# [solved] Installing Gentoo on an Asus F3SV

## JoelCogen

Hi,

This is my first time with Gentoo, and I'm having some trouble.

I have a nVidia GeForce 8600M GS, and the nv drivers don't work, so I can't start the X server. My ethernet card is not recognized either, so I have to perform a networkless install. But when I install in text-mode, I get errors, first because /mnt/gentoo/etc/conf.d/clock is missing, so I copied it from /mnt/livecd/conf.d, but then I get an Array Index error from a python script.

On Ubuntu, I had to install in text-mode and then edit, via a working liveCD, my xorg.conf to replace nv by vesa as driver. I tried on Gentoo, but then gdm (and startx) starts but with my screen shut down (that's the problem I had on Ubuntu, but vesa solved it, here apparently vesa causes it).

So I guess I have to questions:

1/ Why do I get so many errors during install, is it related to the X crashing ?

2/ What can I do to make the X server start ?

Thanks !   :Very Happy: Last edited by JoelCogen on Wed Aug 22, 2007 9:45 am; edited 1 time in total

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## NeddySeagoon

JoelCogen,

Welcome to Gentoo.

You are doing the the right thing - switching to the vesa driver. You could also try the vga driver but that is 640x480 only, so its really ugly.

In the Monitor Section of xorg.conf look for 

```
        Option      "dpms"
```

change it to 

```
        Option      "dpms"  "off"
```

That will stop Xorg from using Display Power Management.  It may not be Xorg thats doing it though.

The GUI installer is know to be buggy - it works for some and not for others. My advice is to sort out your network card and install the manual way, as if you were using the minimal CD and the network. That way you get to learn about installing and maintaining Gentoo before you add any of your precious data.

Run lspci from any liveCD and tell us what it says about your Ethernet interfaces ... quote the lines.

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## JoelCogen

Ok thanks, I'll try that and keep you posted   :Smile: 

BTW the Ubuntu installer didn't find my network card either, but it worked immediately once the install was complete.

I might need a lot of help these days because I'm thinking about switching from Ubuntu to Gentoo, which appears to be quite a step   :Wink: Last edited by JoelCogen on Sun Aug 19, 2007 4:02 pm; edited 1 time in total

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## NeddySeagoon

JoelCogen,

I've never tried Unbuntu but there is a lot of learning involved in switching from any binary distro to any source based distro.

You need to make the decisions that the Ubuntu distro makers made for you, when you install Gentoo.

Thats why you see Gentoo referred to as a meta distro. Gentoo provides the tools and everyone builds their own distro using the tools.

Thats why I recommend the command line install - its a wonderful learning opportunity.

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## JoelCogen

Thanks for your quick replies  :Very Happy: 

I tried dpms off, but no change  :Sad: 

I also tried vga, but the display is totally messed up and I can't see anything... If I can set up a command line system I guess I could install the nvidia proprietary drivers, which work perfectly. But for that of course I need a network connection, and that's another problem.

Here's the output of lspci:

02:00.0 Ethernet controller: Attansic Technology Corp. L1 Gigabit Ethernet Adapter (rev b0)

03:00.0 Network controller: Intel Corporation Unknown device 4229 (rev 61)   -- that's my Intel 4965AGN wifi card

09:01.0 FireWire (IEEE 1394): Ricoh Co Ltd R5C832 IEEE 1394 Controller (rev 61)    -- I managed to make this one work as eth0 but that's kind of useless  :Sad: 

Any clues ?

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## Master Shake

First off I'd like to welcome you to gentoo!  For your wireless card the driver you want is the iwlwifi.  As a use flag you'll want to put in 4965 or ipw4965, I forget which.  For your Wired card, there is a driver for it in the newest kernel.  Its the last option undergigabit ethernet cards.  Hope that helps.

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## NeddySeagoon

JoelCogen,

You have an extra challenge but its not impossible.

First, the liveCD kernel is too old for your network card but that will be fixed when you build your own kernel.

You have two choices, 

1. Install Gentoo beside your Ubuntu. You can share /boot and swap but everything else must be kept separate.

2. Install Gentoo with the Gentoo liveCD, fetching things from the internet using Sneakernet until you have your own kernel, when your network card will work.

Since the dpms chenge in xorg.conf didn't work, it shows that something else is turning off your display.

Try adding the boot option nox at the liveCD boot: prompt - see the instructions on the F keys. This will give you a shell (no GUI) from which you can install with this handbook

You will still need to use Sneakernet to get things onto your PC until you have your own kernel.

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## Master Shake

There are other LiveCDs that are gentoo based which aren't supported at all by the Gentoo staff.  They might have a kernel that'll support your wired card.

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## JoelCogen

I don't want to keep Ubuntu on this pc, so I formatted it during my first Gentoo kinda-install.

If I managed to boot the liveCD, why do I need Sneakernet ? I thought the liveCD offered a networkless install ?

I'm asking because I was thinking about installing networkless, then downloading a new kernel from another pc on my external hdd, then compiling it, still networkless, and then hopefully my ethernet card would work and I could start worrying about nvidia drivers, wifi etc...

If I get it, you're suggesting that I directly install the brand new kernel, but via what ? I still got a WinXP partition, so if I download the new source on my ntfs partition I could load them from there?

Anyway, I guess I'll start by reading the handbook about portage etc  :Smile: , but if you could tell me what the best (or rather the simplest) option is...

Thanks for all your replies, it feels good being a Gentoo noob  :Wink: 

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## NeddySeagoon

JoelCogen,

The liveCD/DVD with the GUI and ncurses installers, that supports a networkless install is known to have issues.

Use the minimal installCd  and get the files you need with sneakernet. Its only two extra files over and above the kernel. Thats the stage 3 tarball and portage snapshot.

If you do decide to do a networkless install and it works, you won't learn much about Gentoo along the way. The manual install is an education into setting up Gentoo and will stand you in good stead when you come to maintain it.

The liveCD kernel has NTFS support enabled as a module, so if you do 

```
modprobe ntfs
```

 after booting the liveCD you will be able to mount and read your Windows partition.

I recommend you do a networkless install using Windows for sneakernet, then you don't actually need to move media around.

You can use any liveCD 

Before you start run windows and get the stage3 tarball and portage snapshot files into your C:\ 

You need to use the snapshot during the install to discover the kernel files you need, so wyou will need Windows again.

Boot the liveCD. If its not the minimal CD type 

```
gentoo nox 
```

at the boot: prompt. The minimal CD does not have Xorg, so no need to use nox.

Follow the handbookwith the addition of these extra steps between 

the end of 4.e. Mounting, and 5. Installing the Gentoo Installation Files. We have to make the files on your C:\ available to Gentoo.

```
modprobe ntfs

mkdir /mnt/win

mount -t ntfs /dev/hda1 /mnt/win
```

These steps load the ntfs module, so the kernel can read your windows partition, make a mount point for it in the linux directory tree and (if its /dev/hda1) mount it on the new mout point.

As with the rest of the device nodes in the handbook, fix the name to suit your install.

At this point, what Windows knows as C:\ Linux sees as /mnt/win.

Stage 5b and Stage 5c in the handbook are changed slightly. Instead of downloading from the internet, you copy the files from /mnt/win

For the tarball, its 

```
cp /mnt/win/stage3..... /mnt/gentoo
```

For the snapshot, its cp /mnt/win/<snapshot> /mnt/gentoo/usr/

You need to untar the stage3 before you try this, as the untar creates /mnt/gentoo/usr/

When you get to step 7b and are asked to do

```
emerge gentoo-sources
```

The system will want to fetch files from the net, so don't do that.

You do 

```
emerge gentoo-sources -fp
```

 for --fetchonly --pretend.

You will get a list of URLs needed to build the kernel. Make a note of them and go back to windows and fetch them.

There will only be two or three.

When you have them, get back to gentoo but put the files into /mnt/gentoo/usr/portage/distfiles, so emerge can find them

You may 

```
emerge gentoo-sources
```

and proceed to build your own kernel so you have networking.

Gentoo will find the files it needs in /usr/portage/distfiles

This post tells how to get back into the chroot so you can carroy on as if nothing had happened. You get quite good at this process after a while, its the standard first steps when you system won't boot.

You will need to do the 

```
modprobe ntfs

mkdir /mnt/win

mount -t ntfs /dev/hda1 /mnt/win
```

every time you want to use your Windows partition, since it will not persist while you are using the liveCD.

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## JoelCogen

Thanks   :Very Happy: 

I'll try all that tomorrow. In the meantime, I tried to boot with nox, and then run the text installer (but that was before your reply, so pleaaase forgive me), and it didn't got stuck with the clock file but then I got an array index out of bounds exception  :Sad: 

So I read the entire network handbook from the link you gave me, which took me around 2 hours, but at least now I get everything, and I'm not too scared about the manual install. I was going to ask you if I only needed the two files, but you answered already  :Smile: 

I guess it is indeed a great learning opportunity. I've been using Ubuntu for a year now, but you don't need to understand much for that (just a make or two if you really want latest versions), and I realize how little I know. I'm really looking forward to using Gentoo, and the handbook is really great.

So, thank you very much, again   :Surprised:  . I'll try to follow your instructions tomorrow morning and I'll come back to tell you it worked out perfectly  :Wink: 

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## JoelCogen

And indeed, IT WORKED  :Very Happy: 

I had to do it 3 times, but that's because I tried to use genkernel the second time and it fucked everything up, so I did a clean, all-manual install, and now it works perfectly. I even managed to use a external HDD to copy the files, so I just had to unmount, go download on another computer, and the remount to get files for sources, grub, sysklogd, etc...

I still got a problem, though: no network  :Sad: 

I've got kernel 2.6.22 now, but ifconfig only shows lo interface. I activated support for gigabit ethernet in the kernel (it was activated by default), so I thought eth0 would automatically appear in ifconfig... Is there something more I should do? modprobe some drivers or something? I'd like to get to the real thing, like compiling gnome and all, but I just can't go on getting files with sneakernet.

Thank you (again and again) for you help ! I'm so glad it worked out . Your instruction were great. I only messed up kernel config the 1st time, but that's all on me (and genkernel  :Wink: )

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## Master Shake

There are options underneath the gigabit option that you need to enable.  I believe your is the last one if I remember correctly.

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## JoelCogen

 :Confused:  I guess I missed them then.

Ok, so can I recomile the kernel from my install ? All I got to do is :

```

cd /usr/src/linux

make menuconfig

make

make modules_install

cp arch/x86_64/kernel/bzImage /boot/2.6.22-gentoo-r2

```

right ?

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## dusik

That's right (assuming 2.6.22-gentoo-r2 is the image grub will boot, of course).

BTW, you're doing a great job working through this.  Welcome to Gentoo  :Smile: 

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## JoelCogen

Thanks, I do feel really welcome thanks to all your answers  :Very Happy: 

Still, I get nothing in ifconfig. I enabled a bunch of options under drivers -> network -> gigabit, even included the last one into the kernel and the other as modules. Do you think net-setup, or something similar, could help ? If so, can I install it by doing emerge net-setup ?Last edited by JoelCogen on Tue Aug 21, 2007 4:36 pm; edited 1 time in total

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## JoelCogen

Ok, so apparently I can't emerge net-setup like that  :Sad: . But it looks like the best tool, right ? I remeber trying it from the live cd before posting here and it made my IEEE1394 card appear in ifconfig as eth0 (which was quite useless)... So maybe now that I have the driver modules it could make ifconfig recognize my ethernet card, right ?

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## Master Shake

What does /etc/init.d/net.eth0 start do for you?  Also if that does nothing, did you configure net.eth0 when you installed gentoo?

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## JoelCogen

It says:

eth0: interface doesn't exists. Verify hardware and kernel (drivers)

I didn't configure anything because Gentoo didn't detect the card. I skipped all the network part during setup...

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## NeddySeagoon

JoelCogen,

First, you have to get the kernel sources as Ive already described.

Your kernel make and install process is correct provided that /boot is already mounted.

```
make menuconfig 
```

is a complex step for new users, you need to go through every option and read the help to determine if you need that option or not. Here are more details That post is a little old now, things have been moved around in the kernel but the basics are still correct.

If your own kernel boots (well done) you can add support for your network card as a module like this :-

```
cd /usr/src/linux

make menuconfg

Navigate Device Drivers  ---> 

Network device support  --->

Ethernet (1000 Mbit)  --->  and choose

 <M> Attansic L1 Gigabit Ethernet support (EXPERIMENTAL)   
```

The M (not *) is important, it allows some of the kernel build to be skipped. Exit and save your change. Continue with

```
make modules

make modules_install
```

You have now added a module called atl1 which is available to your own kernel.

```
modprobe atl1
```

loads it which should cause 

```
ifconfig -a 
```

to show an interface called eth0 (it would be missing before the modprobe)

lastly, 

```
/etc/init.d/net.eth0 restart
```

should bring your network to life.

You can only load this module against your own kernel, not the liveCD kernel. Kernels are very picky about that.

You can build the module regardless of the running kernel but you must boot your own kernel to actually use it. 

```
ping 64.233.187.99
```

press Ctrl-c to stop. If that works, try 

```
ping google.com

```

that tests connectivity and name resolution seperately - both are google.com

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## JoelCogen

Ok, my mistake. (looks like with Gentoo it's always your mistake if something if fucked up)

Actually I enabled the 10Gigabit modules, which are useless. I guess I read to quickly, and since I didn't know they were doing 10gigabit already. So I disabled them all, and enabled the atl1 as module, and it worked immedialty. I didn't have to modprobe, but I remeber doing a "rc-update add net.eth0 default", so I guess it modprobed automaticallyt (?), and so I had my network up and running at boot  :Smile: 

I guess my kernel is not super-optimized, but it works  :Very Happy: . I'll look closer when I'll have a little more installed, and time.

So, I guess I'll have to close the topic now, try to do some on my own   :Confused:  ... Just a last thing: what do you think I should install first ? gnome ? I still got to install some shitty stuff, like wifi (I had to use ndiswrapper on Ubuntu because the iwlwifi native drivers were super-slow) and nvidia proprietary drivers (nv doesn't support my card).

I'll try to emerge some things right now, but a few advices would be great   :Smile: 

Thank you all so much !

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## dusik

You could emerge screen and some console apps so you don't get bored while you install X.  As far as desktop environments go, kde and gnome take a long time to compile.  I'd recommend first installing a simple window manager like xfce4 or openbox and messing with that (and probably xorg.conf) while you're waiting on all the bigger stuff.

That's what I do.  But it's 100% your system  :Very Happy: 

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## dusik

Oh, and there's a set of packages that greatly enhance Gentoo system maintenace: eix, gentoolkit, genlop

With eix, instead of doing 'emerge --sync' to rsync your portage tree, use 'eix-sync -v', then search it with eix.  It's much faster and sweeter.

gentoolkit will give you 'revdep-rebuild' (uh... you'll probably want to learn about that later) and 'equery' -- play around with that!

'genlop' can help you estimate how long packages take to emerge (particularly after you do it once).

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## NeddySeagoon

JoelCogen,

Your next step is Xorg, following the Xorg Guide

That will get you twm (tabbed window manager), with Xorg configured and running, you can add the nvidia-drivers.

Then add your choice of desktops from the documenttion page under Gentoo Desktop Documentation Resources.

Gentoo works for you best when you expand on a known working foundation, then its easy to back out a failed 'improvement' and try something else. It looks like you discovered that with  your kernel.

Enjoy your Gentoo - see you around the forums again.

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## JoelCogen

Ok, thanks, I'll try all that.

Just two last thing:

1/ How can I backup my kernel config ? It says it uses a .config file, so I'd like to keep a copy in case I have to re-install

2/ How can I disable net.eth0 from running at startup ? It slows down boot time when I'm not connected, because I have to wait for dchp-timeout, so I'd rather do /etc/init.d/net.eth0 myself when I need to, or something similar...

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## NeddySeagoon

JoelCogen,

```
cp /usr/src/linux/.config /home/JoelCogen/kernel.config
```

You can set a short timeout for DHCP.  See the /etc/conf.d/net.example file. Its the -t parameter.

You can try ifplugd which manages eth interfaces depending on the link state.

Lastly, 

```
rc-update del net.eth0  
```

should stop the autostarting.

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## JoelCogen

Ok, I'll give that a try.

Thank you all again for your advices ! I was kind of scared about starting using Gentoo but I have to say the great docs and your help make it quite easy  :Very Happy: 

See you around

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## JoelCogen

Hi again,

I'm having some problems with Xorg and nVidia drivers and since you've been of so much help for my other problems, if you want to take a look at this topic, feel free  :Very Happy: 

Thanks

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