[SOLVED] InstallArch: Missing ALX network driver for Atheros AR8161

rvdn · 2013-04-02 18:54:43

I have bought a new computer with a Qualcomm Atheros(R) AR816x/AR817x PCI-E Ethernet Network Driver. In Ubuntu (13.04 daily, kernel 3.8.0-15-generic) my network connection is fine (in 12.10 it doesn't, the alx driver for my network card is not supported in that kernel).

I hoped the latest installation iso of Arch with a 3.8.x kernel would support my network card, however i'm unable to install Arch because the network card doesn't work.
Ping www.google.nl : Unknown host
Ping 10.0.0.1 (my router): Network unreachable

Any suggestions how i can install Arch are welcome.

Gr. ROn...

Last edited by rvdn (2013-04-07 19:17:20)

WonderWoofy · 2013-04-02 18:57:48

Okay... well do you have any inkling of a clue what the module it uses is called? Is that optional module actually included in our kernel? By latest installation ISO do you mean today's? You need to do a much better job laying out your problem here if you have any hope of actually getting any help.

rvdn · 2013-04-02 19:02:13

@WonderWoofy: I will give it a try. The module should be called alx. Modprobe alx doesn't work. I found info on the internet about this problem and thought it would be fixed with the 3.8.x kernel. With 'the latest installation iso' i mean the 1 april iso with kernel 3.8.4

Last edited by rvdn (2013-04-02 19:02:30)

WonderWoofy · 2013-04-02 19:08:47

Okay, well try and get some information from the working ubuntu on what the module is called, and what configuration option needs to be turned on in the kernel in order for this to be included. Also, is it an in-tree module? Or is it provided by some random package in ubuntu. You have to determine where the hell it is coming from before you can figure out why it is not supported in the Arch kernel.

rvdn · 2013-04-02 19:13:23

In ubuntu it works out-of-the-box.
grub.cfg:
linux /boot/vmlinuz-3.8.0-15-generic root=UUID=d22a52a3-838e-4e67-b405-3fc4d2c6a28b ro quiet splash $vt_handoff
initrd /boot/initrd.img-3.8.0-15-generic

opt1mus · 2013-04-02 19:15:45

This isn't Ubuntu, you've got to check/create configs and manage things yourself. No fstab?
-- edit --
Disregard request for fstab, mind was on another thread.

Last edited by opt1mus (2013-04-02 19:19:55)

rvdn · 2013-04-02 19:18:54

This seems to be related to my problem:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+sour … bug/927782

@opt1mus: I have installed Arch a lot of times, but at that time, with my older computer, my wired network connection worked out of the box with Arch. Now it doesn't and i am not able to do a 'pacstrap...'

WonderWoofy · 2013-04-02 19:32:34

So as you have found here, Ubuntu has built this module from the stand alone git tree. A quick search of the AUR will yeild results.

6ng4n · 2013-04-02 20:52:56

dkms-alx package is on AUR you can use it just download it somewhere you can access at installation

Trilby · 2013-04-02 21:56:13

rvdn, would you mind choosing a more informative title. Saying you are "unable to install archlinux" in a forum mostly devoted to things people are unable to do, devoted fully to archlinux, and in a subforum all about installation ... well, that title doesn't give any information that is not clear from where it is posted.

I assumed this was a "noobish" issue that would be easily solved, but it sounds like you may know your way around arch, but rather have a specific network driver issue. Putting *that* issue in the title would be useful.

rvdn · 2013-04-03 16:48:18

@6ng4n & @WonderWoofy: Please tell me how to install a package from the AUR to the installation disk. I know how to install a package from the AUR, but the installation disks doesn't include the programs in base-devel.
@Trilby: You're right. How can I chance the subject afterwards (can't find it).

Inxsible · 2013-04-03 16:51:43

rvdn wrote:

@6ng4n & @WonderWoofy: Please tell me how to install a package from the AUR to the installation disk. I know how to install a package from the AUR, but the installation disks doesn't include the programs in base-devel.

Look into wget (to obtain the PKGBUILD), makepkg and pacman -U

rvdn wrote:

@Trilby: You're right. How can I chance the subject afterwards (can't find it).

Edit your first post in the thread and change the thread title

rvdn · 2013-04-03 17:03:21

@Inxsible: Tnx. Topic changed. However i think i won't be able to wget since i don't have an internet connection... Could i write it to my usb-installation-stick ?

Inxsible · 2013-04-03 17:08:22

rvdn wrote:

@Inxsible: Tnx. Topic changed. However i think i won't be able to wget since i don't have an internet connection... Could i write it to my usb-installation-stick ?

Not unless you do a whole lot of work re-mastering the installation iso.
Try another machine to build the package on and copy it over.

rvdn · 2013-04-03 17:09:48

I have a working Ubuntu, connected to the internet. I don't have a working Arch system in the house.

progandy · 2013-04-03 17:51:10

You won't need a working arch system. I suggest this:
- Boot ubuntu and use bacpac to download the dkms dependencies ( http://xyne.archlinux.ca/projects/bacpac/ ) Then download the PKGBUILD and all necessary sources, too.
- Copy all the files on a usb stick and install the packages in the live environment
- use makepkg (put the source files in the right place and use the skipdownload option) in order to install the dkms pacakge.
- run dkms autoinstall or dkms install
- modprobe alx
- install arch linux, and install dkms-alx there, too.

hadrons123 · 2013-04-03 18:58:37

For all the people thinking how ubuntu got the alx modules whereas arch didn't, Debian has added the alx module into their kernel out of the official linux kernel tree and so does ubuntu.
http://packages.debian.org/changelogs/p … /changelog

net: Add alx driver for Atheros AR8161 and AR8162 (Closes: #699129)
- Mark as staging, since it has not been accepted upstream

The easiest way to use alx is to build it from sources. The dkms-alx doesn't always build with all the kernels.
http://www.linuxfoundation.org/collabor … orking/alx

I download the alx tarball from the linux foundation source from an another computer/OS and build it from sources using the Archboot CD to install Arch since I am not sure if monthly Arch ISOs have devel packages for building the alx.

Last edited by hadrons123 (2013-04-03 19:10:56)

rvdn · 2013-04-04 19:06:16

@hadrons123. The archboot CD looks very promissing. I didn't know it existed and liked it to see the installation framework again ;-)

I tried to compile the alx driver with the script:

./scripts/driver-select alx

but the bash complains perl isn't on the ArchBoot CD. I tried to install a downloaded Perl packages but then it complains about other dependecies. How did you do this?

hadrons123 · 2013-04-05 00:45:30

I guess you tried netinstall option. I pointed the sources of installation to CD,USB rather than Net. First install Archboot CD with core, devel, support packages and don't try netinstall at the time of installation. Post OS install you can compile alx. Every kernel update you will have to compile the alx, and when you install alx for a kernel version and you update and move to different kernel you will have to compile it again.

Last edited by hadrons123 (2013-04-05 00:47:22)

rvdn · 2013-04-07 19:16:13

I think i would have been able to solve my problem the way hadrons123 suggested: Install Arch with the archboot cd and afterwards install the needed driver.

However i ran into other problems (UEFI related) and decided to follow the easy way to solve my network problem: I bought an ethernet network card for a few euro's. This card is supported by the kernel by default.

Tnx. for all your suggestions and support.

Last edited by rvdn (2013-04-07 19:16:50)

hadrons123 · 2013-04-07 19:23:40

The first thing I did was disabling UEFI. I have no use for it.

Arch Linux

#1 2013-04-02 18:54:43

[SOLVED] InstallArch: Missing ALX network driver for Atheros AR8161

#2 2013-04-02 18:57:48

Re: [SOLVED] InstallArch: Missing ALX network driver for Atheros AR8161

#3 2013-04-02 19:02:13

Re: [SOLVED] InstallArch: Missing ALX network driver for Atheros AR8161

#4 2013-04-02 19:08:47

Re: [SOLVED] InstallArch: Missing ALX network driver for Atheros AR8161

#5 2013-04-02 19:13:23

Re: [SOLVED] InstallArch: Missing ALX network driver for Atheros AR8161

#6 2013-04-02 19:15:45

Re: [SOLVED] InstallArch: Missing ALX network driver for Atheros AR8161

#7 2013-04-02 19:18:54

Re: [SOLVED] InstallArch: Missing ALX network driver for Atheros AR8161

#8 2013-04-02 19:32:34

Re: [SOLVED] InstallArch: Missing ALX network driver for Atheros AR8161

#9 2013-04-02 20:52:56

Re: [SOLVED] InstallArch: Missing ALX network driver for Atheros AR8161

#10 2013-04-02 21:56:13

Re: [SOLVED] InstallArch: Missing ALX network driver for Atheros AR8161

#11 2013-04-03 16:48:18

Re: [SOLVED] InstallArch: Missing ALX network driver for Atheros AR8161

#12 2013-04-03 16:51:43

Re: [SOLVED] InstallArch: Missing ALX network driver for Atheros AR8161

#13 2013-04-03 17:03:21

Re: [SOLVED] InstallArch: Missing ALX network driver for Atheros AR8161

#14 2013-04-03 17:08:22

Re: [SOLVED] InstallArch: Missing ALX network driver for Atheros AR8161

#15 2013-04-03 17:09:48

Re: [SOLVED] InstallArch: Missing ALX network driver for Atheros AR8161

#16 2013-04-03 17:51:10

Re: [SOLVED] InstallArch: Missing ALX network driver for Atheros AR8161

#17 2013-04-03 18:58:37

Re: [SOLVED] InstallArch: Missing ALX network driver for Atheros AR8161

#18 2013-04-04 19:06:16

Re: [SOLVED] InstallArch: Missing ALX network driver for Atheros AR8161

#19 2013-04-05 00:45:30

Re: [SOLVED] InstallArch: Missing ALX network driver for Atheros AR8161

#20 2013-04-07 19:16:13

Re: [SOLVED] InstallArch: Missing ALX network driver for Atheros AR8161

#21 2013-04-07 19:23:40

Re: [SOLVED] InstallArch: Missing ALX network driver for Atheros AR8161

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