Intel 82566DC-2 problem

[Michael Semcheski]

So here's the latest...

I downloaded a tarball from Intel with the latest e1000 source.

I attempted to build the driver from source, and it works, but it
doesn't... Details follow.

It might not sound all that hard to build the e1000 driver from source
(cd e1000/src; make install) but it was actually quite an exercise.

First, you have to get the kernel source rpm and install it.  Then you
have to get rpmbuild and sparse.  sparse wasn't on the Fedora 7 DVD,
so I had to burn that to a CD and sneakernet it over.

Lots of dependencies that you have to figure out to get the kernel
sources.  A lot more complicated if you don't have networking, because
yum is utterly helpless.

So I finally got rpmbuild installed, and I built the kernel source.
(Of course, I didn't actually build the kernel, maybe I should have.)
I learned that you have to begin the make to get version.h, which is
required for the e1000.ko to build.

Eventually, I did get e1000.ko built.  If I do an 'insmod e1000.ko', I
get an error about a struct being wrong.  Can't remember it, can
reproduce it if necessary.  I guess it is related to a slight
difference between versions of the kernel and the kernel object.
Something like that.  But, the device shows up!  Yeah for eth0!  One
problem, I have to insmod the kernel object by hand when the computer
reboots.  This is annoying, because things like dhcpd don't run.

So, the question is, how do I get this latest e1000.ko built and
installed CORRECTLY?  Do I have to build my own kernel?  Is there an
easier way?

Let me also say that building a kernel, especially without the use of
yum, is a difficult process.  I guess I have to build it to an rpm,
and then install the rpm.  After I do it 6 or 7 times, I'm sure I
won't think its so hard, but for now, I must admit, the docs at
fedoraproject.org/wiki/Docs/CustomKernel got me only 50% of the way
there.



On 8/30/07, Michael Semcheski <mhsemcheski at gmail.com> wrote:
> > What is in /etc/modprobe.conf?
>
> The modprobe.conf on the computer in question hasn't been altered
> manually, and looks like modprobe.conf on other Fedora 7 computers I
> have.
>
>
> > I have the below in mine for example. You would of course need
> > parameters specific to your machine.
> >
> > Bad answer on my part. More curious than knowledgable with this type of
> > problem.
>
> At this point, everything is helpful.
>
> I have 5 workstations, all purchased within three months of each
> other.  All are the same model and the same specs were used to
> purchase them.  The 3 older ones have 82566DM as their network
> (according to lspci).  The 2 newest ones have 82566DC-2 according to
> lspci.  DM works great, DC-2 not at  all.  And I just can't figure out
> what to try next.
>
> Mike
>