i have mandrake 8 up and running on my hp pavilion 6745c system with win me. no problems EXCEPT:

nic card is an intel. harddrake detects the accton chip on my nic and recommends i use the rtl8139 realtek driver module. that would be fine, but when i try to configure it in, harddrake tells me that eth0 module can't be located. OK? so i went to netconf to see if the rtl8139 is installed.. NO!

that sucks. so now i have to use windoze to go online. fine. i search all over creation (and the NET) for the driver module. all i come up with is the source code, and header files to compile a version that is for kernels before 2.2 ...

having nothing else, i give it a try. i used the command located in the rtl8139.c file at the bottom. it gives my errors about unresolved 'IF' logic and that i shouldn't use kernel headers, and other junk. ok, so i contribute this to it NOT EXACTLY being made for the non-monolithic 2.4.3 kernel.

I CAN'T FIND ANY PRECOMPILED FILES, RPM'S OR EVEN RTL8139.O FILES TO USE WITH THE 2.4.3 KERNEL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

that having been said, why doesn't mandrake 8 have this most versatile driver included in AT LEAST an RPM or file on the installation cd's ???

OK, I CAN RELATE WITH NOT HAVING EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN ON THE DISKS. even though with over 1000 packages, one would think we'd have our priorities straight. i mean this IS a common driver, on a new machine (less than a year old) and is using current hardware.

NEXT, i can't find sh*t on mandrake's site. and mandrakeuser.org is a joke for downloads ( 3 total?, three ????), at least some links to useful places and maybe a CENTRAL LINUX DRIVER REPOSITORY would be a gain for would-be Linux users who get discouraged (or more likely p'd off) when they can't find simple junk like drivers - but instead, discover a billion links to the same old sh*t. god, i hate that!!
...
..
OK, i've vented. now, is there any kind-hearted soul out there who can show me the light?

trickykid, or webtoe ? y'all out there. you've been great resources in the past.

BUT WILL TAKE HELP FROM ANYWHERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Rabid Undead

" windows is truly that, pretty to look at, but breaks easily "

I've just bought a notebook (no-name, but seems to be an ASUS). It also had ME preinstalled (had :-)).
The NIC has an Realtek chip too. And yes, i had the same problems with the rtl mod as you.
Solution: Recompiling the kernel (2.2.19).
In 2.2.19 you have to activate the option "prompt for development and/or incomplete code/drivers..." to access the realtek drivers, also they are not incomplete. It's a little bug, but Alan Cox already knows it. With the 2.2.1x kernel you have two rtl-drivers. The second one called rtl8139ooo(or was it rtl 8139ttt ??) is the right one. In kernel 2.4.x there is only this one available (the right one). I've compiled it hard into the kernel. But compiling it as a module should work as well.
Okay, after compiling, making the modules etc. my card is working fine. And so should yours.

thanks for the input, but my main problem in the matter, is that i can't FIND the stinking driver in my distro, or online. my kernel is 2.4.x, but it doesn't look like it was included. AND i haven't been able to find one.

if you have the source or binary for the 2.4.x version, please email it to me at :

rabidundead@email.com , rabidundead@excite.com , rabidundead@lycos.com

any of the above will do.

if you don't have it, please list out the URL of a place to get it in a reply or via email to one of the above addresses.

they all SHOULD have large email attatchment capability. to keep it from being spam filtered, make the subject:

WINDOWSBREAKS

and, yes, this has stirred many a controversial email to me. but, think of it. if someone wants to reach me to protest it, they are FORCED to type out windows breaks, and have, therefore, already lost the determination of their arguement. quite a satisfying strategy though.

ingenious, no? THANX FOR ANY HELP.

Later

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Rabid Undead

" windows is truly that, pretty to look at, but breaks easily " :smash:

First: You can't find the "stinking" driver because it dosn't stinks ;-). So don't follow your nose but use your head.
Second: A driver in LINUX is not a dll or however it is called in the windoze world. It is C-Code! And you can find it in the kernel sources of your distro. Off course you have to install the sources if you haven't done it already.
I have just fired up my testserver with a 2.4.x kernel because i can't believe what you are saying.
And surprise surprise, the driver (the c-code) is called 8139too.c ! You can find it under /usr/src/linux/drivers/net/ .
AND you have to recompile the kernel if you want to use it!
You will find it in the "network device support" section (Ethernet) and it is called "RealTek RTL-8139 Fast Ethernet Adapter Support".
After compiling there will be a driver called 8139.o

in an ordered fashion, as you so deliberately put it:

FIRST .. if you read the first post in this thread, you would know that i did not ever say it was a dynamic link library, nor am i so inexperienced in the world of computers as to believe that everything is based on the micro$oft foundation class libraries, and therefore consists of dll's. I stated quite OBVIOUSLY that i KNEW it was a source file that i was looking for ( C-source most probably ), and that i was only 'hopeful' for a binary/precompiled version.

SECOND .. I AM NOT STUPID, DUMB, OR IGNORANT, so please do not treat me as such. I am simply frustrated, and have made no ill comment toward you, your mother, or your ability - so don't take my venting personally - i merely have noone to which, and nowhere else to, vent my frustrations and toils concerning this extremely laboured installation of what was supposed to be a 'great disro for newbies and advanced users alike' (psuedo-quoted from cnet).

THIRD .. in the case of my downloaded ISO version of Mandrake 8.0, i fear to tell you that IT IS NOT where you said it would be, and in utter disgust i searched through every bit of the /usr directories and found NO SUCH FILE. it simply is not included in the distribution, and even after having reinstalled the entire OS from the disks and including EVERY RPM and file included on both the installation disk (1) and the extension disk (2), there is still no such file. i have searched (locate command) and still no such file. i could peer into each and every folder in the system, but i doubt any good would come of it.

FOURTH .. i hold fast to the words i wrote concerning this distribution and the frustration it has caused with its installation and configuration on my personal system. i regret nothing, and never will. it is simply my opinion, peppered with cold hard facts. however, IF someone would like to prove me wrong and point out exactly where i am in err (i.e. find the driver in the distro i have mentioned, being Mandrake 8.0, or some demonstrate some fault in the facts contained within the first post of this thread), i would be most happy to apologize for my misconceptions.

FIFTH .. i am still seeking a solution.

SIXTH .. i would be grateful for any help i receive.

SEVENTH .. i hope you understand, i am not being sarcastic.

EIGHTH .. thanks in advance...

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Rabid Undead

" windows is truly that, pretty to look at, but breaks easily " :smash:

You can download the sources from
http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v2.4

Bye

Yeah Reader! That's what i think that it was clear!

Moderator !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Advice to rabidundead: Never act this way in a UNIX/LINUX newsgroup ;-0

Followup -> NEWBIE

I'm out of business. My Starfire needs some care!

after countless times of being relayed obvious sources that were fruitless, such as the howtos and the linux doc projects, as though i would not think to look there, and the hassles of certain parties who shall remain anonymous (and should not involve themselves if they have nothing better to do than involve themselves), i finally have found a useful resource in

reader

short, sweet, and non judgemental. thank you, reader.

as for acting certain ways on newsgroups, i am not in a 'newsgroup', nor have interest in them. i do not beleive i need concern myself with defending my cause, as it is obvious that some people cannot read a post without becoming personally offended, even when not personally addressed. again, i'm sorry for having an opinion, but not for the opinion itself.

on the note of being proven wrong, i welcome and accept it. i would rather be proven incorrect, than go on beleiving in a false view of my 'correctness'. the driver works, and works well. i formally apologize for my recent frustration, and agian, thanx for the help. good day.
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Rabid Undead

" windows is truly that, pretty to look at, but breaks easily " :smash:

It is heartening to know that I am not hte only one having probs. w/ Mandrake 8.0 and Realtek 8139...

Looks like it will be a long wait before I can find out a workable way to resolve this problem.

AMD

the link to kernel.org gave me the information that i needed to pick a different distro - redhat 7.1 ... this had all of the drivers i needed, and it had far better hardware detection that i experienced w/ mandrake 8 ... and it had the version of X that didn't blur and have tracers cuz of incompatibility (or misconfiguration ) with my monitor. all i know bout this is i used mandrake's own detected settings to set X and it fouled up pretty bad.

if you can change distros, this may be a fix that you'd look into.
if not, i did find useful information that i had considered before i chose to go with rh 7.1 ...
the info pages at kernel.org may be able to help, even if i didn't.

hth. Later
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Rabid
:smash:

hi!

I have installed Mandrake 8.0 after struggling with RH7.1 for DAYS.

My laptop (Sony Vaio PCG F 630, AMD k6II550, 192 MB) has THE Trident CyberBlade i7 graphics card ( I mean THE when I say THE....), amd apparently it is notorious for being incompatible with RH. The display isn't proper (either too unstable or none at all).

I am hoping to find a "middle path" soon ...

Thx,

AMD.

p.s:I am speaking this after trying every possibe means, incl. kernel.org.

i've heard great things about debian. its at debian.org - and i was personally caught between using suse (which gets high marks everywhere i read a critique) an debian (which seems to be the 'people's distribution' and in direct competition with the major distributions, so far as cutting edge goes)..



personally, i think for a free download, debian will help u.



if you wana go boxed-set, definitely suse! ( i ran out of floppies, or i would've already got suse)



but, then again, i am researching the distros like mad and was trying to get a triple boot going (i must be nuts!)



anyway, hth



Later

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Rabid

"check out the distributions forum!" :smash:

Thanks everyone for the inputs/advice...(esp. Rabid)

I finally managed to get things working.

jest curious... which one did u use? and how is the distro?

is it slick? hard to work with, but works with your card? any details you have time to mention would be great !

Later
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Rabid

"the only thing i don't like about xbill is that bill will eventually win, unless... i hack it so that bill shoots himself in the foot time and time again... nah . Too much like reality.":smash:

For those still looking for it, I found the Mandrake 8.0 module at:
/lib/modules/2.4.3-20mdk/kernel/drivers/net/8139too.o.gz