How to load an Ethernet driver on only one adapter

Hi,

I'm using a PC with two Intel Gigabit adapters (i8254x). When Linux
(RedHat 7.2, kernel 2.4.24) boots, it calls "insmod e1000.o" and the
driver initializes and takes control of both adapters. Is there a way to
restrict the e1000 driver to only one adapter? I've searched in the
driver parameters but there is nothing obvious.
Thanks,

Cyril.

On 02/21/2007 09:05 PM, Cyril Perrin wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I'm using a PC with two Intel Gigabit adapters (i8254x). When Linux
> (RedHat 7.2, kernel 2.4.24) boots, it calls "insmod e1000.o" and the
> driver initializes and takes control of both adapters. Is there a way to
> restrict the e1000 driver to only one adapter? I've searched in the
> driver parameters but there is nothing obvious.
> Thanks,

Redhat 7.2 has ended it's life a long ago, why don't get and install
some latest distro?

Not sure about 7.2, but you just need to put one of these down with:

# ifdown eth[0|1] # choose either 0 or 1

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Balwinder S "bsd" Dheeman wrote:
> On 02/21/2007 09:05 PM, Cyril Perrin wrote:
>> Hi,
>>
>> I'm using a PC with two Intel Gigabit adapters (i8254x). When Linux
>> (RedHat 7.2, kernel 2.4.24) boots, it calls "insmod e1000.o" and the
>> driver initializes and takes control of both adapters. Is there a way to
>> restrict the e1000 driver to only one adapter? I've searched in the
>> driver parameters but there is nothing obvious.
>> Thanks,
>
> Redhat 7.2 has ended it's life a long ago, why don't get and install
> some latest distro?
>
> Not sure about 7.2, but you just need to put one of these down with:
>
> # ifdown eth[0|1] # choose either 0 or 1
>

eth1 is not even up.
Only eth0 is configured on my PC but the driver takes control of all the
network adapters.
It sounds like a limitation of insmod / e1000. I'm quite sure the latest
distribution won't fix that.

On Wed, 21 Feb 2007 10:35:59 -0500, in comp.os.linux.networking Cyril Perrin <cyril.perrin@_cae.com> wrote:
> I'm using a PC with two Intel Gigabit adapters (i8254x). When Linux
> (RedHat 7.2, kernel 2.4.24) boots, it calls "insmod e1000.o" and the
> driver initializes and takes control of both adapters. Is there a way to
> restrict the e1000 driver to only one adapter? I've searched in the
> driver parameters but there is nothing obvious.

The following doesn't quite answer your question, but it
may help.

I'm running FC6. The driver module loaded for each of my
ethernet interfaces is controlled by entries in
/etc/modprobe.conf
for example:
alias eth0 3c59x
alias eth1 e100

As you can see, I have two different adpaters.

I think RH 7.2 has a similar file, but I believe that the
file was /etc/modules.conf. Try
man modules.conf
You may be able to set them to use different drivers, or
even set one to have no driver:
alias eth0 e1000
alias eth1 off

I never used RH 7.2 and I'm not sure this would work.

There's a lot of info on the e1000 at
http://www.intel.com/support/network/sb/cs-009209.htm
but nothing about restricting it to one interface.

--
Dale Dellutri <(E-Mail Removed)> (lose the Q's)

Cyril Perrin <cyril.perrin@_cae.com> writes:

>Balwinder S "bsd" Dheeman wrote:
>> On 02/21/2007 09:05 PM, Cyril Perrin wrote:
>>> Hi,
>>>
>>> I'm using a PC with two Intel Gigabit adapters (i8254x). When Linux
>>> (RedHat 7.2, kernel 2.4.24) boots, it calls "insmod e1000.o" and the
>>> driver initializes and takes control of both adapters. Is there a way to
>>> restrict the e1000 driver to only one adapter? I've searched in the
>>> driver parameters but there is nothing obvious.
>>> Thanks,
>>
>> Redhat 7.2 has ended it's life a long ago, why don't get and install
>> some latest distro?
>>
>> Not sure about 7.2, but you just need to put one of these down with:
>>
>> # ifdown eth[0|1] # choose either 0 or 1
>>

>eth1 is not even up.
>Only eth0 is configured on my PC but the driver takes control of all the
>network adapters.
>It sounds like a limitation of insmod / e1000. I'm quite sure the latest
>distribution won't fix that.

What is the problem you are trying to fix? Why do you care if the driver
takes controll of both cards?

Cyril Perrin wrote:
> I'm using a PC with two Intel Gigabit adapters (i8254x). When Linux
> (RedHat 7.2, kernel 2.4.24) boots, it calls "insmod e1000.o" and the
> driver initializes and takes control of both adapters. Is there a way to
> restrict the e1000 driver to only one adapter? I've searched in the
> driver parameters but there is nothing obvious.
> Thanks,

Perhaps in /etc/modules.conf

IIRC, There are also some settings in /etc/sysconfig/network file.

What exactly do you want to do? Disable to other card completely?

--
Milan Babuskov
http://njam.sourceforge.net

Hello,

Dale Dellutri a écrit :
> On Wed, 21 Feb 2007 10:35:59 -0500, in comp.os.linux.networking Cyril Perrin <cyril.perrin@_cae.com> wrote:
>
>>I'm using a PC with two Intel Gigabit adapters (i8254x). When Linux
>>(RedHat 7.2, kernel 2.4.24) boots, it calls "insmod e1000.o" and the
>>driver initializes and takes control of both adapters. Is there a way to
>>restrict the e1000 driver to only one adapter? I've searched in the
>>driver parameters but there is nothing obvious.

For what purpose is this needed ?

> The following doesn't quite answer your question, but it
> may help.
>
> I'm running FC6. The driver module loaded for each of my
> ethernet interfaces is controlled by entries in
> /etc/modprobe.conf
> for example:
> alias eth0 3c59x
> alias eth1 e100

This does not work. Don't use it. This is a misuse of the module aliases
because it does not mean that the actual interface names match the alias
names.

> I think RH 7.2 has a similar file, but I believe that the
> file was /etc/modules.conf. Try
> man modules.conf
> You may be able to set them to use different drivers, or
> even set one to have no driver:
> alias eth0 e1000
> alias eth1 off
>
> I never used RH 7.2 and I'm not sure this would work.

I do not need to use RH to know it does not work.
When eth0 is invoked, the e1000 module is loaded, takes control of both
adapters and creates eth0 and eth1.

What about disabling the second network interface in the mb bios.
Then linux will not see it.
After that open e1000 source file, and rewrite section that probes for
card to stop when found. But this could cause random switches to the
active network interface. Used to do this way back in the 1.x kernels
to force ne2000 cards to probe in the correct order.
Robert

On Wed, 21 Feb 2007 10:35:59 -0500, Cyril Perrin wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I'm using a PC with two Intel Gigabit adapters (i8254x). When Linux
> (RedHat 7.2, kernel 2.4.24) boots, it calls "insmod e1000.o" and the
> driver initializes and takes control of both adapters. Is there a way to
> restrict the e1000 driver to only one adapter? I've searched in the
> driver parameters but there is nothing obvious.
> Thanks,
>
> Cyril.

Pascal Hambourg wrote:
> Dale Dellutri a écrit :
>> On Wed, 21 Feb 2007 10:35:59 -0500, in comp.os.linux.networking Cyril
>> Perrin <cyril.perrin@_cae.com> wrote:
>>
>>> I'm using a PC with two Intel Gigabit adapters (i8254x). When Linux
>>> (RedHat 7.2, kernel 2.4.24) boots, it calls "insmod e1000.o" and the
>>> driver initializes and takes control of both adapters. Is there a way to
>>> restrict the e1000 driver to only one adapter? I've searched in the
>>> driver parameters but there is nothing obvious.
>
> For what purpose is this needed ?
>
>> The following doesn't quite answer your question, but it
>> may help.
>>
>> I'm running FC6. The driver module loaded for each of my
>> ethernet interfaces is controlled by entries in
>> /etc/modprobe.conf
>> for example:
>> alias eth0 3c59x
>> alias eth1 e100
>
> This does not work. Don't use it. This is a misuse of the module aliases
> because it does not mean that the actual interface names match the alias
> names.
>
>> I think RH 7.2 has a similar file, but I believe that the
>> file was /etc/modules.conf. Try
>> man modules.conf
>> You may be able to set them to use different drivers, or
>> even set one to have no driver:
>> alias eth0 e1000
>> alias eth1 off
>
> I do not need to use RH to know it does not work.
> When eth0 is invoked, the e1000 module is loaded, takes control of both
> adapters and creates eth0 and eth1.

As you say, the OP wasn't very clear on why he wanted to do this. If
all he wanted to do was keep the second e1000 adapter from being
recognized, that's not possible (and why would you want to do that
anyway?) If some other adapter absolutely MUST be eth1, then it is
possible to change the interface-name-to-adapter mapping after the
modules load. However, I don't remember whether it was possible in RH
7.2. The OP should see if "man nameif" works. If it does, the OP can
either create the appropriate configuration file, or set HWADDR to the
right MAC addresses in the interface startup scripts (can be done from
the GUI tool if it was around back then).

I'm not the OP, but I could postulate that someone might want to be
able to run two different versions of a driver, one "test" and one
"production" or whatnot which could lead to wanting to have any given
driver only claim a specific interface. To be sure, there are in
theory other, perhaps even better ways to do it - different NIC types
driven by different drivers to begin with, but I suppose it could be
one motivation.

rick jones
--
oxymoron n, commuter in a gas-guzzling luxury SUV with an American flag
these opinions are mine, all mine; HP might not want them anyway...
feel free to post, OR email to rick.jones2 in hp.com but NOT BOTH...