Linux Wake on LAN with Realtek RTL8111F

So I splashed out and bought a new motherboard, CPU and RAM after finding my motherboard BIOS was last updated in 2010 and upgrading the RAM was going to cost more than a new combo.

Quite a difference.  I can compile Firefox, LibreOffice, Webkit etc in about 20 to 25 per cent of the time it used to take.

I've converted everything from old MBR to GPT and booting with UEFI boot files which is quite cool.

One thing I couldn't get going was wakeonlan.

I set wakeonlan to magic packet (g in ethtool) but it would not wake up. I'm using kernel 4.6.2 so that's the most recent stable for Gentoo.

After some searching I found another network problem with the RTL8111F that they fixed by using a driver from Realtek's web site.

So I went to this page

http://www.realtek.com/downloads/downloadsView.aspx?Langid=1&PNid=13&PFid=5&Level=5&Conn=4&DownTypeID=3&GetDown=false

and downloaded the driver for 3.X kernels.  I build kernels in the monolithic style so, disabled the RTL8168 driver (I think the kernel calls it that or rtl8169) and rebooted.  The download from ReakTek has a script that  unloads the rtl8168 module and compiles the new one and loads it.

Low and behold, after that WoL started working.  So maybe the kernel driver for the Realtek cards needs some love.

Android phone Google account problems

Well I have to say I've lost a lot of respect for Google today.

I got a message on my phone from the Google account to say something suspicious had possibly gone on and I should change my password.

So I logged into the web site and double checked and changed my password.  Changed on the web browser OK and other machines but not on the phone.  No way.

You enter your details (username, password and 2 factor from Authenticator)  and you get "sorry, there seems to be a problem. please try again." Tried this a few times, rebooted etc but no joy.

So I deleted the account from the phone and tried re-adding it.  Nope still the same problems.  Search for this error and quite a few people have had it.  The suggested try an App specific password. Nope it say dah, enter your account password not an app specific one.

Finally got frustrated and removed the 2 factor from the account and that did it. So you have to unsecure your account to get your phone on.  How bad is that?

Hope this saves someone else some frustration.

Now to try turning two factor back on and see if it breaks.

Random libraries in Linux

I'd been having some issues with the Linux box not compiling things like

emerge -1 =dev-perl/libintl-perl-1.240.0-r2

It would stop and saying

skipping incompatible /usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-pc-linux-gnu/5.3.0/../../../../lib64/libiconv.so when searching for -liconv

I searched for ages and found there was indeed a libincov but you can't have that installed at the same time as new glibc.

Hmm... OK what package installed these things.  Looks like gcc 5.3.0.  Recompile that.. nope... try older gcc.. nope.

Newb mistake there. The number of .. parent links takes it right out of the gcc folders. Right pack to /usr/lib/

Ok what package installed it? Equery, the package manager query tool

equery b libiconv.so.2.5.0

returned nothing. Meaning no package installed it. Tried taking off the .so versions numbers etc still the same.

What the?  OK this is crazy how about just deleting it.  If anything needs it it will re-install it surely.

All of a sudden

emerge -1 =dev-perl/libintl-perl-1.240.0-r2

worked again. The texinfo etc ones with the same errors worked.

So having extra unwanted libraries is as dangerous as not having the right libraries.  More so, because you think they're OK.  I guess at some stage I've installed somethign that has left them there or a Gentoo package has changed and not cleaned up after itself nicely.

Either way , weird problem.