Linux Newb Reborn... Need Help!

[Ritalin Kid]

Ok so I've decided to give Linux another whack and install Mandrake Linux 9.1 on two boxes.. one laptop and one older desktop. It installed and runs great except I need to install ethernet adapters on both so I can get online but I'm having the hardest time finding a step by step guide to installing drivers in linux even after I Googled it I couldn't anything that was understandable.

I need to install a Xircom XE2000 PCMCIA ethernet card in the laptop and a Realtek RTL8139 PCI ethernet adapter in the desktop.

Does anyone know of a good place to find a HOWTO guide to install drivers for new hardware or better yet a good explanation of how to install drivers in linux altogether. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

[Scott Tiger]

Well the Xircom XE2000 is a supported card so I'm guessing you'll just need to recompile your kernel to get it to work. Here's the list of supported PCMCIA devices:

http://pcmcia-cs.sourceforge.net/ftp/SUPPORTED.CARDS

(Just cont-F and look for Xircom - that list is getting pretty long)

You'll see your card listed and what driver you should use.

Here's a PET written by our very own PBHarris on kernel compiling:

http://www.linuxjunior.org/cgi-bin/p...T=Display&id=9

Don't be afraid to ask more questions. Linux can be a bit overwhelming when you first get started.

HTH's

[CMonster]

I believe the drivers are already installed on your system:

RTL8139 is already perfectly supported in Drake 9.1 -just install and boot -you can use the control center thing to configure it with an IP address or DHCP etc.

PCMCIA ethernet cards usually work w/o a kernel recompile or special drivers but I'm not sure about your card; anyway, a supported card can be had cheap.


Wireless cards can be frustrating - I tried several and only an Orinoco GOLD would work for me Part #848441556

[Scott Tiger]

Are the pcmcia cards really that bad? I always thought it was the cardbus that was the real challenge.

BTW, you could try d/l Knoppix and seeing how well it supports the pcmcia NIC. Knoppix is tops for setting up difficult hardware.

[S.D.Willie]

RTL8139 is already perfectly supported in Drake 9.1

just to follow up, my realtek 8139 has worked in suse, debian, redhat, and drake from 8.0 to 9.1 without a hitch. the drivers were there as well.

[lynchmob]

Yup.RTL8139 and MDK 9.1 get along nicely with each other
Setup is quite easy in MCC.Gotta love those $5 nics.
lynch

[Ritalin Kid]

Thanks for the links but I have no idea what the tutorial is talking about..

First in Mandrake 9.1 in KDE I can't figure out how to log in as root.. everytime I log out it will only let me login and there is no option to login as root.

Second the file system is so strange I can't figure out where anything is.

Third, I don't understand about the PCMCIA driver for my NIC.. is it already on my computer and I have to install or recompile it or do I have to download it?

Fourth.. does anyone know where I can find a simple tutorial that will explain how and what the terminal commands in Linux do?

[Scott Tiger]

It's been a long time since I've used Mandrake so I can't help you with that. I can tell you that if you log in as yourself (a normal user) you can open a terminal and su (switch user) to root. You'll be the only one to know that password though since you set it when you installed the system.

Getting used to the file system takes time. I'll try to find a link for you concerning that one.

I'd forget about the PCMCIA nic right now if I were you. Don't mean to sound ugly but if CMonster had trouble with it I'm afraid you'll only get discouraged if you try something like that right off the bat. All things come in time..

I'll see if I can find some linkage for you on that one as well (it'll be much later tonight though - I've got to get to church and then hit the grocery).

[Ritalin Kid]

Ok.. Well from the looks of it the PCMCIA card is installed correctly. I get a link light I just don't get any communication..

Is there anything I have to do to configure the NIC?

[samwichse]

Well, your issue could be that it's installed, but no network connections are configured.

Try typing "ifconfig" at the command line, that will output everything about your networking. Mine shows this:

eth0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr *************
inet addr:************* Bcast:************* Mask:255.255.252.0
UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:38587 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:11347 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:2199 txqueuelen:100
RX bytes:17423678 (16.6 Mb) TX bytes:1096644 (1.0 Mb)
Interrupt:12 Base address:0xdc00

lo Link encap:Local Loopback
inet addr:127.0.0.1 Mask:255.0.0.0
UP LOOPBACK RUNNING MTU:16436 Metric:1
RX packets:12 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:12 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:0
RX bytes:792 (792.0 b) TX bytes:792 (792.0 b)

The "lo" is the loopback interface, your ethernet card should be "eth0" like mine is up there. Check and make sure too that MDK is starting up network interfaces at boot (I don't know how you do that without RedHat's tool...)