Laptop Kernel Problems

Corallis · 07-06-2004, 05:43 PM

Ive got slackware 10.0 with both the 2.4.26 kernel, and the 2.6.7 kernel. On the 2.4.26 kernel, my internet works, but not my sound. Under the 2.6.7 kernel, its the opposite, but none of my modules show up. Ive tried recompiling the kernel and reinstalling slackware about 10 times so far, and nothing has worked. I got my laptop over a week ago, and I have yet to be able to get an operating system working. (Other than what it came with, windows). Since nobody seems to know what my problem is (I have followed several guides and asked several people, and nothing I ever read helps). I am thinking of maybe downgrading and installing slackware 9.1, then upgrading the kernel to 2.6.7, then using swaret to upgrade all of the packages. Does anyone think this might help at all, or am I wasting my time? Im thinking about just giving up on linux all together on this laptop.

keefaz · 07-06-2004, 05:56 PM

For a laptop, I would install the acpi package if it not already installed, same for hotplug package and make sure their start scripts are executables (rc.acpid, rc.hotplug). If after a reboot net card still does not work, I would try add or uncomment '/sbin/modprobe tulip' in /etc/rc.modules (and make sure this file is executable too). If it still does not work I would look my laptop documentation and figure out what the net card is (manufacturer, model, type...) and modprobe the module accordingly.

Corallis · 07-06-2004, 07:07 PM

Ive already done that. The problem isnt that Im just missing my network cards module, the problem is that Im missing all of my modules. I havethe correct drivers, but they dont load.

carboncopy · 07-06-2004, 08:50 PM

Well, you can try compiling the kernel with everything you need build-in.

I prefered build-in kernel. But since I have been messing around with my hardware, and planning to put new one inside and remove some. I put some of the things in modules, just so that I do not have to recompile everytime I change the hardware.

Since it is a laptop, and you hardly if every change anything inside it, (accept PCMCIA cards). So, why not build in the kernel all you need; but also compile kernel module support.

Corallis · 07-07-2004, 04:01 PM

That sounds like a great idea. All of the tutorials I have found though only explain how to use modules? Could anyone give me a link to a tutorial that tells you how to build them in to the kernel? Or at least something I can google. Ive tried googling for a bit on this subject but Im not quite sure what you are supposed to call this, so my results havent been very satisfying.

keefaz · 07-07-2004, 04:16 PM

To change your config, say to enable all features that you previously enabled as modules to built-in, you can do :
Automatically :

Code:

cd /usr/src/linux
cp .config config-kernel.old
cat .config | perl -pe 's/m$/y/' > config-kernel.new
cp config-kernel.new .config

Or Manually :

Code:

cd /usr/src/linux
make menuconfig

And change feature enabled with m(modules) to * (built-in)

[edit]
Try to enable tulip driver if your net card is in the mother board

Corallis · 07-07-2004, 06:51 PM

If I do this, do I still do "make modules" and "make modules_install" when I go to update to the 2.6.7 kernel?

Or does this sound like it will be ok for updating my kernel?

1. Download the kernel
2. tar xvjf the kernel into /usr/src
3. make menuconfig, and edit a few of the options
4. cp .config config-kernel.old
cat .config | perl -pe 's/m$/y/' > config-kernel.new
cp config-kernel.new .config
5. make bzImage
6. cp System.map /boot/System.map
cp .config /boot/config
7. Then setup lilo to point to the right kernel.

Does that sound like it should work, or am I missing something? I am just doing this from what I have learned, Im not following a guide or anything, so I could be a bit off.

keefaz · 07-07-2004, 07:19 PM

no just figure out what is your current configuration file for kernel 2.6.7 (I will assume it is /boot/config-2.6.7) :

Code:

1. Download the kernel
2. tar xvjf the kernel into /usr/src
3. ln -s linux linux-2.6.7
4. cp /boot/config-2.6.7 /usr/src/linux/.config
5. make menuconfig, and edit a few of the options (it is the more 
   important step, be carefull, enable your features as 
   built-in as you want but try to do a few change in a first step).
6. make
7. make modules_install
6. cp System.map /boot/System.map-2.6.7
7. cp /boot/config-2.6.7 /boot/config-2.6.7.old
8. cp .config /boot/config-2.6.7
9. cp arch/i386/boot/bzImage /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.7
10. rm /boot/vmlinuz
11. ln -s /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.7 /boot/vmlinuz
12. rm /boot/System.map
13. ln -s /boot/System.map-2.6.7 /boot/System.map
14. Then setup lilo to point to the right kernel (vmlinuz)

Corallis · 07-07-2004, 07:35 PM

Ok, I did everything you said. Now my sound works, but my internet still doesnt work.

keefaz · 07-07-2004, 07:38 PM

did you enabled the tulip driver in menuconfig ?

Corallis · 07-07-2004, 07:45 PM

No, you said only to do that if the network card is built into my motherboard. It is not. Ill retry the compile with it enabled though, just to make sure.

keefaz · 07-07-2004, 07:48 PM

You use a PCMCIA net card ?

KMcD · 07-08-2004, 02:49 AM

give some info on ur network card, if its pci give output of lspci -v.

Corallis · 07-08-2004, 07:08 AM

02:00.0 Ethernet controller: Broadcom Corporation NetXtreme BCM5705M Gigabit Ethernet (rev 01)

There is the output from lspci. I have managed to get the net working in the 2.6.7 kernel, but I had to download a new driver, and now every time I start my laptop I have to run "insmod" as root, and insert the module, or else it doesnt work anymore. Is there any way to get the module to load automatically so I dont have to do that every time I start up?

keefaz · 07-08-2004, 07:37 AM

It is the main purpose of your /etc/rc.d/rc.modules file

just add your command to load the module in it