[vox-tech] NICs not detected / accessible during Debian Etch install

[Richard Burkhart]

Hmmkay ... I hope someone can help me with this issue - I'm running out 
of ideas.

I've got a machine I'm trying to install a Debian-variant (ANY!! 
variant) onto, and either the installer refuses to see the NICs, or the 
installer finds the NICs, but DHCP doesn't work.

The machine is a frankenbox, (w) a VIA KM266 chipset mobo (MSI MS-6390) 
driving a Duron 950, RealTek8101L ethernet on the board (identifies 
sometimes as rtl8139), and a Realtek 8139 in a PCI slot. 

When I run an installer from the most recent Etch builds (a full-install 
disk from about 2 weeks ago, and net install daily release from last 
week) the installer gets to the "detect & add network hardware" section, 
and gives me a screen saying "I couldn't detect your NIC - please select 
a driver from the list."  When I select either of the rtl8139 drivers, 
the installer tries to use that driver, fails to do so, and returns me 
to the choose a driver screen.  I've also tried an etch installer from a 
few months ago, and a Sarge installer from last week; the installer 
detects the cards, but is unable to pull an IP from the DHCP server on 
the DSL router.

Knoppix disks and the most recent kubuntu installer simply refuse to 
detect the card.  Within knoppix, trying to bring it up manually 
(ifconfig eth0 inet dhcp ... or insmod (driver name) didn't work ... 
though I'd have to repeat the steps to note down the returned error 
messages).

While chasing this down I have
a) tried many of the above tests with the on-board nic turned on in 
BIOS, vs. turned off ...
b) tried the above tests with the PCI card removed, to JUST access the 
onboard NIC
c) tried switching out the PCI nic for a US Robotics card, and running 
many of the above tests (PCI card in and out, onboard card on and off).
d) Tried putting a full install from the CD on the machine, then 
activating the NIC manually.
e) Booted into the demo Win Server 2003 install that's sitting on 
/dev/hda1 to test the cards.  Windows boots up properly, loads up, and 
grabs an IP from the router (confirmable from the router control panel).
f) Tried the realtek PCI card in another machine, to confirm that it 
shows up in linux.
g) Tried a net-install of OpenSUSE.  That didn't work either. Once I 
followed the menu options in the installer to activate the IDE 
controller (for the CD) and the networking hardware, it refused to go 
further -- it couldn't see the install media, and I gather couldn't go 
out onto the web for it either.  *shrug*

The only thing I haven't explored fully is an 'IRQ conflict' ... but I'm 
not sure how to pursue that ... and why didn't the same thing show up 
within Windows? (According to some net searches, the 2.4/2.6 kernels 
should be just as much of a plug-and-play OS as Windows).

Any ideas?

Thanks,

Richard Burkhart