new server setup questions

[Ray]

On Saturday 17 March 2007 9:24 pm, you wrote:
> On Sat, 17 Mar 2007 18:21:48 -0600
>
> Ray <ray at stilltech.net> wrote:
> > Hello,
> > I'm trying to setup a new server, and I'm having some problems mostly
> > with the network card. (machine specs follow) I can't get a driver to
> > work for the integrated network card.  I've spent a number of hours on
> > google / "the complete freeBSD" / "the freeBSD handbook". the handbook
> > (section 11.8
> > http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/config-network-
> >setup.html) outlines using ndis (project evil) drivers. I tried using
> > this. I went through ndisgen, and everything seemed to work. I then tried
> > to use kldload and got the error message:
> > "kldload: can't load file.ko :operation not permitted"
> > of course I did all of this as root. I am using the amd64 version of
> > freeBSD (is this my first mistake?) and the 64 bit version of the
> > drivers. as a side note, the supplied driver disk includes a source
> > version of the linux driver. is there any way to use this?
> > Any help or suggestions greatly appreciated.
> > Ray
> > machine specs
> > ASUS M2N-SLI DELUXE mobo
> > 2GB ram
> > AMD 5200 x2 processor (sorry, the box isn't in front of me)
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> > http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions
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>
> a friend of mine installed a 6.2-RELEASE system with an nforce network card
> in it a few weeks ago.  upon intial install, the nve adapter would not fire
> up.  he put in another card that was supported (a linksys), did his cvsup
> and buildworld, and the nve driver worked after that.
>
> however, the nve thru our freebsd router has had trouble several times,
> locking the system up over frames with larger than 1500 mtu (or something
> to that effect).  my friend had to dump the nve and just settle for the
> linksys, in the name of system system stability.
>
> cheers,
> jonathan

(see adition below)

>I didn't get anywhere with 7-current, (it's shortcomings or my lack of 
>knowledge, I don't know.) but I think my good friend Google came through 
>again. I found a site 
>(http://www.se.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/~shigeaki/software/freebsd-nfe.html) that 
>provided a patch for phy1000 stuff (side note: can anybody point me to info 
>on what this is all about?) and a new nforce driver source. This site 
>includes a fairly detailed walk through. (oh yeah, don't try to use the 6.2 
>stable patch on a 6.2 release system, it doesn't work :)    )
>the only slight concern that I have is when I run 
>sysinstall ->configure -> Networking -> interfaces
>the network ports show up as 
>nfe0 <unknown network interface type>
>nfe1 <unknown network interface type>
>is this anything to worry about?

>I now have 2 new questions:
>kldload still gave me the same error as mentioned earlier in this thread
>does kldload not work, even for root when securelevel is set to secure, or 
>does it fail when /boot/loader.conf is empty or ...?
>the reason I ask is that manually editing loader.conf works, kldload doesn't.

>How is the best way to test for stability? Just because it boots every time 
>and pings google doesn't mean it's ready for production, especially in light 
>of Jonathan's comment above.

>Thanks, 
>Ray 

sorry, didn't fully acknowledge all sources 
see also http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=87698, followup for 
a second possible answer