How to use integrated Atheros GE LAN when I install Gentoo

bluephoenix · Tux's lil' helper Joined: 01 Nov 2008 Posts: 94

I just bought a new mother board - GIGABYTE-B75 and I want to install Gentoo on it.
I am using a mini-install iso of Gentoo. I found the integrated ethernet interface on the mother board cannot work.
When I used "lspci" command, I found the integrated ethernet interface is Atheros 8161. It proves Gentoo has already recognized the chipset. But When I used "lsmod" command. I only found Gentoo loaded e1000 and tg3 module. I think this is the reason why the LAN doesn't work.

And then I try to use another way to access Internet. I have a wireless USB of Linksys. I have successfully installed it in another Gentoo system. So I know it relies on rt73 module and wpa-supplicant software. Although I found the mini-install iso really loaded rt73 by typing the command of "lsmod" and wpa-supplicant also seems in the virtual environment (I found the wpa-supplicant folder in /etc and I can type wpa-supplicant command line) and I made the corresponding configuration (copy from my previous succesful cases), I still cannot make wlan0 interface really work.

So I totally crashed down. Without network, I cannot move on even a little.

I have exracted the stage 3 target ball to the new system. I think about to compile a kernal which support both Atheros 8161 LAN and rt73 WAN in another machine and transport to this new machine. But I still don't know how to install grub without the supporing of network. I only knew "emerge grub" before. Without grub, even I have the kernel and the target ball, I still cannot get the machine running.

Who can teach me? Thank you very much!

Hypnos · Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2012 1:49 am Post subject:

Instead of the Gentoo install CD, use SystemRescueCd. It has more drivers, and they are more up-to-date. Both your ethernet and wireless should work with SystemRescueCd if Linux has drivers for them.

Once you see what drivers SystemRescueCd is using via lsmod and dmesg, you should be able to enable them in your own kernel as you follow the handbook.
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bluephoenix · Tux's lil' helper Joined: 01 Nov 2008 Posts: 94

I wondering to know if I follow sysresccd:
1. Could I install grub based on sysresccd without networking helping?
2. How to use emerge kernel source from Gentoo? or should I just copy sysresccd's kernel?

Thanks!

Hypnos · Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2012 2:52 am Post subject:

The only benefits of SysRescueCD over the Gentoo install CD are that newer hardware is more likely to work., and you have a richer desktop environment from which to do your installation.

You will still have to follow the Gentoo handbook which entails setting up a network connection and emerging grub and the kernel inside the chroot. My suggestion is that when you boot up in SysRescueCD and (hopefully) see that your network devices are working, you can then try to figure out exactly what drivers are being used via lsmod and dmesg .
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bluephoenix · Tux's lil' helper Joined: 01 Nov 2008 Posts: 94

I think I know what hardware I should use. So I don't need other system to tell me which module I should use. My problem is:
1. Since I start to use Linux from Gentoo, I am familiar with emerge command. I only know how to install grub, kernal source and other key softwares by using "emerge". But now I don't have network hardware installed, so I cannot use "emerge" any more. So I don't know how to do next.
2. If I use other bootable CD or USB to start up the computer, I still don't know how to go back to Gentoo environment. If "chroot" can change the environment so that I can continue to use "emerge"?
3. If "chroot" cannot change the whole environment, I will consider to "copy" a workable kernel and bootloader to at least start my computer. Because as I said I have installed Gentoo target ball stage 3 to the harddisk, I believe as long as I get the workable kernel and bootloader the system will run as Gentoo. So I could use "emerge" again and come back to the "handbook" flow.

I am appreciated you can give me hint again!

Thanks a lot!

Hypnos · Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2012 3:22 am Post subject:

If you review the handbook, you see that you set up your initial Gentoo environment by getting networking to work in the host environment (whether the Gentoo install CD or sysrescuecd), downloading a stage3 tarball, unpacking it, and then chroot-ing into it. Once inside, you can emerge things from such as grub and kernel, since the host's networking will be available to the chroot.
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bluephoenix · Tux's lil' helper Joined: 01 Nov 2008 Posts: 94

Thanks!

Gusar · Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2012 9:23 am Post subject:

Though I haven't checked, I'd say not even SystemdRescueCD has support for your network card. That's because the driver for it (alx) is not part of the kernel yet. Give this a try.

bluephoenix · Tux's lil' helper Joined: 01 Nov 2008 Posts: 94

I found there is big risk to enable Atheros Ethernet LAN from the beginning.

But I confirmed my USB wireless dongle is supporting by the current Linux kernel.

So I just go the mirrors.sohu.com, and enter the folder of distfiles, choose all of the necessory files, including the linux kernel, wpa_supplicant and dhcpcd and all supporting packages. And use a USB disk to copy them to /usr/portage/distfiles and emerge all of them.

After the installing, I configure the kernel and wpa_supplicant and /etc/conf.d/net as I did in other machine before.

Finnally, I found even the latest release of the kernel really cannot support the Atheros Enternet LAN. So I really doubt the rescure CD can launch the interface.

And I just use the wireless method to access the internet and wait for the kernel supporting Atheros.