# [Solved] Realtek 8111e

## pdr

I have the r8169 driver compiled into the kernel, I emerged linux-firmware, have /lib/firmware a my firmware directory, and have rtl_nic/rtl8169e-3.fw listed as firmware to build.

Rebuilt the kernel, copied to /boot, rebooted.

I picked that firmware because when the install CD boots (which DOES find the nic and create in ifconfig), while booting it warns it could not find that firmware file (later on it says something about loading firmware, so I figured it's a 2-stage process with the install disk).

I do get some dmesg messages from r8169 detecting the nic, even say it supports jumbo frames - nothing about 8168e, and ifconfig only contains lo.

Any help appreciated to get my new system up.

(edit) The interface was a new name - enp2s0.Last edited by pdr on Sat Aug 24, 2013 7:16 pm; edited 1 time in total

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## Anon-E-moose

What card/device do you have? And what kernel are you running?

I've got an onboard RTL8111/8168 and don't have any problems.

I have it as a module rather than built-in and as far as I know, I don't load any firmware for it.

From my messages file

 *Quote:*   

> r8169 Gigabit Ethernet driver 2.3LK-NAPI loaded
> 
> r8169 0000:03:00.0 eth0: RTL8168e/8111e at 0xffffc90000008000, a0:f3:c1:00:ba:6c, XID 0c200000 IRQ 74
> 
> r8169 0000:03:00.0 eth0: jumbo features [frames: 9200 bytes, tx checksumming: ko]
> ...

 

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## The Doctor

If your card uses firmware, it must be built as a module. As I understand the process, the firmware needs to be loaded before the kernel module.

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## Hu

 *The Doctor wrote:*   

> If your card uses firmware, it must be built as a module. As I understand the process, the firmware needs to be loaded before the kernel module.

 That is not entirely true.  You can use firmware when the driver is built in, but the firmware must be available when the driver requests it.  Some drivers request firmware during initialization, which occurs before the filesystem is ready.  If your driver is like this, then you must build the firmware into the kernel.  In some cases, this could result in a kernel that is not Free.

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## pdr

I see exactly the same messages - and it is not creating eth0.

I used firmware in the being-replaced workstation; the radeon/CEDER_xxx.bin firmware. Did exact same approach.

And I can see the firware's object file in /usr/src/linux/ after rebuilding the kernel - I assume it is getting linked into the kernel.

Sorry - not exactly the same (I don't get eth0, and I assume the 6 lines are for 2 reboots).

Lines are (have to manually copy - no network   :Wink:  )

OK, mine say eth0 too! So where the heck is eth0 going? It is not being added to /dev...

(more)

OK, let me actually copy them here:

```

kernel: [...] r8169 Gigabit Ethernet drive 2.3LK-NAPI loaded

/etc/init.d/sshd[..]: ERROR: cannot start shd as net.eth0 would not start

kernel: [...]: r8169 ... irq 42 for MSI/MSI-X (DO I NEED TO DISABLE MSI IN THE KERNEL OPTIONS?)

kernel: [...]: r8169 .... eth0: RTL8168evl/8111ev1 at 0x...., ..., XID ... IRQ 42

kernel: [...]: r8169 ... eth0: jumbo features [iframes: 9200 bytes, tx checksumming: lo]

```

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## pdr

I should mention the only other thing of interrest i:

```
ACPI: Warning 0x...-0x... SystemIO conflicts with region \_SB_.PCIOSMBUS.SMBI 1 (.../utaddress-251)

ACPI: If an ACPI driver is available for this device, you should use it instead of the native driver\

```

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## pdr

Not MSI/MSI-X - disabled, recompiled (including looks like all my drivers), and still no eth0 - just lo.

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## Hu

Network cards are not shown in /dev.  Why do you think you have no eth0?

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## Anon-E-moose

Hu is right, network cards don't show up in /dev, the only way to see them is with ifconfig, use -a to make sure they are not there.

Sounds like you are using one of the newer udev's and have something other than eth0 as a device.

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## pdr

By /dev, I just meant registered in the system (guess I should have said sysfs)..

But it IS in there (under the new udev naming scheme) - why did it not show up until I added "-a"?

Either way - thanks. It is up, online, and now the compiling begins. Thankfully the 3.2 GHz Ivy Bridge is a bit faster (tho half the cores) of the 2.4 GHz Q6600 it is replacing so should end up installing faster.

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## Hu

ifconfig only shows up interfaces, but ifconfig -a shows interfaces even when they are down.  You should prefer ip in most cases instead of ifconfig.  It is more powerful and defaults to showing all interfaces.

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## 666threesixes666

http://code.google.com/p/r8168/

& i found the driver in portage.

as root....

[/code]

```

emerge -av net-misc/r8168

```

ill fix up a wiki page later for your device as i am leaving to go to friends for the next 2 days.

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