No eth0 on fresh install

[Workaphobia]

Hi. My new gentoo kernel boots up successfully (albiet without framebuffer or swap), but I have no network connection. ifconfig -a shows nothing but the local loopback. I emerged both hotplug and coldplug.

For some reason when I was configuring the kernel, the options for hotplug and network had no box next to them, but a "---" instead. I'm not sure what this means - does it simply indicate a header/title/subsection (which is unlikely considering they have '?'-descriptions and the online install instructions tell me to answer 'Y'), or have I missed some part of the configuration process that enables these options?

I'm on an IBM T43 with a Broadcom NetXtreme Gigabit Ethernet.

[AlexK]

Did you compile the driver directly into the kernel, or if you have compiled it as a module, have you told it to autoload?

[Workaphobia]

I browsed through the driver->network section some more and found an entry that seems to work for my card. I missed that whole submenu until now because it was nested pretty deep and not mentioned in the online guide. It works now, thanks.

[staser88]

Hi Workaphobia,

Could you spell out to me how you solved your problem ... I'm experiencing the same issue ....

Net connection worked fine during install from CD, but after reboot, I can't get any communication. My IP information looks fine in resolv.conf, and I've fiddled with the other /etc/ network-related files with no success.

Thanks,
Karl

[josolanes]

Hi Workaphobia,

Could you spell out to me how you solved your problem ... I'm experiencing the same issue ....

Net connection worked fine during install from CD, but after reboot, I can't get any communication. My IP information looks fine in resolv.conf, and I've fiddled with the other /etc/ network-related files with no success.

Thanks,
Karl

ok, i'll try to help you the best i can . there are 2 solutions to this, manually editting the kernel to add support for your network card (the first that i explain) or installing programs that will find your card for you (second one that i explain).

manually editting your kernel....
find out what your network card is, then do the following in a terminal as root:

cd /usr/src                (go to /usr/src)
ls                  (this is to see what's in this directory)
cd linux-<number>                  (where <number> is the end of what you saw in the above "ls" command)
make menuconfig && make && made modules_install         (this will bring you to a menu, you should have seen this during the install...it will then compile your kernel)
# browse through "Device Drivers--->Network Device support--->(find what seems applicable and type "y" to compile it into the kernel)"
# when you're done, exit from the menu...it'll eventually ask if you want to save your settings, choose "Yes"
# now it'll start compiling your kernel...this may take a while
# when it's done, do the following so that it gets updated in your boot menu:
cp arch/i386/boot/bzImage /boot/kernel-custom && cp .config /boot/config-custom

now go to your bootloader's config script. if it's grub, than the config will be found at "/boot/grub/grub.conf". if it's lilo, it'll be found at "/etc/lilo.conf"

to edit these, do the following:
for grub...

nano /boot/grub/grub.conf

within the config file, copy the other kernel entry but edit the location of the kernel to "/boot/kernel-custom"
when you've finished this, do CTRL+X to exit, than type y to confirm saving it

for lilo...

nano /etc/lilo.conf

within the config file, copy the other kernel entry and change the location of the kernel to "/boot/kernel-custom"
when you've finished this, do CTRL+X to exit, than type y to confirm saving it

hope this helps

EDIT:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

installing hotplug and coldplug to find your network card for you.....
an alternative way to fix this is to install hotplug and coldplug and have them start at boot-up and find everything for you. to do this, you'd have to chroot into your gentoo system using the gentoo install cd:
place the cd in the drive
boot up your computer
enter the command prompt supplied by the cd
do the following:

mount /dev/<drive-and-partition> /mnt

(where <drive-and-partition> is where your gentoo install is installed (such as hda1, if it's on your first partition of your first drive)

chroot /mnt /bin/basg
source /etc/profile

(you are now in your gentoo install, using the kernel from the cd...but this is only temporary and we'll make it a permanent fix soon)

emerge hotplug coldplug
rc-update add hotplug default
rc-update add coldplug default

(now hotplug and coldplug will find the necessary modules for your kernel...like the cd does)

restart and eject the cd and you should boot up into your gentoo system, complete with internet access

[Workaphobia]

Could you spell out to me how you solved your problem ... I'm experiencing the same issue ....

Run the make menuconfig, and then go to the driver section, and from there the networking menu. The part that adds support for specific network cards is split into three categories by speed - 10MB/100MB, 1GB, and 10GB. I made the mistake of forgetting that I had a 1GB card, not 100MB. Anyway, you can try saying yes to every single card in all three submenus - it can't hurt. If it works, you can go back later and uncheck everything but your own specific card.

I would compile these drivers right into the kernel, not as modules. Then rebuild the kernel with make install, which should put the new kernel image in /boot. Double check that grub.conf points to it.

Good luck.

[AlexK]

The better thing would be to just compile whatever driver/s you think is correct as a module, then use coldplug to launch the correct driver for you. Note coldplug needs to be in the default runlevel for this to work.

Otherwise, you can findout which driver the install cd uses by using the lsmod command in the installation environment, and/or searching the internet, then just compile that module into the kernel, no need for coldplug or anything.

[d38dm8nw81k1ng]

Run the make menuconfig, and then go to the driver section, and from there the networking menu. The part that adds support for specific network cards is split into three categories by speed - 10MB/100MB, 1GB, and 10GB. I made the mistake of forgetting that I had a 1GB card, not 100MB. Anyway, you can try saying yes to every single card in all three submenus - it can't hurt. If it works, you can go back later and uncheck everything but your own specific card.

I would compile these drivers right into the kernel, not as modules. Then rebuild the kernel with make install, which should put the new kernel image in /boot. Double check that grub.conf points to it.

Good luck.

unless you are using hotplug or coldplug (don't know the difference) then this won't work. i had a similar problem with my kernel, and i eventually found the problem was that i somehow had a different module compiled in as well as the one i selected. i took it out and recompiled the kernel and it was all good.