PCMCIA nic: getting it working with pcmcia-cs (for n00bs!)

cPF · n00b Joined: 21 Dec 2002 Posts: 22 Location: Finland

This problem has caused me too much trouble, for not to inform anyone else browsing these forums.

I recommend people with old PCI-to-PCMCIA (not ISA-to-PCMCIA) pcmcia-bridges, that are not cardbus compliant (like many Cirrus controllers, mine is PD6832) to keep using their 2.4 series kernels with standalone "pcmcia-cs" modules, like the README instructs in pcmcia-cs. There seems to be no alternative.

Unlike all manuals tend to say, 2.6 series haven't yet catched up with the development in the standalone pcmcia packages, and some kernel modules are still almost five years old. I couldn't find any text corresponding to this chip in the relatively old revisions of i82365 module sources included in kernel 2.6.4.

The symptom with kernel 2.6 was that I couldn't identify my pcmcia-hardware correctly, because kernel thought it was some sort of real cardbus and loaded yenta_socket), and it failed to read any product information at all of devices in the pcmcia-bus. It always tried to insert a memory_cs module for my 3c589_cs NIC!

We should also instruct people to remember add CRC32 support in 2.4 kernel, or you will get a whole lot of missing symbols. Could someone add this to the original post?

mstrube

Thanks for the information...although I resent being called a n00b!

drdebian · n00b Joined: 07 Apr 2004 Posts: 49

gentonix · n00b Joined: 29 May 2003 Posts: 35

Hello everyone,

I'm having problems network adapter trouble with IBM Thinkpad 600X and 3C589D NIC. I'm using 2.6.5-gentoo-dev sources and compiled in all the pcmcia stuff (I can go into details if needed) and the 3c589 support as a module. Everything works like a charm for a while, but then the NIC stops responding. I have to reinsert it to get it working again. Dmesg outputs the following:

charlieg

flawed_logic · n00b Joined: 01 May 2004 Posts: 2

First of all thank you for the great guide. I would have been lost for a couple days without it. That being said I am haveing a problem. I followed the directions exactly, and everything seems to work except bringing eth0 up.

The modules load fine, the nic is recognized, the link light comes on but when it tries to bring eth0 up it hangs for about 3 minutes then says it failed.

I was just wondering if anybody had any advice or a link to a similer problem cause I am at a loss.

Thanks in advance.

charlieg · Posted: Sun May 02, 2004 1:59 am Post subject:

flawed_logic · n00b Joined: 01 May 2004 Posts: 2

Thanks for the reply.

The card I am using is the netgear fa511

I believe I am using a standard kernel

I use dhcp and go through a SMC router

When cardmgr starts it recognises my card and all modules are loaded successfullly but eth0 doesn't start

EDIT: Just tried a 3com nic and got the same results so I don't think it is the card

EDIT: Got it to work, I had to add the line pci=noacpi to my grub.conf thanks again

Julle · n00b Joined: 18 Feb 2003 Posts: 21 Location: Oulu, Finland

I'm struggling to get pcmcia to work with 2.6.5 kernel. I have tried all kernel configuration combinations I can think of and searched these forums again and again.

Right now I have kernel configured like this. PCMCIA, yenta and i82365 included but no device drivers. I also have emerged pcmcia-cs.

At first I got this in startup.

powdahound · n00b Joined: 21 Jan 2004 Posts: 26 Location: NH, USA

*Bump!!!*

I have the same problem as the poster above me with the 2.6.7-r6 kernel. Please help if you have this working on 2.6!

I am trying to set up my 3COM 3CCFE575BT PCMCIA NIC...

jmpnz · n00b Joined: 19 May 2003 Posts: 23

soroko,
Thanks, I too have more hair because of your post but how did you determine that this was the problem?

charlieg · Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2004 2:01 am Post subject:

Thanks to dmitrio for keeping an updated version up on gentoo-wiki.com!
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ett_gramse_nap · Posted: Sat Jul 17, 2004 7:25 pm Post subject:

el_Salmon · Posted: Sun Jul 18, 2004 3:53 pm Post subject:

ett_gramse_nap · Posted: Sun Jul 18, 2004 9:44 pm Post subject:

Sure, but what exactly should be enabled in the kernel. There is one option about pcmcia and cardbus in general (I think) above pci hotplugging and then some pcmcia stuff beneath in the networking stuff. I think it's a mess. As a bonus some people even argue one shouldn't use the pcmcia-cs package.
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el_Salmon · Posted: Sun Jul 18, 2004 11:39 pm Post subject:

If you emerge pcmcia-cs ebuild with linux 2.6, portage compiles only PCMCIA tools (configuration files, utilities...) but not PCMCIA drivers. These drivers must be compile in kernel: (hermes support or prism54 support, PCMCIA or PCI support, etc). The problem is gentoo-dev-sources (2.6.7-r11) don't get orinoco patches for monitor mode.

ett_gramse_nap · Posted: Mon Jul 19, 2004 6:49 am Post subject:

I just can't get it to work, so here's the story, hope someone can help.

My pcmcia-card is a Netgear FA511 (Cardbus).

I'm using gentoo-dev-sources-2.6.7-gentoo-r10 with

ett_gramse_nap · Posted: Mon Jul 19, 2004 8:56 am Post subject:

Problem solved! Apparently one should enable one of the Networking-options... I had to have a module called "tulip" loaded to use my card.
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MasterOfTheHat · n00b Joined: 16 Jul 2004 Posts: 15

All right, I am definitely a n00b on G2 and on Linux in general, but a friend of mine praised G2 so I thought I would try it...

It took me a while to get the OS loaded onto my toshiba Tecra 530CDT laptop, but I finally got it to boot. During the install, my 3Com Megahertz 3CXEM556 modem and 10/100 NIC combo pcmcia card worked great, if i used the 'dopcmcia' option on boot. Once I got G2 installed, however, I haven't had any luck.

I've walked through this tutorial at least twice, and still no luck. According to the pcmcia-cs page, this card is supported under the 3c589_cs driver.

Where do I go from here? What info do you need me to post? I am using a static IP and I know /etc/conf.d/net is set up correctly.

insmod 3c589_cs gives me:
init_module: INvalid argument

insmod serial_cs gives me the same.
(i notice both of those on boot)

Any ideas?

- MotH

dmitrio · Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2004 3:00 pm Post subject: :. copied to gentoo-wiki.com

I have copied this HOWTO, with permission of charlieg and anz and el_Salmon to gentoo-wiki.com
http://gentoo-wiki.com/index.php?title=HARDWARE_PCMCIA_NIC
If you see anything that should be added or changed, feel free to do so.

Thank you for a great HOWTO.

PS: article updated with the note from el_Salmon for 2.6 Kernel.
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TheCat · Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2004 10:00 am Post subject:

try anything, but no luck...
I'm (try to) using 2.6.7-r11 on very old laptop (targa TN549 ProII, 166mmx, 32 mb). with debian-woody (2.4.18) installation floppy my pcmcia card working fine (with i82365 module), but no with gentoo.
my /etc/conf.d/pcmcia contains:
PCIC="yenta_socket"

lsmod shows modules:
ds, yenta_socket and pcmcia_core

but when I run cardmgr I get "no sockets found!"
"modprobe i82365" says "No such device"
any help?

el_Salmon · Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2004 10:57 am Post subject:

Try to compile all PCMCIA basic drivers you need in kernel, not like modules. Enable all: yenta_socket, i82365, ds, etc. Maybe you have not installed "module-init-tools" ebuild. This is necessary to load modules with kernel 2.6.x

TheCat · Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2004 7:33 am Post subject:

TheCat · Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2004 9:40 am Post subject:

I found I don't have /var/lib/pcmcia directory
but maybe it's not main...

TheCat · Posted: Thu Jul 29, 2004 7:16 am Post subject:

so strange. with 2.4.26-r6 everything is working fine...
2.6.7 didn't have enought pcmcia support?