How I got my DLink DFE-530TX card working

[Muzzafarath]

I had been trying to get my ethernet card, a DLink DFE-530TX, working in Linux, for a while. I gave up and asked a question here in the Hardware Related forum. I was running kernel 2.2.17.

2.2.17 includes a rather old version of the via-rhine driver (v1.01 from '99). To use my card with Linux I had to have v1.07 or later. I went to scyld.com and downloaded these files:

kern_compat.h (http://www.scyld.com/network/kern_compat.h)
pci-scan.h (http://www.scyld.com/network/pci-scan.h)
pci-scan.c (http://www.scyld.com/network/pci-scan.c)
via-rhine.c (ftp://www.scyld.com/pub/network/via-rhine.c)

I put them in /ether (but you can put them whereever you like). I then compiled them:


gcc -DMODULE -D__KERNEL__ -DEXPORT_SYMTAB -Wall -Wstrict-prototypes -O6 -c pci-scan.c
gcc -DMODULE -Wall -Wstrict-prototypes -O6 -c via-rhine.c


That would produce two kernel modules (pci-scan.o and via-rhine.o). I copied via-rhine.o to /lib/modules/2.2.17/net and pci-scan.o to /lib/modules/2.2.17/misc. Then I ran `depmod -a` and then `modprobe via-rhine` to load the two modules. I also made sure that the via-rhine module was loaded at boot-time by adding modprobe via-rhine to the end of /etc/rc.d/rc.modules (the init scripts might differ between distributions). I then ran `netconfig` to configure the network card and rebooted (probably unnecessary, but it was the only way I could get the changes to take effect).

That's how I got my DLink DFE-530TX working in Slackware Linux 7.1. http://www.linuxnewbie.org/ubb/smile.gif

Update: You need the kernel sources installed (in /usr/src/linux) to be able to compile the modules.

If you're using Red Hat 7, make sure you compile using kgcc as the the version of gcc in RH7 can't compile the modules. You must also add -I/usr/src/linux/include to the compile command (mentioned <a href=http://www.scyld.com/network/updates.html>here</a> ). So if you're running RH 7, this is how you would compile it:


kgcc -I/usr/src/linux/include -DMODULE -D__KERNEL__ -DEXPORT_SYMTAB -Wall -Wstrict-prototypes -O6 -c pci-scan.c
kgcc -I/usr/src/linux/include -DMODULE -Wall -Wstrict-prototypes -O6 -c via-rhine.c


Thanks to brwnx for pointing this it http://www.linuxnewbie.org/ubb/smile.gif

[This message has been edited by Muzzafarath (edited 07 January 2001).]

[Luthor]

Very nice! http://www.linuxnewbie.org/ubb/smile.gif

Well worded and clear. I wish everyone would post a solution like this after they worked through a particularly thorny problem.

Kudos



------------------
Luthor St. James
(aka [AcK]BillTheCat)

[davolfman]

Is this a 530tx or a 530tx+. The two models use different chipsets. I didn't think the kernel driver was that old since the 2.2.15 in Mandrake 7.1 auto-detected the 530tx just fine and the 2.2.16 in Slackware 7.1 detected the 530tx+ just fine.

[Muzzafarath]

It's the DFE-530TX, the 530TX+ uses another chip than the 530TX, the rtl8193 (rtl somethng, I knew that http://www.linuxnewbie.org/ubb/wink.gif).

It's possible that Mandrake shipped a different kernel and modules than the one found on kernel.org with their distro (that might have been why your card was set up by it).

And yes, the via-rhine driver in 2.2.17 _is_ that old. http://www.linuxnewbie.org/ubb/wink.gif

[This message has been edited by Muzzafarath (edited 21 November 2000).]

[blackwolf_c]

ahhh yes, the DFE-530TX.

I have one, RH 6.2 and Mandrake 7.1 both see it fine.

I did not know there was an issue with it?

------------------
if anyone wishes to contact me, please do so by my email. I just don't re-read posts too often. thanks.

Sincerely,
Jacob 'BlackWolf' Casper

[Muzzafarath]

Only some versions of the card need the updated driver to work. My card is probably newer than yours so it needs the new driver...

[This message has been edited by Muzzafarath (edited 27 December 2000).]

[dkkcm]

One of the nics in my lrp box is a DFE 530TX+. In order to get it to work, I had to copy rtl8139.o into /lib/modules and then modify /etc/modules. It worked just fine.

Disclaimer: I am a complete newbie and linux seems great except for when I can't figure something out.

[Muzzafarath]

Yep, the DFE-530TX+ isn't the same as the DFE-530TX http://www.linuxnewbie.org/ubb/smile.gif

[Muzzafarath]

Updated the first post with info on how to compile the modules on RH 7.

[knavely]

yes my friend is having a hard time with the same ethernet card.
after you compiled the downloaded files, we are both lost, basicly we lack the command line knowledge to do any of this.

[knavely]

we are trying these commands but i keep getting '06' unrecognized option

[Muzzafarath]

You guys should simply type in _excactly_ those commands. Oh yeah, that -O6 option: you should use a big O(the letter), not a zero (0).

[Muzzafarath]

I've written a simple script that will automatically compile, install and load the via-rhine and pci-scan modules:


gcc -DMODULE -D__KERNEL__ -O6 -c via-rhine.c
gcc -DMODULE -D__KERNEL__ -O6 -c pci-scan.c

cp via-rhine.o /lib/modules/`uname -r`/net
cp pci-scan.o /lib/modules/`uname -r`/net

depmod -a
modprobe via-rhine


Save it as "install.sh" in the folder where you put the other files (for example /ethernet). You then run it by typing in this:


sh install.sh


If there are no errors, nothing should be written to the screen and after you've installed it you should be able to run netcfg or linuxconf to configure the network (i.e IP address).