When I first installed slackware 9.1 I completely skipped over the n directory because I didn't have a network going to that computer, but now I have a network card installed and I figured I could just configure it with netconfig, but the command is not found I checked in /usr/bin and it isn't in there either. What packages do I need to install to get a functioning network. All i want to do is get the internet so I just need TCP/IP.

Edit: also do I have to do something to actually install the physical network card? Its an ISA w/ no jumpers, is it just detected or do I have to add it somehow?

Run it as root or su.

You can also run pkgtool to rerun the network setup as you saw at install.

hth

I was logged in as root and it made no difference. What do you mean run pkgtool to have it setup again? just type pkgtool???

username@darkstar:~$ pkgtool

Enter password for root when prompted.

Also, be sure to install the /n package group - this is all your networking packages. I assumed that you had done this, but if not, by running pkgtool, you'll be able to add any software you missed.

no, I said I skipped the n group in the first post. I have VERY limited disk space, so what packages from there do I need???? I can't tell just by reading their names, I tried that.

Thats hard for me to say, I always installed the whole thing. My "guess" is that there is more that you need than you don't need. I mean, ya don't need apache or bitchx, but tcpip is kinda important.

I don't know what your set up is, but I would dump kde, gnome or both, add all of /n, get the network running. Then start whittling away at packages you don't need using pkgtool. Add back Gnome or KDE if you have room and feel you need them.

well I installed ONLY tcp/ip and that put in the netconfig program and it found my program...although It still isn't working. Pinging says the network is unreachable. Is there more necessary programs that would make pinging work? i used the command ping -c 4 xxx.xx.xxx.x is that the right one?

Franklin had the right idea but I guess your determined to add packages until it works. Keep tcpip, add dhcp & dhcpcd. If that doesn't work add packages one at a time, lets say in alphabetical order, until the network is reachable.
Also, did you enable networking in the kernel, check on that, if you didn't then adding packages won't work.

im pretty sure it is disabled in the kernel (since i told it i had no network during the install) how do I change that? or is it just reinstall?

Saying no in the installation won't take out network from kernel since it doesn't recompile it on install.
Take a look at all N packages, and read their descriptions, i managed to install slack on 900mb aprox. (it's a usefull system with all servers and X). Just don't install stuff like news, mail readers, browsers and that stuff, N packages don't take too much space anyways (samba is the largest with 15mb, followed by php with 3 and the rest as much takes 1mb.. with 20mb you can install most of it)

I've just stripped it down to 9mb... it's not a large list, you can do it !

In regard to you card being detected, you need to determine the module that will run your card. Google you card, or go to /etc/rc.d/rc.modules and scroll down to the network support section and locate the /sbin/modprobe line that corresponds to your card or module. Remove the # to activate the line. You'll need to rerun the net scripts after making changes. While you're in there, you need to be sure that isapnp is started at boot as well.

Sometimes its good to modprobe these first before making changes to the rc.d scripts to see if the module is loaded and indeed do what you think they will. You don't need to do anything to the kernel (yet). The only kernel change you may need is loading isapnp from the kernel and not as a module, but this is unlikely.

Much (read all ) of the net setup can be done by editing text files. pkgtool and netconfig are just ncurses tools to add lines to scripts.

If any of this sounds like giberish, it's time to read!

lol. Well I think I'll be able to install all those then since they are so small (I have about 20 MB free, thats why I was worried). Well I'm gonna go try it right now, *goes to try it** ummm well I turned on the computer and didn't do anything and BOOM the network worked...so umm i'm bewildered. Maybe i just needed a reboot or a cable got pushed out of and back into place. who knows. But tcpip was enough just for recieving the internet, and I wasn't using DHCP so I didn' tneed that package. Thanks for all the help.