Modem not found

[Guest frazzle]

Just switching from windows to linux :P

 

I tried to set up a internet connection but is dosent show the modem only my network card. I got a cd with my computer to install the modem dirvers but it dosent know what to do with the exe files ect ...

 

Can anyone give any help ? (+ im using mandrake 9.2)

 

Thanks :)

[Ixthusdan]

Welcome to linux!

 

Now, for the "bad" news. Some hardware is not real; it relys on the computer's cpu to run, as opposed to real hardware that has its own processor. Modems, printers, and scanners are the most common devices that use this trick. The idea was from microsoft, requiring users to have their operating system in order to use the devices.

 

The device you have is a "winmodem". There are some ways to make certain models to work. But it is possible you will have to replace it with a hardware modem.

[Guest frazzle]

in a couple of weeks i am going to get broadband. i am having a wireless network and my computer is going to have a USB wireless connection connected to a router.

 

will this be able to work ?

 

Thanks

[Ixthusdan]

Yes, I have rarely heard of a networking situation not work. Instead of a wireless on the usb port, I would recommend getting a pci card for your wireless pick up.

[griptypethyne]

A few months ago I was in the same situation as you. It took me a week of solid work to get my 536ep winmodem going. :D

 

I have Mandrake 9.2. Here is an extract from an eleven page set of notes I prepared as I worked through setting up Linux. I considered posting the complete document but I would need to go through and delete some personal information (like user ids & passwords!).

 

I am currently still using XP for two reasons - a minor issue concerning the nvidia vidio driver and more importantly, I cannot get the wheel on my genius netscroll+ mose to work. I have discovered that I cannot browse without the wheel.

 

Remember that the following notes apply to my PC's particular configuration. The information may or may not help you.

 

 

*********How To Install a Winmodem**************

 

Installing Linux

 

 

1. Find Kernel Version

 

uname -r

 

2. Get kernel source from

 

ftp://194.199.20.114/linux/Mandrake/9.2/i...-10mdk.i586.rpm

 

 

3. Install ncurses

 

urpmi ncurses-devel

 

Note: If a libncurses file is found on the hard drive ignore it. It was downloaded fronm the net. The correct file is on the CD.

 

4. Install Kernel

 

rpm -ivh kernel-source2.4.22-10mdk.i585.rpm

 

 

5. Install Modem Driver

 

May need to re boot for driver to work.

 

Go to developer.intel.com and search on modem drivers.

 

Use tar -zxvf <file> to unpack and then make.

 

Alternatively right click on file and then click on Actions.

 

Driver file is Intel536-4.68.TGZ (for kernels 2.4.x)

 

Then follow instructions in text file:

make clean

make 536

make install (ignore :Cannot remove....” message.

 

 

6. Modem Settings

 

Device type /dev/modem

Flow control hardware

Line Termination CR

[griptypethyne]

I should have added that the kernel source is *not* on the Mandrake 9.2 CD. I read somewhere that its omission was to provide space for other software.

 

That is why your very first step, after installing Mandrake 9.2 from the boot CD, should be to download and install the kernel source.

 

I am of course assuming that you have a dual boot system and can access the net from Windows B)

[griptypethyne]

Yet another point....

 

I recommend that you keep detailed notes, which you update whenever you achieve success with part of the installation. Also, save downloaded files (such as the kernel source and the modem driver) to CD. Then it is no big deal, when something goes wrong, to put the Mandrake boot CD in the drive and press reset......... (apart from the time wasted).

 

If you do re-install Linux then be very careful when you get to the installation of the bootloader. My initial installation of Linux was without any problems and I quickly had a dual boot machine. However, about two weeks later on my third or fourth re-install of Linux I did something silly, and in trying to fix the problem did something even sillier. The result was that Windows would not boot. In the end I was forced to do a brand new install of Windows, including activating it. The plus side is that it cleaned out my desktop (-;

[Guest frazzle]

i have the kernel

 

what do u mean 'Install ncurses' (remeber im new at linux) what is it ?

 

next is with the driver - is that specific to your computer ... im running dell if thats any help ?

 

thanks :)

[griptypethyne]

i have the kernel

 

what do u mean 'Install ncurses' (remeber im new at linux) what is it ?

 

next is with the driver - is that specific to your computer ... im running dell if thats any help ?

I have no idea what ncurses does.

 

There are two ways of installing Linux software - as a binary (as in Windows) or as source, in which case you run a make file to compile the program. The C compiler is included on the 9.2 CD. My experience (and I am a newbie too) is that when you try and install from source you will get a message saying that a depandant component cannot be found. Then you search the net for the missing component, try installing it and get a message saying that yet another component is missing I believe that there is a descriptive name for this process but I cannot remember what it is.

 

The point of all of this is that in order to install the driver I found that had to install ncurses first.

 

The driver is specific to the *kernel* version and your modem chipset. That is why you need to run the uname command in Linux to determine the kernel version. In Windows there is a way of determining the type of modem chipset but I cannot remember off hand what it is.

 

My modem uses the 536ep chipset. If that is used by your modem then, as you also have the 9.2 CD, the driver I specified should work. (I am assuming that all 9.2 CDs have the same kernel version).

 

MS may be criticised for its big brother approach but at least when you install some software it will probably work. The same cannot be said for Linux! Unless the Linux community solves this problem Linux will never, IMHO, become the OS of choice of the masses.