I have installed Debian GNU/Linux 3.0 with the standard Debian kernel.

I can't get my networkadapter Realtek RTL8139 to work.
My network adapter uses the Chipset RL8139C.

locate rtl8139.o
/lib/modules/2.2.20/net/rtl8139.o

ifconfig -a
lo Link encap:Local Loopback
inet addr:127.0.0.1 Mask:255.0.0.0
UP LOOPBACK RUNNING MTU:3924 Metric:1
RX packets:134 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:134 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:0
RX bytes:8768 (8.5 KiB) TX bytes:8768 (8.5 KiB)
*** The eth0 is not to be seen.

lspci |less
00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corp. 430HX - 82439HX TXC [Triton II] (rev 03)
00:01.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corp. 82371SB PIIX3 ISA [Natoma/Triton II] (rev 01)
00:01.1 IDE interface: Intel Corp. 82371SB PIIX3 IDE [Natoma/Triton II]
00:01.2 USB Controller: Intel Corp. 82371SB PIIX3 USB [Natoma/Triton II] (rev 01)
00:05.0 VGA compatible controller: Matrox Graphics, Inc. MGA 1064SG [Mystique] (rev 03)
00:06.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corp. 82557 [Ethernet Pro 100] (rev 02)
00:0b.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL-8139 (rev 10)
00:0d.0 Multimedia video controller: 3Dfx Interactive, Inc. Voodoo 2 (rev 02)
*** Ethernet controller: Intel Corp. 82557 [Ethernet Pro 100] (rev 02) er deaktiveret i BIOS.

lsmod
Module Size Used by
nls_cp437 3896 2 (autoclean)
vfat 9428 1 (autoclean)
pcmcia_core 45824 0
lockd 42420 0 (autoclean) (unused)
sunrpc 57816 0 (autoclean) [lockd]
matroxfb 35440 63
fbcon-cfb4 2120 0 [matroxfb]
fbcon-cfb32 3448 0 [matroxfb]
fbcon-cfb8 3240 0 [matroxfb]
fbcon-cfb16 3848 0 [matroxfb]
fbcon-cfb24 3976 0 [matroxfb]
af_packet 6152 0 (unused)
unix 11352 91 (autoclean)

/proc/interrupts
CPU0
0: 613677 XT-PIC timer
1: 4103 XT-PIC keyboard
2: 0 XT-PIC cascade
6: 45 XT-PIC floppy
8: 3 XT-PIC rtc
12: 110288 XT-PIC PS/2 Mouse
13: 1 XT-PIC fpu
14: 421279 XT-PIC ide0
15: 10 XT-PIC ide1
NMI: 0

If i click on "Preferences - Information - PCI" in the KDE desktop panel:
00:0b.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd RTL-8139 (rev10)
subsystem: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RT8139
Flags: medium devsel, IRQ 10
I/O ports at 7800
Memory at f76fbf00 (32-bit, non-prefetcable)
Capablilities: <available only to root>

****

insmod rtl8139
Using /lib/modules/2.2.20/net/rtl8139.o

ifconfig -a
eth0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:C0:26:84:72:15
BROADCAST MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:100
RX bytes:0 (0.0 b) TX bytes:0 (0.0 b)
Interrupt:10 Base address:0x7800

lo Link encap:Local Loopback
inet addr:127.0.0.1 Mask:255.0.0.0
UP LOOPBACK RUNNING MTU:3924 Metric:1
RX packets:134 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:134 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:0
RX bytes:8768 (8.5 KiB) TX bytes:8768 (8.5 KiB)
// Now the eth0 can be seen, but if i restart the computer, it will be gone again.

lsmod
Module Size Used by
nls_cp437 3896 0 (autoclean)
vfat 9428 0 (autoclean)
rtl8139 11184 0 (unused)
pcmcia_core 45824 0
lockd 42420 0 (autoclean) (unused)
sunrpc 57816 0 (autoclean) [lockd]
matroxfb 35440 63
fbcon-cfb4 2120 0 [matroxfb]
fbcon-cfb32 3448 0 [matroxfb]
fbcon-cfb8 3240 0 [matroxfb]
fbcon-cfb16 3848 0 [matroxfb]
fbcon-cfb24 3976 0 [matroxfb]
af_packet 6152 0 (unused)
unix 11352 109 (autoclean)
// rtl8139 (unused)

If i click on "Preferences - Information - PCI" in the KDE desktop panel again:
00:0b.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd RTL-8139 (rev10)
Subsystem: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RT8139
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 208, IRQ 10
I/O ports at 7800
Memory at f76fbf00 (32-bit, non-prefetcable)
Capablilities: <available only to root>

Could somebody help me please!?
I am a newbie to this and I don't know where to go from here..

I don't use debian, but you might try putting this line in your /etc/modules.conf file:

alias eth0 rtl8139

>> you might try putting this line in your /etc/modules.conf file:
>> alias eth0 rtl8139

I have tried to do as you suggested, to write the following line into the /etc/modules.conf file:
alias eth0 rtl8139

I have also tryed to specify the line:
alias eth0 rtl8139.o
and
alias eth0 rtl8139.o irq=10

But nothing changes..

If I run the insmod command afterwards i just get the reply:
using /lib/modules/2.2.20/net/rtl8139.o
insmod: a module named rtl8139 already exists

That is because it is already loaded and the nic should be working.

Putting it in /etc/modules.conf activates it on boot-up so that you don't have to load it manually.

If I restart the box I am back to where i started - I have just tryed it.

Ifconfig -a
indicates only the local loopback and there is no sign of the ethernet eth0.

If i run the command:
insmod rtl8139

I just get the message:
Using /lib/modules/2.2.20/net/rtl8139.o
And nothing else, indicating that the command has never been run before, which it was i the last session.

Hmmm. that works in Red Hat.

OK, if that didn't work, try putting this line at the bottom of your /etc/rc.d/rc.local file:

insmod rtl8139

That is the last script run at boot, so maybe that will load it for you.

I don't have the rc.d folder anywhere in my filsystem on the Debian box.
find /../ -name rc.d
And I don't have the rc.local file as well..

But i have them on on the location you specified on my Red Hat Box.

I have a folder named
rc.boot
in the ./etc directory but the folder does not contain any files or folders.

It's time to visit the Debian site and hunt it down, I guess. I am out of ideas.

Well... for what it is worth, i must say THANKS for all your help and for the time you spend on my problem!

Looking at my kernel config, I noticed that there may be two different modules that the rtl chipset can use. I have a pci card in a computer I just remembered that uses that chipset and it has in /etc/modules.conf:

alias eth0 8139too

If that doesn't work, try the other module:

alias eth0 8139cp.o

YEAH it works!!

I jumped up and down on my Realtek network adapter and threw it out the window from the third floor...

I installed a Intel network adapter with the 82557 Chipset.
Did a search and found out I had to use the eepro100 module.

Found out I had the module needed in
/lib/modules/2.2.20/net

insmod eepro100

Once again the eth0 was to be seen in ifconfig -a

Rebooted the box... guess what - damn that S***!

I put the following line in
/etc/modules.conf
alias eth0 eepro100

Rebooted the box and found out the network adapter was up and running!

Thanks goes out to fancypiper for helping out!

Well,

certain releases have issues with dependencies that get dorked by installation scripts. This is especially true with the D-link 530tx+.


#depmod -ae
#modprobe 8139too.o

do a

#lsmod

you should see 8139too.o in your output now ... there is a dependency on mii.o that needs to be set aright.