Bug#309051: RC3 installer can't configure ISA-PNP Ethernet boards
On Sat, May 14, 2005 at 08:21:57PM +0200, Frans Pop wrote:
> reassign 309051 netcfg
> retitle 309051 Please consider adding transceiver selection for 3c59x
> severity 309051 wishlist
A workaround for the 3c59x bug can reasonably be classified as
wishlist. Not being able to configure ISA network boards through netcfg
should have a higher severity than that.
> thanks
>
> On Saturday 14 May 2005 07:10, Jack Carroll wrote:
> > The installer is able to configure PCI network boards, but not ISA
> > network boards.
> > This machine is set up to be a multihomed router/firewall, among
> > other functions. It has four Ethernet boards:
> >
> > 1 PCI 3C905B Combo (AUI, 10Base2, 100BaseT)
> > 1 PCI 3C905B 100BaseT only
> > 1 ISA-PNP 3C509 Combo (AUI, 10Base2, 100BaseT)
> > 1 ISA-PNP SMC-Ultra Combo (AUI, 10Base2, 100BaseT)
>
> You probably have to pass some parameters to the driver modules for these
> cards. This is possible if you install in "expert" mode (boot the
> installer using 'expert' or 'expert26').
That is the way I booted it. Even in expert mode, netcfg didn't
provide any method of causing any ISA driver to load, let alone passing
options to it. That is the bug I'm reporting. As it stands, netcfg can't
finsh the job of bringing up an ISA card.
I am able to configure the card by hand and bring it up, either from
the command line or by manually editing config files, and you're right that
parameters have to be passed to the drivers. Less experienced users would
benefit from being able to do this in netcfg. Also, the screen for
selecting drivers that aren't auto-detected should be easier to find.
> This is, although very summarily, documented in the Installation Guide:
> http://d-i.alioth.debian.org/manual/en.i386/ch06s01.html.
I've looked at that. I'll study it more intensively.
> > The 3c59x driver has had a bug since kernel 2.4. It's still there
> > with 2.6. Contrary to what the kernel documentation says, 3c59x
> > overrides the board's automatic selection of the transceiver that's
> > actually plugged into a network, and arbitrarily selects the UTP
> > transceiver instead. This is a major PIA. It would be helpful if
> > netcfg were to explcitly offer the user a choice of transceiver when
> > configuring a board which requires this module. Of course, actually
> > fixing the bug would be better, but that doesn't appear to be in the
> > pipeline.
>
> Reassigning the report to component netcfg for this.
>
> Cheers,
> FJP
Reply to: