PCMCIA network Card: Linksys NP100
Forum: Networking
Topic: PCMCIA network Card: Linksys NP100
started by: AD1B
Posted by AD1B on Mar. 02 2007,15:30
I am new to DSL and have installed it on an ancient Multimedia Model 86 100 MHz portable w/ 32 MB ram.The network card is a Linksys NP100 that has worked fine w/ Win-98.
Checked the DLS panel and learned that the PCMCIA_core module is installed. I think that I have to provide a ".info" file and configure the NP100 via the DSL panel network setup. Not sure.
Wonder if anyone has experience w/ PCMCIA card installation on DSL?
Am I correct in assuming that the kernel has PCMCIA support when PCMCIA_core is intstalled?
Is it likely that the ".info" file is available from the file pcmcia-cs-3.2.8.tar.gz? This seems to be a standard reference for this type of application.
thanks
tom
Posted by ^thehatsrule^ on Mar. 03 2007,00:02
From a quick search, your NIC uses the "pcnet_cs" driver - is this already loaded? And yes, the kernel has pcmcia support.What do you mean when you reference the ".info" file?
Posted by AD1B on Mar. 03 2007,00:29
To: thehatsrule -Thanks for the note. I guess that I am bumbling around here.
Now know that there is PCMCIA support in the kernel. I thought that I could use the DSL panel, name the NP100 as "eth0" or some such and enter a link to an information file ( an ".inf" file) to run the beast. Apparently not....
I have downloaded David Hinds' PCMCIA-CS file and printed the "HOWTO" file and the "./Configure" file.
Managed to get MYDSL's file gcc1.dsl and load it. Now have the "make" command in place.
Tried to run the ./Configure file and it bonked when it tried to find the kernel source code. Went to MYDSL and got the Kernelsource.DSL file. Used EmelFM to load it.
Re-ran ./Configure and got an error message that "cc" was not installed. Revised the script file to look for "tcc" not "cc" and that seemed OK.
Then, got an error message that "Linux soruce tree is incomple or missing". Since I now know that PCMCIA support is included in the kernel modules, I thought I should go in some other direction to activate the NP100.
Question: Do you have any insiteon how to load / recompile the PCMCIA-CS file and the kernel. This seems to be the next logical step, but am not sure. I got off track by inferring that the network file only needed an info file.
Appreciate your thoughts...
Posted by ^thehatsrule^ on Mar. 03 2007,02:19
Did you try the "pcnet_cs" driver yet like I had previously suggested?Anyways.. not sure what you're trying to do with the rest of your post, but I'll try to give some pointers...
- .inf files are windows drivers, only needed usually for wireless where there is no working linux native driver.
- Note that everything is case sensitive - `./Configure` is different from `./configure`
- You should `export CC=gcc` to use gcc instead of changing the script to use tcc.
- kernelsource.dsl only includes the kernel headers (yes it is a mistake), you can grab the full tree from kernel.org and apply the knoppix patches.
- as to your last question, I think you're off track here, and since it seems you are rather new to all of this, I would suggest for you to try my first suggestion to use what's already available.
Posted by AD1B on Mar. 03 2007,03:43
Thanks thehatsrule:I did not realize that ".inf" files are Win files...
Will take your suggestion to "export cc=gcc" - have to read up on topic to have a better grasp of concept. I did go to kernel.org and have downloaded the 2.4.28 kernel source file. Ran thru PCMCIA-CS file re-compile successfully at one point. Have to go back - revisit process.
Your note that the kernelsource.dsl only provides "headers" was good info - it agrees w/ my observation that the "./Configure" script bonked when it tried to use those files.
Really appreciate your help - hope to get the Linksys PCMCIA card to work. Will update this site w/ my adventures or mis-adventures, whichever happens first...
Posted by lucky13 on Mar. 03 2007,05:29
| Quote (AD1B @ Mar. 02 2007,22:43) |
I did not realize that ".inf" files are Win files... Will take your suggestion to "export cc=gcc" - have to read up on topic to have a better grasp of concept. |
Among others?
| Quote |
| I did go to kernel.org and have downloaded the 2.4.28 kernel source file. Ran thru PCMCIA-CS file re-compile successfully at one point. Have to go back - revisit process. |
Why are you compiling a kernel instead of just loading a module that's already there?
Hint:
modprobe pcnet_cs
Try that (in a root term or sudo). It already works with the kernel that came with DSL. Please don't make things more difficult than they actually are.
| Quote |
| Your note that the kernelsource.dsl only provides "headers" was good info - it agrees w/ my observation that the "./Configure" script bonked when it tried to use those files. |
It's sensitive to case of letter: ./configure works, ./Configure won't. Regardless, you're totally reinventing the wheel. Totally.
| Quote |
| Really appreciate your help - hope to get the Linksys PCMCIA card to work. Will update this site w/ my adventures or mis-adventures, whichever happens first... |
We're already aware which has happened first. I admire your ambition, though. Let us know when you load the module and get it working.