A7N8X-DLX and Mandrake 9.1 and nvidia NIC setup problem

  • Thread starter Thread starter Kyle Brant
  • Start date Start date
K

Kyle Brant

OK, I'm fairly computer literate, have had 2 other distros of Linux up
and running fine on other hardware (and networked) and I read where
others have made this board work (substantially) with Linux, but for
the life of me, I can't get the Nforce NIC to work properly. I've
installed the latest RPM from the nvidia web site for Mandrake 9.1,
yet the NIC driver does not get installed and initialized correctly.
Harddrak tells me it sees the NIC when doing it's hardware search, but
the networking setup wizard fails (actually loops until I choose some
options to make it quit) when I try to setup the NIC for "LAN
connection". Any help in this regard from others who have enjoyed
success with Mandrake 9.1 would be appreciated. BTW, the sound worked
right off the bat w/o the RPM update from Nvidia, so no problem there.
 
Always love to be able to answer my own question, so here are my
findings:

Mandrake 9.1 setup my new Linux install to use the SMP kernel as
default LILO booted Linux OS, and it appears to boot and run OK.
However, the Nforce drivers in the precompiled RPM package for
Mandrake 9.1 do not work with the SMP kernel, rather, they work with
the non-SMP kernel. My onboard Nvidia NIC works nicely now.

I suspect to get things to work with the SMP kernel, one would have to
install the kernel sources for the SMP kernel and any other required
packages, d/l the tar'd Nforce driver sources and build those drivers
in accordance with the instructions on the Nvidia site for the Linux
drivers.

--
Best regards,
Kyle

| OK, I'm fairly computer literate, have had 2 other distros of Linux
up
| and running fine on other hardware (and networked) and I read where
| others have made this board work (substantially) with Linux, but for
| the life of me, I can't get the Nforce NIC to work properly. I've
| installed the latest RPM from the nvidia web site for Mandrake 9.1,
| yet the NIC driver does not get installed and initialized correctly.
| Harddrak tells me it sees the NIC when doing it's hardware search,
but
| the networking setup wizard fails (actually loops until I choose
some
| options to make it quit) when I try to setup the NIC for "LAN
| connection". Any help in this regard from others who have enjoyed
| success with Mandrake 9.1 would be appreciated. BTW, the sound
worked
| right off the bat w/o the RPM update from Nvidia, so no problem
there.
|
| --
| Best regards,
| Kyle
|
 
Further to the mystery, it appears Mandrake setup the SMP kernel as
default OS b/c I have APIC enabled in the BIOS, this info provided by
another user at the nforcersHQ forums.

--
Best regards,
Kyle
| Always love to be able to answer my own question, so here are my
| findings:
|
| Mandrake 9.1 setup my new Linux install to use the SMP kernel as
| default LILO booted Linux OS, and it appears to boot and run OK.
| However, the Nforce drivers in the precompiled RPM package for
| Mandrake 9.1 do not work with the SMP kernel, rather, they work with
| the non-SMP kernel. My onboard Nvidia NIC works nicely now.
|
| I suspect to get things to work with the SMP kernel, one would have
to
| install the kernel sources for the SMP kernel and any other required
| packages, d/l the tar'd Nforce driver sources and build those
drivers
| in accordance with the instructions on the Nvidia site for the Linux
| drivers.
|
| --
| Best regards,
| Kyle
|
| | | OK, I'm fairly computer literate, have had 2 other distros of
Linux
| up
| | and running fine on other hardware (and networked) and I read
where
| | others have made this board work (substantially) with Linux, but
for
| | the life of me, I can't get the Nforce NIC to work properly. I've
| | installed the latest RPM from the nvidia web site for Mandrake
9.1,
| | yet the NIC driver does not get installed and initialized
correctly.
| | Harddrak tells me it sees the NIC when doing it's hardware search,
| but
| | the networking setup wizard fails (actually loops until I choose
| some
| | options to make it quit) when I try to setup the NIC for "LAN
| | connection". Any help in this regard from others who have enjoyed
| | success with Mandrake 9.1 would be appreciated. BTW, the sound
| worked
| | right off the bat w/o the RPM update from Nvidia, so no problem
| there.
| |
| | --
| | Best regards,
| | Kyle
| |
|
 
Kyle said:
Further to the mystery, it appears Mandrake setup the SMP kernel as
default OS b/c I have APIC enabled in the BIOS, this info provided by
another user at the nforcersHQ forums.
Click to expand...

I've had a bit of a play with Gentoo on this board and found that Kernel 2.6
is pretty good with this board, but APIC and/or ACPI were causing randim
lockups, usually on high IDE activity.

I tend to compile APIC and ACPI into the kernal then use acpi=off and noapic
(or is that noacpi and apic=off?)

One of the ways of turning off ACPI allow some of it's functionality without
causing problems, if you want the options, let me know I'll boot to Linux.

Ben
 
| Kyle Brant wrote:
| > Further to the mystery, it appears Mandrake setup the SMP kernel
as
| > default OS b/c I have APIC enabled in the BIOS, this info provided
by
| > another user at the nforcersHQ forums.
|
| I've had a bit of a play with Gentoo on this board and found that
Kernel 2.6
| is pretty good with this board, but APIC and/or ACPI were causing
randim
| lockups, usually on high IDE activity.
|
| I tend to compile APIC and ACPI into the kernal then use acpi=off
and noapic
| (or is that noacpi and apic=off?)
|
| One of the ways of turning off ACPI allow some of it's functionality
without
| causing problems, if you want the options, let me know I'll boot to
Linux.
|
| Ben

Mandrake decided acpi was a no-no, and set acpi=no in the kernel boot
lines with Lilo. The command switch is "noapic" in the boot line for
APIC. More than likely, ACPI was the source of your problems.
Running "cat /proc/interrupts" gave me feedback that the APIC was not
being used. I note there is a "force apic" option, may see what that
does, hehe.
 
The A7N8X Dlx has dual lan ports. I got mine to work in Mandrake 9.2 by
switching to the OTHER port. The
3Com one.

Tocapet
 
Yes, I agree the 3com should work ok, but being a purist, I wanted the
Nvidia NIC to work, b/c I have a dual boot system, and win2k uses the
Nvidia NIC, and I did not want to use another net cable or switch the
cable around.

If anyone has problems with the Nvidia NIC, such as after a kernel
recompile nvnet no longer works or does not install correctly using
RPM (which is the case after I make a custom kernel), simply d/l and
untarr the Nvidia kernel tarr file:

http://download.nvidia.com/XFree86/nforce/1.0-0261/NVIDIA_nforce-1.0-0
261.tar.gz

and find the nvnet folder where the nvnet driver is, and do:

cd /-some-path-to-Nvidia drivers-/nvnet
make
make install

and the nvnet device driver will be loaded and running and you can
then use Mandrake's Hardware setup wizard in X to configure the
device.

I'm playing with kernel stuff trying to get the ATI Opengl driver and
the nvgart driver loaded and working correctly (no success as yet, any
tips here appreciated, X works ok and I have fxglr loaded but running
opengl programs locks up X on me, still haven't found the perfect
advice on getting this all to work correctly). I note that after each
kernel compile, I have to make and reinstall the Nvidia driver using
the above technique.

--
Best regards,
Kyle
| The A7N8X Dlx has dual lan ports. I got mine to work in Mandrake
9.2 by
| switching to the OTHER port. The
| 3Com one.
|
| Tocapet
|
| | > | > | Kyle Brant wrote:
| > | > Further to the mystery, it appears Mandrake setup the SMP
kernel
| > as
| > | > default OS b/c I have APIC enabled in the BIOS, this info
provided
| > by
| > | > another user at the nforcersHQ forums.
| > |
| > | I've had a bit of a play with Gentoo on this board and found
that
| > Kernel 2.6
| > | is pretty good with this board, but APIC and/or ACPI were
causing
| > randim
| > | lockups, usually on high IDE activity.
| > |
| > | I tend to compile APIC and ACPI into the kernal then use
acpi=off
| > and noapic
| > | (or is that noacpi and apic=off?)
| > |
| > | One of the ways of turning off ACPI allow some of it's
functionality
| > without
| > | causing problems, if you want the options, let me know I'll boot
to
| > Linux.
| > |
| > | Ben
| >
| > Mandrake decided acpi was a no-no, and set acpi=no in the kernel
boot
| > lines with Lilo. The command switch is "noapic" in the boot line
for
| > APIC. More than likely, ACPI was the source of your problems.
| > Running "cat /proc/interrupts" gave me feedback that the APIC was
not
| > being used. I note there is a "force apic" option, may see what
that
| > does, hehe.
| >
| > --
| > Best regards,
| > Kyle
| >
|
|
 
Yes, I agree the 3com should work ok, but being a purist, I wanted the
Nvidia NIC to work, b/c I have a dual boot system, and win2k uses the
Nvidia NIC, and I did not want to use another net cable or switch the
cable around.
Click to expand...
So use the 3Com NIC in Windows as well.
 
I have a TRIPLE-BOOT system.
Mandrake 9.2/Win98SE/WinXPproSP1. and I use the
3Com port on all 3 systems. Works great.

Tocapet
 
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