From: Adam Clarke (adamc@loose.apana.org.au)
Date: 10/07/93


From: adamc@loose.apana.org.au (Adam Clarke)
Subject: Re: 3c509 and SLS/TAMU
Date: Thu, 7 Oct 1993 14:54:51 GMT


cwhite@jarthur.claremont.edu (Stoney) writes:

>Has Linux V99pl13 been implemented in an SLS type distribution, if
>not, how hard is it to patch the kernel in say p12 so I can get 3c509
>support. Thanks.
> Chris

I had a look at SLS on tsx-11.mit.edu site about two weeks ago
it wasn't on 0.99pl13 then.. it might be now.

However I have got my Linux box up and running with what was then the latest
SLS distribution (1.03) with these helpful notes from various comp.os.linux
contributors

Here they are with bits edited out and with some annotations (enclosed
in ** **):
===========================================================================

Some Hints for tcp/ip-Networking under Linux 0.99p12
With many thanks to Gerhard Schneider who showed me the right way.

** I didn't look at this much - thought I'd come back if neccessary**
** It wasn't - my SLS seemed to have most things set. **

** I did set up a few things on my own however, these were **
** **
** 1. /etc/hosts file **
** 2. /etc/host file **
** 3. /etc/rc.net - this needed one important change which wasn't **
** documented, but judging from several posts did cause some **
** trauma, (probably due to newbies like myself who have no idea). **
** Getting back to the change - basically, you have to ensure that **
** the if config command gets the right parameters, particularly **
** the correct id name of your network driver (in this case eliii) **
** For example my ifconfig line read something like this: **
** **
** ifconfig $IPDEV 127.0.0.1 up netmask 255.255.255.0 **
** where IPDEV was set to eth0 and needed to be eliii **

1) It is essential to use /lib/libc.so.4.4.2 (4.4.1 does not work!)
   In general you should use the Slackware Installation package -
   ***but*** libc.4.4.2 can (up to now) only be extracted from the
   SLS installation.
2) Your router has to be within your netmask area.
   for example:
   network netmask router netmask
   128.130.4.0 128.130.4.1 255.255.255.0 ok
   128.130.4.0 128.130.6.1 255.255.255.0 won't work

3) You need a network entry in /etc/networks
   for example:
mynet 128.130.4.0

4) Example of rc.net or rc.inet1

MYNAME=`/bin/hostname`

# Attach the loopback device.
/etc/ifconfig lo localhost
/etc/route add localhost

# Set up the Ethernet connection(s).
/etc/ifconfig eth0 ${MYNAME} netmask 255.255.255.0 broadcast 128.130.4.255
/etc/route add mynet
/etc/route add default gw 128.130.4.1 1

Rainer Kirsch

In article <CDpxwD.G9v@acsu.buffalo.edu>,
** heaps of stuff that wasn't essential was here **

...for the 150 millionth time, yes. Read the Ethernet-HOWTO (see below)

============================

[...]
                3c509 --
                        A new card for 3Com. It should be cheap and have
                        excellent performance. The drawbacks are that it
                        _requires_ very low interrupt latency, and it isn't
                        rated for bus speeds greater than 8Mhz. The driver is
                        written, working, and included in pl12. But it
                        seems to triggers a Linux TCP bug, so it's not built
                        as part of the default kernel.

                        There is also an alpha version of a Linux 3c509
                        diagnostic and EEPROM setup program, but for now
                        users that don't like the defaults should use the
                        MS-DOS EEPROM setup program.

[...]

============================

...as for setting it up, well I have a few old posts here that describe
how it is done, but as they are *almost* two weeks old, and hence out of
date. Besides, there have been some bug fixes since the pl12 driver, and
alpha pl13 has changed some of the ethernet device names, so if you can't
figure out how to use the one in pl12, I'd wait for pl13

Paul.