Broadcom TG3 driver installation error in CENTOS 5.4

[manjunath2911]

Dear All,

I am trying to install Broadcom tg3 Linux Driver version 3.137h on Centos 5.4 64 bit getting below error please help in resolving the issue. Thanks in advance.

========================================================

[root@centos5 tg3 driver]# uname -r
2.6.18-164.el5
[root@centos5 tg3 driver]# ls
README.TXT tg3-3.137h-2.src.rpm tg3_sup-3.137h-2.ISO.tar.gz
tg3-3.137h tg3-3.137h.tar.gz
[root@centos5 tg3 driver]# rpm --nomd5 -ivh tg3-3.137h-2.src.rpm
1:tg3 ########################################### [100%]
[root@centos5 tg3 driver]# cd /usr/src/redhat/
[root@centos5 redhat]# ls
BUILD RPMS SOURCES SPECS SRPMS
[root@centos5 redhat]# rpmbuild -bb SPECS/tg3.spec
Executing(%prep): /bin/sh -e /var/tmp/rpm-tmp.18014
+ umask 022
+ cd /usr/src/redhat/BUILD
+ LANG=C
+ export LANG
+ unset DISPLAY
+ cd /usr/src/redhat/BUILD
+ rm -rf tg3-3.137h
+ /usr/bin/bzip2 -dc /usr/src/redhat/SOURCES/tg3-3.137h.tar.bz2
+ tar -xvvf -
-rw-r--r-- root/root 603517 2014-12-21 06:48:28 tg3-3.137h/ChangeLog
drwxr-xr-x Creating directory: tg3-3.137h
-rw-r--r-- root/root 2223 2014-12-21 06:48:28 tg3-3.137h/esx_ioctl.h
-rw-r--r-- root/root 15153 2014-12-21 06:48:28 tg3-3.137h/LICENSE
-rw-r--r-- root/root 4041 2014-12-21 06:48:28 tg3-3.137h/Makefile
-rw-r--r-- root/root 13471 2014-12-21 06:48:28 tg3-3.137h/makeflags.sh
-rw-r--r-- root/root 12674 2014-12-21 06:48:28 tg3-3.137h/README.TXT
-rw-r--r-- root/root 148876 2014-12-22 10:12:26 tg3-3.137h/RELEASE.TXT
-rw-r--r-- root/root 4027 2014-12-21 06:48:28 tg3-3.137h/tg3.4
-rw-r--r-- root/root 518723 2014-12-21 06:48:28 tg3-3.137h/tg3.c
-rw-r--r-- root/root 12436 2014-12-21 06:48:28 tg3-3.137h/tg3_compat2.h
-rw-r--r-- root/root 47763 2014-12-21 06:48:28 tg3-3.137h/tg3_compat.h
-rw-r--r-- root/root 45311 2014-12-21 06:48:28 tg3-3.137h/tg3_firmware.h
-rw-r--r-- root/root 132800 2014-12-21 06:48:28 tg3-3.137h/tg3.h
-rw-r--r-- root/root 39367 2014-12-21 06:48:28 tg3-3.137h/tg3_vmware.c
-rw-r--r-- root/root 6032 2014-12-21 06:48:28 tg3-3.137h/tg3_vmware.h
+ STATUS=0
+ '[' 0 -ne 0 ']'
+ cd tg3-3.137h
++ /usr/bin/id -u
+ '[' 0 = 0 ']'
+ /bin/chown -Rhf root .
++ /usr/bin/id -u
+ '[' 0 = 0 ']'
+ /bin/chgrp -Rhf root .
+ /bin/chmod -Rf a+rX,u+w,g-w,o-w .
+ exit 0
Executing(%build): /bin/sh -e /var/tmp/rpm-tmp.15573
+ umask 022
+ cd /usr/src/redhat/BUILD
+ cd tg3-3.137h
+ LANG=C
+ export LANG
+ unset DISPLAY
+ value=
+ '[' -z '' ']'
++ uname -r
+ KVER=2.6.18-164.el5
+ make KVER=2.6.18-164.el5
sh makeflags.sh > tg3_flags.h
makeflags.sh: No kernel source directory provided.
make: *** [tg3_flags.h] Error 255
error: Bad exit status from /var/tmp/rpm-tmp.15573 (%build)


RPM build errors:
Bad exit status from /var/tmp/rpm-tmp.15573 (%build)
[root@centos5 redhat]#

=========================================================
Regards,
Manjunath

[TrevorH]

Please please do not run CentOS 5.4. It's old, unsupported and positively riddled with security vulnerabilities. It dates from 2009! Do not use it. The current CentOS 5 is 5.11 and if you must use CentOS 5 then 5.11 is the one to use. You can update from 5.4 to 5.11 simply by running yum update (though that does require a working network connection).

You can find kmod-tg3 3.137 packages in the ELRepo third party yum repository for CentOS 5. Use those and then you will not need to build them.

[gerald_clark]

What is wrong with the tg3 driver that comes stock with CentOS 5?

[TrevorH]

Well, if he's running the one from 2009 then I suspect it has a fair few bugs. I have a couple of HP Proliant dl360 gen8 servers that needed to use kmod-tg3-xen from ELRepo or the interfaces were non-functional - though the non-xen kernel was fine. That was true when they were installed about 2 years ago and the bug may now have been fixed in the CentOS kernel modules but I haven't tried to go back to the shipped version from the ELRepo one since it just works.

[manjunath2911]

Hi Trevor Thanks for your reply

I had tried earlier and updated Centos 5.4 (Kernel- 2.6.18-164.el5) to Centos 5.11(Kernel- 2.6.18-406.el5)
After updating to Centos 5.11 it takes default {driver - tg3, Version - 3.123} and the broadcom lan card works.

Tried this option as suggested by you (kmod-tg3 3.137 packages in the ELRepo third party yum repository for CentOS 5.) downloaded driver package (kmod-tg3-3.137h-1.el5.elrepo.x86_64.rpm) it installs and works fine.

But some of the softwares we are testing ONLY ONLY requires Centos 5.4 (Kernel- 2.6.18-164.el5) without kernel update/kernel version should remain same.

Please let me know if there is some way to resolve this issue. Many Thanks.

Regards,
Manjunath

[TrevorH]

But some of the softwares we are testing ONLY ONLY requires Centos 5.4 (Kernel- 2.6.18-164.el5) without kernel update/kernel version should remain same.

You need to shout at your vendor and ask if they will be paying the bills when your ancient and vulnerable system gets hacked and exploited due to known and already fixed bugs.

[manjunath2911]

This is our customer requirement Centos 5.4 (Kernel- 2.6.18-164.el5) without this their software will not work if we upgrade kernel.

[TrevorH]

Please point your customer to https://rhn.redhat.com/errata/rhel-server-errata.html so that they can read all the critical and important updates that have been released since 5.4 was released on 2 September 2009. Any one of those could lead to exploitation and compromise. Running 5.4 more than 5 years after its release is just plain stupid.