[Linux-decnet-user] eth0 deactivates with DECnet module

[<ray...@mi...>]

I'm a Linux newbie who's spent lots of hours very intermittently over the last few months trying to simulataneously learn Linux and install your DECnet program, and I've finally reached the point where I understand enough to ask a question.

My current problem is this:

I've got Redhat 8.0 on two machines doing the same thing.  On bootup, everything seems loaded and happy including eth0 with the IP networking.  Installing DECnet as a module (I haven't been able to successfully get a DECnet kernel compiled yet), it immediately shuts off eth0, and it won't reactivate until a reboot.  Trying to remove the DECnet module with RMMOD says "decnet: device or resource busy".

I'm pretty sure that I've done the MACADDR right in /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-eth0; it appears that the PC card adapter in the notebook is Tulip based and the 3com in the desktop is not. (Does MACADDR and HWADDR both work for this?)

Another basic question: if this were working, should I be able to do a loopback dnping or sethost to test it?  That currently tells me "Write: transport endpoint is not connected"; I assume a symptom of the problem above.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.  Thanks.

Ray McClellan