ethernet card problem
 

The other day I installed debian-6.0.4-i386 on my
backup computer and it worked so well that I decided to install debian-6.0.4-amd64 on my main computer.

The install begins smoothly but stops dead when looking for
network hardware.

The unseen hardware is Realtek RTL8111/8168B PCI Express Gigabit
Ethernet Controller.

The hardware which worked fine on my i386 machine is not Realtek
but I think Silicon Integrated Systems.

<http://dhost.info/baxic/debian-on-hp-probook-4520s/hw-spec.php#eth-card>
tells me this Reatek hardware "works fine". Like hell it does!

Where can I find out what ethernet cards will really work fine
with squeeze.

I'll go and buy one to save myself a lot of hassle and
frustration.

I have the latest realtek-firmware installed on my Linux Mint
Debian Edition which I have been using for some months; but that's
no help when installing squeeze from a CD-ROM on a different
partition.

Any helpful advice would be appreciated.

Alan Kerns

ethernet card problem
 

On 25/03/12 16:43, Alan Kerns wrote:
> Realtek RTL8111/8168B

As you've noted - that card requires firmware, you can build an
installer that contains it[*1] or download one[*2].

If you have managed to install the base system you just need the
firmware-realtek package from non-free:-
http://debian.lcs.mit.edu/debian/pool/non-free/f/firmware-nonfree/firmware-realtek_0.28+squeeze1_all.deb

[*1]
http://wiki.debian.org/DebianInstaller/NetbootFirmware

[*2]
http://cdimage.debian.org/cdimage/unofficial/non-free/firmware/
http://cdimage.debian.org/cdimage/unofficial/non-free/cd-including-firmware/



Please don't post in HTML.


Kind regards

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ethernet card problem
 

Thanks Scott.

This gets more fascinating and bizarre.

Option (1) seems to require implementation from within a working
system the same as the target system for the installer.

So to Option (2). Accessing the website and each subdirectory was
agonizingly slow. But we got there in the end. And
<firmware-6.0.4-amd64-netinst.iso> was downloaded, md5sum
checked, and burnt to a CD.

Thence to installation - and the same deadstop occurred when
searching for network hardware.

When I got to ejecting the CD, I noticed the file manager named it
<debian-6.0.4-amd64-netinst.iso>.

That is: it was actually the standard installer.

Flabergasted, I very carefully repeated the procedure with
precisely the same outcome.

Dear oh dear, what the hell is going on here? Are there saboteurs
at work? Paranoid question - but it makes no sense: the live DVD
boots OK, so must include the non-free firmware, but the installer
launched from within the live DVD cannot access the firmware that
is on the DVD.

The hours wasted, and the mounting frustration, lead me to ask
again: what ethernet card(s) will definitely work with the
standard installer?

Cheers

Alan Kerns



On 03/25/2012 03:57 PM, Scott Ferguson wrote:

On 25/03/12 16:43, Alan Kerns wrote:


Realtek RTL8111/8168B



As you've noted - that card requires firmware, you can build an
installer that contains it[*1] or download one[*2].

If you have managed to install the base system you just need the
firmware-realtek package from non-free:-
http://debian.lcs.mit.edu/debian/pool/non-free/f/firmware-nonfree/firmware-realtek_0.28+squeeze1_all.deb

[*1]
http://wiki.debian.org/DebianInstaller/NetbootFirmware

[*2]
http://cdimage.debian.org/cdimage/unofficial/non-free/firmware/
http://cdimage.debian.org/cdimage/unofficial/non-free/cd-including-firmware/



Please don't post in HTML.


Kind regards

ethernet card problem
 

On 25/03/12 20:45, Alan Kerns wrote:
> Thanks Scott.
> This gets more fascinating and bizarre.
> Option (1) seems to require implementation from within a working system
> the same as the target system for the installer.

Yes. I don't know your situation Alan, so I quickly gave a list of
options to cover a variety of needs.

> So to Option (2). Accessing the website and each subdirectory was
> agonizingly slow. But we got there in the end. And
> <firmware-6.0.4-amd64-netinst.iso> was downloaded, md5sum checked, and
> burnt to a CD.
> Thence to installation - and the same deadstop occurred when searching
> for network hardware.

Alt+F4 would probably give you some more insight into what the install
is doing at that point.

> When I got to ejecting the CD, I noticed the file manager named it
> <debian-6.0.4-amd64-netinst.iso>.
> That is: it was actually the standard installer.

Were the md5 sums the same for both CDs? If they're *not* the same, then
neither are the CDs, regardless of the name.

> Flabergasted, I very carefully repeated the procedure with precisely the
> same outcome.

That is also strange

> Dear oh dear, what the hell is going on here? Are there saboteurs at
> work? Paranoid question - but it makes no sense: the live DVD boots OK,
> so must include the non-free firmware, but the installer launched from
> within the live DVD cannot access the firmware that is on the DVD.

It's a problem the Live CD conveniently sidesteps. ie. the driver won't
work until the system is installed, with a net install the system can't
be installed until the driver works....

> The hours wasted, and the mounting frustration, lead me to ask again:
> what ethernet card(s) will definitely work with the standard installer?


AMD PC-Net 32
I've met very very few NICs that aren't supported.

Realtek have recently exhibited problems during the installation,
apparently it doesn't happen after the install so.

If it were me:-

install another NIC for the install if you've got one handy (disable the
other in the BIOS if it's built-in, remove it if it's not).

OR

partition and format the drives, populate /var/cache/apt/archives with
the needed packages prior to running the installer




> Cheers
> Alan Kerns

<snipped>
I appreciate that you find your experience frustrating - please consider:-
The code of conduct for the list:-
Never send your messages in HTML; use plain text instead.

And that some of us find top posting so annoying we refuse to deal with it.

There are some tips on how not to annoy the list here:-
http://wiki.debian.org/DebianMailingLists

>>
>>
>> Please don't post in HTML.
>>
>>


Kind regards


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ethernet card problem
 

On Sun, 25 Mar 2012 15:43:08 +1000, Alan Kerns wrote:

(no html, please)

> The other day I installed debian-6.0.4-i386 on my backup computer and it
> worked so well that I decided to install debian-6.0.4-amd64 on my main
> computer.
> The install begins smoothly but stops dead when looking for network
> hardware.
> The unseen hardware is Realtek RTL8111/8168B PCI Express Gigabit
> Ethernet Controller.
> The hardware which worked fine on my i386 machine is not Realtek but I
> think Silicon Integrated Systems.
> <http://dhost.info/baxic/debian-on-hp-probook-4520s/hw-spec.php#eth-
card>
> tells me this Reatek hardware "works fine".

Usually, most of the intel and realtek chipset based ethernet cards work
out-of-the-box, with exceptions, of course.

> Like hell it does! Where can I find out what ethernet cards will really
> work fine with squeeze.

What I do to test my hardware before installing is loading a LiveCD. This
helps to find the most common troubles, that is, with the vga and network
card.

> I'll go and buy one to save myself a lot of hassle and frustration. I
> have the latest realtek-firmware installed on my Linux Mint Debian
> Edition which I have been using for some months; but that's no help
> when installing squeeze from a CD-ROM on a different partition.

Your card may need a firmware file in order to work properly. You can
install Debian from DVD and thus avoid using/configuring your network
card and afterwards... your problems will continue :-P

The RTL8111/8168B NIC under Linux and the r8168 driver
http://superuser.com/questions/396071/the-rtl8111-8168b-nic-under-linux-and-the-r8168-driver.

It seems to be a problematic chipset.

Greetings,

--
Camaleón


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ethernet card problem
 

On Sun, Mar 25, 2012 at 07:45:02PM +1000, Alan Kerns wrote:
> The hours wasted, and the mounting frustration, lead me to ask
> again: what ethernet card(s) will definitely work with the standard
> installer?

Starting with the +firmware installer CD --
http://cdimage.debian.org/cdimage/unofficial/non-free/cd-including-firmware/

will help immeasurably. Includes firmware for Broadcom, Intel,
Realtek, and others.

If you want to buy a high-quality ethernet card, the Intel
gigabit cards are great.

-dsr-


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