Intel 536ep modem under SimplyMEPIS 2.6.7
Posts: 29
I need help badly. I got SimplyMEPIS up and running on a partition on my HP 8380 Pavilion system, dual-booting through GRUB 1.5 with Windows98SE on a separate partition three or four weeks ago. That was cool, as was the fact that I could not only see most of my data on the Win98 partitition from Linux, but use it from there. It was cool to have Linux that recognized my USB ports and devices. It was also cool to have so many great applications, applets, and utilities already in place, and to be able to install new applications successfully about 50% of the time. 
Without Internet access, however, Linux can never be anything but a toy. I have gone through three modems now, all of which Win98SE could see and use, but SimplyMEPIS cannot. Okay, two fast and firm points:
1. NO, they were not Winmodems, unless the retailers who sold them to me LIED TO MY FACE, which is a possiblity.
2. NO, I don't have a serial port to spare, so please don't start in on me about getting an external modem. What I DO have are open PCI card slots, okay?
I replaced the as-supplied Winmodem in this machine years ago when I tried and failed to switch to RedHat. I put in a USR5610B, which Win98SE insisted upon installing at COM5 and no other. Once I saw that SimplyMEPIS would not recognize the USR modem, I tried a USB modem. Ha! I was able to return that one for a refund.
Now after too many attempts to make Linux see the USR modem, I've pulled it and put in an Intel 536ep. After at least half a dozen attempts with that, I'm stymied again, and about ready to pop. I downloaded the supposed drivers from Intel (as recommended elsewhere on this site) and followed Intel's directions. Here is the result:
root@1[tmp0]# ls
intel-536EP-2.56.76.1 intel-536ep-4.69.1.tgz
root@1[tmp0]# ls -la
total 472
drwxr-xr-x 3 root root 4096 2005-04-11 13:55 .
drwxr-xr-x 47 jim users 4096 2005-04-11 13:47 ..
drwx------ 3 544 401 4096 2004-10-15 02:42 intel-536EP-2.56.76.1
-rwxrwxrwx 1 root root 463309 2005-04-11 13:23 intel-536ep-4.69.1.tgz
root@1[tmp0]# cd intel-536EP-2.56.76.1
root@1[intel-536EP-2.56.76.1]# make clean
cd coredrv; make clean
make[1]: Entering directory `/home/jim/tmp0/intel-536EP-2.56.76.1/coredrv'
rm -f *.ko *.o *~ core
make[1]: Leaving directory `/home/jim/tmp0/intel-536EP-2.56.76.1/coredrv'
rm -f *.o *.ko
root@1[intel-536EP-2.56.76.1]# make 536
Module precompile check
Current running kernel is: 2.6.7
/lib/modules... autoconf.h does not exist
please install kernel source
make: *** [check] Error 1
root@1[intel-536EP-2.56.76.1]# make install
rm -f /etc/hamregistry.bin
bash Intel536_inst
running kernel 2.6.7
installing hamregistry, used for persistant storage
installing Intel536 driver
install: cannot stat `Intel536.ko': No such file or directory
make: *** [install] Error 1
root@1[intel-536EP-2.56.76.1]#
Please, please, please someone tell me what to do next! This is too hard! --JimV
USR 5610 Works in 2.4 Kernel
Posts: 10
FYI, I have been able to get the USR modem to work with the 2.4 kernel and there is at least one suggestion of how to get it to work in 2.6 that I haven't had a chance to try yet. If you are not successful with the Intel modem and wish to try the USR again, look through these two threads:
http://www.mepis.org/node/5252
Regards,
dr9873
Kernel source installed
Posts: 29
Apparently not. What would I point and click on to know? And if I don't have the "kernel source" or the "kernel headers," whatever they are, what do I have to do to fix the situation?
Really sinking here. Thanks! --Jim
download the kernel
Posts: 373
Hi,
I'm back trying to help you.
Download the kernel source, from debian or somewhere else, I found one in http://mirror.doit.wisc.edu/mirrors/linux/kernel/v2.6/linux-2.6.7.tar.gz
more than 40MB.
change to user root
copy the file to /usr/src
cd /usr/src
uncompress it with: tar zxvf linux-2.6.7.tar.gz
Try to install the modem software.
Good luck.
Alberto
kernel download
Posts: 29
Alberto, my friend!
Yes, this was my original post on the 536ep modem. It will take more than 2.5 hours to download that tar file across my modem and into my Windows partition, so the download will have to wait. Usually, Windows crashes before that amount of time elapses, but who knows? 
I'll try it tonight. Your other instructions look "do-able" to me.
Thanks! I'll let you know how it works out. --Jim
Nothing works
Posts: 29
I downloaded linux-2.6.7.tar.gz and uncompressed it as you suggested.
As root, I ran "ln -s /usr/src/kernel-headers-2.6.7 /usr/src/linux-2.6.7"
I re-ran the modem install. Here was the result:
root@0[tmp0]# ls
intel-536ep-4.69.1.tgz
root@0[tmp0]# tar -zxvf intel-536ep-4.69.1.tgz
intel-536EP-2.56.76.1/
intel-536EP-2.56.76.1/config_check
intel-536EP-2.56.76.1/coredrv/
intel-536EP-2.56.76.1/coredrv/536core.lib
intel-536EP-2.56.76.1/coredrv/clmmain.c
intel-536EP-2.56.76.1/coredrv/coredrv.c
intel-536EP-2.56.76.1/coredrv/hamcore.h
intel-536EP-2.56.76.1/coredrv/hamdefs.h
intel-536EP-2.56.76.1/coredrv/locks.c
intel-536EP-2.56.76.1/coredrv/lock_lin.h
intel-536EP-2.56.76.1/coredrv/Makefile
intel-536EP-2.56.76.1/coredrv/rts.c
intel-536EP-2.56.76.1/coredrv/rts.h
intel-536EP-2.56.76.1/coredrv/softcore.h
intel-536EP-2.56.76.1/coredrv/softserial.c
intel-536EP-2.56.76.1/coredrv/softserial.h
intel-536EP-2.56.76.1/coredrv/softserial_io.c
intel-536EP-2.56.76.1/coredrv/softserial_ioctl.c
intel-536EP-2.56.76.1/coredrv/sys_ver.h
intel-536EP-2.56.76.1/coredrv/task.c
intel-536EP-2.56.76.1/coredrv/tasker.h
intel-536EP-2.56.76.1/coredrv/uart.c
intel-536EP-2.56.76.1/coredrv/uart.h
intel-536EP-2.56.76.1/coredrv/wwh_dflt.c
intel-536EP-2.56.76.1/coredrv/wwh_dflt.h
intel-536EP-2.56.76.1/hamregistry
intel-536EP-2.56.76.1/Intel536_boot
intel-536EP-2.56.76.1/Intel536_inst
intel-536EP-2.56.76.1/license.txt
intel-536EP-2.56.76.1/makefile
intel-536EP-2.56.76.1/readme.txt
root@0[tmp0]# ls -la
total 472
drwxr-xr-x 3 root root 4096 2005-04-28 14:44 .
drwxr-xr-x 49 jim users 4096 2005-04-28 14:41 ..
drwx------ 3 544 401 4096 2004-10-15 02:42 intel-536EP-2.56.76.1
-rwxrwxrwx 1 root root 463309 2005-04-11 13:23 intel-536ep-4.69.1.tgz
root@0[tmp0]# cd intel-536EP-2.56.76.1
root@0[intel-536EP-2.56.76.1]# make clean
cd coredrv; make clean
make[1]: Entering directory `/home/jim/tmp0/intel-536EP-2.56.76.1/coredrv'
rm -f *.ko *.o *~ core
make[1]: Leaving directory `/home/jim/tmp0/intel-536EP-2.56.76.1/coredrv'
rm -f *.o *.ko
root@0[intel-536EP-2.56.76.1]# make 536ep
make: *** No rule to make target `536ep'. Stop.
root@0[intel-536EP-2.56.76.1]#
Any other ideas? --JimV
try this option
Posts: 373
I found another page with comments about this modem: http://www.ubuntulinux.org/wiki/IntelFiveThreeSixEPModemHowto
But the most important thing in this page is that during the process they do:
make 536
instead of
make 536ep
Why don't you try with "make 536" ?
I don't have the software at hand then I can't test it myself.
Alberto
USR5610B in later kernel
Posts: 29
Thanks, and I'll keep that in mind, but if something worked under a 2.4.x kernel, why wouldn't it work under a later -- that is, a 2.6.x -- kernel? Is there no source-code control at all? --Jim
to jvenis
Posts: 373
Hi again,
Perhaps I didn't was clear on my previous post.
In your post http://www.mepis.org/user/6763 you tried to run the modem install. There is an error close to the end of the messages.
You typed:
make clean
make 536ep
and you got an error, there is something wrong. What I meant in my post was tying something slightly different:
make clean
make 536
Please, let me know what happens.
Alberto
Jim's 536EP Ordeal
Posts: 9
Hi Alberto,
Did Jim ever get his 536EP modem working?
I have a vested interest in that I have the same modem, the same Linux distro, and the same kernel version.
Cheers,
-- Mike --
My Country tis of Thee
Do you have the kernel
Posts: 1
Do you have the kernel source installed like it asks in output?
/lib/modules... autoconf.h does not exist
please install kernel source
make: *** [check] Error 1