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jfmanamtr
n00b
Joined: 02 Mar 2010
Posts: 12
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 Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2011 3:31 pm Post subject: Help installing Gentoo on Acer Aspire One |
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Hello All. I am have been using Linux for some years & got tired of how bloated some distros get. I was told that Gentoo is the way to go for configuring a distro specifically for me. I have several PCs that I am going to want to convert to Gentoo, but for now I am trying to figure all this out on my Acer Aspire One 532h. I am using the minimal installation live CD to install this. I got the partitions setup. Then downloaded the stage3 tarball & unzipped it. Then got portage downloaded & unzipped. Now I am at the part to config the kernel & I am a little lost because I have never modified the kernel before (most of the distros I used just worked, but were rather slow making Windows boot faster than Linux). I am just wanting some more information about doing this. I know that I just want to load the drivers & modules specific to my hardware to make everything a little more streamlined, but am not sure what to do. So, any help or guidance is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
~JFM |
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cach0rr0
Bodhisattva
Joined: 13 Nov 2008
Posts: 4123
Location: Houston, Republic of Texas
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| Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2011 4:08 pm Post subject: |
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your best bet - go with one of Pappy's seeds (see the links in my signature)
You *can* use genkernel, but if it doesn't "just work" the first time, you'd spend more time trying to troubleshoot genkernel than you would just trying to do a manual kernel configuration.
There are actually many models of Aspire One, so I cannot say exactly which drivers you will need. But that is what the links are for 
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Lost configuring your system?
dump lspci -n here | see Pappy's guide | Link Stash |
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jfmanamtr
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Joined: 02 Mar 2010
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| Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2011 4:26 pm Post subject: |
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OK. So, I am not really familiar with modifying a kernel. How exactly do I use the kernel seed instead of emerge gentoo-sources? Sorry. Just trying to work my way through all this. Thanks for your help.
~JFM |
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cach0rr0
Bodhisattva
Joined: 13 Nov 2008
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Location: Houston, Republic of Texas
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| Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2011 4:39 pm Post subject: |
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| jfmanamtr wrote: | OK. So, I am not really familiar with modifying a kernel. How exactly do I use the kernel seed instead of emerge gentoo-sources? Sorry. Just trying to work my way through all this. Thanks for your help.
~JFM |
when you emerge gentoo-sources, all you're doing is bringing down all of the kernel source files
nothing is compiled yet, you dont automagically get a kernel. You simply have the source there, and you need to compile a kernel.
Now, before you can compile a kernel, you need to tell "make" what all drivers and configuration options it needs to include in the compiled kernel.
This is done by changing the contents of .config inside your kernel sources directory. Instead of hand-editing a .config file, you run "make menuconfig", and select the options you need.
Once .config is set up correctly, you do 'make && make modules_install', then copy the kernel bzImage over to your /boot
Where most people get lost, is trying to sort through the zillion options in menuconfig that are either cryptic, or that control things which are outside of their comfort zones for changing. What Pappy's seeds are, are *partially* complete .config files, so some of the more difficult decisions are already made for you. It is not a complete config, you still need to run menuconfig and select the drivers and file system support you need, but that's pretty well it.
His webpage explains this in detail, that's more or less a summary of it. Basically, what you're doing is emerging a set of kernel sources (e.g. gentoo-sources), snagging a prefabricated .config file, moving it to /usr/src/linux, running make menuconfig, selecting the drivers/options you need, running make && make modules_install, then once that's done copying the bzImage over to /boot
The seed is a config file; it is not an alternative to the kernel sources or anything of the sort.
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jfmanamtr
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Joined: 02 Mar 2010
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| Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2011 4:44 pm Post subject: |
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Oh. OK. That I get. I will give that a try & see what happens. I will get back to you if I have any issues with using that config. Thanks again for the help
~JFM |
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jfmanamtr
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Joined: 02 Mar 2010
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| Posted: Sat Apr 16, 2011 4:17 pm Post subject: |
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Ok. So I am running into a few issues. I seem to be having issues using emerge once I chroot. I was trying to emerge links to get pappy's seed config pulled down, but the emerge seems to crash. I can emerge gentoo-sources, but nothing else. Any ideas?
~JFM |
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NeddySeagoon
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Joined: 05 Jul 2003
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Location: 56N 3W
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| Posted: Sat Apr 16, 2011 4:53 pm Post subject: |
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jfmanamtr,
What does | jfmanamtr wrote: | | ... emerge seems to crash ... |
really mean ?
kernel-seeds could use an update now too. For the current intel video driver, which you will want, you must enable Kernel Mode Switching in the agpgart/DRM section of the kernel. Its no longer optional.
There is a special fan control option in the kernel for the Acer One - you should use it.
I run Gentoo on an Acer One with the 8G SSD. It originally had Linpus installed.
You can wget files from the web from inside or outside the chroot. A web browser is not needed
wget http://kernel-seeds.org/.... will fetch the file at http://kernel-seeds.org/.... to your present working directory.
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NeddySeagoon
Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail. |
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jfmanamtr
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Joined: 02 Mar 2010
Posts: 12
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| Posted: Sat Apr 23, 2011 1:00 pm Post subject: |
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Ok. So, I got the kernel compiled & got my new system where it will boot. but the thing is that when I boot the system, I get this:
network interface eth0 does not exist
please verify hardware or kernel module (driver)
I understand what it is asking me to do, but have no idea how to do this. Any help?
~JFM |
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NeddySeagoon
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Location: 56N 3W
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| Posted: Sat Apr 23, 2011 1:47 pm Post subject: |
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jfmanamtr,
The system has tried to start the network interface eth0 for you and found that is not there.
This is caused by the kernel module for the interface not being loaded.
This has two possible causes - the module is not built for your kernel, or its built but not loaded.
My Acer One has an RTL8101E/RTL8102E wired interface. Look in lspci. That needs the r8139 kernel module.
Yours may be different.
Try | Code: | modprobe r8139
ifconfig -a
dhcpcd eth0 |
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NeddySeagoon
Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
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jfmanamtr
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Joined: 02 Mar 2010
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| Posted: Sat Apr 23, 2011 8:25 pm Post subject: |
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Ok. So running 'modprobe r8139' should do the trick as I know I have a realtek eth card. Does this add the module permanently or will I have to do something different to do that?
~JFM |
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NeddySeagoon
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| Posted: Sat Apr 23, 2011 8:59 pm Post subject: |
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jfmanamtr,
You will have to modify /etc/modules.autoload.d/kernel-2.6 or /etc/conf.d/modules depending on your baselayout version.
You should only have one of those files. Read the comments in the file.
_________________
Regards,
NeddySeagoon
Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail. |
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jfmanamtr
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Joined: 02 Mar 2010
Posts: 12
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| Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2011 3:36 am Post subject: |
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Ok. so when I do modprobe r8139, I get told 'FATAL: Module r8139 not found.' So I am guessing I didn't compile that module into the kernel? Am I to assume that I need to recompile my kernel & make sure that I add the realtec 8319 card support?
~JFM |
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cach0rr0
Bodhisattva
Joined: 13 Nov 2008
Posts: 4123
Location: Houston, Republic of Texas
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| Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2011 3:54 am Post subject: |
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| jfmanamtr wrote: | Ok. so when I do modprobe r8139, I get told 'FATAL: Module r8139 not found.' So I am guessing I didn't compile that module into the kernel? Am I to assume that I need to recompile my kernel & make sure that I add the realtec 8319 card support?
~JFM |
assuming r8139 is the correct driver for your machine, yes. If you don't mind building it as a module, you can simply fire up menuconfig, enable that driver as a module (not a built-in), 'make && make modules_install', then modprobe r8139 without rebooting.
lspci would confirm one way or another
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dump lspci -n here | see Pappy's guide | Link Stash |
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jfmanamtr
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Joined: 02 Mar 2010
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| Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2011 10:51 am Post subject: |
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I would love to try lspci, but I didn't emerge pciutils before I rebooted out of the live image. I dual boot this PC & Windows shows the wired card as a Realtek. So, I can just make menuconfig, then add r8139 into the network drivers & modprobe r8139. I will give that a try once I am back near the PC. Do I have to boot into the live image or can I just make menuconfig from a regular boot?
~JFM |
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NeddySeagoon
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| Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2011 12:59 pm Post subject: |
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jfmanamtr,
There are three or four different realtek drivers in the kernel - you need the right one for your interface.
Just because my Acer One needs r8139 does not mean yours is the same.
lspci is on the install media. Boot it and run lspci. There is no need to be in the chroot.
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NeddySeagoon
Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail. |
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jfmanamtr
n00b
Joined: 02 Mar 2010
Posts: 12
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| Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2011 1:05 pm Post subject: |
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Ok. Cool. I will take care of that after I get back by my house. Thanks for all the help.
~JFM |
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Installing Gentoo
