Subject: FYI: 3com Etherlink3 (3c509, 3c59x, 3c90x, 3c589?) driver update
To: None <current-users@NetBSD.ORG, port-i386@NetBSD.ORG>
From: Jonathan Stone <jonathan@DSG.Stanford.EDU>
List: current-users
Date: 03/31/1997 01:12:41
This is a ``heads-up''.  I'm planning to commit changes to the
elink3.c -- back-end of the if_ep_{isa,eisa,pci,isapnp} driver --
sometime this week.

These changes add if_media support, allowing selection of 100Mbit
media as well as 10Mbit media. I've tested this fairly thoroughly on a
3c595; it works OK there, and should work on a 3c905.

Backwards support for the link0|link2 *may* be broken on 10Mbit media.
Anyone installing this driver in -current should:

	a)  build and install a current /sbin/ifconfig *before*
	    installing the updated elink3;

	b) change their hostname.ep? files to use 
	    "media UTP", "media AUI", or "media BNC" instead
	   of  link0/link1/link2 flags  immediately  before
	   installing  a new kernel;

	c) be prepared for media-selection bugs in the new kernel.

(i.e., if you can't easily get console access to fix things in
single-user mode, you should probably wait till any bugs are ironed
out.)

Anyone willing to try out the ifmedia changes on a 3c509B, 3c590, or
3c900-combo and help stamp out bugs before this goes into the tree,
please contact me directly:-;.