How to use Trendnet Ethernet card with RTL8139D chipset?

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camicov
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How to use Trendnet Ethernet card with RTL8139D chipset?

#1 Post by camicov »

Hi Everyone!

This is my first post and serious linux installation (I´ve tried a few times in the past, with no success, this time I really want to do it), and I was wondering if anybody can please help me, I´ve been looking for a solution for 2 days but I guess with the wrong question, so here is my story :

I have some old pcs at my company and now i´m installing a new software Cloud based and I just need the users to access the web through firefox, I began with and old PIV, and as I read the most common linux distro is ubuntu but it didn´t start, so I tried lubuntu but didn´t work either, then Damn Small Linux and voila! it worked, but i couldn´t configure the internet (i love it, is really fast), I found that the system didn´t recognize the pci ethernet card so I search for a better distro hoping it would work and finally I got the Puppy linux, I looks really good (SDL did too) but ethernet didn´t work either, so i guess the problem is not the distro but the card, I searched for the drivers and got one for linux, but I just have no idea how to install it nor find a guide to do it...

so, please can anybody give me a light?

the driver i´ve got includes this files:

TE100.c
Makefile
kern_compat.h
COPYING.TXT

I´ve read the drivers came as .tar but I guess this is not the case and have to do something else..

the pci card is a trendnet with chipset RTL8139D
I´m using puppy from a USB created with unetbootin on MacOSX, but i don´t know how to check it´s version (on unetbooting just says "latest Live" or in the files I have a "pup_420.sfs" if that gives you a clue)

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smokey01
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#2 Post by smokey01 »

Pup 4.20 is quite old now.

I suggest you try a more modern pup like tahrpup 6.0.5 or slack 6.3.0. If your computer is 64bit, maybe try Fatdog 710.

camicov
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#3 Post by camicov »

smokey01 wrote:Pup 4.20 is quite old now.

I suggest you try a more modern pup like tahrpup 6.0.5 or slack 6.3.0. If your computer is 64bit, maybe try Fatdog 710.
Hi Smokey, thanks for your help, but as I told you the computer is pretty old, a Pentium 4 with 512 on ram, will it work with unetbootin?

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Galbi
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#4 Post by Galbi »

In a PIV I have, Lucid Puppy runs great, check here:
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=90461
That make and model of ethernet card should be detected and the driver included in the kernel, are you sure it really works?

Saludos.
Last edited by Galbi on Wed 07 Dec 2016, 23:25, edited 1 time in total.
Remember: [b][i]"pecunia pecuniam parere non potest"[/i][/b]

dancytron
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#5 Post by dancytron »

4.20 is really ancient.

I'd try the most recent versions as smokey suggested and if they are too slow, then work your way back. Precise Retro 5.71 is a good choice for old hardware. If that doesn't work well enough, try Lupu or the most recent version of Wary.

There are lots of ways to install Puppy, don't get to attached to Unetbootin if it gives you any problems. If you have access to a Windows computer, Universal USB Installer will install any version of Puppy to a USB key. https://www.pendrivelinux.com/universal ... -as-1-2-3/ Just choose other if the particular Puppy isn't on the list. If you have a CD burner, any Puppy can be burned to a CD and booted from that. Then it has an internal installer to put it on a hard drive or usb key.

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bigpup
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#6 Post by bigpup »

computer is pretty old, a Pentium 4 with 512 on ram
Use a newer version of Puppy.

Tahrpup 6.0.5 will work on this computer.
http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=96178
The P-4 is probably a 32bit processor, so get the 32bit version of Tahrpup 6.0.5.
It works OK on my P-4 computer.
512MB of memory is minimum needed, but it will work OK. Just watch how many programs you try to run at one time.

Unetbootin and other installers are going to put Puppy on the USB drive as a frugal install and use a save file to store settings and stuff you add.

You do need to do a little learning on using a save file and how Puppy works.
The Beginners section of the forum has info topics.
The things they do not tell you, are usually the clue to solving the problem.
When I was a kid I wanted to be older.... This is not what I expected :shock:
YaPI(any iso installer)

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bigpup
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#7 Post by bigpup »

For wired connection
menu->Setup->Internet Connection Wizard->Wired or wireless LAN->Network Wizard
eth0 should be listed (this is the wired connection)
Click on the eth0 button
Select auto DHCP

What happens?
The things they do not tell you, are usually the clue to solving the problem.
When I was a kid I wanted to be older.... This is not what I expected :shock:
YaPI(any iso installer)

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Mike Walsh
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#8 Post by Mike Walsh »

I agree with dancytron.

Precise 571 will run well on there.

I have an elderly Dell laptop; an original Inspiron 1100, from way back in 2002. It has a P4, with 1.5 GB RAM.....and 571 runs very nicely on her. Quite responsive, too; just don't try to run any 'heavy' (RAM-hungry) apps (in your particular case), and you'll be laughing.

You shouldn't need Ethernet drivers; they should be built-in to the kernel. I've had Tahr 605 running on the Dell; it was the first Pup that ever ran on there, with everything recognised OOTB.....but 571 is less demanding, and runs more smoothly. You may also find that some of the newer kernels are starting to drop support for older hardware; that's why dancytron recommended the 'Retro' version of Precise, as it contains a large number of drivers for older network hardware.

You can get the ISO from here:-

http://distro.ibiblio.org/quirky/precise-5.7.1/


Mike. :wink:


Mike. :wink:

camicov
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#9 Post by camicov »

Great!! That's the kind of advice I was Looking for I'll try the precise retro and will tell you how it goes.

Best regards to all of you!

camicov
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#10 Post by camicov »

well I´ve tried the Precise puppy 5.7.1 but I have a problem and that´s the same problem i had when tried to run other distros, when "loading kernel modules..." it shows some characters as loading ^[[A^[[A^[[A^[[A but then some kind of error happens and the screen fills up non legible characters, any advice?

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Burn_IT
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#11 Post by Burn_IT »

I use a P4 with 512 and it runs any Debian or Ubuntu based Puppy on there.
4.3 seems to be the best balance, though I do sometimes play with 4.2 for the BLING.

It is sat on the desk next to me right now as it is usefull for creating USB sticks and doing customer disk recovery.
"Just think of it as leaving early to avoid the rush" - T Pratchett

camicov
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#12 Post by camicov »

Hi Everyone! I´ve succesfully loaded the Wary 5.5, I think the problem with the other distros has something to do with the video card, as puppy lets me choose the Vesa and that works, but the ethernet is still dead, I can load some realtek 8139cp and a 8139too modules but none of them work... any advice? :(

btw I´ve began to read linux for dummies, but it´ll take a loooong way until i figure out how to make this linux work.

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Galbi
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#13 Post by Galbi »

Any chance you can try another eth card? one different, borrowed from another pc...

One thing I must advice, surfing the web, with that configuration of hardware, sorry, but won't be the most pleasant experience.

Puppy in general may respond fine, but lately the web has become too 'heavy'.

My P IV it's usable but it has 1 Gb Ram and an (old) accelerated video card. Even with this, it's a test for my patience in some webs...

Saludos.
Remember: [b][i]"pecunia pecuniam parere non potest"[/i][/b]

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OscarTalks
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#14 Post by OscarTalks »

Hello camicov,

I would expect the driver for the pci ethernet card to already be present within the linux kernel. Could the card be faulty? Are you sure it has not been disabled in the BIOS or something?

If you are sure you have downloaded the correct driver package you could try compiling it. To do this, download the appropriate devx.sfs and kernel_sources.sfs for your Puppy and load them both. Open a terminal inside the directory where you see the files mentioned in your first post. Type "make" and hit enter. See if it completes and builds a .ko file or if it shows an error.
Oscar in England
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camicov
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#15 Post by camicov »

Galby, the only thing I need is to be able to edit a google sheets document, do yuit think it will work?

And Oscar thanks for the advice, I think the card is ok so I'll try to compile the .ko, i'll tell you how it goes...

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Galbi
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#16 Post by Galbi »

camicov wrote:Galby, the only thing I need is to be able to edit a google sheets document, do yuit think it will work?
Intuitively, I would think it will...
Remember: [b][i]"pecunia pecuniam parere non potest"[/i][/b]

camicov
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#17 Post by camicov »

Hi again!

well I´ve been trying to locate the .sfs files to compile the driver as Oscar said, but i could only get the "devx_wary_5.5.sfs" can anybody help me to get the "kernel_sources.sfs" for the wary 5.5? i´ve looked into ibiblio but is not there (or I couldn´t find it)

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Galbi
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#18 Post by Galbi »

camicov wrote:Hi again!

well I´ve been trying to locate the .sfs files to compile the driver as Oscar said, but i could only get the "devx_wary_5.5.sfs" can anybody help me to get the "kernel_sources.sfs" for the wary 5.5? i´ve looked into ibiblio but is not there (or I couldn´t find it)
http://distro.ibiblio.org/quirky/sfs/ke ... atched.sfs
Remember: [b][i]"pecunia pecuniam parere non potest"[/i][/b]

camicov
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#19 Post by camicov »

Thank you Galbi! may I ask why that one?

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Galbi
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#20 Post by Galbi »

camicov wrote:Thank you Galbi! may I ask why that one?
The boss says here:
http://barryk.org/blog2/?viewDetailed=00159
:)
Remember: [b][i]"pecunia pecuniam parere non potest"[/i][/b]

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