New to Linux - Please Help

[jmsa007]

Hello everyone. OK so this is what brings me here:

I'm currently pursuing a CCNA certification. I need to use a so called "Eagle Server" to do my lab exercises. I have the Linux Live CD (FEDORA CORE 3 KERNEL 2.6.12) and I have installed it on a laptop that I have (TOSHIBA EQUIUM M50-164, PSM57E). This laptop had Windows XP installed, so I created a 4GB FAT partition and booted with the Live CD. I chose the option installonFAT, then after rebooting (with CD in the tray) I chose runondisk:

ht*tp://img508.imageshack.us/img508/9025/eagleserver.jpg

Ok, here is my 1st problem: I need the CD in the tray every time I want to run Linux. Without the CD, it boots to Windows XP. Also, according to Eagle Server documentation, any modification to the server is available even after reboot. Well, that is not happening to me. Does someone have a clue why the server doesn't save the modifications? Is it because I need the Live CD to boot, even after I have installed on a FAT partition?

Another problem I have:

I need to connect the Eagle Server to a router using the Fast Ethernet LAN port:

ht*tp://img812.imageshack.us/img812/7187/eagleserver2.jpg

Eagle server supports only 1 network interface card, eth0. When I first run the server it showed me that the hardware mapped to eth0 was my wireless adapter. There is no option to disable it in my BIOS, so I just removed the hardware myself. After rebooting it show eth1394 on eth0. I presume that is the FireWire Adapter.

What can I do so that eth0 is mapped to my LAN adapter (Marvell Yukon 88E8036 PCI-E Fast Ethernet)?

Is there a way do disable FireWire?

Please remember that due to 1st problem above, any changes to the server are not available after reboot

So the main problem is that I can't ping from Eagle Server to the router and vice-versa

If I could get any help on this, I would be greatly appreciated. Please note I'm a beginner in using Linux.

Thank you for your time.

[yancek]

Why install Fedora on a windows filesystem (FAT) partition?
Are you required to use Fedora Core 3 which is outdated and unsupported? If your laptop is older things may work but...?
If you can't boot Fedora without the CD in the tray, you haven't configured your bootloader correctly. You either need to install Fedora Grub bootloader to the master boot record or configure xp to boot Fedora.

If you have the CD in the tray to boot Fedora, then you are mostly likely booting the CD every time and not the hard drive.

So: Why did you use a FAT partition?
What bootloader are you using?
Have you tried booting Fedora without the CD? if so, what exactly happens?
Why are you using Fedora Core 3?
?

[jmsa007]

Why install Fedora on a windows filesystem (FAT) partition?
Are you required to use Fedora Core 3 which is outdated and unsupported? If your laptop is older things may work but...?
If you can't boot Fedora without the CD in the tray, you haven't configured your bootloader correctly. You either need to install Fedora Grub bootloader to the master boot record or configure xp to boot Fedora.

If you have the CD in the tray to boot Fedora, then you are mostly likely booting the CD every time and not the hard drive.

So: Why did you use a FAT partition?
What bootloader are you using?
Have you tried booting Fedora without the CD? if so, what exactly happens?
Why are you using Fedora Core 3?
?

I have no other option to use Fedora 3. It is what is given by the Cisco Academy. The documentation says it has to be FAT partition. I have installed the system in the FAT partition, however I dunno why but need the CD to boot the server. After choosing the option runondisk and I can remove the CD and the system will load. Without the CD in the tray the laptop boots to windows without any options.

I dunno if that has something to do with that fact that changes I do are not available after reboot

Could you help me out in how to configure the bootloader?

Thx

[yancek]

I have no other option to use Fedora 3. It is what is given by the Cisco Academy.

That's bizarre! Requiring an OS which hasn't been supported for years, no updates available??

I don't know what Eagle Server is and how it fits into the picture.

Without the CD in the tray the laptop boots to windows without any options.

That would indicate you have no Fedora entry in the bootloader. Your xp has control of the master boot record. Do you want to overwrite the xp bootloader in the mbr?

I dunno if that has something to do with that fact that changes I do are not available after reboot

This would indicate that you are running the CD which is read-only and obviously won't save any changes or if you did install, it is read-only on the filesystem.

Can you use the CD to get your partitiion information? Log in to a terminal as root and run the command: fdisk -l (lower case Letter L in the command) and post it here. Also, I don't know what effect this Eagle Server will have?

[jmsa007]

Thank you for your reply.

I managed to get connectivity by removing eth1394 with rmmod command and then installing linux driver from toshiba website. It is the sk98lin

Still, the server can't save changes after reboot. Anyway I'm happy because I can get connectivity although I have to go through the same steps every time I reboot the server....

Really appreciate your help. Take care.