Need a clue with kernel modules

[Robert Heller]

At Fri, 18 Jul 2014 08:27:39 -0400 "Ubuntu user technical support,  not for general discussions" <ubuntu-users at lists.ubuntu.com> wrote:

> 
> 
> 
> Hi,
> 
> I found from nm-tool output that my system is using Driver:  r8169.
> 
> lspci showed this text:  "*RTL8101E/RTL8102E PCI Express Fast Ethernet
> controller*"
> 
> I searched over the Internet "r8169" and found that the above text
> occurring in http://cateee.net/lkddb/web-lkddb/R8169.html. but saying
> "device: 8136"
> 
> Q) How can an "8169" work well for "8136"? If it does and if I'm to compile
> for any other chipset, how would I know if the exact device/driver no.
> isn't going to appear?


Many NICs (from various makers) have 'common' parts or the things that vary
are minor or on the 'far side' of the interface or something (not 'visible' to
the software). In which case one software driver can manage with whole
families of NIC board/chipsets. The RealTek 8100 series NIC is a case of this.
There are several variations, from motherboard based versions to plain PCI and
PCI Express, boards etc. The basic set of device registers are all much the
same, with maybe minor variations. In many cases the core NIC controler 'chip'
might be the same in several different boards and the boards only vary in
things like form factor or type of bus interface. In other cases, different
board level makers have bought chips from a common chip maker and had the
vendor/product ids changed, but the chips are otherwise exactly the same, and
so are completely interchangable from an software driver POV. RealTek makes
the chips, but generally does not make the boards.

> 
> Q) Also, there are many "device: <other numbers>" in the quote below. Does
> it mean that all these devices work well with the driver I'm using?

Yes.  See above.

> 
> > Help text
> >
> > Say Y here if you have a Realtek 8169 PCI Gigabit Ethernet adapter.
> >
> > To compile this driver as a module, choose M here: the module will be
> > called r8169. This is recommended.
> > Hardware PCI
> >
> > Numeric ID (from LKDDb) and names (from pci.ids) of recognized devices:
> >
> >    - vendor: 0001, device: 8168
> >    - vendor: 10ec ("*Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd.*"), device: 8129 ("
> >    *RTL-8129*")
> >    - vendor: 10ec ("*Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd.*"), device: 8136 ("*RTL8101E/RTL8102E
> >    PCI Express Fast Ethernet controller*")
> >    - vendor: 10ec ("*Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd.*"), device: 8167 ("*RTL-8110SC/8169SC
> >    Gigabit Ethernet*")
> >    - vendor: 10ec ("*Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd.*"), device: 8168 ("*RTL8111/8168/8411
> >    PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller*")
> >    - vendor: 10ec ("*Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd.*"), device: 8169 ("*RTL8169
> >    PCI Gigabit Ethernet Controller*")
> >    - vendor: 1186 ("*D-Link System Inc*"), device: 4300 ("*DGE-528T
> >    Gigabit Ethernet Adapter*")
> >    - vendor: 1259 ("*Allied Telesis*"), device: c107
> >    - vendor: 16ec ("*U.S. Robotics*"), device: 0116 ("*USR997902
> >    10/100/1000 Mbps PCI Network Card*")
> >    - vendor: 1737 ("*Linksys*"), device: 1032 ("*Gigabit Network Adapter*
> >    ")
> >
> > Please ask for more details if necessary.
> 
>  <http://about.me/shashank.computers>
> 
> 
> 
> S.V.R.S.N. Shashank
> about.me/shashank.computers
>     <http://about.me/shashank.computers>
> 
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-- 
Robert Heller             -- 978-544-6933 / heller at deepsoft.com
Deepwoods Software        -- http://www.deepsoft.com/
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