I have been trying to install a hsfmodem driver i downloaded from linuxant. I was abble to do everything until this last step :


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root@Monk:/usr/local/hsfmodem-6.03.00lnxt04032800full# hsfconfig
Conexant HSF softmodem driver, version 6.03.00lnxt04032800full

If you need license keys, assistance or more information, please go to:
http://www.linuxant.com/

When reporting a problem for the first time, please send
us the file generated by "hsfconfig --dumpdiag".

No pre-built modules for: Slackware-Slackware linux-2.4.20 i686

Trying to automatically build the driver modules...
(this requires a C compiler and proper kernel sources to be installed)

ERROR: /lib/modules/2.4.20/build points to a missing directory

lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 21 May 24 17:47 /lib/modules/2.4.20/build -> /usr/src/linux-2.4.20

Please ensure that the kernel-headers or kernel-source package is installed.

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I already did dmesg, lspci, checked my /var/log/messages, lsmod, hsfconfig --dumpdiag and no changes occured.
I read in a faq that probably the kernel is missing the modules ( actaually is what it says above:


"No pre-built modules for: Slackware-Slackware linux-2.4.20 i686"


Can anyone help me here ? thanks






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root@Monk:~# hsfconfig --dumpdiag
Conexant HSF softmodem driver, version 6.03.00lnxt04032800full

If you need license keys, assistance or more information, please go to:
http://www.linuxant.com/

When reporting a problem for the first time, please send
us the file generated by "hsfconfig --dumpdiag".

Probing "/dev/ttySHSF"...

Dumping system diagnostic information...

System diagnostic information has been saved to the file:

-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 66163 May 25 21:40 /tmp/hsfdiag.txt

As it could contain private information about this system, we recommend that
you verify its contents before sending it to third parties.
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The list was too big when i did: cat /tmp/hsfdiag.txt, so i just "quicky" cut what i thought was important:

lspci -vv
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Modem: Acer Laboratories Inc. [ALi] M5457 AC-Link Modem Interface Controller (rev 0).
IRQ 10.
Master Capable. Latency=64.
Non-prefetchable 32 bit memory at 0xd0001000 [0xd0001fff].
I/O at 0x1400 [0x14ff].
Bus 0, device 9, function 0:

----------------------------------------------------------------------
dmesg
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Redundant entry in serial pci_table. Please send the output of
lspci -vv, this message (10b9,5457,103c,0850)
and the manufacturer and name of serial board or modem board
to serial-pci-info@lists.sourceforge.net.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

i was reading my own post and realize that i don't have my kernel compiled
for i686, in fact i haven't touch it so it must be i386, right ? do you think i might change it ? thanks

This is not rocket science but just in case i am wrong, do you have the kernel headers installed and the kernel source? what type of Slackware 9.1 install did you do?

man you got me reading good, yesterday, and the only headers i found were in /var/log/messages/. Well about the kernel to tell you the thuth i don't know , do you mean when it asks you wich kernel to choose? i got the one already there, whats the difference? the bare.i kernel seems to work the same . I read compiling a kernel from source, using kernel modules and also the /etc/rc.d directory ( in the slackware book) but found no "headers".


BTW

"A lot of users never have to load or unload modules by hand. They use the kernel autoloader for module management. All you have to do is uncomment the /sbin/kerneld(8) line in /etc/rc.d/rc.modules and the autoloader will start up. It will take care of loading and unloading modules as you request them. A request just involves trying to access that device."

why i don't have sucha file/sbin/kerneld in my /etc/rc.d/rc.modules ?
where is my kernel source anyway? sorry for my ignorance

what is this ? too?
bzImage (or zImage)
The actual kernel image



thanks and i guess i need to learn how to compile a kernel from source !

Well frist of all the kernel source would be located in /usr/src/linux-2.4.22 and there should be a symbolic link to that directory called linux. This is the very source of the linux kernel itself, the program that is trying to build the nessary drivers needs the kernel headers and source in order to
build these drivers. Did you install slackware on full? (2GB option)?

Hotplug usaully takes care of these drivers at start up, if hotplug doesn't read them, then you have to edit and put /sbin/modprobe <module name> in to any one of the following, rc.local and rc.modules. If this is done then you will not have to load any modules by hand, when the rc.modules or rc.local script is done they will be loaded. To verify that they are being loaded login as any user and type "lsmod" this will show you a list of modules that have been loaded up at start up, your modem driver should be there.

vmlinuz, BzImage and zImage are all kernel images its the working kernel on your machine usually in /boot on a slackware machine.

Everyone is a newbie at frist don't worry about it.

I did the full install but i disabled hotplug because it was crashing my install and i only have rpm on my /usr/src no linux at all. How can i find my kernel? How can i put linux kernel at installation ?


thanks

go to www.kernel.org and download kernel 2.4.22 (slacks default kernel) and unpack it in /usr/src/
then make a symbolic link to the driectory so it looks like this

linux --> linux-2.4.22

then get slacks cds and look for the kernel headers and install them via installpkg
then try to compile your drivers.

As for the hotplug issue, dont worry about that just yet...

thanks man ! i say something as soon as i get it

Kernel source can be found on your frist Slackware CD under "/slackware/k" just install the package with installpkg

Kernel headers can be found under the same CD but under "/slackware/d". Install them both.

Thank you so very much fo your atention !
I would like to ask you (because someone just poped with slackware 9.1 four disk set) if i download the latest kernel version 2.6.6 would it not work ok ? Is it worth while ?
Thanks!

Yes I'm running Kernel 2.6.6 with slackware current, I had no problems with 9.1 on Kernel 2.6.6 so you should be fine, just be careful how you compile the your new kernel.

Slackware 9.1 is kernel 2.6.x ready so there should not be any problems...
I notice that kernel 2.6.6 is alot faster then 2.4.22 though more things to play with too

I am downloading it now.

thanks