I installed Redhat 7.0 on my Dell Latitude C840. When I boot, it get stuck on the network checking. I read that I need to install new driver for pcmcia. I downloaded the drivers but I dont know where to put them.

It seems that I also need to install first something about the kernel.

Anybody could help me please....

Niton

Here's what you need to do:

Get the latest version of the kernel in source form (http://www.kernel.org has it )

Get the latest version of pcmcia_cs (I have it if you email me)

change directories to the kernel sources

run make menuconfig (or make xconfig if you run X) and configure your kernel

run make dep modules modules_install bzLilo

then change to the directory with pcmcia_cs and type ./Configure

configure pcmcia_cs and then run make install

you should be all set...

Thanks for your response.

I will download the latest version of the kernel.
I have the vesion 3.1.34 from the pcmcia-cs. Is it the good one ?

Then I will need some more details about changing directories to the kernel sources and where exacty i need to install both latest version.

If it is too much to give me all the command line do you know a good website where I can find the detailed installation ?

TX

k, I'll try to do this line by line.

This assumes 3 things:
1) you are user root
2) you have downloaded the sources into /root
3) since you're using RedHat 7.0, you're using kernel 2.2.x series

[root@localhost ~]# cd /usr/src

[root@localhost /usr/src]# tar -xzf ~/linux-2.2.20.tar.gz

[root@localhost /usr/src]# cd linux

[root@localhost /usr/src/linux]# make menuconfig

[root@localhost /usr/src/linux]# make dep && make modules && make modules_install && make bzImage && make bzLilo

[root@localhost /usr/src/linux]# cd ~

[root@localhost ~]# tar -xzf pcmcia-cs-3.1.34.tar.gz

[root@localhost ~]# cd pcmcia_cs-3.1.34

[root@localhost /root/pcmcia_cs-3.1.34]# ./Configure

[root@localhost /root/pcmcia_cs-3.1.34]# make install


Then you should be all set...if something doesn't work right, then it's a file/directory name issue...

Aaron

Pcmcia support has been INSIDE the kernel since 2.4.3. Compiling pcmcia-cs seperately after putting pcmcia support in the kernel will cause a ton of device conflicts, that's even if pcmcia-cs survives the compile. Niton is also running RH 7.0 which has a version of bin-utils and a gcc that probably won't succesfully compile 2.4.18. It was just about the most worthless release ever.

Before recompiling everything, what's the network card you're trying to get support for?

Cheers,

Finegan

I thought redhat 7.0 came with 2.2.16 which is why I suggested pcmcia_cs. I figured by latest kernel, one would assume latest kernel in their current branch (2.2.x versus 2.4.x)

Heh, maybe a little more explicit direction on my part would help.

Aaron

Cheers man, didn't mean to go all caps there for a minute. Really I was questioning the advice that told him to find a newer driver for the card. A lot of these things get solved by editing one aspect of /etc/pcmcia/config.opts

Cheers,

Finegan

no problem...I've just been off today since some dick at the place I setup an intranet allowed a "hacker" in who immediately got my site blacklisted as an open relay.

Aaron

Thanks guys for your help.

Actually the kernel version for my Redhat 7.0 is 2.2.16-22.

And I am trying to install the version 2.4.18.

My network card is a 3Com Intergrated Fast Ethernet Controller 4.5.

install kernel 2.2.19 or 2.2.20(? is it out)

what's the model on your 3com card? 3c589 or something like that?

Aaron

Is the version 2.4.18 not good ??

2.4.18 probably won't compile on RedHat 7.0, your version of bin-utils... gcc, just about everything with that release was a little buggy. Then all of your programs are compiled against 2.2.x, so some of them will flake with a 2.4.x kernel. The series are somewhat worlds apart. Also, you want to avoid the conflict of in kernel pcmcia and pcmcia-cs, so you want the last in the 2.2.x kernel tree which is actually 2.2.21.

Cheers,

Finegan

I will try

Thanks for your time.

just clarification on the 2.2 vs. 2.4 version issue - if you're running 2.2.x, and don't have a specific reason to upgrade to 2.4.x, then don't bother. upgrading from 2.2.x to 2.4.x is a major version upgrade, and requires upgrading more than just the kernel - you need to upgrade all the drivers, modutils, ect... all major version changes break at least some backwards compatability, and upgrading is more effort than it's worth if all you need is the pcmcia.

2.2.x is still considered the most stable linux kernel release, tho 2.4.x is coming very close. the difference is mainly that 2.4 supports more hardware and has more features than 2.2. but, if 2.2 has everything you need, then it's best to stick with it.

Ok, finally I decided to install kernel version 2.2.21.

Now when I boot I am not getting stuck with network, nflock, pcmcia. It seems to be alright except that my xconfiguration doesnt work anymore.

With my last kernel version (2.2.16-22) my xconfig worked after installing new NVIDIA drivers (kernel and GLX).

But now, with this new kernel version, it's not working anymore.

Is it just a configuration thing or is it more tricky ???