First of all, thanks to everyone who responded. Using dpkg is just what
I needed to do.
However, I now have run into a new problem. I've installed the gcc,
binutils, make and patch packages and their dependancies. I patched
the 2.0.35 kernal. I followed the instructions at the kernal.org
website. Ran make config, make dep, make clean. No obvious problems
to this point.
Then I ran make zImage (takes awhile!) and it aborted with the following
error:
as86 -0 -a -o bootsect.o bootsect.s
make[1]: as86: Command not found
***[bootsect.o] Error 127
***[zImage] Error 2
Peeking into the Makefiles, I found as86 defined so:
as86=$(CROSS_COMPILE)as86 -0 -a
but I was unable to find a def for CROSS_COMPILE. I ran "find / *as86"
and there were no files found. Is there another package I need to
install?
Thanks for the help,
Jerry
At 08:19 AM 10/29/98 +0100, Helge Hafting wrote:
>In <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, on 10/28/98
> at 12:53 PM, "Jerry E. McGoveran" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> said:
>
>>I have a Debian installation in which the ethernet card driver is
>>apparently not installed. There were some errors at this stage of the
>>installation process, but the screen drew and reset to the inst. menu too
>>fast to read anything. I finished the installation, and now I need to
>>update the kernel and the drivers. I can't compile a kernel (downloaded
>>2.0.35 src) because I don't have gcc. I can't install the gcc package
>>because I don't have network access in Linux - only under Win95.
>
>>My Linux installation has a 2.0.32 kernel with 2.0.34 drivers, and this
>>is probably why the drivers don't work. I'm using the 2.0.32 kernel
>>because the 2.0.34 kernel wasn't working with my AHA2842 SCSI adapter.
>
>>Questions:
>
>>1) Can I get there from here?
>Sure.
>
>>2) How do I install a package assuming I can get the .deb files onto a
>>mounted filesystem? Dselect asks for a series of directory pathnames,
>>and complains when it doesn't find various files and directories within
>>them.
>Use dpkg. It is guaranteed to be installed, dselect itself use dpkg for
>installing packages. Use
>dpkg -i /mountpoint/directories/package_filename.deb
>This is the manual way for installing debian packages, and the advantage
>over installing tar-files is that the package management system is used.
>Dependencies are checked, installation scripts are run, and everything is
>set up correctly in the proper directories.
>
>gcc and lots of other software is available as debian packages from
>www.debian.org
>
>>3) Is there a direct way to update the kernel and/or drivers without
>>having to compile a kernel or use dselect?
>Dselect is not necessary. It is an interface when dealing
>with the entire debian distribution. (You don't want to
>run ftp and dpkg for each of 50 packages you may want to install.) I
>suggest getting gcc, kernel sources and the other utilities needed for
>development (make and such)
>Then compile a 2.0.35 kernel with the drivers you need. You may use
>dselect for installing further packages when the network is up and
>running. You can update the kernel by compiling it - or by getting a
>compiled kernel from someone else. Compiling it yourself is easy though,
>and you can set it up for exactly the hardware you have.
>
>If you have cdrom consider getting the debian cd for about $2 from
>www.cheapbytes.com or similiar places. It may save you a lot of time.
>
>>4) Should I give up on Debian and go buy the RedHat CD and hope for
>>better results?
>No need, but do as you wish.
>
>>5) Why did I want a Linux system in the first place? :/
>It is certainly a good idea if you have a pc :-)
>
>Helge Hafting
>
>
>
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