directory. Any pointers on where to go about that?

/proc/pci is depreciated and is not recommended.I suggest that you use lspci to find about your pci devices.I think that you don't have /proc/pci because that was not compiled
in your kernel.
lspci can be verbose by the -v option
see the manpage here
http://man.linuxquestions.org/index....ction=0&type=2
The unresolved symbols mean that kernel-symbols that you are using are incompatible with the driver,you have to compile the kernel and the modules both,and use them.

OK, I've fixed my problem with the unresolved symbols issue by doing a make mrproper on my kernel and then recompiling the whole thing. lspci works just fine, except now I'm running into another problem getting my drivers loaded up.

Whenever I use modprobe for the 8139too module, insmod fails and modprobe tells me it's most likely due to a io/irq argument error. When I go to lspci to try and find out information for my card, all I get is irq=255 (same thing as my modem) and the io_addr is 'disabled'?

WinXP lists the NIC as having irq 11 and an I/O range of FD00-FDFF. During my kernel boot, i get the two following lines:
ttyS00 at 0x03f8 irq 4 is a 16550A
ttyS01 at 0x02f8 irq 3 is a 16550A
Would that be making reference to serial in/out devices (modem and NIC) or am I totally barking up the wrong tree?

You should load the modules with proper arguments(ie while using insmod arguments to
the modules should be given too).I think that you could give irq as a argument,but I don't know .To check what sort of arguments the module supports try the documentation of the module(usually it would be in <kernel source>/Documentation directory).As for IRQs ,you could manipulate the IRQs through the bios,and you should
try that too.
Anyway what is Shinra?

I've tried passing along arguments for the io_addr and the irq to no avail. I think there might be something wrong with my PCI support in my kernel though, as the first line lspci gives me is:
"Can not find /proc/bus/pci"
Booting from a gentoo live CD though, lspci works fine.
If I try to use insmod directly (and not modprobe), I still get some unresolved symbols issues.

I'm starting to think the problem lies in my kernel picking up and using the PCI devices properly, not in the actual module that's trying to use them ...


Heh, I guess you haven't played Final Fantasy VII. Shinra was an energy corporation that had a monopoly on the marketplace with their 'mako' reactors. Unfortunately, these reactors functioned by sucking the life out of the earth - the sun didn't shine near a mako reactor, nothing grew, and people got sick and died. Seeing the parallels?

Is Final Fantasy VII a windows game?
Anyway quite a parallel,I suppose :-)
As for the problem,since you are still receiving symbols problems,there is something wrong with the kernel installation/compilation
after make mrproper and choosing kernel options
you must do
make && make modules && make modules_install && make install
And ,did you compiled the kernel with pci support.And did you tried the bios too?

FFVII was originally a PSX console game which got ported to the PC - imo, still a better play on the console
The command I used the last time I made the kernel was:
make mrproper
make dep && make clean bzImage modules modules_install
I've included all the PCI support I can lay hands on, and PnP OS is set to Off in my BIOS.

lspci is actually returning proper values now (irqs and io_addrs), but the first line still states "/proc/bus/pci is missing or invalid"

The insmod errors for trying to insert the module for the 8139too are:
unresolved symbol mii_ethtool_sset_Rsmp_ee9e84d3
unresolved symbol generic_mii_ioctl_Rsmp_25a04711
unresolved symbol mii_nway_restart_Rsmp_c1d4abe8
unresolved symbol mii_ethtool_gset_Rsmp_a3dc9702
unresolved symbol mii_link_ok_Rsmp_496ed231

Does this "mii" package/dependency have something to do with the kernel, or is it something externally available? Should I be enabling extra networking options inside my kernel config to get mii to resolve?

Did you missed make install ?
Maybe that is the problem.

So eventually I said nuts to it, and I used the config file for the Gentoo Linux LiveCD, which makes my system run perfectly smooth. Right now, I'm just paring that down until it stops working, then I'll know what the minimum kernel I want is.