Baslinux mailing list

[sindi keesan <keesan AT sdf.lonestar.org>]

On Mon, 6 Mar 2006, Sheldon Isaac wrote:

> Steven said:
>
> > It works fine for me (in Pentium MMX).  So does 8139too.
> > I get no unresolved symbol message.

rtl8139 that Steven compiled for 2.2.26 is 17,076 bytes and it worked for 
me with the regular (standard, not optimized for P1) and 'big' 2.2.26 
kernel that he included in the zip file or posted at the BL3.40 site.


BL3.32 with kernel 2.2.16 has a 2.2.16 rtl8139.o module which is 16,948 
bytes.  You seem to be using a 2.2.16 kernel from SW7.1, not a 2.2.26 
BL3.40 kernel.  I think this is because your hardware or software was not 
supported by one of Steven's standard BL3.32 kernels.  Try using his 'big' 
3.40 (2.2.26) kernel with his 2.2.26 module (17K one).


> On 6 Mar 2006 at 18:04, sindi keesan wrote:
> > On Mon, 6 Mar 2006, Sheldon Isaac wrote:
> SNIP
> > > insmod  rtl8139
> > > results in
> > > unresolved symbol skb_pad
> > >
> > > I thought it was the same rtl8139.o I'd used in the past just fine, with
> > > BL3.32 ?

BL3.40 cannot use the same rtl8139.o or other modules as BL3.32 because 
they are using different kernels and the modules have to match the kernel 
version, that is why STeven posted a large collection of them for 2.2.26.


> I looked and looked, and there were copies of two different rtl8139.o files
> scattered around two computers  (asus  and   other );  the "good" one is
> 16,948 bytes, and the one which I could not insmod was 17,076 bytes????
These are for kernel 2.2.16 and kernel 2.2.26, respectively.

> As I said, the 16,948 bytes  rtl8139.o  seems to work with BL 2.26
No, it works with BL 3.40 or whatever version you are using, with a 
***2.2.16*** (Slackware 7.1) kernel.

BL3.1-3.32 use 2.2.16 kernel.  Bl3.40 uses 2.2.26 kernel.  But you can 
switch kernels as long as you also switch modules.  For instance, make
/lib/modules/2.2.16/misc and copy over all the modules from BL3.32 or 
BL2.1 to there, and then use the kernel you had been using the BL3.32, in 
BL3.40.

 >
> A year ago?  I used  BL 3.32?  on this computer, "asus", and  BL 2.1 on
> computer  "other".
> Steven had helped me to get nfs working, said  bzimage (for Slackware 7.1?)
> was needed.  On which computer?  I put the rpc.* files (by  installpkg
> tcpicp1.tgz)  on  computer  "other", and they show up when I say  ps  on that
> computer.
>
> But now when I try to   mount -t nfs  192.168.1.1:/  /other
> it won't do it.

bzimage is a generic name for image files that Slackware tells apart only 
by putting them in different directories at the website or on the CD. 
Steven steered you to one such image file that supports nfs, because his 
standard kernel (for BL3.32?) did not.  You can plug in any Slackware 
kernel into any BL if you also match the modules to the kernel version.

FOr BL3.40, since Slackware does not suport kernel 2.2.26, Steven 
specially compiled a very large kernel that should support most hardware, 
with the modules to go with it, that you use instead of Slackware.

So try the bzimage.big kernel that he posted, with the larger rtl8139.o 
module (17K), which I hope supports nfs (if it does not, go back to your 
older kernel and 2.2.16 modules).

> Maybe the  linux kernel that comes with BL 3.40 can't do nfs,  and Steven
> told me about the   zimage   that came with BL 3.32?

It looks like he told you about a Slackware bzimage that supports nfs, for 
kernel 2.2.16 (Slackware 7.1).

> Does the Linux version 2.2.26  vs the  2.2.16 of previous years have
> something to do with all this?
Definitely.

> What about the bzimage (735,763 bytes) that I used to use?  Is it OK to use
> it with BL 3.40?
If you use 2.2.16 modules with it (your old modules, not the ones that 
Steven supplied for BL3.40 in the zip file you downloaded).

> Oh, did you mean try

> http://distro.ibiblio.org/pub/linux/distributions/baslinux/add-ons/2_2_26/bzimage.big
> with BL3.40?  I will try that.
Yes.

> What does one gain or lose with which combinations?
>
> Help, can someone make a summary/FAQ/comparison-chart?

BL3.32 and BL2.1 use kernel 2.2.16 because Slackware 7.1 is based on it 
and provides a huge choice of kernels and all the modules already.

BL3.40 uses kernel and modules version 2.2.26 because they support most 
USB devices, such as keyboard and mouse.  Because no Slackware is based on 
it, Steven kindly also provided one 'big' kernel which supports a lot of 
things that the basic one does not, as well as other kernels optimized for 
PI and PII.  They all use his 2.2.26 modules, which he compiled and 
posted.  So try this 'big' kernel for BL3.40, with Steven's modules, or 
stick with your old nfs kernel, with the old modules, putting them into 
/lib/modules/2.2.16/misc (copy from BL3.32).


Unfortunately 2.2.26 wont' work with most USB storage devices, such as 
camera memory cards and USB memory sticks, for which you need a 2.4 kernel 
(which David compiled for us).

> Thanks,
> Sheldon

I am sure lots of other uses are at least as confused as you are.

I will try the 'big' kernel with my PCMCIA ethernet card some time.