[Nottingham] nic module - I've [configure make install]ed myself into knots

[Edward]

A call for help...
I've returned to another Linux project, like most way over my head. I 
make great progress today. Enough so I have no idea how I got here and 
slightly less on how to get where I want to be. *shakes head with palm 
to forehead* it seemed so straight forward.

I have an lintel nic e1000 that the Debian provided module did not work 
on. It seems lintel makes a lot of chips that work different yet have 
similar names. So I sorted the correct and latest source code from the 
lintel sight, downloaded it, traveled to the src folder and ran smack 
into my first error. A sym link to the proper kernel source got me past 
that. Eventually I seemed to have a proper module, but maybe not.

Moving forward I now seem to be stuck trying to install some man pages 
(part of the makefile) with the error: "cannot write to [path/filename] 
in catman mode."

Sometimes it is best to step back and let someone else look, I realise 
this is a complicated matter (custom module for network card loaded into 
kernel) for a simple person (me), but I ask for some guidance anyway. 
I've got the raid running under LVM. I've got the new Intel 35 whatever 
video going. I am ready to add Samba to my Active Directory. Now I need 
this nic to work.

Hoping I am not distracting everyone from the spam discussion 
(personally I don't like C/R in most situations) and also adding to the 
Dell discussion by voting: It is Dell's responsibility! (would ms give 
an oem drivers for that video card that doesn't work with the drivers 
supplied already?)

Who knows module building so well they can't help but help?

Sincerely,
Edward