I've got a dual 1ghz p3 running Slackware 9.1. I've done everything on my own thus far (never touched anything *nix before, I'm quite proud of myself..), but am completely stumped as to how the hell i can get my nic in order. I've got 3 cards in the machine (just because, well, you never know ) - they're all d-link rtl8139 cards with dfe 530tx subsystems (does that matter?). i know I've got to do something with modules and etc, but I've got no idea how or where to start.

I've looked through these forums, all over google, through as much documentation as i can, and I'm still absolutely lost. pleeaasee help!

(this isn't a vm boot or anything, thus copying large amounts of text over is very very hard. please try to understand this while posting replies :])

Thanks

As root type netconfig ->
# netconfig

If that doesn't help, does your machine recognize any of those nics?
btw - use other than realtek chipset if you can :}

To list pci devices in Slack, as root type lspci (lower case L) ->
# lspci
and you'll get something like this
Using the Broadcom here - Realtek was there before the router, and it will
last better here than thrown in a drawer. As you say, if the good nic burns,
the Realtek beats a 56K modem - maybe. :}

If you need to enable a module, they are located here ->
$ /etc/rc.d/rc.modules
and if you need to use one it should NOT have a hash mark #
in front of it. But I don't think a module is what you need for
the nic. Mine are compiled in the kernel. Again, look at my
kernel config file ->
[code]
# Ethernet (10 or 100Mbit)
#
CONFIG_NET_ETHERNET=y
# CONFIG_SUNLANCE is not set
# CONFIG_HAPPYMEAL is not set
# CONFIG_SUNBMAC is not set
# CONFIG_SUNQE is not set
# CONFIG_SUNGEM is not set
# CONFIG_NET_VENDOR_3COM is not set
# CONFIG_LANCE is not set
# CONFIG_NET_VENDOR_SMC is not set
# CONFIG_NET_VENDOR_RACAL is not set
# CONFIG_HP100 is not set
# CONFIG_NET_ISA is not set
CONFIG_NET_PCI=y
# CONFIG_PCNET32 is not set
# CONFIG_AMD8111_ETH is not set
# CONFIG_ADAPTEC_STARFIRE is not set
# CONFIG_APRICOT is not set
# CONFIG_B44 is not set
# CONFIG_CS89x0 is not set
# CONFIG_TULIP is not set
# CONFIG_DE4X5 is not set
# CONFIG_DGRS is not set
# CONFIG_DM9102 is not set
# CONFIG_EEPRO100 is not set
# CONFIG_EEPRO100_PIO is not set
# CONFIG_E100 is not set
# CONFIG_LNE390 is not set
# CONFIG_FEALNX is not set
# CONFIG_NATSEMI is not set
# CONFIG_NE2K_PCI is not set
# CONFIG_NE3210 is not set
# CONFIG_ES3210 is not set
# CONFIG_8139CP is not set
CONFIG_8139TOO=y <--- this is realtek 8139C
# CONFIG_8139TOO_PIO is not set
# CONFIG_8139TOO_TUNE_TWISTER is not set
# CONFIG_8139TOO_8129 is not set
# CONFIG_8139_OLD_RX_RESET is not set
# CONFIG_SIS900 is not set
# CONFIG_EPIC100 is not set
# CONFIG_SUNDANCE is not set
# CONFIG_SUNDANCE_MMIO is not set
# CONFIG_TLAN is not set
# CONFIG_VIA_RHINE is not set
# CONFIG_VIA_RHINE_MMIO is not set
# CONFIG_WINBOND_840 is not set
# CONFIG_NET_POCKET is not set

#
# Ethernet (1000 Mbit)
#
# CONFIG_ACENIC is not set
# CONFIG_DL2K is not set
# CONFIG_E1000 is not set
# CONFIG_MYRI_SBUS is not set
# CONFIG_NS83820 is not set
# CONFIG_HAMACHI is not set
# CONFIG_YELLOWFIN is not set
# CONFIG_R8169 is not set
# CONFIG_SK98LIN is not set
CONFIG_TIGON3=y <--- this is Broadcom Gigabit LAN
# CONFIG_FDDI is not set
# CONFIG_HIPPI is not set
# CONFIG_PLIP is not set
# CONFIG_PPP is not set
# CONFIG_SLIP is not set


Still stumped? Post back, and include error messages.

I have done that, done ifconfig, done everything..

ifconfig just comes up with the loopback info...
if i try to open modules.conf or /etc/resolv.conf it says permission denied, even as root (that shouldnt happen, should it?)

I was editing my post after reading your original post again.
You had said, "...copying large amounts of text over is very very hard,"
so I just posted netconfig at first.

You must have support for your nics, but I would have assumed
that Slack found that, or you configured your network, when you
installed. What did you do at the step of installation where you
configure the network? From your post I'm assuming you chose
"loopback," rather than "static IP" or "DHCP."
How did you "try to open" modules.conf or /etc/resolv.conf ?
but this isn't necessary at this point. Nothing about my nics in there.
IMO you want the nics built into the kernel, not compiled as modules.
and this file is for the nameservers. If you haven't configured your
network, it's useless to you right now. You'd just edit this file to add
a second nameserver address.

Do that lspci command I gave you in the other post,
and let's see what Slack sees... :} We can move forward
from there.

the lspci command? you didnt tell me to do it, but ive done it and tried lspci -vv (im not sure what that does but someone reccomended someone else do it...). it gives me this:

[a bunch of stuff that isnt related to my nics]
00:09.0 Ethernet controller: D-Links Systems Inc. RTL8139 ethernet (rev 10)
[firewire controller]
00:0c.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL-8139/8139C/8139C+ (rev 10)
00:0d.0 Ethernet controller: D-Links Systems Inc. RTL8139 ethernet (rev 10)

ive also tried "modprobe 8139"; when i do that, it just gives me a new prompt, doesnt appear to have done anything (is that even the correct thing? ive read a lot fo stuff saying that to make nics work or whatever you need to do some module bs, but you say otherwise - can you clear up what exactly the deal is? im very interested in knowing whats going on here :])

when i do "pico /etc/modules.conf" pico opens and its blank. when i do "pico /etc/resolv.conf" i get "search basement" (basement is my domain- i didnt know what else to put there, so i stuck my windows workgroup in...let me know if thats acceptable, and if no, what is?).
they found my nics - thats how i know what they are :] it definetly sees them, and im sure i didnt choose loopback...100% positive. ive done netconfig 20 times and never chosen it (thats where id choose it, right?)

hope thats what you need - if you want i can post the results to lspci -vv, as well. if i remember correctly that returned specific information on the nics.

thanks for your time and the fast responses.

shit, i didnt see you changed your post, teach me to read up ;]

sorry about that, let me read it and ill get back to you.

alright, so you compile the stuff in the kernel, but, erm, how would i go about doing that? a module, then, is like an extension to the kernel? what would i use them for, and why might people have advised others to use them in situations like mine?
sorry for my lack of knowledge, im very, very very new.

Thanks again.

Modules are basically drivers for hardware.
Well, the advantage is that's it's slightly faster to
boot if all drivers are built-in, and it's more secure
because module-exploits become impossible. The
downside is that all drivers are loaded all the time,
rather than on demand - memory usage. However,
since I'm not changing my nics, I want them built-in
my kernel rather than as modules. Your preference.

You don't need to recompile your kernel for this since
lspci (list pci devices) showed your nics. To answer
your question, follow DrOzz's kernel compile guide.

Why does your first nic listed say it's a firewire controller?

What does # ifconfig produce? If there is no eth0 then
your network isn't setup yet. Like this ->
Some more basic stuff.

How do you connect from your PC to the internet?

What did you do when you ran netconfig?

Put your Slackware 9.1 CD1 into your drive and open this
file -> SlackwareHOWTO
and read Section 4.8 Networking. That should tell you all
you need to know to get it setup running #netconfig once
again. And after you run netconfig, I'm assuming you restarted
your x-server. Just do Ctrl + Alt + Backspace and then at the
command line type startx again.

If you have trouble reading the CD, try this command ->
$ mount /mnt/cdrom
and then use the file browser (house and folder icon) to
search the CD.

it doesnt, theres a firewire controller listed between the nics :] sorry about that, just thought i should put it in there in case there was a conflict or something.

no, all i get is the loopback one, no eth0.

network is like this:

pc with winxp pro-\
mac-----------------------router-----internet
linucs machine------/

3 machines going to a router and then off into the internet.

when i ran netconfig, i made the hostname 'cuba', the domain 'basement', and used dhcp. ive also tried static ip, and i used 192.168.0.102 for that (the windows machine is 104 and the mac is 103 - 101 is reserved for something else). when i choose dhcp i skip the dhcp hostname screen - should i enter my routers internal ip? ill try that now.

i will do this once i try soe things i was thinking about :]

thanks, youve been really helpful.

You left something out of your diagram. What connects the router to the net?

I do networks a little different than you.

First, I always use static IP's, never DHCP, so I always know who's who. And I never use a 0 in the gateway - it's always 192.168.1.1. This may not be necessary, but this always works for me with no problems. Whenever I try to setup someone's network with a D-Link router that defaults to 192.168.1.0 I always have problems. So the first thing I do is open a browser and change the address of the router, which is the gateway. The first nic in the first comp on the network is x.x.x.11, the second nic x.x.x.12, etc. The first nic in the second comp on the network is x.x.x.21, the second nic in the second comp on the network is x.x.x.22, etc. The first nic in the third comp on the network is x.x.x.31, the second nic in the third comp on the network is x.x.x.31, etc.
When you run netconfig, host name is the comp name (cuba), domain name should be identical to the other comps, (using static IP with your current setup) the IP address should be 192.168.0.105, the netmask should be 255.255.255.0, the gateway address should be the IP address of your router, the nameserver should be that of your ISP (or select No for "Will you be addressing a nameserver?" if you don't know it's addresses, but I always use my ISP's IP's). If they have more than one nameserver, then you can edit /etc/resolv.conf after you've setup the network.

I'm not the brightest star in the galaxy, but I've done this many times and it works. Actually, there is a lappy sitting on my desk right now. It's owner asked me to remove Windblows eXperiment from it and "install Linux." With pleasure I wrote the drive to zeroes and have installed Slack 9.1. So, as an exercise, I just setup it's network with netconfig. My setup is the same as yours - three comps running into a router, which then runs into an ADSL modem. Hey, it's online and I'm currently browsing LQ with it! And actually, you don't have to restart the x-server. Just click on a browser and surf!

I've never used DHCP with Slack. If I were, I'd just answer the questions that it poses correctly, and not skip anything - but you could let it have the default values so long as you're not changing other things that would effect those defaults.

Which nic is your CAT5 cable plugged into? I believe that the way they're listed in lspci is the order they're named, so you need to plug into eth0 - that's the first one in the string, and the one you've just setup. I believe in your case it is the first D-Link - it will probably be the one closest to your power supply. At any rate, once you setup and run netconfig correctly, if nothing else, you can plug in and try them one at a time until you find it. :}

Quote:

i will do this once i try soe things i was thinking about :] thanks, youve been really helpful.

As far as me being helpful, you're not browsing in Slack yet...

How come one gets the Slackware CD's, which include (as does their website) about the greatest set of instructions of any Linux distro, but one wants to try everything else before one reads the instructions? My Dad taught me how to read the directions - he never read any, and never got anything right until at least the third try! :} The school of hard knocks. Been there - done that - got the t-shirt tatooed on my chest.

Well, there are so many good docs on the Slack site, that I figured you got this far without help by following them. ;)

Read my sig...

i like it my way :] point is, it SHOULD work. i know what the problem is and i ALMOST fixed it. man im so close - it wasnt seeing my nic (any of them). i was messing around in kde and found some kernel options - my nics had silly symbols by them so i made them have green checks. then i did ifconfig and all 3 nics showed up! hurrah! but STILL no damn internet. GODDAMMIT.

wtf do i do :[

This is what you do. You read the Rules of LQ and then
you clean up your langauge!

Do not post any messages that are obscene, vulgar,
sexually-orientated, hateful, threatening, or otherwise
violative of any laws.

wow. obscenity isnt violating any laws. sorry i didnt read that. im frustrated, tired, and full of caffeine and sugar. exercise some tolerance and try to understand.

now, you can give me a hand, or you can decide that my language is more important than the reason this site exists. there are thousands of people out there, if that bothers you that much, say so and dont post for me anymore - the last thing i need right now is someone being angry with me because of my choice of words.

now would you like to help me out? im trying my best here, excuse me for being human. this is the internet, not sunday school. i dont expect to be berated for using bad language.

one thing for sure, vulgarities wont help us solve any linux problems.

Be at peace with yourself. Face the problem as calmly as possible, u can solve it, i know.

Peace, Joy and Love.

castrox,

Have we checked that the module is actually getting loaded? What does lsmod show you? Here's the results from running it on my box, which is using an RTL8139 cardNote the 8139too module being loaded. If that's not loaded on your box then check it's actually loadable by running modprobe 8139too, if you don't get any errors then it should be loaded fine (run lsmod again if you like).

Now you know the module is there, I would say to edit /etc/rc.d/rc.netdevice so it reads something like then run netconfig and that should be you done.

HTH

Jamie...