I also notice that the problem can be sovlved by pulling out the
PCMCIA cards. But there is something I do not understand. Formerly
I used Slackware Linux and also non Fermilab Redhat linux, and I do
not have such a problem. Why should such a complication be added
to the Fermilab linux?
Also I wonder whether the same problem would occur to a desktop or not.
If yes, it will cause lots of inconvenient. You know sometimes some
Fermilab servers are not working and we wish to rely on our Linux.
If the same thing happens as in the laptop, one needs to open the
PC box and pull out the ethernet card. Why should the Fermilab linux
incorporate such inconvenience that other non-Fermilab linux does not
have at all?
King Y Ng
On Mon, 20 Dec 1999, Randolph J. Herber wrote:
> The following header lines retained to affect attribution:
> |Date: Mon, 20 Dec 1999 22:06:22 -0600 (CST)
> |From: Bill Ng <ng@fnal.gov>
> |Subject: linux problems
> |To: linux-users <linux-users@fnal.gov>
>
> |I have Fermilab Redhead 5.2.1 installed on my laptop.
> |I have an ethernet card installed.
>
> |When the network wire is not plugged into my laptop (such as when I am
> |away on a trip), many problems occur.
>
> |Start-up takes very much longer, hanging for several minutes on things
> |like sendmail, etc.
>
> |most programs such as X and emacs do not work.
>
> |The computer will just hang doing nothing when I run emacs.
>
> |Starting X will take several minutes.
> |X also does not work properly after it has started.
>
> |When the network wire is plugged in, everything is just fine and fast.
>
> |This never happened before when I used non-Fermilab linux.
>
> |Can anyone tell me how this can be connected?
>
> |Bill Ng
>
> I assume that ``ethernet card'' means ``PCMCIA network interface card (nic).''
>
> The problems are all caused by the disconnected wire with networking running.
>
> There are ways to handle the situation. I did them once for Prem Singh;
> then he wiped the root partition on his laptop. The simpliest method is
> to leave networking off by default and using the pcmcia cardctl scheme,
> eject and insert commands to enable and turn on networking as needed.
>
> Randolph J. Herber, herber@dcdrjh.fnal.gov, +1 630 840 2966, CD/CDFTF PK-149F,
> Mail Stop 318, Fermilab, Kirk & Pine Rds., PO Box 500, Batavia, IL 60510-0500,
> USA. (Speaking for myself and not for US, US DOE, FNAL nor URA.) (Product,
> trade, or service marks herein belong to their respective owners.)
>