Re: Modeprobe: Can't locate module ne
On Sat, Jun 23, 2001 at 12:15:08PM +0200, Erik van der Meulen wrote:
> Hi all, I want to do a fresh Potato install on an IBM Aptiva 466.
> I have inserted a Novell/Anthem ne2000 Ethernet adapter and want to
> install the base system through my LAN.
Heh, a genuine Novell/Anthem NE2000? I have one too, with original box,
where I keep it in. There's more components on it than on my average
mainboard + all pci cards together. :-)
> After the third driver disk, I try to load the ne module. This results
> (after I have tried numerous irq and io settings) in the message:
>
> Modprobe: Can't locate module ne
This may mean anything. The installer is really compressed to the bare
minimum, but still aims for a maximum of features. Clear and intuitive
error messages may not have been at the top of the boot-floppies people's
TODO lists. You can join them and help out if you like to make this
particular part a bit better.
> This seems to indicate the module is not on the disks? The Debian
> installer does let me select it from the menu. Or does this mean that my
> card cannot be found and that it might be misconfigured?
Might well be. ISA ne2k card drivers need to be told what io and irq
to use for the hardware. Especiall the io is said to be crucial.
The type hardware is not very robust to probing, it tends to forward
the bits blindly to the ethernet, creating random ethernet frames.
Some less robust network-attached devices may not take well to this,
nor may the network support people. This is all AFAIK and IIRC.
> Any help much appreciated!
Don't waste your time. Even your spare time can be related to $$/hr.
Run to the shop and get a pci nic. If the 486 doesn't have pci (which
is well possible for <Pmmx for IBM systems), run to the shop and get a
better peecee. Depending on the value of your time and your expectations
over the rewards you can obtain from persisting and figuring out all of
the details, a new computer can be a lot cheaper. TIMTOWTDI and YMMV.
BTW, I am personally a big fan of keeping ancient hardware working.
Debian, up to the latest unstable, works fine on 386'en, including one
here. It has an ancient nic, a pnp modem and an isdn card. When the
thing was built, pnp didn't even exist. Also nice is, that it doesn't
have all the fan noise, that seems almost unavoidable in modern high
end systems.
> NB Does anyone know of a good boot disk do diagnose this type of irq/oi
> conflicts (in old IBM systmens ;-)
Yah, a good quality and featureful logic probe ($2000+) and several
years hands-on experience as an electronics engineer. Real experience,
not book.
Or you could try it yourself, divining over the board traces and plugging
jumpers on the board (dozens on those older ones) unhindered by total
lack of any documentation whatsoever. That always worked best for me.
If it worked at all of course, but it helps if you "believe". ;-)
Cheers,
Joost
Reply to: