[vox-tech] Network Configuration

[Peter Jay Salzman]

begin Ken Bloom <kabloom@ucdavis.edu> 
> > ---- ORIGINAL MESSAGE ---
> > Date: Thu, 17 Jan 2002 12:17:18 -0800 (PST)
> > From: ME <dugan@passwall.com>
> > To: vox-tech@lists.lugod.org
> > Subject: Re: [vox-tech] Network Configuration
> > Reply-To: vox-tech@lists.lugod.org
> > 
> > On Thu, 17 Jan 2002, Ken Bloom wrote:
> > [chop]
> > > I just noticed that on my system Mandrake 8.1, with the following
> > > ethernet card (reported by lspci):
> > > 
> > > 02:09.0 Ethernet controller: 3Com Corporation 3c905C-TX [Fast
> > > Etherlink] (rev 78)
> > [chop]
> > 
> > Ahh yes. This is/should be supported. The 3c905 are covered with the linux
> > modules "3c5x9"
> > 
> 
> I didn't say I had a problem with my network card, I just said that `dmesg` didn't say 
> anything about the card. Perhaps you missed it when I said that this ethernet card that 
> `dmesg` didn't report was the one I was using to post my response to the list. So the question 
> lies, what good is the `dmesg` test if it doesn't report a card I know to *is* working?

why not just look at /var/log/messages[1]?  the kernel "ring buffer" is a
ring.  it can wrap around, especially if useless messages like "can't
find module NLS23423" get logged constantly.

dmesg is a VERY valuable tool.  but just like a saw and hammer, it's
only useful if you know what it is and how to use it.  i think you
should look at man dmesg; you probably have the wrong idea about what it
does.

if you want to know which ethernet *module* got loaded, do lsmod.  if
the ethernet card is compiled directly into the kernel, you can go go
poking around in the symbol table, but the easiest thing to do is to
just look at /var/log/messages.

if you just want to know if the ethernet module is doing its job, just
do ifconfig.  it's nearly impossible for a module to load and not detect
teh hardware correctly.  i've seen it happen, but boy is it rare.

pete


[1] use this.  it'll find the last occurance of 'eth0':

# vi /var/log/messages
G
? eth0

keep pressing n till you get to what you're looking for.

-- 
The mathematics [of physics] has become ever more abstract, rather than more
complicated.  The mind of God appears to be abstract but not complicated.
He also appears to like group theory.  --  Tony Zee's `Fearful Symmetry'

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