Re: frustrating problem with networking encountered while installing "Woody"

From: Darik Horn (dajhorn_at_vanadac.com)
Date: 03/22/04

  • Next message: Setyo Nugroho: "Re: Gnome2 install - HELP" 
    Date: Mon, 22 Mar 2004 09:33:20 -0500
To: Renhao Zhang <thinkren@yahoo.com>

    > In addition to Windows, KNOPPIX networks just fine
    > with no problems.

    If your computer runs Windows 98 and Knoppix properly, then your Debian
    installation isn't loading drivers for all of your hardware.

    First, install a recent kernel:

    # apt-get install kernel-image-2.4.18-386

    Second, install the discover package:

    # apt-get install discover

    The discover package will autodetect the devices in your computer and
    load appropriate drivers when the system starts.

    Past that, you can install Knoppix to your hard disk with this command:

    # knx-hdinstall

    Knoppix is a derivative of Debian that is a good alternative of the
    official Debian distribution for casual users. You can upgrade the
    current version of Knoppix to Debian/sarge after your computer is
    working properly.

    Renhao Zhang wrote:
    > I'm trying to dual boot an old Pentium box with Debian
    > "Woody" and win98. The few bugs I've encountered are
    > falling one by one as I work on the new installation.
    > However, one persistant mystery has remained stuborn.
    > Here is the problem: booting from Windows, I can get
    > onto my home LAN and reach the internet just fine with
    > a dial-up gateway (the Actiontec dual pc modem) as the
    > DHCP server. But if the Linux partition boots, the
    > network vanishes. It pauses for an unusually long
    > time at "configuring network interfaces......" By all
    > indications, networking on the box is functional:
    > there are no hardware related error messages during
    > boot or in the kernel logs. loop-back is fine when I
    > ping 127.0.0.1, but no other IPs are reachable.
    > conversely, the box can't be pinged by any other
    > machines on the network either. Flashing LEDs on my 8
    > port switch seems to indicate there is a signal
    > present, but nothing is getting through in either
    > direction when Woody is running. The NIC is a netgear
    > FA 310TX for which I'm using the tulip driver.
    >
    > In addition to Windows, KNOPPIX networks just fine
    > with no problems.
    >
    > An experienced collegue suggested that there might be
    > a IRQ conflict with another device. Debian boot lists
    > the NIC as using IRQ 12. In windows, the diagnostic
    > tool AIDA32 returned the following:
    >
    > IRQ 0C shared NETGEAR FA310TX fast
    > ethernet PCI adapter
    > IRQ 0C shared IRQ Holder for PCI
    > Steering
    >
    > First of all, what is PCI steering? Is there a way to
    > uncouple the two so they use different IRQs?
    >
    > My own suspicion is that an old USR Sportster ISA
    > winmodem might have something to do with it. The
    > thing is useless with Linux but I don't want to trash
    > it because it still works well under Win98. I think
    > it is worth keeping for those rare emergencies. does
    > anyone know if an IRQ would be assigned by Linux to
    > hardware it doesn't recognize?
    >
    > The last time I handled Linux was when Redhat 5.2 was
    > new. Back then I don't remember having much hardware
    > headaches. At the end of my ropes, I even tried a few
    > days ago to explicitly declare an IP, hoping the DHCP
    > server might back down and just let the damn NIC talk
    > to somebody-anybody.
    >
    > After some googling, I found one other account of
    > almost the same problem:
    > http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/showthread.php?threadid=110910
    > the only difference is the router being used.
    >
    > The guy who started the thread never said if his
    > problem was solved. I've tried everything suggested
    > to him to no avail. Everthing that is, except the
    > last one, which I didn't quite understand. I quote
    > the following:
    >
    > "I have the exact same network card that you do, and
    > have had the same problem. I have never been able to
    > do a net install with dhcp using the bf2.4 kernel. So
    > what I do is just install the base system with the
    > vanilla kernel. Then just apt-get the 2.4.18 kernel
    > source and compile it with the tulip driver and MAKE
    > SURE you also have packet filtering and socket
    > filtering enabled as well. They are under the network
    > options. You must have those two options enabled for
    > dhcp to work with that card. So the bf2.4 kernel
    > probably doesn't have them enabled."
    >
    > I'm not sure I understand what is being said. Are you
    > supposed to apt-get the 2.4.18 kernel with the 'Woody'
    > iso disc set as the source? I'll try to learn how to
    > recompile the kernel to see if that solves the
    > problem, but I wanted to see if anyone else has
    > encountered similar problems and suceeded in solving
    > it.
    >
    > Thanks in advance for any new insight.
    > -Ren
    >
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    > 

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