Ethercat installation from repositories - how to step by step

  CC [M]  /var/lib/dkms/ethercat-dkms/1.6.9/build/devices/stmmac/dwmac-intel-6.12-ethercat.o
/var/lib/dkms/ethercat-dkms/1.6.9/build/devices/stmmac/dwmac-intel-6.12-ethercat.c: In function ‘intel_mgbe_common_data’:
/var/lib/dkms/ethercat-dkms/1.6.9/build/devices/stmmac/dwmac-intel-6.12-ethercat.c:615:15: error: ‘struct plat_stmmacenet_data’ has no member named ‘msi_lpi_vec’; did you mean ‘msi_mac_vec’?
  615 |         plat->msi_lpi_vec = 28;
      |               ^~~~~~~~~~~
      |               msi_mac_vec
/var/lib/dkms/ethercat-dkms/1.6.9/build/devices/stmmac/dwmac-intel-6.12-ethercat.c: In function ‘stmmac_config_multi_msi’:
/var/lib/dkms/ethercat-dkms/1.6.9/build/devices/stmmac/dwmac-intel-6.12-ethercat.c:1001:19: error: ‘struct plat_stmmacenet_data’ has no member named ‘msi_lpi_vec’; did you mean ‘msi_mac_vec’?
 1001 |         if (plat->msi_lpi_vec < STMMAC_MSI_VEC_MAX)
      |                   ^~~~~~~~~~~
      |                   msi_mac_vec
/var/lib/dkms/ethercat-dkms/1.6.9/build/devices/stmmac/dwmac-intel-6.12-ethercat.c:1002:59: error: ‘struct plat_stmmacenet_data’ has no member named ‘msi_lpi_vec’; did you mean ‘msi_mac_vec’?
 1002 |                 res->lpi_irq = pci_irq_vector(pdev, plat->msi_lpi_vec);
      |                                                           ^~~~~~~~~~~
      |                                                           msi_mac_vec
/var/lib/dkms/ethercat-dkms/1.6.9/build/devices/stmmac/dwmac-intel-6.12-ethercat.c: In function ‘intel_eth_pci_probe’:
/var/lib/dkms/ethercat-dkms/1.6.9/build/devices/stmmac/dwmac-intel-6.12-ethercat.c:1084:15: error: ‘struct plat_stmmacenet_data’ has no member named ‘msi_lpi_vec’; did you mean ‘msi_mac_vec’?
 1084 |         plat->msi_lpi_vec = STMMAC_MSI_VEC_MAX;
      |               ^~~~~~~~~~~
      |               msi_mac_vec
make[5]: *** [/usr/src/linux-headers-6.12.86+deb13-common-rt/scripts/Makefile.build:234: /var/lib/dkms/ethercat-dkms/1.6.9/build/devices/stmmac/dwmac-intel-6.12-ethercat.o] Error 1
make[4]: *** [/usr/src/linux-headers-6.12.86+deb13-common-rt/scripts/Makefile.build:471: /var/lib/dkms/ethercat-dkms/1.6.9/build/devices/stmmac] Error 2
make[3]: *** [/usr/src/linux-headers-6.12.86+deb13-common-rt/scripts/Makefile.build:471: /var/lib/dkms/ethercat-dkms/1.6.9/build/devices] Error 2
make[2]: *** [/usr/src/linux-headers-6.12.86+deb13-common-rt/Makefile:1981: /var/lib/dkms/ethercat-dkms/1.6.9/build] Error 2
make[1]: *** [/usr/src/linux-headers-6.12.86+deb13-common-rt/Makefile:236: __sub-make] Error 2
make[1]: Leaving directory '/usr/src/linux-headers-6.12.86+deb13-rt-amd64'
make: *** [Makefile:963: modules] Error 2

# exit code: 2
# elapsed time: 00:03:42 

rodw wrote:

And follow this process which I have tested with 2.98 in the last week or so.
github.com/linuxcnc-ethercat/apt

 

SoloRev wrote:

The issue seems to be DKMS failing with the latest debian kernel. I couldn’t figure out how to uninstall the kernel but I was able to stop it from being installed on a new system. Before you do a 

sudo apt upgrade. stop any kernel update with [code]sudo apt-mark hold *6.12* basically wildcard the 6.12 string on both sides to prevent anything related to the kernel from being updated. 

[/code]

• LCNC ISO installed ok
• Updated realtek NIC driver OK - latency and network speed good, no issues.
• Followed first post in this thread, removed iGh repo
• Updated ethercat.conf via geany with MAC address of port (enp2S0)

sudo systemctl enable ethercat.service
Synchronizing state of ethercat.service with SysV service script with /usr/lib/systemd/systemd-sysv-install.
Executing: /usr/lib/systemd/systemd-sysv-install enable ethercat
mill@mill:~$ sudo systemctl start ethercat.service
Job for ethercat.service failed because the control process exited with error code.
See "systemctl status ethercat.service" and "journalctl -xeu ethercat.service" for details.
mill@mill:~$ systemctl status ethercat.service
× ethercat.service - EtherCAT Master Kernel Modules
     Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/ethercat.service; enabled; preset: enabled)
     Active: failed (Result: exit-code) since Sat 2026-06-20 14:38:57 EDT; 26s ago
 Invocation: 1f3d48bc0cb741a787b3ce8d8d781907
    Process: 2624 ExecStart=/usr/sbin/ethercatctl start (code=exited, status=1/FAILURE)
   Main PID: 2624 (code=exited, status=1/FAILURE)
   Mem peak: 2M
        CPU: 43ms
mill@mill:~$ journalctl -xeu ethercat.service
Hint: You are currently not seeing messages from other users and the system.
      Users in groups 'adm', 'systemd-journal' can see all messages.
      Pass -q to turn off this notice.