Kernel source not found. (can't install network card drivers)

Virtuality · December 11, 2007, 4:02pm

I've had no luck with help on linuxquestions so I figured I'd try here. I'm using debian etch.

The problem is that I can not install my network card because it says:

Makefile:62: *** Linux kernel source not found.  Stop.

I have the kernel-headers installed.

I've looked all over the internet for similar posts and there was never a solution for such an unbelievably common problem that EVERYONE who's network card is not recognized by Debian will get.

There's a lot of similar posts, just never a solution.

Currently I'm coming to the conclusion that the file it wants doesn't actually exist. If it does can someone link me the it? Because I've gone through too much bandwidth trying 'stuff' that people think might work.

The file it says ( kernel-source-2.6.18-5-686 ) is only accessible by apt-get? because I've looked everywhere and it's obviously the one I need.

Thanks.

porter · December 11, 2007, 4:03pm

Did you consider installing the kernel source?

Most probably people didn't post their solution because they were recovering from their self administered slap on the head.

Virtuality · December 11, 2007, 4:20pm

..........................................................

kernel-source-2.6.18-5-686 doesn't exist outside of repositories that apt-get uses.

I can not use apt-get, therefore I can not obtain kernel-source-2.6.18-5-686. That's the problem.

I'd love to install it and I've been TRYING to, except I have to actually get the file first, I've searched every repository on the internet and nothing.

porter · December 11, 2007, 4:23pm

Try

apt-get install linux-source-2.6.18

or

apt-get install linux-source-2.6.18-5

Virtuality · December 11, 2007, 4:40pm

I don't need linux-source I need kernel-source

apt-get install linux-source.2.6.18-5 --->>> "linux-source-2.6.18 is already the newest version"

porter · December 11, 2007, 4:42pm

Have you looked in "dselect" to see what it offers to you?

Have you just tried

apt-get install kernel-source

?

reborg · December 11, 2007, 4:57pm

Linux-source is the kernel source on debian systems, it is more likely than not that you need to extract it. From memory it installs by default as a bz2 tarball in /usr/src.

Virtuality · December 11, 2007, 5:04pm

Uh... I tried Dselect. I went through packages, found kernel-source-2.6.18 and selected it, went to install.

The terminal says that it's about to remove almost 200 packages, do I wan't to continue? I type in "no" and it says "Abort."

Then it starts removing them, I hit ctrl+z to stop it but too late, it removed something critical so now I need to re-install because the system hangs about 2 mins after it starts.

I'll try that next time reborg, thanks.

Virtuality · December 11, 2007, 5:36pm

/usr/src is empty

tinmice · March 25, 2008, 8:58am

Ive got exactly the same problem as originally described here. Ive tried all that has been suggested and still no solution.

Ive written down the steps ive tried, if they seem random its purely from suggestions on similar threads.

*****************

Downloaded Attansic L1 Gigabit Ethernet driver for Linux [l1-linux-v1.2.40.2]
cd to src file
code: make
ERROR: Makefile:62: *** Linux kernel source not found. Stop.

Downloaded Kernel Headers [linux-kernel-headers_2.6.18-7_amd64.deb]
code: dpkg -i linux-kernel-headers_2.6.18-7_amd64.deb
OUTPUT: (Reading database ... 52831 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to replace linux-kernel-headers 2.6.18-7 (using linux-kernel-headers_2.6.18-7_amd64.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement linux-kernel-headers ...
Setting up linux-kernel-headers (2.6.18-7) ...

Tried installing ethernet driver again, same error.
ERROR: Makefile:62: *** Linux kernel source not found. Stop.

Downloaded kernel source [kernel-source-2.6.8_2.6.8-17sarge1_all.deb]
code: dpkg -i kernel-source-2.6.8_2.6.8-17sarge1_all.deb
OUTPUT: Selecting previously deselected package kernel-source-2.6.8.
(Reading database ... 52831 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking kernel-source-2.6.8 (from kernel-source-2.6.8_2.6.8-17sarge1_all.deb) ...
Setting up kernel-source-2.6.8 (2.6.8-17sarge1) ...

Tried installing ethernet driver again, same error.
ERROR: Makefile:62: *** Linux kernel source not found. Stop.

*****************

being as i have no internet access it is proving quite difficult to sort the problem, im fairly new to linux and am trying to understand what is going on!

thanks