[NBLUG/talk] USB ethernet adapter for Dell Optiplex 745?

Mr. Jan Hearthstone hearthstone11 at yahoo.com
Tue Aug 13 19:30:16 PDT 2013


I found the driver needed for the Dell OptiPlex 745 network card ( Broadcom Corporation NetXtreme BCM5754 Gigabit Ethernet PCI Express ) in two forms: .rpm (but I run Debian based AntiX), as tg3-3.124c.tar.gz (318 KiB), and as tg3_sup-3.124c-1.ISO.tar.gz (3.1 MiB).

I tried to follow the instructions the http://www.broadcom.com/support/ethernet_nic/faq_drivers.php#tg3 offers:

 Copy the driver (.linux-x.x.x.zip) into a temporary directory that
the user has write permissions to.
        e.g., cp linux-7.0.36 zip /home/usr/tmp
    Extract the contents of the ZIP archive
        Execute: unzip linux-x.x.36.zip (e.g., unzip linux-7.0.36.zip)
    Change the working directory to where the driver source is located:
        e.g., cd Server/Linux/Driver
    Untar the driver source
        tar -xzvpf netxtremex-x.x.x.tar.gz (e.g., tar -xzvpf
netxtreme2-7.0.36.tar.gz)
    Change the working directory to the driver source
        e.g., cd netextreme2-7.0.36
    Build the new driver from source
        Execute: make clean (if this command fails, make sure the
build environment is installed)
    Install the driver source
        EX:: sudo make install
    Remove the previously installed driver from memory (WARNING: This
command will remove the driver for the network interfaces; only
execute if your physically at the system)
        EX: sudo rmmod bnx2 or bnx2x
    Load the newly compiled and installed driver from disk into memory
        EX: sudo modprobe bnx2 or bnx2x

but got only as far as "make clean" which did not work for me.

Please remember that I did take a basic Unix course, but that the extent of my Linux education. I do use Linux, because when I go Windows I end up with Debian again. I don't want to switch to any other Linux distro as I am an ancient dog, reluctant to learn new tricks, besides--this is the first time I had to install a driver of any kind ...

Thank you sincerely - Hearthstone.
---
"Designing the Earth Anew Together"
The book: http://tinyurl.com/knj2w3d
Free e-book: http://www.modelearth.org/5-5x8-5-toc-start-and-text-ebook-kindle-exper.pdf


Ecologically and Socially Sustainable Education:
Creating a Sustainable World.
http://www.modelearth.org/ecosocsused.html


>________________________________
> From: "talk-request at nblug.org" <talk-request at nblug.org>
>To: talk at nblug.org 
>Sent: Monday, August 12, 2013 1:00 PM
>Subject: talk Digest, Vol 113, Issue 4
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>Today's Topics:
>
>   1. Re: USB ethernet adapter for Dell Optiplex 745? (Mark Street)
>   2. Re: USB ethernet adapter for Dell Optiplex 745? (E Frank Ball III)
>   3. Re: USB ethernet adapter for Dell Optiplex 745? (Mark Street)
>
>
>----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Message: 1
>Date: Sun, 11 Aug 2013 12:45:16 -0700
>From: Mark Street <jet at sonic.net>
>To: "General NBLUG chatter about anything Linux, answers to questions,
>    etc." <talk at nblug.org>
>Subject: Re: [NBLUG/talk] USB ethernet adapter for Dell Optiplex 745?
>Message-ID: <5207E9CC.9060109 at sonic.net>
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"; Format="flowed"
>
>I would suggest utilizing your resources before throwing in the towel.  
>I used to tell my students this, of which Alan was one them.
>
>Mepis is Debian based last I checked...  That chipset should be 
>supported and still is.  I have several of these older machines and 
>frequently boot into Knoppix on them.  What kernel modules are loaded?  
>lsmod | grep bxn2
>
>What do you see?
>Do you see any errors for the interface during boot or after? boot.log
>Do you actually see the interface if you run ifconfig?  Are there errors 
>in the ifconfig ouput?
>
>Try this one:  rmmod bnx2 && modprobe bnx2
>See if it works now.
>
>Much more to learn, very little time....
>
>Best Regards,
>
>
>
>On 8/9/2013 2:51 PM, Mr. Jan Hearthstone wrote:
>> I am having problems connecting with Ethernet on Dell Optiplex 745 
>> (onboard Broadcom Corporation NetXtreme BCM5754 Gigabit Ethernet PCI 
>> Express) that Allan Cecil gave me--the light is steady amber when box 
>> plugged in, and stays so always. According to Internet search that 
>> might be common problem for Linux.
>>
>> Allan Cecil suggested USB ethernet adapters--I know nothing of those; 
>> would you, please give me some intelligence on this?
>>
>> I installed Mepis AntiX on the machine ...
>>
>> Thank you, Hearthstone.
>> ---
>> "Designing the Earth Anew Together"
>> The book: http://tinyurl.com/knj2w3d
>> Free e-book: 
>> http://www.modelearth.org/5-5x8-5-toc-start-and-text-ebook-kindle-exper.pdf
>>
>>
>> Ecologically and Socially Sustainable Education:
>> Creating a Sustainable World.
>> http://www.modelearth.org/ecosocsused.html
>>
>>
>> If we, the people, were really sincere about having real Peace in the 
>> world,
>> we would pursue creating Peace by peaceful means more actively rather
>> than by relying on our military might!
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> talk mailing list
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>------------------------------
>
>Message: 2
>Date: Sun, 11 Aug 2013 14:16:36 -0700
>From: E Frank Ball III <frankb at frankb.us>
>To: "General NBLUG chatter about anything Linux, answers to questions,
>    etc." <talk at nblug.org>
>Subject: Re: [NBLUG/talk] USB ethernet adapter for Dell Optiplex 745?
>Message-ID: <20130811211636.GA666 at kamajii.efball.com>
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>
>On Sun, Aug 11, 2013 at 12:45:16PM -0700, Mark Street wrote:
>>    I would suggest utilizing your resources before throwing in the towel.  I
>>    used to tell my students this, of which Alan was one them.
>> 
>>    Mepis is Debian based last I checked...  That chipset should be supported
>>    and still is.  I have several of these older machines and frequently boot
>>    into Knoppix on them.  What kernel modules are loaded?  lsmod | grep bxn2
>> 
>>    What do you see?
>>    Do you see any errors for the interface during boot or after?  boot.log
>>    Do you actually see the interface if you run ifconfig?  Are there errors
>>    in the ifconfig ouput?
>> 
>>    Try this one:  rmmod bnx2 && modprobe bnx2
>>    See if it works now.
>
>
>I think this Broadcom chipset uses the tg3 driver.
>
>   E Frank Ball          frankb at frankb.us
>
>
>------------------------------
>
>Message: 3
>Date: Sun, 11 Aug 2013 14:39:22 -0700
>From: Mark Street <jet at sonic.net>
>To: talk at nblug.org
>Subject: Re: [NBLUG/talk] USB ethernet adapter for Dell Optiplex 745?
>Message-ID: <5208048A.70005 at sonic.net>
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
>
>On 8/11/2013 2:16 PM, E Frank Ball III wrote:
>> On Sun, Aug 11, 2013 at 12:45:16PM -0700, Mark Street wrote:
>>   >    I would suggest utilizing your resources before throwing in the towel.  I
>>   >    used to tell my students this, of which Alan was one them.
>>   >
>>   >    Mepis is Debian based last I checked...  That chipset should be supported
>>   >    and still is.  I have several of these older machines and frequently boot
>>   >    into Knoppix on them.  What kernel modules are loaded?  lsmod | grep bxn2
>>   >
>>   >    What do you see?
>>   >    Do you see any errors for the interface during boot or after?  boot.log
>>   >    Do you actually see the interface if you run ifconfig?  Are there errors
>>   >    in the ifconfig ouput?
>>   >
>>   >    Try this one:  rmmod bnx2 && modprobe bnx2
>>   >    See if it works now.
>>
>>
>> I think this Broadcom chipset uses the tg3 driver.
>It just might...
>
>http://www.broadcom.com/support/ethernet_nic/downloaddrivers.php
>
>
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