Mobile Computing Linux on the go.
Laptop's, PDA's and Wireless related questions. |
04-07-2009, 02:34 AM
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still feel the n00b
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: London, UK
Posts: 44
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Debian neophyte seeking wifi
Having found the Ibex parted install issues the hard way and messed up a dual boot I have finally seen the light and moved to Debian 
However, Ubuntu did WIFI out of the box, and Debian has not 
Machine is a dell xps 1100 which is a broadcom variation.
The network settings only shows Eth0 - and the wifilight on the device is out, so we are talking before we even get to ndiswrapper here if memory serves me with (in dim distant past, bucky badger days, I went through this pain in Ubuntu).
A quick question - I went down the automated install option, is there any chance that a reinstall of Debian taking the manual route will fix it? Was using the netinst cd with network cabled.... if that's relevant.
A longer question - when I try to start up wifi radar it throws and error; "Failed to run /usr/sbin/wi-fi-radar as user root" would I need to remove sudo to get wifi? Sounds mad to me.... and coming from ubuntu I should know about sudo.... but like it says I remain a n00b my conversion to Linux is a slow one and I'm long in the tooth!
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In the process of arriving at Debian after seeing the light with Bucky Badger, which will date me if we ever have a Zany Zebra 
Last edited by MainframeGuy; 04-07-2009 at 02:37 AM.
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04-07-2009, 11:25 AM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Houston, Texas
Posts: 292
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I too am a tad long in the tooth - 61 years old and holding. But if I can do it, damn it, so can you!
I have an HP DV6000 laptop with a Broadcom wireless chip. I'm using Squeeze (testing). See the link I've provided. It worked with both Lenny (Stable) and Squeeze.
http://debiantutorials.org/webcam-vi...inux-lenny-297
Several tips there. Among them is how to setup your wireless. Also in the Forum under the subtopic: What about Hardware> No Wireless Debian Lenny, you will find more info.
But the link I provided should work. Good luck.
About 'Sudo'; Ubuntu, and a few other distros, allow the first user created administrative privileges. Most other distros do not. Debian is one of those. When installing Debian and others, a user account is created and a root password is created. When doing administrative (root) duties, you are prompted for the root password. If you open a terminal (at the taskbar: Applications> Accessories> Terminal) you will see this symbol ( $ ). You are the user - no administrative privileges. Key in: su> type in root password. The symbol will change to this ( # ). You are now root.
When you install Debian it should have asked you to create a password for the root account. If you didn't or can't remember it... Well maybe a reinstall is called for.
Well come to Debian.
Last edited by loopback48; 04-07-2009 at 11:45 AM.
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04-07-2009, 03:16 PM
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Guinness please
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Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: N California
Posts: 901
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During the install, Debian is pretty good at identifying the wireless card. The installer often will tells which driver is needed. This information can help in getting your wireless to work.
For my Dell laptop it identified the driver needed. Debian even had a package that included the driver. I either had to install it after the fact while hardwaired, or, using a separate machine, copied it onto a usb stick and told the installer where to find it. The wireless was then set-up during install.
Good luck,
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04-07-2009, 06:25 PM
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still feel the n00b
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: London, UK
Posts: 44
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Quote:
Originally Posted by teeitup
During the install, Debian is pretty good at identifying the wireless card...
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tell you what - I'll try a straight reinstall and go without the automatic option and report back.,... I was hoping that would help it identify....
and to loopback - I did see the lenny helpfile, but was not sure if it related to Debian straight (Lenny read like some development variation, but I should look into that more clearly).
PS just toyed with idea of SUSE and realised the processor here is a duo 64-bit CPU... that could not have a bearing could it? Is there a 64 bit i386 kernel I should be seeking out at this point?
__________________
In the process of arriving at Debian after seeing the light with Bucky Badger, which will date me if we ever have a Zany Zebra
Last edited by MainframeGuy; 04-07-2009 at 10:41 PM.
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04-07-2009, 11:47 PM
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still feel the n00b
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: London, UK
Posts: 44
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is this why?
OK - this may be useful information from the re-install....
I get the message missing firmware for file iwlwifi-3945-1.ucode (which I think I do not have, unless it is hiddend on the device driver CD for the xps laptop), could this be it? Was Ubuntu clever enough to find that for itself?
Look forward to hearing any thoughts...
__________________
In the process of arriving at Debian after seeing the light with Bucky Badger, which will date me if we ever have a Zany Zebra
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04-08-2009, 01:25 AM
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Guinness please
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Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: N California
Posts: 901
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It looks like the driver is available in the binary package firmware-iwlwifi
It is in the "non-free" repository. This is the reason that Ubuntu installed it and Debian didn't.
File listing of firmware-iwlwifi
/lib/firmware/ iwlwifi-3945-1.ucode
/lib/firmware/iwlwifi-4965-1.ucode
/lib/firmware/iwlwifi-4965-2.ucode
/usr/share/doc/firmware-iwlwifi/changelog.gz
/usr/share/doc/firmware-iwlwifi/copyright
If you install while hardwired you can add the non-free repository and then install the package.
The individual file is probably available here:
http://www.intellinuxwireless.org/
Good Luck,
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04-08-2009, 09:52 AM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Houston, Texas
Posts: 292
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MainframeGuy
tell you what - I'll try a straight reinstall and go without the automatic option and report back.,... I was hoping that would help it identify....
and to loopback - I did see the lenny helpfile, but was not sure if it related to Debian straight (Lenny read like some development variation, but I should look into that more clearly).
PS just toyed with idea of SUSE and realised the processor here is a duo 64-bit CPU... that could not have a bearing could it? Is there a 64 bit i386 kernel I should be seeking out at this point?
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MainframeGuy, Debian has three versions of it's OS at all times. And each version has a code name. The current 'Official Stable Release' is code named 'Lenny'. Also commonly called Stable. Their 'Testing' version is code named 'Squeeze'. And the 'Unstable' version is and will always be named 'Sid'. In a couple of years time the developers will work out the bugs and rough spots of programs and apps in Squeeze/Testing and declare it 'Stable'.
So Lenny/Stable is not in development. It is a stable release. And I would recommend that branch/version to you. You'll have to do more in Debian than in other distros but I believe it's worth it. Stop and think; if Ubuntu and many others are based on Debian, well, that says it all.
It's rock solid. And once you figure how to administer it - easy as pie, piece of cake, no sweat, like falling off a log. I think I'll stop there 
Last edited by loopback48; 04-08-2009 at 10:01 AM.
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04-10-2009, 03:50 AM
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MR. ALL THUMBS
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Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Thunder Bay Canada
Posts: 794
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I just fixed up someone's old Compaq Presario 2200 with Debian Lenny and I had to put ndiswrapper and wicd to use wireless at all.
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