I am installing Slackware 13.37 on a Dell Optiplex 990.

Slackware does not recognize the network card. Per Dell, it has an Intel 825xx interface.

Any suggestions?

Hello, welcome to LQ.

We need to know which card it is exactly and if there is a driver for it.

Please post the output of following command, typed as root in a terminal :

Martin, I work for Dell and can confirm the OptiPlex 990 has an integrated Intel 82579LM NIC and the Q67 chipset. e1000e is the correct driver for the NIC. Can you see if it might have failed to load, by reviewing the output of the following:
lsmod | grep e1000e
dmesg | grep e1000e
dmesg | grep eth
ifconfig -a
?

Are you able to load it:
modprobe e1000e
ifconfig -a
?

Let us know how it goes.

FYI my NIC needs the same driver (e10100e) and it loads OK on a stock Slackware 13.37.

Here is the output.

The NIC works fine on other distros (slack0 puppy linux, mint linux, pc-bsd), but does not seem to want to work with Slackware

root@slack-01:~# ifconfig
eth0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 78:2B:CB:93:C7:97
inet6 addr: fe80::7a2b:cbff:fe93:c797/64 Scope:Link
UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:108 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:10 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
RX bytes:10470 (10.2 Kb) TX bytes:1629 (1.5 Kb)
Interrupt:20 Memory:e1500000-e1520000

lo Link encap:Local Loopback
inet addr:127.0.0.1 Mask:255.0.0.0
inet6 addr: ::1/128 Scope:Host
UP LOOPBACK RUNNING MTU:16436 Metric:1
RX packets:84 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:84 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:0
RX bytes:5904 (5.7 Kb) TX bytes:5904 (5.7 Kb)

root@slack-01:~# lspci-k
bash: lspci-k: command not found
root@slack-01:~# lspci -k
00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation 2nd Generation Core Processor Family DRAM Controller (rev 09)
Subsystem: Dell Device 047e
Kernel modules: intel-agp
00:01.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 2nd Generation Core Processor Family PCI Express Root Port (rev 09)
Kernel modules: shpchp
00:16.0 Communication controller: Intel Corporation 6 Series Chipset Family MEI Controller #1 (rev 04)
Subsystem: Dell Device 047e
00:16.3 Serial controller: Intel Corporation 6 Series Chipset Family KT Controller (rev 04)
Subsystem: Dell Device 047e
Kernel driver in use: serial
00:19.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corporation 82579LM Gigabit Network Connection (rev 04)
Subsystem: Dell Device 047e
Kernel driver in use: e1000e
Kernel modules: e1000e
00:1a.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 6 Series Chipset Family USB Enhanced Host Controller #2 (rev 04)
Subsystem: Dell Device 047e
Kernel driver in use: ehci_hcd
Kernel modules: ehci-hcd
00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 6 Series Chipset Family High Definition Audio Controller (rev 04)
Subsystem: Dell Device 047e
Kernel driver in use: HDA Intel
Kernel modules: snd-hda-intel
00:1c.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 6 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port 1 (rev b4)
Kernel modules: shpchp
00:1c.2 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 6 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port 3 (rev b4)
Kernel modules: shpchp
00:1d.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 6 Series Chipset Family USB Enhanced Host Controller #1 (rev 04)
Subsystem: Dell Device 047e
Kernel driver in use: ehci_hcd
Kernel modules: ehci-hcd
00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801 PCI Bridge (rev a4)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation 6 Series Chipset Family LPC Controller (rev 04)
Subsystem: Dell Device 047e
Kernel modules: iTCO_wdt
00:1f.2 IDE interface: Intel Corporation 6 Series Chipset Family 4 port SATA IDE Controller (rev 04)
Subsystem: Dell Device 047e
Kernel driver in use: ata_piix
00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation 6 Series Chipset Family SMBus Controller (rev 04)
Subsystem: Dell Device 047e
Kernel modules: i2c-i801
00:1f.5 IDE interface: Intel Corporation 6 Series Chipset Family 2 port SATA IDE Controller (rev 04)
Subsystem: Dell Device 047e
Kernel driver in use: ata_piix
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc Cedar PRO [Radeon HD 5450]
Subsystem: Dell Device 2126
Kernel driver in use: radeon
Kernel modules: radeon
root@slack-01:~# ifconfig
eth0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 78:2B:CB:93:C7:97
inet6 addr: fe80::7a2b:cbff:fe93:c797/64 Scope:Link
UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:281 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:10 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
RX bytes:26100 (25.4 Kb) TX bytes:1629 (1.5 Kb)
Interrupt:20 Memory:e1500000-e1520000

lo Link encap:Local Loopback
inet addr:127.0.0.1 Mask:255.0.0.0
inet6 addr: ::1/128 Scope:Host
UP LOOPBACK RUNNING MTU:16436 Metric:1
RX packets:84 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:84 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:0
RX bytes:5904 (5.7 Kb) TX bytes:5904 (5.7 Kb)

root@slack-01:~# lsmod |grep e1000e
e1000e 124639 0
root@slack-01:~# dmesg | grep e1000e
[ 8.860601] e1000e: Intel(R) PRO/1000 Network Driver - 1.2.7-k2
[ 8.860691] e1000e: Copyright (c) 1999 - 2010 Intel Corporation.
[ 8.860805] e1000e 0000:00:19.0: PCI INT A -> GSI 20 (level, low) -> IRQ 20
[ 8.860899] e1000e 0000:00:19.0: setting latency timer to 64
[ 8.860966] e1000e 0000:00:19.0: irq 40 for MSI/MSI-X
[ 9.031512] e1000e 0000:00:19.0: eth0: (PCI Express:2.5GB/s:Width x1) 78:2b:cb:93:c7:97
[ 9.031633] e1000e 0000:00:19.0: eth0: Intel(R) PRO/1000 Network Connection
[ 9.031757] e1000e 0000:00:19.0: eth0: MAC: 10, PHY: 11, PBA No: e041ff-0ff
[ 17.577352] e1000e 0000:00:19.0: irq 40 for MSI/MSI-X
[ 17.628320] e1000e 0000:00:19.0: irq 40 for MSI/MSI-X
[ 30.553811] e1000e: eth0 NIC Link is Up 100 Mbps Full Duplex, Flow Control: None
[ 30.553815] e1000e 0000:00:19.0: eth0: 10/100 speed: disabling TSO
root@slack-01:~# dmesg | grep eth
[ 9.031512] e1000e 0000:00:19.0: eth0: (PCI Express:2.5GB/s:Width x1) 78:2b:cb:93:c7:97
[ 9.031633] e1000e 0000:00:19.0: eth0: Intel(R) PRO/1000 Network Connection
[ 9.031757] e1000e 0000:00:19.0: eth0: MAC: 10, PHY: 11, PBA No: e041ff-0ff
[ 30.553811] e1000e: eth0 NIC Link is Up 100 Mbps Full Duplex, Flow Control: None
[ 30.553815] e1000e 0000:00:19.0: eth0: 10/100 speed: disabling TSO
[ 47.667141] eth0: no IPv6 routers present
root@slack-01:~# ifconfig -a
eth0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 78:2B:CB:93:C7:97
inet6 addr: fe80::7a2b:cbff:fe93:c797/64 Scope:Link
UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:353 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:10 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
RX bytes:32916 (32.1 Kb) TX bytes:1629 (1.5 Kb)
Interrupt:20 Memory:e1500000-e1520000

lo Link encap:Local Loopback
inet addr:127.0.0.1 Mask:255.0.0.0
inet6 addr: ::1/128 Scope:Host
UP LOOPBACK RUNNING MTU:16436 Metric:1
RX packets:84 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:84 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:0
RX bytes:5904 (5.7 Kb) TX bytes:5904 (5.7 Kb)

root@slack-01:~# modprobe e1000e
root@slack-01:~# ifconfig -a
eth0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 78:2B:CB:93:C7:97
inet6 addr: fe80::7a2b:cbff:fe93:c797/64 Scope:Link
UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:382 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:10 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
RX bytes:35132 (34.3 Kb) TX bytes:1629 (1.5 Kb)
Interrupt:20 Memory:e1500000-e1520000

lo Link encap:Local Loopback
inet addr:127.0.0.1 Mask:255.0.0.0
inet6 addr: ::1/128 Scope:Host
UP LOOPBACK RUNNING MTU:16436 Metric:1
RX packets:84 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:84 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:0
RX bytes:5904 (5.7 Kb) TX bytes:5904 (5.7 Kb)

root@slack-01:~#

The device is recognised and the correct kernel module is loaded.

There is no IP address associated with the device.

Have you edited /etc/rc.d/rc.inet1.conf to enter your network settings?
Alternatively, as root, run 'netconfig', a script to do this for you.

Then either reboot, or, as root, do '/etc/rc.d/rc.inet1 restart'

I tried the commands as below, and got DHCP timeout errors.

I then used a configured address and it is working fine.

The network here is slated for rebuilding (it is token ring cable and we use baluns to convert the ehternet signal to token ring and then back to ethernet), so I am not going to try any more troubleshooting.

Thanks for your help.

Martin