Re: NIC install - found driver, need to compile(?)

["Sean Norris,,," <snorris@hsph.harvard.edu>]

Hello,

I just finished going through big problem with modules and NIC so I can understand your confusion.

You have a 3com NIC (3CSOHO100-TX) so you likely need the 3c59x driver. First, check /lib/modules/'uname-r'/net to see if that module is there.  
If it is not you will have to compile it.  ('uname-r' is just your kernel version likely 2.2.17) 

If you are compiling it make sure that you have the source code on your machine, you will find this in /usr/src/linux.  It may actually be somewhere else but there should be symlink there.  Change to that directory ( # cd /usr/src/linux ) and make sure you are root.

Rather than doing everything as root it is safer (read better) to change to superuser (#su), from within an xterm or alternatively Ctrl-Alt F1 through F6 will switch you into a virtual terminal. Your X session likely is running in virtual terminal 7 ( Ctrl-Alt F7).

When in /usr/src/linux as root type #make xconfig.  After a few preliminaries a fairly simple point and click interface will pop up.  This will contain the
config from the last time you compiled your kernel or in your case the stock configuration from your install.  Check under Network devices, Ethernet 10 - 
100 bit and make sure that Ethernet and 3com cards are checked.  If they are not you will have to recompile your kernel to use the NIC.  Then select your
card as module and save the new configuration.

> From /usr/src/linux #make modules modules_install

This will compile the modules and install the module in /lib/module/'uname-r'net

Next #depmod -a will update the dependency file. 
When your kernel finishes some preliminary stuff while booting it looks in /etc/modules for a list of modules to load, the 3c59x module should be listed
in there.  You can edit this directly.

Next the kernel will look at /etc/modules.conf to find any options for the modulesDon't edit this file directly, instead add the lines to /etc/modules/aliases
and the changes will be incorporated when you run #update-modules, after which you again need to #depmod -a.

If you are setting up an ethernet interface you need an entry in /etc/network/interfaces.
This should look like

#cable modem
iface eth0 inet dhcp

#local network - eth1
iface eth1 inet static
	address 10.0.0.1
	netmask 255.0.0.0
	network 10.0.0.0

This way the interface should come up when you boot. If you are already running just #ifup

Good Luck

Sean