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Need help installing a PCMCIA under linux

pj64er

pj64er

PJ64 Lubba
First things first. I'm new to linux, and I'm new to this PCMCIA devices business, so please go easy on me.

Alright, right now, I have a laptop with RedHat 7.3 installed on it. I chose all the network/internet related and laptop support during installation. What I wanted to do was have this laptop in a LAN with my PC (see computer specs at bottom). Before I go configuring all em samba and other fun things, I have to install my ethernet card such that linux recognise it. It does know that theres something plugged in, and it knows what it is (I see this under the information section in the control center in KDE), but I dont know what to do to get it to use it for networking.

I'm not sure what would be helpful to tell you guys, but the said PCMCIA thing is a D-Link DMF-560TXD (its both a 56k modem and eithernet card), the laptop is a rather old Toshiba Satellite, and again, its Red Hat 7.3.
 
Malcolm

Malcolm

Not a Moderator
okie dokerie

first off go to:
/lib/modules/*kernel*/pcmcia

if you can get to this directory that means you have the pcmcia kernel modules (good thing)

now:
Code: 
modprobe pcmcia_core
modprobe i82365
modprobe ds
modprobe pcnet_cs

thats the best I can do with the limited knowledge I have of the redhat 7 series.

Good luck :)
 
Last edited:
OP
pj64er

pj64er

PJ64 Lubba
I got a "no such device" error when I enter the modprobe i82365 line.

also, what should I be seeing if everything went right? Does it become my eth0 right after I enter those lines?
 
Malcolm

Malcolm

Not a Moderator
If all went well your system would just reconize it as an eth# device and start using it, but I donno now.

instead of i82365 try yenta_socket, only thing i can think of.
 
OP
pj64er

pj64er

PJ64 Lubba
Alright, it works now, it sees it as the eth0 device now. Thanks malcolm.

Unfortunately, now the problem is that the whole computer freezes whenever I try to connect to anything using it..
 
OP
pj64er

pj64er

PJ64 Lubba
Scratch that, I think Im tricking myself into believing its working :p

first of all, between responses I was poking around the folder and the modprobe command (dont worry, I just made 1 change, see below). Entering man modprobe revealed that giving the -c flag would show the current configuration. So I did that, and found a line thats "alias eth0 off". Not sure what that meant, but I think I need me eth0 on, so I edited that file to reflect that. Right after that I saw your response with the yenta_socket, so I did that, and checked for any eth#'s. And yes, I did find one, suspiciously named 'on' (I shoulda known right there that I messed up :p). So I tried to get that to the 'up' state, and then linux froze.

So right now...
-I can run all four commands
-I'm not getting an eth# device, I made that up (since it doesnt exist, I guess running a non-existing device would freeze it up)
-and as a bonus, I do see it mention 'starting pcmcia' and 'yenta' during boot...not sure if thats helpful
 
Zilla

Zilla

夢を見られた
redhat 7.2 is very old.

What output do you get from 'uname -r'?

I'd recommend updating to redhat 9, or upgrading your kernel to 2.4.22, PCMCIA has had a slew of fixes.
 
OP
pj64er

pj64er

PJ64 Lubba
My kernel is 2.4.18

Never upgraded kernel before, but I guess theres a first time for everything... thanks
 
OP
pj64er

pj64er

PJ64 Lubba
Alright, I upgraded it to 2.4.22, and I selected any option thats remotely related to 'ethernet' and/or 'PCMCIA'. I assume by doing that, I dont have to load any modules for it (that better be it, or Im missing a whole lotta *.o's in the /lib/modules/*kernel*/pcmcia directory). Anywho, Im still not getting the eth#. I think Im going to give the latest stable 2.6.* a go...

by the way, what specific option should I be choosing for my card? It mentions ethernet and pcmcia in a variety of places, while 'D-Link' rarely comes up, and when it does, it never has my model number tagged along with it.
 
D

dcook32p

New member
Update your distribution - not your kernel

pj64er said:
I think Im going to give the latest stable 2.6.* a go...
Click to expand...

You'll just wind up getting into a world of configuration problems if you do that.

I would just try using a newer distribution such as Mandrake 9.2 (what I use), SuSE 9, or something like Gentoo.

Most notebook PCs with common networking peripherals should work out-of-the-box with Mandrake.
 
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