Baslinux mailing list

[Sindi Keesan <keesan AT iamjlamb.com>]

On Sun, 13 Jun 2004, Hal MacArgle wrote:

> On 06-13, Sindi Keesan wrote:
> > Someone at the bbs said you need the kernel source - is this only that 
> > one 
> > kernel headers file that Steven said to install as part of the files 
> > needed for compiling?  He also said to look at the package for INSTALL 
> > but 
> > there is no package, only winbond-840.c
> 
>       That would be James.. The .c file above is used by the
> Makefile when compiling the complete kernel when make_modules is
> invoked.. Do you have the full source for the subject kernel you want
> to work with?? If not you'll have to get it from kernel.org and it'll

You mean I need the 120MB (unpacked) of kernel source code in order to
compile a module?????  I have the CD for SW71, would it be on there?
I thought we only needed kernel headers (whatever those are).

> be a doozey - most over 25mB now, IIRC.. Linux-2.4.20.tar.bz2 is 27
> mB.. The earlier ones a mite smaller... The .gz's longer but I think
> you can uncrunch bz2... Have you compiled the full kernel before??
No.  I am happy with the BL2 kernel.  Except it cannot use later modules.

> Linus has comprehensive docs and readme's, well done.. Don't know
> what you've done or are familiar with so will stop blabbing and offer
> any help I can from my experience.. I've compiled kernels many times
> because, at one time, we didn't have modules.. They are all, usually,
> complete and self contained - just uncrunch in /usr/src and follow
> the instructions.. You'll, basically, be doing a make configure, make
> modules, make modules_install.. Forgive if I've left something out..
> It's all there in the doco's.. If there's no .c and .h files for a
> certain driver - that's another ball game.. This is heavy Unix
> stuff..

I have the .c file, where would I look for an .h file?
Obviously I have no idea what I am doing. If you have BL2 installed and 
you have the SW71 CD perhaps you would like to compile the module?  If you 
don't I might try it with your help.  

> 
> 
> > Winbond (www.winbond.com, or if you read Chinese www.winbond.com.tw) has 
> > a 
> > driver download page but only for Windows (or also for DOS, in the case 
> > of 
> > controller and I/O cards, of which we have many with winbond chips). 
> > 
> > www.scyld.com/network.html has a lot of useful information on ethernet 
> > cards and drivers.  This one has a serious bug which limits transmit list 
> > to a single packet.   I presume this means it is slower, but it is a 
> > 100Mbit card so should still be faster than my non-buggy 10MBit cards.
> > The link to the linux driver for the winbond-840 is not currently working.
> > I was able to access another link and figured out that the drivers are 
> > all 
> > at:
> > 
> > ftp.scyld.com/pub/network
> > 
> > They have all or at least many of the drivers for the newer cards.  
> > Perhaps Steven can find the time to compile, for 2.2.16, the ones missing 
> > from SW71?  I would be willing to compare and find out which ones are 
> > missing.  SW71 has rtl8139, which is at scyld, for instance.  
> > 
> > 
> > There is supposed to be a way to use drivers for later modules, but the 
> > kernel has to be compiled to be capable of this.  Is ours?  
> 
>       Great listing above: I wondered what Don Becker's new site
> was. The old one not up anymore.. He's the Becker that writes/wrote
> most all of the NIC drivers.. Used to be with NASA, but has his own
> software house now.. Glad he hasn't gone completely to "for hire."
> Must be a really savvy guy... I'm saving this msg from you for sure.
> Using a different 'version' module driver? I've never gotten the flag
> for that to work.. Don't really know why.. Maybe Don mentions it??
> Oh I see above you got to the wrong link too, but how did you find
> the right one? Maybe I'm blinder than I thought. Either that or
> impatient..

I tried the 'linux driver' links for a few other cards until I found one 
that worked and extrapolated backwards to the directory URL.

Steven, do I really need the entire kernel source code to compile a 
module, or just the file with the kernel headers?