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RE: wireless on xubuntu

Tippon — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 08:29:50 GMT

[quote][b]Basil (23/07/2008)[/b][hr]I think your main trouble with linux was not having an internet connection...[/quote]

I think this is the biggest problem with a lot of modern OS's. They all seem to assume we have always on, broadband connections. When we do, they work brilliantly, but when we don't, as in this case, they can be a nightmare.

RE: wireless on xubuntu

Basil — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 20:24:54 GMT

[quote][b]asprilliasboat (23/07/2008)[/b][hr]I have to shamefully report that i have reinstalled windows on the computer, Unfotunately it was more hassle than it was worth, i apreciate all your help, thanks, but i can't help thinking if linux could move away from terminal input and make all things possible through the gui (within reason)[/quote]
No shame with Windows, if it works, use it.
I think your main trouble with linux was not having an internet connection, if the laptop had been equipped with ethernet it would have been a doddle to install (no download scripts, livecds or file transfers required)
Installing ndiswrapper uses the terminal very little, downloading source files and trying to compile it as you seem to have will use it much more but isn't at all necessary.
Please don't be put off Linux by this, if you want to have another go in the future I'm sure some of us will be more than happy to help :)

RE: wireless on xubuntu

asprilliasboat — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 08:48:08 GMT

I have to shamefully report that i have reinstalled windows on the computer, Unfotunately it was more hassle than it was worth, i apreciate all your help, thanks, but i can't help thinking if linux could move away from terminal input and make all things possible through the gui (within reason), people would come in their droves, unfortunately linux is still too dificult for average users like me to get to grips with. Windows is still lightyears ahead in terms of user freindliness, and in the end it's the masses who need to be catered for rather than the limited few who can understand unix.

I really believe in the open source movement, and i hope that next time i try, it will be something i can live with.

RE: wireless on xubuntu

Basil — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 02:22:18 GMT

[quote][b]asprilliasboat (22/07/2008)[/b][hr]What the hell do i do now, if i unpack the file their is nothing to execute, if i try and follow the install instructions in the file (which i assume have to be typed into the terminal) they don't work. Have linux developers got a problem with developing gui's, or am i missing the point here![/quote]
Because you have downloaded the source code not the pre-compiled package, in order you use the files you have you would have to compile them first.
You need to follow the instructions above and either make a download script and get the packages from a liveCD with a wired connection or by installing from the CD if you can.

RE: wireless on xubuntu

throbley — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 21:48:09 GMT

Found it!
try menu -Applications>System>Add/Remove>System>Windows Wireless Drivers- or ndiswrapper as it is more commonly known.

RE: wireless on xubuntu

throbley — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 21:12:59 GMT

After all that, I am not sure if Synaptic is on the cdrom. If you can't find it, ignore everything I have said and we will think of something else:P

RE: wireless on xubuntu

throbley — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 21:04:21 GMT

I've just had a look at an xubuntu cdrom & ndiswrapper is on there.

Have you used Synaptic to try & install software?

If it is installed it will be on the main menu -Applications>System>Synaptic package manager-

If it is not installed, goto -Applications>System>Add/Remove- and install Synaptic from the cdrom

If you can manage this and start using Synaptic for software installation then things will be a lot easier, although you will still have to frig around a bit (ie, reading labels on buttons & things :w00t: ) to disable the online software repositories & reload the catalogue from the cdrom.

Try this & let us know what happens.

RE: wireless on xubuntu

asprilliasboat — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 20:24:10 GMT

Right then, i've had a go at this, as far as i can see, ndiswrapper is not on my installed version of xubuntu's package manager. so i went to ndiswrapper website downloaded it copied the tar.gz to my laptops desktop using a usb key. What the hell do i do now, if i unpack the file their is nothing to execute, if i try and follow the install instructions in the file (which i assume have to be typed into the terminal) they don't work. Have linux developers got a problem with developing gui's, or am i missing the point here!

RE: wireless on xubuntu

asprilliasboat — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 21:13:00 GMT

yes, i can use kubuntu live cd on another computer in the house to get on the internet, thanks, that would be really helpful.

RE: wireless on xubuntu

Basil — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 20:42:45 GMT

If your install hasn't got the wifi cards working auto-magically chances are you need "ndiswrapper".
I have replied to similar thread on a different wifi dongle recently but the method is the same so if you have a look down the forums for a title along the lines of "WPN 111 wireless" and follow the instructions you should be fine.
If for some reason this doesn't work you can get a plug and play dongle from aria for about £6 so all is not lost :)

EDIT;Just remembered you don't have a wired internet connection, I will post some instructions on using another machine to download the files later tonight.
Do you have access to a machine with a Ethernet connection you could use the ubuntu/xubuntu liveCD on or must it be Windows?
You could in theory get the packages from an install CD, just place it in the drive and it should appear as a software source in synaptic (never works for me)

EDIT II,
To download the required ndiswrapper packages without an internet connection you need to do the following;
Start Synaptic and select the ndisgtk package, but rather than clicking “Apply” go File > Generate Package Download Script.
When prompted save it as "xubuntufiles.sh", this script needs to be moved too, and excuted on a machine with a working internet connection (preferably a liveCD with wired connection).
Once on the net connected machine copy the .sh file onto the desktop, open a terminal and type;
[quote]cd desktop[/quote]
[quote]sh xubuntu.sh[/quote]
At which point the packages should be downloaded to the desktop and ready for install once moved to the original PC (double clicking should install them IIRC)
From then on just follow the guide. :)
I'm away for a while (til Saturday) so I hope this works for you.

RE: wireless on xubuntu

MartenReed — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 20:38:14 GMT

Undead Link

That's the link Tippon posted, except it should work :)

RE: wireless on xubuntu

throbley — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 20:36:33 GMT

I don't want to put a downer on this but I am a 10 year linux user & it has just taken me 2 days to get wifi working on a modern laptop because the driver for my card (madwifi) supplied with the xubuntu distro is broken.

Even after I discovered this it still needed Black Magic, incantation & ritual sacrifiice to get it working.

If you haven't done it already google 'ubuntu wifi' & somewhere near the top should be the ubuntu wifi site, that's where I started.

Good luck, you will need it.

RE: wireless on xubuntu

asprilliasboat — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 20:26:30 GMT

Helllllllllppppppppppppp me! been typing stuff into terminal from various lynux forums, no recognition of a pcmia card inseryted at all, this is the problem with linux, it doesn't" just work", their are 1000 different possible different wifi configerations, windows can do this simply, i've looked at loads of different solutions but there is just no way i can do this without specific help, i really want to support linux, but it needs to be simpler than this if ubuntu is going to take on vista, or even osx.
The windows 2000 install disk on my shelf is calling to me, please someone, save me from microsoft!!!!!

RE: wireless on xubuntu

asprilliasboat — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 19:43:15 GMT

seems to be a dead link, is there anywhere else i should look. Also would it be more likely to work with a newer wifi adapter, or is it more to do with the laptop?

RE: wireless on xubuntu

Tippon — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 18:51:17 GMT

Have a look at Basil's reply here, don't know if it will work with Xubuntu, but it's worth a shot :)

wireless on xubuntu

asprilliasboat — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 17:40:53 GMT

hope someone may be able to help, i have an old toshiba tecra 8000, which i have just installed xubuntu on today, works great, but wifi is not, have tried 3com pcmia card (3crwe62092a), which was in the laptop while i installed, also tried us robotics usb dongle (usr805422), no dice with either, i am a complete linux noob and need some serious guidence.
I really don't know what to do now, i opened the terminal, and then closed it again!!! The main use for the laptop is browsing the web so i really want to crack this. There's no ethernet on the laptop so any stuff i need to download needs to be put on a cd and copied over, i guess.
Any help would be greatly apreciated, thanks