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6. Distribution Specific Installations

6.1 Slackware 96

If you have not already ran ``netconfig'' on your system, do so now. Setup your machine just as if it were on Ethernet.

Edit your /etc/rc.d/rc.inet1 scripts to point to the tr0 device rather than the eth0 device.

You should have a line that looks like

/sbin/ifconfig eth0 ${IPADDR} broadcast ${BROADCAST} netmask ${NETMASK}
Change this line to read
/sbin/ifconfig tr0 ${IPADDR} broadcast ${BROADCAST} netmask ${NETMASK}

6.2 RedHat 5.x+

The RedHat distribution of Linux has a wonderful Xwindows control panel for configuring modules and devices. If you have added a token ring adapter to a standard RedHat installation, there should already be token ring support compiled in as a module. Based on the card that you own, consult the list of adaptors in Section 3 of this document.

Try to:

modprobe driver_name

Ex modprobe ibmtr
and see what you come up with. Chances are, if you have a supported adapter, you will be ready to go.

edit /etc/conf.modules and add

alias tr0  driver_name

Ex alias tr0 olympic

Afterwards you can edit /etc/sysconfig/network and /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-tr0 by hand as would be appropriate for your network, then issue

/etc/rc.d/init.d/network restart

Or the easiest way to configure your interface would be to use the control-panel. You will first want to go to the kernel module config and instruct it to load a new network device for token ring. It should then start to autoload the correct driver on boot. You will then want to jump over to network configuration and add a new device, tr0, and give it an ip address, etc.

You should then be able to restart and go with Linux and Token Ring on RedHat 4.0+.

6.3 SuSE 6.3+

The SuSE distribution utilizes the YaST (Yet Another Service Tool) to setup networking. This tool allows you to quickly and easily setup networking.

Startup YaST. Choose System Administration. Choose Integrate Hardare Into System. Then choose Configure Networking Device. Enter tr0 As your network type. Then tab forward and choose the appropriate device type based on the card that you have. Then select continue.

Now hit escape to go to the previous menu and choose Network Configuration. Choose Network base configuration. You should see an entry for Token-Ring. Activate it and set your device IP address. Hit F10 to Save. Now you just need to Change your HostName next, then Configure your Network Services. Last you can startup the network by using the script /etc/rc.d/network

/etc/rc.d/network restart

6.4 PCMCIA Token Ring

I have a Token Ring Auto 4/16 Credit Card Adaptor that works good with my SuSE setup. One major key to getting it to work was having at least the 3.x.x series of PCMCIA card services loaded onto your machine. Additionally in your conf.modules file you'll need the following verbage:

alias tr0 ibmtr_cs mmiobase=0xd6000 srambase=0xd8000 ringspeed=[16]|[4] sramsize=16 irq_list=9

6.5 FreeBSD

Located here http://www.jurai.net/ winter/tr/ you will find information about the effort to get Token Ring running with FreeBSD

6.6 VMWare and Token Ring

Thanks to Scott Russell scottrus@raleigh.ibm.com for this little "trick"

One of the bummers about VMWare is if you are on a Token-Ring adaptor, your VMWare system can't have a real TCP/IP address. Turns out this isn't the case. Here's how to do it.

Now any outside system your 'NT' box appears to be on the TR. In bound traffic can find it as well as out


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