# SIOCSIFFLAGS: Invalid argument [Solved]

## mynameistaken

Hi,

I'm trying to put gentoo on my laptop. The install went really well (or so I thought) until the reboot when the following happens:

```

* Starting eth0

SIOCSIFFLAGS: Invalid argument

SIOCSIFFLAGS: Invalid argument

SIOCSIFFLAGS: Invalid argument

*   Brining up eth0

*      dhcp

*          Running dhcpcd

err, eth0: ioctl SIOCSIFFLAGS: Invalid argument

```

Then when I log in there is no internet.

The same device, eth0, worked without any problems when I was running it off of the minimal cd so I thought it might be that I hadn't included the right stuff in the kernel.

Googling tells me that SIOCSIFFLAGS are module problems.

I did an lsmod and then rmmod on the module I thought was the eth0 one. The error message on restarting the connection is:

```

* Starting eth0

*    Bringing up eth0

*       dhcp

*           network interface eth0 does not exist

*           Please verify hardware or kernel module (driver)

```

The same thing happens in the live cd enviroment so I'm pretty sure that sis900 is the correct module but it works with the live cd and not in the install.

What should I try next?

TakenLast edited by mynameistaken on Fri Jul 11, 2008 3:12 pm; edited 1 time in total

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## mimosinnet

This is a thread with the same issue that may be of interest.

Cheers!

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## mynameistaken

Ok,

It is a fresh install so I don't think the problem can be that I'm using the wrong module version for the kernel.

I have no problem running "modprobe sis900", the module is loaded but doesn't work. It is the sis900 module that does the networking on the live cd so I know this is the right module.

Sounds like the guy in the linked thread was just trying to use the wrong module for his ethernet card but that isn't my problem as the sis900 module works off of the install cd.

lspci:

```

00:04.0 Ethernet controller: Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] SiS900 PCI Fast Ethernet (rev 90)

```

Which confirms the above.

What is the live cd doing that the install isn't?

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## mimosinnet

What options do you have in your kernel? I have a sis190, and this is what I have:

```
# grep SIS190 .config

CONFIG_SIS190=y
```

Actually, I have a sis191 and I had different issues with the card (see, for example, this thread). Because there may be some specific issues with the card (like in my case) some user could share the configuration parameters. I am happy to give details of how I configured my card.

Cheers!

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## mynameistaken

Here is everything in the kernel .config to do with SiS:

```

CONFIG_BLK_DEV_SIS5513=y

CONFIG_SIS900=m

CONFIG_SIS190=m

CONFIG_SENSORS_SIS5595=m

# CONFIG_AGP_SIS is not set

CONFIG_DRM_SIS=y

CONFIG_FB_SIS=y

CONFIG_FB_SIS_300=y

CONFIG_FB_SIS_315=y

```

There is also some usb stuff in there but I think that is irrelevant (grep picking up things like perSISt). 

Any more ideas?[/quote]

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## mynameistaken

More googling reveals that some one else has had the same/similar problem using the yum package manager: http://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=10201.

It seems like the MAC address isn't specified or something like that.

They mention editing /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-eth0 which doesn't exit on gentoo. Anyone know what the gentoo equivalent is?

Another solution which would seem to work would be to downgrade kernel to a version below 2.6.24.3.

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## krinn

ifconfig eth0 hw ether 00:33:00:33:33:33:33

will assign a mac address to your eth0, try to see if it's really that.

edit: gentoo network config file is /etc/conf.d/net

and network script is /etc/init.d/net.eth0 (witch is a symlink to net.lo)

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## mynameistaken

I tried specifying a MAC address in /etc/conf.d/net but that gave me the same error.

Downgrading to gentoo-sources-2.6.24-r3 solved the problem though

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