I've had no luck with help on linuxquestions so I figured I'd try here. I'm using debian etch.

The problem is that I can not install my network card because it says:

I have the kernel-headers installed.

I've looked all over the internet for similar posts and there was never a solution for such an unbelievably common problem that EVERYONE who's network card is not recognized by Debian will get.

There's a lot of similar posts, just never a solution.

Currently I'm coming to the conclusion that the file it wants doesn't actually exist. If it does can someone link me the it? Because I've gone through too much bandwidth trying 'stuff' that people think might work.

The file it says ( kernel-source-2.6.18-5-686 ) is only accessible by apt-get? because I've looked everywhere and it's obviously the one I need.

Thanks.

Did you consider installing the kernel source?

Most probably people didn't post their solution because they were recovering from their self administered slap on the head.

..........................................................

kernel-source-2.6.18-5-686 doesn't exist outside of repositories that apt-get uses.

I can not use apt-get, therefore I can not obtain kernel-source-2.6.18-5-686. That's the problem.

I'd love to install it and I've been TRYING to, except I have to actually get the file first, I've searched every repository on the internet and nothing.

Try

apt-get install linux-source-2.6.18

or

apt-get install linux-source-2.6.18-5

I don't need linux-source I need kernel-source

apt-get install linux-source.2.6.18-5 --->>> "linux-source-2.6.18 is already the newest version"

Have you looked in "dselect" to see what it offers to you?

Have you just tried

apt-get install kernel-source

?

Linux-source is the kernel source on debian systems, it is more likely than not that you need to extract it. From memory it installs by default as a bz2 tarball in /usr/src.