"Transmit timed out" with EtherExpress Pro100B

[Robert G. Brown]

On Tue, 6 Oct 1998, James Stevens wrote:

> Robert, you are absolutly right. I can not agree more, however, I don't
> have access to Intel documentation, and don't have a clue how to get it
> (I have asked). I'm just about at my wits end on this one and to me the
> EEPro-100 driver is useless.
> 
> It is obviuosly somthing to do with the exact way the chip has been
> implemented in the unit I am trying to use, but I just don't know where
> to start.
> 
> At the end of the day I'm not paying anything for the drivers / support
> (although I have offered to) and what you say embodies the whole concept
> of Linux and GNU, "You have the source so fix it yourself"; but (and
> mine is a BIG "BUT", ha ha ha), I just feel so lost I don't know where
> to start, I have no experience in this field.

I can't argue with that.  The thing is, if you try to read the source it
isn't so bad.  If you are an expert C programmer, that is:-).  And it
isn't too unreasonable to "expect" Don to fix the problem, either.  I
just don't think it is productive to put pressure on him.  I'm sure that
he has seen the discussion thus far and is aware of the problem, but he
has to deal with the Intel documents, local bugs, lower level kernel
bugs, and around five or six other network devices with similar
problems.  Like I said, the guy's a miracle -- it's amazing that all
these bears dance at all, and even dance gracefully to certain tunes.

The key thing here is to figure out what you CAN offer to help fix the
problem.  I don't mean money, I mean time.  Whenever I have serious
problems with drivers, I at least try to offer to help and I actually
dig into the code (intimidating or not) with some printk's and the like
to see if I can at least isolate where in the code the problem is
occurring.  Sometimes this helps, sometimes I just add noise to the
lists, but at least then I feel like I'm DOING something and not just
waiting.

I'm not trying to be critical of your need, by the way.  I just think
that it isn't productive to flame the one guy capable of helping you
because he isn't moving fast enough...

    rgb

Robert G. Brown	                       http://www.phy.duke.edu/~rgb/
Duke University Dept. of Physics, Box 90305
Durham, N.C. 27708-0305
Phone: 1-919-660-2567  Fax: 919-660-2525     email:rgb@phy.duke.edu