(newbie) Cannot access Internet: Slackware 12, Ethernet: Realtek
 

Hello, my exact system is in my sig. I can use static or dyanmic IP, because I am behind a Linksys router/switch. My Windows computer can access Internet just fine, and so could my laptop before removing Windows. I cannot access any website. I thought it would work out-of-the-box, but it does not even after attempting to configure. I installed Slackware off the DVD, only networking packages I did not install are things definitely not needed, like "bootp" (diskless workstations), "snmp" (insecure protocol used in some business networks), etc.

I should note that I have no other available network connection, so I am hand-typing all this on my PC.

What I want to do: get my laptop to connect to the Internet, laptop is one of 3 computers behind a Linksys router/switch. Static IP should work, it works on my other machines, since they are private IPs behind my router, and it worked when this laptop had Windows.

********** BEFORE CONFIGURATION ************

Using KInfoCenter (on KDE):
Icon in tray (configured KDE to show it):

Confirms that eth0 status is that it is not up.

From dmesg (tailed to a text file):
Output of lspci:
Output of ifconfig -a:
Content of /proc/interrupts:
********** WHAT I DID TO CONFIGURE ************

I used this page as a guide:
http://www.linuxhomenetworking.com/w...nux_Networking

I did:
ifconfig eth0 192.168.1.101 netmask 255.255.255.0 up

The guide also said to put the line permanently in /etc/rc.local in order to apply settings at boot, but no such file or directory exists on my machine. Where do I put it (assuming it worked, which it didn't anyway)?

There are also a lot of special configurations shown, please let me know if any of them should apply to me!

********** AFTER CONFIGURATION ************
(without reboot)

Output of ifconfig -a:
Icon in tray (KDE):

Confirms that eth0 status is that it now IS up. However, attempts to view any page results in unable to find host, for example, "Firefox could not find the server at www.linuxquestions.org".

When starting KDE's "Network Settings" applet:

I get a dialogue titled "Unsupported Platform", with a list of supported platforms to choose. Only includes up to Slackware 10.0.1, warns to be sure platform is the right one or could damage network configuration.

(Of course, if I reboot, settings are back to what they were.)


Edit: part of my hardware address is getting replaced by a smiley!
Here, I will add spaces:
00 : A0 : D1 : 63 : 46 : 8d

Hi ShellyCat!
In your network configuration you also need to add the gateway and the DNS. The DNS should be added forever into /etc/resolv.conf (add a line like "NameServer YourDNS_IP_Here"). The gateway is a little bit more complicated. You'd use the route command as follows (use your own network device instead of eth0, and your gateway IP address instead of 192.168.0.1):
I think this is the correct syntax, but I'm not sure. type man route to get the entire linux manual for route command. And also you can google it to catch the exact use of it.

Wishing it's useful for you,
emi

Got Ethernet to work, until reboot? Where to save for all reboots?
 

Here is everything I did:

Entered these commands:
Checked the content of these files:
Edited these files as needed:
Checked my kernel routing table:
Then I pinged www.yahoo.com. Success!


As expected, Kernel routing table wasn't saved; on reboot, ifconfig -a shows my eth0 device is not up again, and routing table only has "lo" device. I do not have /etc/rc.local file! Where do I save my "ifconfig..." and/or "route..." lines so they will be applied at every boot?

None of the books I consulted had the correct config file for Slackware 12. Also, the man pages for ifconfig and route did not talk about saving the info for next reboot at all!

I don't use Slackware. I'm debian user from far ago, and let Slackware over it's 6 (!) version. So I can't help you on that issue. But you can try looking if you have the /etc/network/interfaces file. Here is where debians (and may be other distros) put their net config.

If you don't have this directory, try making a NetworkStartUp script and put it into system starting up scripts (I don't know how slackware handles this).

I wish it'll be useful for you.

emi

Thank you, Emi, I will try that one. Only reason I didn't answer right away is because I haven't been able to get online (time constraints) during the last few days.

The best thing you can do is to run that will take care of the init files.

Regards

Thanks, I will look at the man pages for that, in a bit...after I get done surfing around here a bit.

Thanks, emi...unfortunately I don't have that...though I hear Slackware is "Debian-based". I don't know where the rest of my startup scripts are yet, either.

netconfig seems to only be for a domain environment. It asks you for 1) the "host" (ok, that's the same as a "workstation" on Windows) and then for 2) the "domain name" (I am not in a domain environment, I'm at home). Unfortunately, the script will not run if you don't enter a domain name. If you select "Cancel", the entire netconfig exits. If you leave it blank and select "Enter", it just keeps popping up the same dialog.

You can use a fake domain (localdomain for example) and continue answering the rest of the questions. Or else you can edit /etc/rc.d/rc.inet1.conf which is the primary file that netconfig changes (another is /etc/resolv.conf)

Regards

Thanks.
 

The Slackbook site is back up, and I'm trying to read that first to see if it has more detail than the man pages. It can be confusing with so many scripts.

Worked when I modified those 2 files [SOLVED]
 

Notes about documentation conflicts, for others' convenience:

1. Slackbook says that PCMCIA are recognized by the "generic software" that comes with Slackware, but you will need to enable the kernel module for your card.
2. It says you enable these in "/etc/pcmcia/network.opts" and/or "/etc/pcmcia/wireless.opts", which do not actually exist in Slackware 12. Instead, there is a "/etc/pcmcia/config.opts". That is if you need the modules.
3. The Realtek RTL 8193/810x Family Fast Ethernet NIC actually does work "out-of-the-box", no module needed. :D ...
4. ...therefore, do not have to mess with any "rc." or per-user startup scripts unless you have a compelling reason to do so!

This is all I needed to do for Static IP:

1. ifconfig -a (To make sure the eth0 device is recognized.)
2. Edited "/etc/rc.d/rc.inet1.conf":
   
   Code:

   ---

   IPADDR[0]="192.168.1.101"
NETMASK[0]="255.255.255.0"
USE_DHCP[0]="no"
DHCP_HOSTNAME="MYCOMPUTERNAMEHERE"

GATEWAY="192.168.1.1"

DEBUG_ETH_UP="yes" (Not strictly necessary, but outputs any messages to stdout,)

   ---

3. Edited "/etc/resolv.conf":
   
   Code:

   ---

   nameserver 66.189.0.5
nameserver 66.189.0.29
nameserver 66.189.0.30

   ---

4. reboot
5. ficonfig -a (See if eth0 device was updated with IP, netmask, gateway, broadcast addresses.)
6. ping -c 3 www.yahoo.com (Without "-c" parameter (# of packets to send), will ping forever and never stop!)

where did you hear that? slackware is slackware based.

netconfig is the better choice
 

Hi again,
netconfig is a very good tool to manipulate network configuration. Only if you are grateful scripting and editing options directly that's not for you. As said before by someone, you'd use a fake domain (as myhome, local, localdomain, ...) for domain name. That's the way all local networks work (with window$, you don't see that, but it's there).

See you.

emi