Hi,

2011/5/3 David Bisset <david_bisset@btconnect.com>:

> a) usbnet appears to be missing from /lib/modules... Is is built in? I've no idea how to check.

root@balloon:~# zgrep USBNET /proc/config.gz
CONFIG_USB_USBNET=m

root@balloon:~# dmesg | grep ether
g_ether gadget: using random self ethernet address
g_ether gadget: using random host ethernet address
g_ether gadget: Ethernet Gadget, version: Memorial Day 2008
g_ether gadget: g_ether ready

root@balloon:~# dmesg | grep usb
usbcore: registered new interface driver usbfs
usbcore: registered new interface driver hub
usbcore: registered new device driver usb
usbcore: registered new interface driver usb-storage
usbcore: registered new interface driver libusual
usbcore: registered new interface driver usbhid
usbhid: USB HID core driver
usb0: MAC xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx
usb0: HOST MAC xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx

> This could be fundamental.
>
> If I plug in the Aspire (Debian) I get:
> At the Balloon end:
> a) ifconfig clearly indicates usb0 exists.
> b) ifup usb0 activates the dhcpc but this fails to get a lease and times out.

Yes, I am experiencing this same issue.

> At the Aspire end:
> a) There is no usb0 interface, or indeed any other interface added by plugging in the USB.
>
> b) There is clearly recognition that something has been plugged in because usbnet, cdc_ether and zaurus are loaded as modules (not unloaded on removal). So I'm guessing that by default usbnet thinks its talking to a zaurus which might explain why its not connecting. My desktop Debian (Lenny) does the same.

zumbi@enorme:~$ lsmod | grep usbnet
usbnet                 17938  3 zaurus,cdc_subset,cdc_ether
mii                    12634  1 usbnet
usbcore               122908  12
zaurus,cdc_subset,cdc_ether,usbnet,pl2303,usbserial,cdc_acm,usb_storage,usbhid,uas,ehci_hcd

zumbi@enorme:~$ ifconfig usb0
usb0      Link encap:Ethernet  HWaddr xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx
          inet addr:10.1.1.1  Bcast:10.1.1.255  Mask:255.255.255.0
          inet6 addr: fe80::8032:a4ff:fe0a:7b06/64 Scope:Link
          UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST  MTU:1500  Metric:1
          RX packets:0 errors:6266294 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:0 errors:15 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
          RX bytes:0 (0.0 B)  TX bytes:0 (0.0 B)

> I also inspected the /lib/modules/... tree and found that g_ether is there.
> It clearly loads with modprobe, but plugging in a suitable USB to Ethernet adaptor pops up a load of unknown symbol errors indicating that usbnet is not present (all prefixed usbnet_) I guess thats one way of finding out that usbnet isn't a kernel module...
>
> Finally I also noticed that g_mass_storage and g_file_storage are present, I assume these are of no use as modprobe reports they won't load because the "device is busy".
>
> I've checked all the config files for dnsmasq and dhcp3-server (do I need both?) and all matche to the balloon wiki and your last email.

No, you do not need both, dnsmasq is enough and recommended. On
Debian/Squeeze, dhcp3-server does not exist anymore, but
isc-dhcp-server replaces it.

I am also experiencing networking issues, so I keep looking at it and
I'll let you know if I find something interesting.

Cheers,
-- 
 Héctor Orón  -.. . -... .. .- -.   -.. . ...- . .-.. --- .--. . .-.

"Our Sun unleashes tremendous flares expelling hot gas into the Solar
System, which one day will disconnect us."

-- Day DVB-T stop working nicely
Video flare: http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap100510.html