I am attempting to install a wireless NIC into a Linux box and connect to the net. SuSE Linux 8.1 does not recognize the NIC. I have discovered that the NIC requires the tulip.o module that is not on the box. I was able to find tulip.c and instructions for compiling and using the module. The problem that I have is the step in the instructions that instruct me to enter

make

When I enter this command, I receive a message that 'make' is not a valid command. I am signed on as root when I enter this command in the console. Does SuSE Linux 8.1 use another command instead of 'make'?

try
which make

if it doesn't find anything
try
which gmake

if it finds gmake
use it.

I don't know anything about SuSe linux but...

check and see if there is a Makefile in the directory you are in.
If so check and see if it takes extra parmeters eg : make compile, make all

if that doesn't work try :

gcc -save-temps tulip.c

if that doesn't work you could always try nmake.

I'll hunt around and see what I can fins for SuSe linux.

Well SuSE 8.1 has the tulip module included in the distro, i have a linksys net card that uses that module. just do a

modprobe tulip (as root)

and the driver should load, if for some reason u or something else the module got deleted, or someting else, email me and i can send you the module, i have that distro in my home computer, just make sure the kernel u are using is the 2.4.19-4GB, i think the email appears on the members profile if not just tell me.

Thanks to everyone for your help so far. Unfortunately it has been to no avail. Here are the results for each recommended course of action (along with the exact syntax of the original error message received).

When I enter make, the exact syntax of the error is:

bash: make: command not found

So I tried all recommendations received so far. Here are all the results:

which make
Nothing happened. I was immediately returned to a blank prompt and the console was waiting for the next command.

which gmake
Same thing. Nothing happened - just returned to the normal prompt.

gcc -save-temps tulip.c
bash: gcc: command not found

nmake
bash: nmake: command not found

modprobe tulip
(I had high hopes for this one because the NIC that I have installed is a linksys card.) However this was the longest error message received. It went like this:

/lib/modules/2.4.19-4GB/kernel/drivers/net/tulip/tulip.o: init_module: No such device
Hint: insmod errors can be caused by incorrect module parameters, including invalid IO or IRQ parameters.
You may find more information in syslog or the output from dmesg
/lib/modules/2.4.19-4GB/kernel/drivers/net/tulip/tulip.o: insmod /lib/modules/2.4.19-4GB/kernel/drivers/net/tulip/tulip.o failed
/lib/modules/2.4.19-4GB/kernel/drivers/net/tulip/tulip.o: insmod tulip failed


To be honest I'm really beginning to get frustrated. This is my first experience with Linux and it is not going well. I was hoping that I would be able to kick Microsoft off my desktop. However, after a week of trying to get connected to the network with linux, I'm almost ready to give up and return to Windows - yuk.

Hey, WKoepp, and welcome to LinuxQuestions.org

Don't get frustrated just yet. You just have to learn what's going on, and how things work.

First of all, the reason make and gmake and nmake, etc dont' work is because you haven't installed a "development platform." Whether you chose not to because you didn't think you needed it, or if it just didn't get installed -- you'll need it to compile anything.

The long error message you received from the "modprobe tulip" command simply means one of two things:
1) the tulip driver is not actually the one you need to use
or
2) there is another network card module already loaded that's preventing tulip from loading.

You can use the command "lsmod" to see what modules are loaded into your kernel right now.

Why don't you post the results of
lsmod

and I'll get back to you on this It's not as complicated as it seems, just have a little patience and the will to learn a bit about the workings.
I've dumped MS... You can too buddy.
-Shade

Well, from your last post I conclude two things:
1. You didn't install any development packages.
2. Your wireless card doesn't work with the tulip
module which indeed is installed on your system.

Can you give us model & make of that
adapter?

Cheers,
Tink

Oops, tink busted me.

I didn't see that it was a wireless card. You said its a linksys...

If you don't know the model number, post up the results to

cat /proc/pci

-Shade

The card is a model WMP11 v2.7. All information that I can find indicates that Linksys cards use the tulip.o module (Linksys support FAQs and various other sources). However, all the documentation refers to wired cards. I couln't find anything that specifically addresses wireless cards. I just thought that I would try the tulip module to see if that would recognize the card. I didn't realize installing one simple driver would be so difficult...live and learn I guess.

To be honest, I don't remember if development tools were installed...or if it was even an option. I installed the Linux almost a year ago. Shortly after installing the OS, I received notice that I would be required to move. Everything was packed up in February and I just got settled in and got everything delivered. When I set up the computers, I figured what the heck, why not set up all the family computers on a home network?

Maybe I just need to wipe out the OS and start from scratch. I just can't believe I have to go to that extreme just to install a NIC. I thought that I could give up re-installing the OS every 6-12 months (just to clean the ash and trash off the system) when I gave up on Windows.

Enough griping...haven't given up hope yet. This is the most help I have been able to find...great support. Here is the output from lsmod:

Module Size Used by Not tainted
nls_cp437 4348 1 (autoclean)
vfat 10612 1 (autoclean)
fat 32376 0 (autoclean) [vfat]
snd-pcm-oss 48576 0 (autoclean)
snd-mixer-oss 14776 0 (autoclean) [snd-pcm-oss]
videodev 6112 0 (autoclean)
r128 86296 18
agpgart 37536 3 (autoclean)
isa-pnp 31520 0 (unused)
snd-seq-oss 31520 0 (autoclean)
snd-seq-midi 5056 0 (unused)
snd-emu10k1-synth 6364 0
snd-emux-synth 32508 0 [snd-emu10k1-synth]
snd-seq-midi-emul 5344 0 [snd-emux-synth]
snd-seq-virmidi 4280 0 [snd-emux-synth]
snd-seq-midi-event 3048 0 [snd-seq-oss snd-seq-midi snd-seq-virmidi]
snd-seq 43280 2 [snd-seq-oss snd-seq-midi snd-emux-synth snd-seq-midi-emul snd-seq-virmidi snd-seq-midi-event]
snd-emu10k1 75600 0 [snd-emu10k1-synth]
ipv6 150036 -1 (autoclean)
snd-pcm 71264 0 [snd-pcm-oss snd-emu10k1]
snd-timer 13156 0 [snd-seq snd-pcm]
snd-hwdep 5376 0 [snd-emu10k1]
snd-util-mem 1536 0 [snd-emux-synth snd-emu10k1]
snd-rawmidi 15520 0 [snd-seq-midi snd-seq-virmidi snd-emu10k1]
snd-seq-device 4588 0 [snd-seq-oss snd-seq-midi snd-emu10k1-synth snd-emux-synth snd-seq snd-emu10k1 snd-rawmidi]
snd-ac97-codec 30052 0 [snd-emu10k1]
snd 35556 0 [snd-pcm-oss snd-mixer-oss snd-seq-oss snd-seq-midi snd-emu10k1-synth snd-emux-synth snd-seq-midi-emul snd-seq-virmidi snd-seq-midi-event snd-seq snd-emu10k1 snd-pcm snd-timer snd-hwdep snd-util-mem snd-rawmidi snd-seq-device snd-ac97-codec]
soundcore 3716 0 [snd]
printer 7456 0
st 28428 0 (autoclean) (unused)
sr_mod 14616 0 (autoclean)
sg 29568 0 (autoclean)
joydev 5920 0 (unused)
evdev 4640 0 (unused)
input 3296 0 [joydev evdev]
usb-uhci 23052 0 (unused)
usbcore 61696 1 [snd printer usb-uhci]
nls_iso8859-1 2844 4 (autoclean)
ntfs 80876 3 (autoclean)
lvm-mod 65184 0 (autoclean)
ide-scsi 8816 0
ide-cd 30340 0
cdrom 28736 0 [sr_mod ide-cd]
reiserfs 193424 1

Thanks again for the help.
WKoepp

Wow that is one giant load of modules.

Basically, you didn't have to install anything, you went through a lot of unneeded steps.

All you had to do was modprobe tulip.

But, looks like your wireless card doesn't use it -- hence the errors after it.
Wireless cards are something entirely different, and drivers are rarely the same for them.

Check back tomorrow. I will do a little research on your card and let you know what I find.

In the meantime, check out www.google.com/linux/ and search your card there.

-Shade

Shade,

Thanks for the www.google.com/linux reference. It provided an answer. Unfortunately not the answer I was hoping for. As near as I could tell from what I found, my card uses an unsupported chip set (Broadcom BCM4301). Apparently neither Broadcom nor Linksys provide Linux drivers for this chip set at this time.

I'll just keep conducting periodic searches. Maybe someone will develop and post a driver that works with this chip set.


All,

Thanks for all your support and patience with this newbie.
WKoepp