Re: [gentoo-amd64] Can't connect to internet from Live DVD.

[Mark Knecht]

On Thu, Sep 19, 2013 at 11:31 AM, Henry W. Peters <hwpeters@××××××××.com> wrote:
> On 9/19/2013 1:59 PM, Mark Knecht wrote:
>
<SNIP>
> uname -a will tell us what kernel you have on the install DVD
>
> lspci -k will tell us what hardware
>
> >From there we can make more educated inputs.
<SNIP>
>
> Ok, here they are (sorry, rather long list):
>
> P.s., just got a new wireless router from my isp. Didn't have much choice...
> as the old (non wireless) was pooped out... but I couldn't connect with this
> HP machine & old ethernet, either.
>
> Gentoo-20121221 gentoo # uname -a
> Linux Gentoo-20121221 3.6.8-gentoo-r1 #1 SMP Thu Dec 20 04:20:10 UTC 2012
> x86_64 AMD A10-5700 APU with Radeon(tm) HD Graphics AuthenticAMD GNU/Linux


> Gentoo-20121221 gentoo # lspci -k
<SNIP>
> 01:00.0 Ethernet controller: Atheros Communications Inc. AR8161 Gigabit
> Ethernet (rev 10)
>         Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device 2ae0
> 04:00.0 Network controller: Ralink corp. Device 539b
>         Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device 18ed
>         Kernel driver in use: rt2800pci
<SNIP>

OK, so your wired Ethernet is the AR8161 and doesn't appear to have a
driver associated with it at this time

Your wireless is the Ralink and is currently using the rt2800pci driver.

> Gentoo-20121221 gentoo # lsmod
> Module                  Size  Used by
<SNIP>
> rt2800pci               8595  0
> rt2800lib              41163  1 rt2800pci
> crc_ccitt               1276  1 rt2800lib
> rt2x00pci               3857  1 rt2800pci
> rt2x00lib              28379  3 rt2x00pci,rt2800lib,rt2800pci
> eeprom_93cx6            1906  1 rt2800pci

<LIBERAL SNIP>

The Ralink driver is apparently loaded so nothing to do there. At this
point I think we need someone with experience configuring wireless
from the console. I have only do it inside of KDE. Possibly this will
help, I don't know:

slinky linux # ls -al /etc/init.d/* | grep net
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root     6 Mar 19  2011 /etc/init.d/net.eth0 -> net.lo
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 16919 Apr  9 16:39 /etc/init.d/net.lo
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root     6 Sep 11  2011 /etc/init.d/net.wlan0 -> net.lo
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root  1578 Apr  9 16:39 /etc/init.d/netmount
slinky linux #

On the other hand you may be able to load an Atheros driver by hand if
somehow the kernel missed doing it automatically due to a new device
ID or something like that. That might have happened if the AR8161 is
newer than 3.6.8-gentoo-r1 which is getting pretty long in the tooth
at this point. Was this a VERY new live DVD or something you tried
earlier. I don't know what kernel is in the current download but if
it's newer it might have support.

This link suggests support was not part of 3.8.3 so you might need
something newer than that. In this fellows case it appears he got the
driver source and built it to get networking up and running but that's
a lot of work.

Please note: You do NOT need a Gentoo install DVD to do a Gentoo
install. If you can find ANY install CD that supports the NIC then
boot with that and do the Gentoo install. It will work.

Note: When you get done you shouldn't need to load many of the drivers
that the install CD has loaded. Here's what's in my wife's list using
an Atheros wireless adapter:

slinky linux # lsmod
Module                  Size  Used by
vboxnetadp             17158  0
vboxnetflt             13522  0
vboxdrv              1784669  2 vboxnetadp,vboxnetflt
nvidia               9376709  31
ath9k                  65677  0
acpi_cpufreq            6214  1
mperf                   1027  1 acpi_cpufreq
drm                   199753  2 nvidia
ath9k_common            1751  1 ath9k
ath9k_hw              340455  2 ath9k_common,ath9k
freq_table              2172  1 acpi_cpufreq
kvm_intel             116424  0
ath                    13809  3 ath9k_common,ath9k,ath9k_hw
kvm                   213323  1 kvm_intel
slinky linux #

HTH,
Mark