NethServer Version: 7.9
Module: operating system
Backstory…
My first NethServer “test/crash test dummy/sacrifice install” is called Scapegoat not for nothing…
This is the configuration of this shoddy machine.
Riepilogo
lscpu|grep Model
Model name: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU E6750 @ 2.66GHz`
dmidecode -t 2
# dmidecode 3.2
Getting SMBIOS data from sysfs.
SMBIOS 2.4 present.
Handle 0x0002, DMI type 2, 15 bytes
Base Board Information
Manufacturer: Intel Corporation
Product Name: DG31PR
Version: AAD97573-204
Serial Number: BTPR749001QH
Asset Tag: To be filled by O.E.M.
Features:
Board is a hosting board
Board is replaceable
Location In Chassis: To be filled by O.E.M.
Chassis Handle: 0x0003
Type: Motherboard
Contained Object Handles: 0
lspci
00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation 82G33/G31/P35/P31 Express DRAM Controller (rev 02)
00:01.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82G33/G31/P35/P31 Express PCI Express Root Port (rev 02)
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation 82G33/G31 Express Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 02)
00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation NM10/ICH7 Family High Definition Audio Controller (rev 01)
00:1c.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation NM10/ICH7 Family PCI Express Port 1 (rev 01)
00:1c.1 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation NM10/ICH7 Family PCI Express Port 2 (rev 01)
00:1d.0 USB controller: Intel Corporation NM10/ICH7 Family USB UHCI Controller #1 (rev 01)
00:1d.1 USB controller: Intel Corporation NM10/ICH7 Family USB UHCI Controller #2 (rev 01)
00:1d.2 USB controller: Intel Corporation NM10/ICH7 Family USB UHCI Controller #3 (rev 01)
00:1d.3 USB controller: Intel Corporation NM10/ICH7 Family USB UHCI Controller #4 (rev 01)
00:1d.7 USB controller: Intel Corporation NM10/ICH7 Family USB2 EHCI Controller (rev 01)
00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801 PCI Bridge (rev e1)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation 82801GB/GR (ICH7 Family) LPC Interface Bridge (rev 01)
00:1f.1 IDE interface: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) IDE Controller (rev 01)
00:1f.2 IDE interface: Intel Corporation NM10/ICH7 Family SATA Controller [IDE mode] (rev 01)
00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation NM10/ICH7 Family SMBus Controller (rev 01)
03:00.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller (rev 01)
(the audience can laugh with full disrespect now)
This old piece of hardware gave quite a big chunk of issues during it’s “linux life” life, mostly “working without working”.
I “solved” issues shutting down and removing hardware: graphic card for saving ram, add-on network cards, some things like that.
Also changed few disks, but the stability issue remained during the life. I were not worried about the distro: mainboard is rather old, even PSU, never though about something different than hardware; nevertheless, stability issue remained.
Until this date…
When I installed the “right” kmod for my network card.
As wrote several times, i’m not an experienced or skilled linux sysadmin, therefore my experience and trickbag for performance tuning and troubleshooting is… poor. But about reliability of my setup, that was quite the gamechanger.
The host never issued any “lacking” of availability anytime called. For updates, tests, rollbacks. Also changing the hard drive, recently called back the package the restore.
Therefore, here are my walktrough for installing the “right” kmod.
- Checkup your card. The real one:
lspci |grep Ethernet
03:00.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller (rev 01) - Verify if there is any available “specific” driver/module/whathever for your network adapter
- Take the note how to install it, and even how to remove it.
- Install the driver (my command was
yum install kmod-r8168) - Put a note on your calendar about when you installed it and … whey you’re gonna draw the line for “something changed”?
I were helped by the recent update of the kmod, therefore i rembered “two months withour any issue”. But… can happen to anyone, no?
There’s only a little “downside”, IMVHO: install of updates.
My kmod don’t ask any effort for being installed, updated, managed, but the time for installing new driver/kmod or kernel increase a lot. Also, a reboot is mandatory not only for a new kernel bugfix, but also for a new version of kmod. I had to stop messing with the fancy yum update -y (which i don’t reccomend to anyone running a production server) and checkup/manual update time-to-time isolating the update of the kernel and/or the kmod addon.
Hoping that helps some Realtek user with… issues. 
So. Where the hell i put that old graphic card?