Re: Setting up a Winmodem under RH7.1

[Rick Stevens <rstevens vitalstream com>]

Aidan Whitehall wrote:
> I'm going through the amazingly thorough mini-HOWTO at
> http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/mini/PCTel-MicroModem-Config/
> to set up a winmodem. Can anyone help with a few Qs?
>
>
> "The first requisite for installation is that you have a kernel source in
> /usr/src/linux/ (see section 7.6) and it must be configured, that is, you
> should have done a bash$ make configure and bash$ make dep on it."
>
> The source files aren't there. Are the source files the ones in
> /lib/modules/?

No, as mentioned in the HOWTO, they'd be in /usr/src/linux OR
/usr/src/linux-2.4, depending on your RedHat loyalties.

> "While doing these make sure that you have the source for your running
> kernel...for example, if you are running kernel 2.4.8 and if you have the
> source for kernel 2.4.9 in /usr/src/linux/, then the drivers would not
> work."
>
> If the source files also came from RH 7.1 installation CD, presumably they
> are for the correct kernel version.... right?

Unless you've upgraded your kernel, yes.  But the update site also
has the upgraded kernel sources.

> "Moreover, you must configure the kernel with isapnp and pnp support
> and see to the fact that you don't have a smp/uniprocessor mismatch
> (that is, running uniprocessor kernel but having a kernel source with
> smp support in /usr/src/linux). Also, you will need a kernel which supports
> loadable modules."
>
> OK, now I'm really lost! Should I give up at this point, or is it something
> that's actually easy to do?

If you have the source code RPM installed AND there _is_ code in
/usr/src/linux AND you're running X-Windows, do this:

	su -
	(put in your root user password)
	cd /usr/src/linux
	ls configs

This will give you a listing of the config files that RedHat uses to
build kernels.  Make a note of which one "smells" like your machine
(do a "uname -a" and note the processor type and whether it's an SMP
kernel, then find the appropriate config file for that layout).
Finally, do

	make xconfig

and the configuration X application will pop up.  In the lower right
corner you'll find a "Load configuration from file" option.  Click on
it and enter "configs/name-of-file-you-found" into the text box.  That
sets the configuration to the defaults that RedHat used.  Now, you have
to set the options the way the documentation says is should be set up.
The "smp/uniprocessor" stuff is set up by the config file, but if you
want to change it, click on the "Processor Type and Features" box and
you'll be permitted to change the processor type, SMP/uniprocessor and
other stuff.  RedHat, by default, uses loadable modules, so don't worry
about that.

> 4) And of course, you need to have gcc installed, check it by issuing the
> command bash$ gcc -v . If you do not get any errors, the everything
> is all right
>
> I ran "gcc --help", but it said something like "command not found". Is gcc
> something that you can install from the package manager in Gnome?

Yes, you want to install the development system.  This is gcc, glibc and
a host of other items.  To install an entire development environment is
pretty complex.  You may be better off reinstalling and making sure you
install the development environment, too.  You should also be able to do
that by doing an update install off the CDs, too.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
- Rick Stevens, SSE, VitalStream, Inc.      rstevens vitalstream com -
- 949-743-2010 (Voice)                    http://www.vitalstream.com -
-                                                                    -
-      "Microsoft is a cross between The Borg and the Ferengi.       -
-  Unfortunately they use Borg to do their marketing and Ferengi to  -
-               do their programming."  -- Simon Slavin              -
----------------------------------------------------------------------