[plug] Debian install - network card

[Harry McNally]

At 01:16  6/01/02 , you wrote:

>Anne Busby
>E-Mail: anne at busby.net
>Web:    http://www.busby.net
>
>On Sun, 6 Jan 2002, Harry McNally wrote:
>
> > At 10:49  6/01/02 , you wrote:
> >
> > >Hi all,
> > >
> > >I am trying to install debian on to a box with out an CD.
> > >I have get the base system installed, using floppies, but it will not
> > >install my network card so I can get the rest of it (HTTP the cd from the
> > >server).
> > >
> > >The card is SMC EtherCard Plus Elite 16 (wd/8013ep).
> > >
> > >I know that module 8390 needs to be loaded before the wd module. The
> > >network card settings (io and irq) under dos are not accepted.
> > >
> > >How do I find out what IO port and IRQ it is under linux.
> >
><Snip>
>
> > So, if you can put your hands on a PCI network card or two and boot up with
> > the rescue disks until you see that it has found the network card it should
> > be plain sailing.
>Unfortunately the machine is a 468 without any PCI slots

Oh .. poop. Yep, it looks like persistence is your game.


> > All the best
> > Harry
>
>I have discovered a utility called isapnp, which is meant to config ISA
>pnp devices - will this fix my problem - does any one know how to use it.

Just had a quick look, Anne, and 'man isapnp' is your friend. That is the 
tool for explicitly setting the card arguments using PnP. I've had a fumble 
with this at the installfest but I didn't get fully conversant. I was 
getting a hand to have an ISA sound card running as well as the network 
card. Gave up and removed the sound card. With that in mind, if you can 
take out other ISA cards that you are not using that might avoid conflicts 
simply to get the base install loaded.

If you need an alternative, I've got another ISA card which is also NE2000 
compatible which is pretty likely to be recognised. I'm in South Perth if 
that's handy to you. See how you go.


>The card has jumpers for specific configurations as well as the 'soft'
>option, would I be better change the jump to a specific configuration ?

Well, if you can. You may then be able to specify the io= and irq= on the 
boot line. I'm pretty sure the list archive will have posts about doing 
this. In that case, I don't think you need to use isapnp any more.

All the best
Harry