# RTL8139/PCMCIA

## Cabec2

Hi ppl  :Wink: 

Once again, i'm in need of some help ;p

I'm currently installing Gentoo on a laptop (hp omnibook XE2) for my

girlfriend (add her to the list of girls using gentoo ! :p) and i've some

difficulties with the network card.

It's a pcmcia cardbus based on the well-known rtl8139 chipset. During the

installation, i tried to use the 1.4_rc4 livecd, but while pcmcia worked

with it, the 8139too module (which is the one i need) wasn't able to load,

giving me a message about region#1 not being an MMIO ressource. So i tried

1.4 rc3 cd, and everything went fine. Then I thought that the 819too on

the rc4 used MMIO and on the rc3 PIO, and finished install.

Now everything is installed, including pcmcia-cs, that works, but i can't

figure how to build the 8139too module and make it work. i compiled at

least 6 different kernel/modules changing one option after another about

this module (PIO instead of MMIO, revision K support, older RX method,

etc..), compiling as module or built-in, disabling/enabling acpi, and some

other things i've read about pcmcia-rtl8139 cards, but it simply don't work. 

I got some messages via dmesg when trying to modprobe the 8139too :

first case : Region #0 is not a PIO ressource.

second case : Region #1 is not an MMIO ressource.

so i'm looking for someone that can explains me what to try/do, since i've

no more ideas on how to make this thing work =)

thx, cab

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## drizzt

I used a similar card(PCMCIA,RTL8139):

You must use KERNEL PCMCIA NOT PCMCIA-CS. The module for the card is the standard 8139too.

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## Cabec2

thx drizzt, that's what i done, i just forgot to write it here  :Wink: 

anyway, do you know why pcmcia-cs is not working ?

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## JonnyRo

Hello,

I have had similar problems but not yet found the solution.  I have a PCMCIA D-Link DFE 690 TXD.  IT uses the realtek 8139 chipset.  

I also noticed similar problems with using the rc4 install cd.  However, even though the card is detected correctly on the rc3 cd.  It has a problem.  It's hardware address always comes up as all 0's. 

When i try to use the rc4 cd i always get the error abour Region #1 not being a MMIO Resource.  

Did either of you have problems with the hardware address being blank?  One really wierd thing is that if i booted into windows first, and then rebooted to linux the hardware address will come up.  (This was windows 2000).  I have heard suggestions that this might be an acpi problem with the network card not being told to leave low power mode.

-Jonathan S. Romero

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## Cabec2

hi jonny.. looks like we have exactly the same problems  :Wink: 

about rc3/rc4 cds, i guess maybe rc3 use kernel modules where rc4 use pcmcia-cs ...

i've read lots of things about acpi and/or apm, but i can't simply get it to work  with pcmcia-cs.

then i use kernel modules, but i don't really know why it's the only solution =)

cab

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## JonnyRo

Load up the Gentoo 1.4 rc3 cd.  I believe that the rc4 cd cant be used because of PCMCIA-CS.  Under NO CIRCUMSTANCES ever type /etc/init.d/pcmcia start (you dont need it, it will load the wrong drivers)

boot using the following command:

gentoo noapic nonet pci=biosirq 

Then run: 

modprobe ds

//at this point your card might have been autodetected, check by:

dmesg

Mine was autodetected, here is the dmesg output

-------------------

PCI: Enabling device 02:00.0 (0000->0003)

eth0: D-Link DFE 690 TXD at 0x848dd000,00:40:05:8c:67:4d, IRQ 11

eth0: identified 8139 chip type "RTL-8139C"

When I was trying to use the 1.4rc4 cd, the card would show up with no PCI device identifier, and if it was detected it would have a blank hardware address.

When you build your kernel, make sure to compile in the standard Kernel PCMCIA support, do not use PCMCIA-CS.

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## neuron

use the smp kernel on rc4, worked for me  :Smile: 

thanks to htd on #gentoo-server that told me to check that  :Wink: 

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## JonnyRo

Interesting: re: smp-kernel

I'm so happy to have this card working well.  It was only 10$, so I was very excited to get it working.  Even though it took a lot of work.

I've used it successfully with gentoo-sources and ck-sources without the pcmcia-cs drivers.  Just modprobing ds, and maybe modprobe  8139too if that driver isnt compiled in.

Now if i could only get Full duplex sound working on my ESS Audiodrive on my laptop.

-Jonathan

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