I am a long time linux _user_ but I am new to difficult installations and kernel-jimmying.

I am trying to set up a net install of Suse 9.2 (2.6.4.52) on a brand-new machine, using the ASUS k8n-E motherboard with a nVidia nForce 3 250GB chipset. My docs show that the actual ethernet hardware on the motherboard is the Marvell 88E1111 Gigabit LAN PHY.

From what I have read elsewhere, it appears possible to do this installation, but I got hosed from step one: establishing a connection to the remote FTP server.

at the SUSE "Main Menu" for the installation (Linuxrc 1.6), I go into kernel modules and select "forcedeth: nForce Ethernet" under 'Load network card modules'. It asks for parameters for forcedeth after I select it, and naturally I don't know what they should be, so I leave it blank. It then tells me that the module was loaded successfully. So naturally I think I'm doing fine.....

Then I go to begin the installation and select FTP as the installation source, when it complains 'No network device found! Please load a network module first'

Am I too cynical in thinking that just because a kernel module loads successfully doesn't mean that the thing is going to actually work?

So I am thinking I need to verify that the module forcedeth works with this version of Suse and this kernel?

I went to the nVidia website and found this "driver" NFORCE-Linux-x86_64-1.0-0292-pkg1.run
but it is actually a script and at this stage I don't know if it is possible to run it.

Thanks in advance for any advice or suggestions!

It's been a long time & I do this from memory.

As I recall, I did forcedeth setup in yast, network using other selection as there was no nic IDed. D/Led NFORCE-Linux-x86_64-1.0-0292-pkg1.run. Nvidia did some good work here.

NFORCE-Linux-x86_64-1.0-0292-pkg1.run will turn on onboard nic so that you can configure it; it did on my epox nforce3-250 mobo. As I recall, go to yast, network and yast will have found it but you still have to configure it.

In a terminel,
su
P/W
cd to dir where NFORCE-Linux-x86_64-1.0-0292-pkg1.run was D/Ld
type:
NFORCE-Linux-x86_64-1.0-0292-pkg1.run
return
then nforce will expect you to do a few things, just read the request/agree & click appropriately.

then go to to yast, networkcard & configure it. just in case the nic is not IDed, go ahead and set up other, use nvnet.ko, in hardware window.

It will work
Snakedriver