amd64 build necessary to get nvidia nforce3 mobo working?

[Alexandru Cabuz <alexcabuz@gmail.com>]

Hello,

I know this question is probably better suited for an nividia linux
forum (where I have posted it 2 minutes ago) but I thought I might
check with people on this list too, maybe somebody knows.

I recently bought an athlon64 nvidia nforce3 box, and have not been
able to install anything except windows on it. I want to install
Sarge, but the i386 build does not recognize the network or sound,
both of which are integrated in the motherboard. The drivers provided
by nvidia are binary and they will only install on a 64 bit kernel.

My question is this:
"Is there any way to get the ethernet and the sound going on nforce3
in Sarge 386, that is, without installing the true amd64 port which is
not yet finished, and which therefore might be more trouble than it's
worth?"

Note that I have already installed a minimal, text only, Sarge 386 on
this box, WITH the forcedeth driver, and it does not see any ethernet
interface at all, preventing me from doing a netinstall, which is the
only install I can do without burning 10 CDs and besides, a computer
that cannot get on the internet is useless (to me). It looks like the
forcedeth driver in Sarge 386 is for nforce2, while I got nforce 3.

Any suggestions would be helpful (I am at that experience level where
I am just starting to crawl out of the newbie cave, and start seeing
the light, instead of just the shadows on the wall, but my eyes still
hurt).

Thanks.

Alex.