I've recently upgraded from 1.1 to 1.2 and I'm having some problems with
ethernet cards and serial ports.  The machine is a 486DX266 with 24MB
memory and a ISA/VLB motherboard.  All the following was done with the
supplied GENERICOTHER kernel.

First, the 1.2 install disk didn't like my ethernet card (SMC 8216C), so I
couldn't copy the binaries on to my HD.  I rebooted into 1.1 off the HD and
copied the binaries down and upgraded to 1.2.  The snag is that 1.2 doesn't
like the ethernet card either.  It's correctly receognised at boot time but
every time I try to send data, I receive a 'ed2: device timeout' message.

I tried to use a 3Com 3C509 card instead, but that just locks up the machine
at ifconfig in /etc/netstart.  Again, it is recognised at boot time (ep0).

Next, I thought I would download the kernel sources and recompile.  Under
1.1, I had a working (null modem cable) serial link, so I tried to use that.
Pppd (and tip/cu/cat/echo) just blocks forever when trying to open tty00.
Stty -f /dev/tty00 <some flags> doesn't appear to change the tty settings
until I try to open the device again, but always reports the same values.

I managed to get some communication by setting local in /etc/ttys and
running ttyflags.  Now I can cat a file down the serial port (and see it
at the other end), but pppd exits with 'Modem hangup'.

I am missing something obvious here?  Will a kernel compile help?  It looks
as if the supplied kernel recognises the ethernet cards at boot but fails
to communicate with them properly.  Is the serial port a kernel or config
problem?

Thanks,

J

--
"Railways have always been plagued by politicians, and it is not hard to
think that Robert Stephenson had the right idea when he drove his engine
over one of them at the opening of the Liverpool & Manchester Railway"