[gentoo-user] EeePC network problem

Philip Webb · External Since: May 26, 2009 Posts: 8

I'm stuck in trying to install Gentoo on my new EeePC 1005HA .
There seems to be no easily accessible driver for the Ethernet controller,
which is 'Atheros AR8132' (shown via 'lspci').

I'm using 'install-x86-minimal-20091020.iso' on a USB stick;
it has 2 drivers atl1e/atl1e.ko atlx/atl1.ko
in /lib/modules/2.6.30-gentoo-r7/kernel/drivers/net/ ,
but neither allows me to connect to my ISP, timing out every time.
The problem is not the modem, as M$ XP can connect successfully.

I've searched for drivers via Google & the Gentoo forum,
but I can't compile the one I found, as the Gentoo installer lacks 'make'
& the module has to be compiled for the specific kernel there.
Also, the pkg -- AR81Family-linux-v1.0.0.10.tar.gz ,
which is almost the same as l1c-linux-v1.0.0.11-test.tar.gz --
dates from January 2009 , rather a long time ago in computing terms.

I also have SystemRescue on a USB, but it doesn't do ADSL.

I don't expect to be using the Internet with the netbook,
so it's needed only for installing Gentoo.
Has anyone managed to do a networkless install ?

Advice welcome.

--
========================,,============================================
SUPPORT ___________//___, Philip Webb
ELECTRIC /] [] [] [] [] []| Cities Centre, University of Toronto
TRANSIT `-O----------O---' purslowatchassdotutorontodotca

Stroller · External Since: Apr 25, 2004 Posts: 107

On 30 Oct 2009, at 02:41, Philip Webb wrote:
> I'm stuck in trying to install Gentoo on my new EeePC 1005HA .
> There seems to be no easily accessible driver for the Ethernet
> controller,
> which is 'Atheros AR8132' (shown via 'lspci').

A very casual Google suggests that this card uses the the atl1e kernel
driver / module.

EG:
http://kernel.ubuntu.com/git?p=ubuntu/ubuntu-hardy-lum.git;a=commit;h=...e706320

says: Add support Atheros ... AR8132 ethernet NICs

CONFIG_ATL1E is the wossisname.

Have you tried this driver?

Stroller.

Philip Webb · External Since: May 26, 2009 Posts: 8

091030 Stroller wrote:
> On 30 Oct 2009, at 02:41, Philip Webb wrote:
>> I'm stuck in trying to install Gentoo on my new EeePC 1005HA .
>> There seems to be no easily accessible driver for the Ethernet controller,
>> which is 'Atheros AR8132' (shown via 'lspci').
> A very casual Google suggests
> that this card uses the the atl1e kernel driver / module. EG:
> http://kernel.ubuntu.com/git?p=ubuntu/ubuntu-hardy-lum.git;a=commit;h=...e706320
> says: Add support Atheros ... AR8132 ethernet NICs
> CONFIG_ATL1E is the wossisname. Have you tried this driver?

Yes, as I said in detail in my OP : 'insmod atl1e' works,
but as before 'pppoe-start' times out when trying to connect to my ISP;
this is using the Gentoo minimal install ISO , which has that driver.
As I also said in my OP, I can't compile a driver (or kernel)
using the install system, as it doesn't have 'make'.

How have others got Gentoo installed on their 1005HA's ?
-- did they all use wireless access to the Internet ?

Again, does anyone have advice re trying a netless install ?

--
========================,,============================================
SUPPORT ___________//___, Philip Webb
ELECTRIC /] [] [] [] [] []| Cities Centre, University of Toronto
TRANSIT `-O----------O---' purslowatchassdotutorontodotca

Daniel da Veiga · External Since: Jun 02, 2005 Posts: 37

On Fri, Oct 30, 2009 at 14:48, Philip Webb <purslow.DeleteThis@ca.inter.net> wrote:
> 091030 Stroller wrote:
>> On 30 Oct 2009, at 02:41, Philip Webb wrote:
>>> I'm stuck in trying to install Gentoo on my new EeePC 1005HA .
>>> There seems to be no easily accessible driver for the Ethernet controller,
>>> which is 'Atheros AR8132' (shown via 'lspci').
>> A very casual Google suggests
>> that this card uses the the atl1e kernel driver / module. EG:
>> http://kernel.ubuntu.com/git?p=ubuntu/ubuntu-hardy-lum.git;a=commit;h=...e706320
>> says: Add support Atheros ... AR8132 ethernet NICs
>> CONFIG_ATL1E is the wossisname. Have you tried this driver?
>
> Yes, as I said in detail in my OP : 'insmod atl1e' works,
> but as before 'pppoe-start' times out when trying to connect to my ISP;
> this is using the Gentoo minimal install ISO , which has that driver.
> As I also said in my OP, I can't compile a driver (or kernel)
> using the install system, as it doesn't have 'make'.
>
> How have others got Gentoo installed on their 1005HA's ?
> -- did they all use wireless access to the Internet ?
>
> Again, does anyone have advice re trying a netless install ?
>

I would simply try any other LiveCD. Knoppix works OK for me on most
machines. Gentoo can be installed from any media that's able to use
the hardware.

--
Daniel da Veiga

Maxim Wexler · External Since: Aug 31, 2009 Posts: 22

I sort of just did a networkless install on my desktop. I only have
very slow dialup at home, but access to wifi once mobile. My netbook
is fairly up-to-date so I used it to download the latest install-iso,
stage3, portage-latest. These I installed on the desktop then copied
over all the distfiles on the netbook to the desktop. Now when I want
to emerge something, the latest tarball is already waiting.

But, of course, you're gonna have the have some sort of web access.

mw

On 10/30/09, Daniel da Veiga <danieldaveiga DeleteThis @gmail.com> wrote:
> On Fri, Oct 30, 2009 at 14:48, Philip Webb <purslow DeleteThis @ca.inter.net> wrote:
>> 091030 Stroller wrote:
>>> On 30 Oct 2009, at 02:41, Philip Webb wrote:
>>>> I'm stuck in trying to install Gentoo on my new EeePC 1005HA .
>>>> There seems to be no easily accessible driver for the Ethernet
>>>> controller,
>>>> which is 'Atheros AR8132' (shown via 'lspci').
>>> A very casual Google suggests
>>> that this card uses the the atl1e kernel driver / module. EG:
>>> http://kernel.ubuntu.com/git?p=ubuntu/ubuntu-hardy-lum.git;a=commit;h=...e706320
>>> says: Add support Atheros ... AR8132 ethernet NICs
>>> CONFIG_ATL1E is the wossisname. Have you tried this driver?
>>
>> Yes, as I said in detail in my OP : 'insmod atl1e' works,
>> but as before 'pppoe-start' times out when trying to connect to my ISP;
>> this is using the Gentoo minimal install ISO , which has that driver.
>> As I also said in my OP, I can't compile a driver (or kernel)
>> using the install system, as it doesn't have 'make'.
>>
>> How have others got Gentoo installed on their 1005HA's ?
>> -- did they all use wireless access to the Internet ?
>>
>> Again, does anyone have advice re trying a netless install ?
>>
>
> I would simply try any other LiveCD. Knoppix works OK for me on most
> machines. Gentoo can be installed from any media that's able to use
> the hardware.
>
> --
> Daniel da Veiga
>
>

Stroller · External Since: Apr 25, 2004 Posts: 107

On 30 Oct 2009, at 16:48, Philip Webb wrote:

> 091030 Stroller wrote:
>> On 30 Oct 2009, at 02:41, Philip Webb wrote:
>>> I'm stuck in trying to install Gentoo on my new EeePC 1005HA .
>>> There seems to be no easily accessible driver for the Ethernet
>>> controller,
>>> which is 'Atheros AR8132' (shown via 'lspci').
>> A very casual Google suggests
>> that this card uses the the atl1e kernel driver / module. EG:
>> http://kernel.ubuntu.com/git?p=ubuntu/ubuntu-hardy-lum.git;a=commit;h=...e706320
>> says: Add support Atheros ... AR8132 ethernet NICs
>> CONFIG_ATL1E is the wossisname. Have you tried this driver?
>
> Yes, as I said in detail in my OP : 'insmod atl1e' works,
> but as before 'pppoe-start' times out when trying to connect to my
> ISP;
> this is using the Gentoo minimal install ISO , which has that driver.
> As I also said in my OP, I can't compile a driver (or kernel)
> using the install system, as it doesn't have 'make'.

I'm really sorry. I skipped over that, because atl1e is part of the in-
tree sources here (gentoo-sources, since at least august).

Surely you can put the stage4 on a USB stick, untar it to the laptop,
and then have make once you're chrooted in?

Stroller.

Peter Humphrey · External Since: Jun 29, 2009 Posts: 3

On Friday 30 October 2009 16:48:23 Philip Webb wrote:

> How have others got Gentoo installed on their 1005HA's ?
> -- did they all use wireless access to the Internet ?

You could try the atl1c module, which works on my wife's 1005HA, although
lspci shows an Attansic 1062 chip. Long shot maybe, but no harm in trying.

Doesn't net-setup eth0 load the right module by itself?

--
Rgds
Peter