# Gentoo 1.4rc3 and problems with Realtek 8139too driver

## vm63310

I've installed Gentoo 1.4rc3 using stage 3 tarballs. Everything went ok by following the instructions given. I've also downloaded 2.4.20r1 kernel using emerge sys-kernel/gentoo-sources. Compiling it went ok and booting it works ok too.. My nic is using Realtek 8139 chip and so I modprobed 8139too driver for my network card. Ifconfig shows that everything is ok (IP, gateway etc.) but pinging outside doesn't work.. I can only ping localhost.. There are no errors in any logs whatsoever. Also, I have problems using dhcpd to configure my nic. Dhcpd just quietly timeouts after 60 seconds giving no error message(s).. By using the Gentoo boot CD the network works perfectly.. It uses the same module and settings for the network as my own kernel..

Hmm.. Is this problem with the 2.4.20r1 (Gentoo patch) kernel or does it also affect 2.4.20 stock kernel? I've seen lots of posts about same kind of problems from people using Realtek chips.

Any suggestions?

--

Wellu

----------

## ansalmo

I installed 1.4rc3 using the vanilla-sources with the 8139too, and haven't had any problems with it.

If you do a netstat -rn, does the routing table look sensible?

----------

## vm63310

Can't verify the routing table right now but as far as I can remember the routing table seemed sensible..

----------

## sn4ip3r

what does "dmesg" show ? what is the IRQ of the nic ?

I have had the same problem a few times (I was unable to install gentoo using 1.4 liveCD because of that). I can't remember the exact thing that I did to fix the problem, but I know that you have to change something in kernel config. If you have APIC support enabled, try to disable it. Also, it's possible that you can fix the problem by changing some setting in BIOS, but that did not help me when I had this problem.

----------

## jcosters

I've had no problems using the same 8139too driver in 1.4 rc3 compiled from scratch, using the gentoo kernel sources as well as the vanilla sources, but there are some options in the kernel config, some for more exotic revisions of the 8139.Last edited by jcosters on Wed Sep 10, 2003 10:34 pm; edited 1 time in total

----------

## tirantloblanc

 *sn4ip3r wrote:*   

> what does "dmesg" show ? what is the IRQ of the nic ?
> 
> I have had the same problem a few times (I was unable to install gentoo using 1.4 liveCD because of that). I can't remember the exact thing that I did to fix the problem, but I know that you have to change something in kernel config. If you have APIC support enabled, try to disable it. Also, it's possible that you can fix the problem by changing some setting in BIOS, but that did not help me when I had this problem.

 

Yes, some Motherboards (ECS, Sis-based) have problem if APIC is enabled in kernel. I had the same problem.

----------

## zx

I have the same problem. It detects and loads the 8139too module. I can't ping anything outside just like you. The only thing I've noticed is that along with loading the 8139too module, it also loads 8390 for some reason when it shouldn't. I have no idea why it is doing this but I think this might have something to do with the problem.

----------

## JamesD

I just installed gentoo w/8139too this weekend; I was lucky enough to do a google search for some kernel config options...

http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&threadm=3cbad8ba%40guardhouse.chbs&rnum=2&prev=/groups%3Fhl%3Den%26lr%3D%26ie%3DUTF-8%26oe%3DUTF-8%26q%3D8139too%2B%2B%2522use%2Bpio%2Binstead%2Bof%2Bmmio%2522

So I checked 'Use PIO instead of MMIO'

Good luck.

edit: After some further reading; I'm not sure that setting works with every 8139 card; FYI I'm using a laptop (Pro Star 8593) with a VIA chipset and onboard realtek 8139.

----------

## Woland

I hate to be one of those "I just insatalled it and it worked fine" types, but I did, and it did.  rc3 LiveCD located my 8139 card and inserted the module automagically, so I did not have to insmod or modprobe anything.   Furthermore, I belive that ifconfig would return an error of you tried to bring up a card that just ain't there.   The kernel support for this NIC seems very solid, the only problems I've ever had was when I tried using the other two options for the card which the kernel configuration presents.  But then I just got a kernel panic on boot, so I knew right away where the problem lay.

I had a devil of a time with my new install.  Nothing seemd to work.  This was before I realized that I set the aderess of the NIC to the same adress as my gateway.  Not everyone will make the same dumb mistake, but when I am seeing inexplicable errors, I am always concerned that the explination may be very embarassingly explicable.

However, don't be dicouraged, and if you are still having problems, post more error output.

----------

## Zarathustra[H]

I had the same problem, and here's how I fixed it.

Apparently all x86 2.4.20 kernels in the portage tree except the vanilla sources have some problem with the interaction betweeen ASPI and any Realtek 8139 nic.  I dont know why this is, but everything seems to work fine by just disabling ASPI either at kernel compile time, or by using the noaspi switch in you favorite boot loader.

/Matt

----------

## vm63310

Well, I emerged Vanilla sources, compiled 8139too in the kernel (not as a module) and everything works now  :Smile:  Hmm.. maybbe it had something to do with ACPI, dunno.. Have to test more..

----------

## rcb1974

I experienced the same problem.  8139too wouldn't load properly when APIC was enabled on my SiS based motherboard (Gigabyte 8ST800-L)

WHen I disabled APIC, it worked.  Also, I had trouble using 8139too and 3c59x simultaneously.  But when I replaced the 3c59x with a via-rhine, both ethernet cards worked.

----------

## elfarto

Mnhh, what 8139 chip revision do you have ??? i had that trouble with an older revision chip.

----------

