diff -ruN e-smith-base-5.4.0.old/root/usr/share/perl5/vendor_perl/esmith/console/configure.pm e-smith-base-5.4.0/root/usr/share/perl5/vendor_perl/esmith/console/configure.pm
--- e-smith-base-5.4.0.old/root/usr/share/perl5/vendor_perl/esmith/console/configure.pm	2013-03-15 07:41:52.000000000 -0700
+++ e-smith-base-5.4.0/root/usr/share/perl5/vendor_perl/esmith/console/configure.pm	2013-03-15 07:44:24.000000000 -0700
@@ -79,6 +79,8 @@
         $existing_hwaddr = $db->get_prop("InternalInterface", "HWAddress");
     }
 
+    $existing_hwaddr ||= "unknown";
+
     foreach my $adapter ( @adapters )
     {
         my ($parameter, $driver, $hwaddr, $chipset) = split (/\t/, $adapter, 4);