SN(4)

📦 version 12.2, in debian bookworm, debian trixie, ubuntu jammy, ubuntu noble, ubuntu questing, ubuntu resolute, ubuntu stonking

💖 SN(4) — the manual, but make it cute 💖

okay bestie, pull up a chair, because we're talking about sn, the Ethernet driver for SMC91Cxx based cards, from the Kernel Interfaces Manual. yes it's a section 4 page. yes it's about a network card. no it is not boring, sit down. 🎀

✨ NAME ✨

sn — Ethernet driver for SMC91Cxx based cards

like that's the whole name. it drives Ethernet. it loves SMC91Cxx cards. it's giving niche legend energy. 💅

🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

so here's the vibe check. you got two ways to get this driver living in your system, and both are valid, choose your fighter:

option one — bake it into the kernel. to compile this driver into the kernel, place the following lines in your kernel configuration file:

device sn

option two — load it as a module at boot time. alternatively, to load the driver as a module at boot time, place the following line in loader.conf(5):

if_sn_load="YES"

literally that's it. two lines. one of them. pick. 🦋

💀 DEPRECATION NOTICE 💀

okay so. deep breath. 😭

The sn driver is not present in FreeBSD 13.0 and later.

see https://github.com/freebsd/fcp/blob/master/fcp-0101.md for more information.

bestie it's GONE gone in 13.0+. if you're on a modern FreeBSD and you're out here looking for sn, this is why. don't say i didn't warn you. 🙈

🫶 DESCRIPTION 🫶

The sn device driver supports SMC91Cxx based ISA and PCMCIA cards.

that's the whole thing. ISA. PCMCIA. SMC91Cxx. it's old school, it's iconic, it knows what it is. 👑

🔥 HARDWARE 🔥

here's the roster, the lineup, the main characters. The sn driver supports SMC91Cxx based ISA and PCMCIA cards including:

  • 3Com Megahertz X-Jack Ethernet PC Card XJ10BT, XJ10BC
  • 3Com Megahertz XJEM and CCEM series: CCEM3288C, CCEM3288T, CCEM3336, CEM3336C, CCEM3336T, XJEM1144C, XJEM1144T, XJEM3288C, XJEM3288T, XJEM3336
  • Farallon EtherMac PC Card 595a
  • Motorola Mariner Ethernet/Modem PC Card
  • Ositech Seven of Diamonds Ethernet PC Card
  • Ositech Jack of Hearts Ethernet/Modem PC Card
  • Psion Gold Card Netglobal Ethernet PC Card
  • Psion Gold Card Netglobal 10/100 Fast Ethernet PC Card
  • Psion Gold Card Netglobal 56k+10Mb Ethernet PC Card
  • SMC EZEther PC Card (8020BT)
  • SMC EZEther PC Card (8020T)

The sn driver supports the SMC 91C90, SMC 91C92, SMC 91C94, SMC 91C95, SMC 91C96, SMC91C100 and SMC 91C100FD chips from SMC.

now. plot twist. 🌀 The Farallon EtherWave and EtherMac card came in two varieties. The ep(4) driver supports the 595 and 895 cards. These cards have the blue arrow on the front along with a 3Com logo. The Farallon 595a cards, which have a red arrow on the front, are also called EtherWave and EtherMac. They are supported by the sn driver.

so like, blue arrow + 3Com logo = ep(4)'s child. red arrow = sn's child. check the arrow, check the driver. iykyk. 🌈

⭐ SEE ALSO ⭐

go read these next, bestie, they're all part of the lore:

🧚 HISTORY 🧚

The sn device driver appeared in FreeBSD 4.0.

a whole era. a moment. we love a legacy icon. 💜

and that's the page!! this was Debian's writeup, dated October 24, 2018, and honestly? she ate. 🌸✨

stay slay, go read your man pages, and remember: check the arrow on your Farallon card. mwah. 💖🎀🦋

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