> Hi,
>
> I'm just getting started with linux and I'm trying to install
> a networkcard (3Com)
>
> But I always get the message that the device is not available.
You probably don't have the driver for that card
compiled into your kernel, or possibly you don't have
"kerneld" (the automatic module loader) running and/or
configured.
Possibly you could manually load the right module, or
build a new kernel from sources (or just build the module
with a "make modules modules_install" command issued from
/usr/src/linux.
There are other possibilities. If this card is configured
for some unusual I/O port and/or IRQ addresses than you're
kernel/modules may simply not be looking in there (the
autoprobing code only looks at the "usual" places --- this
lessens the risk of "tripping" over ill-behaved devices that
don't like being probed.
There are various ways to deal with that issue --- the best
is to reconfigure the card. 3Com has made *man* cards over
the years -- most of the recent models have solid-state
(jumperless, software driven) configuration to NVRAM
(non-volatile memory/registers on the card itself). They
usually only include DOS and Windows drivers to configure
the card with --- 3C5X9CFG.EXE or something like that.
The easy solution is to boot DOS and use that to configure
the card.
(VAResearch used to have a native linux 3c5x9config program
--- source and binary, on their FTP site. So I know there
is a way to do it without resorting to DOS).
There are numerous other issues -- reading the Ethernet
HOWTO is probably a good idea. You can find it, and
loads of other documentation at the Linux Documentation
Project's (LDP) web pages:
http://sunsite.unc.edu/LDP/
... and mirrors around the world.
One other note: This mailing list is not for general
Linux technical support . It is devoted to the use of
Linux in "embedded systems" (as opposed to desktops,
workstations, servers, laptops and other, more general
computing platforms).
There are a number of lists and newsgroups which provide
more general support. If you read through some back issues
of the Linux Gazette (the LDP monthly webazine) you can
find many links to these fora in my "Answer Guy" column.
One good place for questions of this sort is the
"L.U.S.T (Linux User Support Team) List" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
maintained by Paul Anderson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
author of the Linux-Tips HOWTO. There's also a
"list of linux lists" available at the majordomo
server on vger.rutgers.edu.
Normally I'd switch buffers and dig up the URL's
and e-mail addresses for these --- but my wife is
waiting for me to come to bed.
Please look around at the LDP site and join the
discussion groups (mailing lists or newsgroups) that
are relevant to your needs. The Linux community has
grown too big for us to just shove questions that the
first forum we see. Not only will you get better
answers in those fora --- but your question and its
answers will be archived, indexed, and show up in
Alta-Vista and Deja News searches to help others!
> What can I do??
> Gregory Deprez
--
Jim Dennis (800) 938-4078 [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Proprietor, Starshine Technical Services: http://www.starshine.org
