Subject: configuring Ethernet Card (on a IPv4 network)
To: None <netbsd-help@netbsd.org>
From: R.Sivaramakrishna Sharma <arunagirinathar@yahoo.co.in>
List: netbsd-help
Date: 04/25/2005 12:06:15
Hello all :)
I just installed NetBSD 2.0.2 - but before I proceed,
i want to make it clear that I am not a Unix newbie -
I've used Linux since 2.2, FreeBSD 4.7++ before.

In some forums/mailing lists, I usually get this reply
- "Why the heck did you switch over the this (xyz) OS
- stick with what works for you ....." and such kind
of replies, I wish to make it clear WHY i prefer
NetBSD over other Unices -

a) Linux Distros of late are getting too fat
(fat==bloated) - I mean a minimum of 1 - 2 GB for a
'normal' install (with 1000's of programs and
libraries i doubt I will ever use....

b) Since I changed some of my periphrals - importantly
the mouse - FreeBSD does not support the new
periphrals - the mouse in particular - it malfunctions
(whatever - the driver or the mouse on FreeBSD)...
besides almost all optical mice available here
malfunction - Samsung / LG. 

c) I installed 1.6 version of NETBSD some time back
and it was great, lean, powerful yet elegant (at that
time I did not have a LAN card - using PPP)! Sadly the
very next day the CD failed (bad media ?) and for some
reason the MBR was corrupted (?).... so I had to
suffice with Linux for a while .... Now that I have
procured NetBSD 2.0.2.. i do not see any reason why I
should switch back to those systems.

I suppose I have clarified myself (in case someone
flares up)

Now - I had some problems configuring my Ethernet Card
(RealTek 8139) at rtk0;

1st thing - the card is detected properly - here is
the dmesg output -
+------------------------------------------------+
rtk0 at PCI2 dev13
function 0: RealTek 8139 10/100 Base Tx
rtk0 interrupting at IRQ 3
rtk0: Ethernet Address 00:0b:2b:0f:f9:0f
akphy0 at rtk0 phy7: Generic IEEE802.3U media
interface
+------------------------------------------------+

But on boot (before/after login) - the ethernet card
is NOT activated (the power LED is off and the packets
LED is static - where it should have been blinking).

I queried 'ifconfig' using ifconfig -a and these were
the results -
+-----------------------------------------------+
rtk0: Flags=8802<BROADCAST, SIMPLEX, MULTICAST>
MTU/500
address: 00:0b:2b:0f:f9:0f
media: Ethernet autoselect
status : active
+-----------------------------------------------+

Another note - I do not have extensive experience with
ifconfig - since I have not used it much on either
Linux or BSD.

Besides I could NOT find any ifconfig.rtk0 or any
ifconfig* files in /etc/ !!!!

I did read the afterboot(8) man pages - but found
little information on how to write my own
ifconfig.rtk0.

Besides I am still in a dilema as to wether I need to
'insert' any driver modules as the kernel boots - in
FBSD it was located in /boot/ - but i cannot find any
such file in /boot/. Again someone on #netbsd
(freenode) said netBsd 'may' have (or not have) the
feature of dynamically loadable kernel modules (???).

If someone could just explain to me, or highlight me
in this area, it would be great. 
Wether i have goofed up somewhere, or I have done
something wrong, or I have yet to do some
configuration to get the LAN card working. Besides
some extra pointers (resources) would also be fine.

Another thing, does CSH support tab-completion (like
the newer BASH shells)?

Thank you,
RSK

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