Missing ethernet: "No network interfaces"

[marshallbanana]

Just installed 14.04 on a new desktop. The ethernet connection appears to be missing. When I mouse-over the network-manager widget it says "No network interfaces" (opening it VPN is the only option given).

The following are the output of some commands.

ifconfig -a

lo        Link encap:Local Loopback  
          inet addr:127.0.0.1  Mask:255.0.0.0
          inet6 addr: ::1/128 Scope:Host
          UP LOOPBACK RUNNING  MTU:16436  Metric:1
          RX packets:112 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:112 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:0 
          RX bytes:8880 (8.8 KB)  TX bytes:8880 (8.8 KB)

nm-tool:

** (process:1812): WARNING **: Could not initialize NMClient /org/freedesktop/NetworkManager: The name org.freedesktop.NetworkManager was not provided by any .service files

NetworkManager Tool

State: unknown

/etc/network/interfaces file content:

auto lo
iface lo inet loopback

(I tried adding
auth eth0
iface eth0 inet dhcp
but to no effect)

lshw -C network

*-network UNCLAIMED     
       description: Ethernet controller
       product: Ethernet Connection I217-LM
       vendor: Intel Corporation
       physical id: 19
       bus info: pci@0000:00:19.0
       version: 04
       width: 32 bits
       clock: 33MHz
       capabilities: pm msi bus_master cap_list
       configuration: latency=0
       resources: memory:f7800000-f781ffff memory:f783d000-f783dfff ioport:f080(size=32)

I am guessing that the problem has to do with the 'UNCLAIMED' ethernet controller. Anyone know how I go about fixing this? Is this a missing drivers issue?

(the above was based on https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showth...g-Wireless-ok-! , this is where I got the idea of trying to edit /etc/network/interfaces as described above, I also tried the " /etc/NetworkManager/NetworkManager.conf has (managed=true)" suggestion. Neither has solved it.)

PS. Anyone know what is wrong with my bb code?

[GreyGeek]

We need to know what the network chips are. What does the following give?
lspci

[marshallbanana]

lspci

00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Xeon E3-1200 v3 Processor DRAM Controller (rev 06)
00:01.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation Xeon E3-1200 v3/4th Gen Core Processor PCI Express x16 Controller (rev 06)
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Xeon E3-1200 v3 Processor Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 06)
00:03.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation Xeon E3-1200 v3/4th Gen Core Processor HD Audio Controller (rev 06)
00:14.0 USB controller: Intel Corporation 8 Series/C220 Series Chipset Family USB xHCI (rev 04)
00:16.0 Communication controller: Intel Corporation 8 Series/C220 Series Chipset Family MEI Controller #1 (rev 04)
00:19.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corporation Ethernet Connection I217-LM (rev 04)
00:1a.0 USB controller: Intel Corporation 8 Series/C220 Series Chipset Family USB EHCI #2 (rev 04)
00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 8 Series/C220 Series Chipset High Definition Audio Controller (rev 04)
00:1d.0 USB controller: Intel Corporation 8 Series/C220 Series Chipset Family USB EHCI #1 (rev 04)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation C226 Series Chipset Family Server Advanced SKU LPC Controller (rev 04)
00:1f.2 RAID bus controller: Intel Corporation 82801 SATA Controller [RAID mode] (rev 04)
00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation 8 Series/C220 Series Chipset Family SMBus Controller (rev 04)
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: NVIDIA Corporation GK107 [NVS 510] (rev a1)
01:00.1 Audio device: NVIDIA Corporation GK107 HDMI Audio Controller (rev a1)

[GreyGeek]

While I noticed your Ethernet 1217-LM chip I was wondering why you didn't list a wireless chip. It seems you don't have one.
So now, the big question is "Why isn't Kubuntu recognizing and automagically configuring the Intel Corporation Ethernet Connection I217-LM (rev 04)."?

The news is not so good. Intel delivers the poor news here. Unfortunately, the link from that site to Intel's download for your device also includes several dozen other, similar devices, which you would have to sort through.

You will need the igb.ko module, which you will have to download and compile for yourself. You will have to download the tgz file from here. Then expand the tgz into a subdirectory making sure to keep the paths. CD into the src subdirectory the Ark unload created. Then issue sudo make install. Using that make assumes that you have the gcc and the build-essential packages installed. I know that this is going to challange you but there is nothing more that I can do at this end.

[jlittle]

If his greyness's solution doesn't work out, a USB wireless dongle would be cheap and easy (just plug it in), assuming you've got something wireless to connect to. I have a Realtek based one that mentioned Linux on the packaging.

[marshallbanana]

Solved. I discovered that the underlying source of the problem was the user. Namely me!

I had installed 12.04, and not 14.04. A quick reinstall later and it works like a charm. (I had followed the link of Kubuntu.org saying 'new LTS update' without noticing it was the new old LTS, not a new new LTS :S )

Thanks for the help. The realization dawned on me when I noticed that the posts in the link greygeek provided were dated late 2013.


Yeah, just wired, no wireless. It is a work desktop and the standard specification with the supplier (dell) was without wireless. Additions require customization requests and as the wireless was unneeded I just went with the wired only.

[GreyGeek]

I suspect that Trusty selected the e1000.ko module to drive your ETH chip. Does lsmod show it, or e100e, in the list of mods? The igb driver isn't in the Trusty repository and the Intel support website lists the igb driver as supporting your chip, not the e1000. You got lucky!

[kubicle]

The igb driver isn't in the Trusty repository and the Intel support website lists the igb driver as supporting your chip, not the e1000. You got lucky!

Trusty kernel images include the igb kernel modules.
One can find it in /lib/modules/<kernel-version>/kernel/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/

[SteveRiley]

PS. Anyone know what is wrong with my bb code?

You were using backslashes in your closing BB codes, like this:

[b]Some stuff to bold[\b]

Instead, you need to use forward slashes, like this:

[b]Some stuff to bold[/b]

[marshallbanana]

lsmod shows entry
e1000e

(thanks Steve)