Another install problem

[sgh1947]

I just installed RedHat 7.2 from downloaded .iso images. Overall, the system is working, however my NIC was not detected (an ISA NE2000 compatible).

I thought I'd try to redo the kernel to ensure I had all the proper device support, but the CD-ROM drive (which was used to install the system) keeps giving me 'Not a valid block device' when I try to mount a disk. So I can't load the source. Also, when I try to mount a floppy, it tells me the kernel is not configured to recognize the msdos filesystem type. ???


Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[JimH]

I just installed RedHat 7.2 from downloaded .iso images. Overall, the system is working, however my NIC was not detected (an ISA NE2000 compatible).

ISA NIC cards are not auotmatically detected, you have manually configure them. Easiest way for to configure it is to login as the root user and run the Network Configuration Utility. It is listed in the menu under System.

On the hardware tab, click add. Select the adapter type: ethernet. Then select "NE1000, NE2000, and compatible", select the Device "eth0". For an ISA card you will have to also fill in the IRQ and IO settings. The rest of the setting are not needed. If you don't know what to use for those setting, if you are dual booting, you can copy this information from the Windows device manager.

Just for reference you can boot the installer with: linux text isa
This will prompt you do manually configure you isa cards during the install. Unfortunately you have to use the text mode install.

I thought I'd try to redo the kernel to ensure I had all the proper device support, but the CD-ROM drive (which was used to install the system) keeps giving me 'Not a valid block device' when I try to mount a disk. So I can't load the source. Also, when I try to mount a floppy, it tells me the kernel is not configured to recognize the msdos filesystem type. ???

This is a bug in RH 7.2, to work around it, as the root user, at a command prompt type: /sbin/depmod -ae

You need too update your system with all the lastest errata for RH 7.2 to fix this problem. Well, you actually don't need all the errata to fix "this" problem but you should install all the updates.

The kernel does have built-in support for the msdos filesystem, this may be related to the cdrom problem. I have not seen any reports of it. Update your system first and see if it cures the problem. If not we can look into it.

First time using Linux or just Red Hat?

Jim H

[sgh1947]

Thanks for the prompt response, Jim. Yes, this is my first Linux installation. A few years back I had quite a bit of Unix Sys V experience, all command line stuff. This is my first look at Xwindows.

I've gotten a little farther. The Network Config utility wouldn't even run. Running it from a terminal window showed me there was no /boot/module-info file. I linked /boot/module-info-2.4.7-10 to /boot/module-info and now neat will run.

I'm having trouble entering my NIC. I've tried several different ways of entering the IO addr (300, 300h, 0x300, even 768 ) but it keeps telling me that the card can't be initialized. What format is the program looking for in this address?

[JimH]

It should be looking for the format as: 0x300

The file it modifies is /etc/modules.conf. It will add an entry like;

alias eth0 ne
options ne irq=11 io=0x300

What make/model of card is this? Maybe it requires something other then the NE2000 compatible module.
The card might be looking for different setting then you are supplying.

You can manually edit modules.conf in a text editor. To load the module at the command prompt: modprobe eth0
Might give a better error message.

You can see what modules are loaded using:
/sbin/lsmod

You can see what interrupts are assigned with:
cat /proc/interrupts

You can see what IO addresses are in use with:
cat /proc/ioports

Jim H