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View Full Version : A post of THANKS!



ZombieWoof
March 15th, 2015, 10:00 PM
Hi, all,

I'm a virtual Newb, but have been in IT service for over nearly 40 years, and have worked with many platforms. Only recently have I begun trying to use Ubuntu to re-purpose some obsolete Windows XP laptops that friends give to me when I tell them how much it'll cost to repair (after telling them they need to get off XP anyway).

I decided to set up my wife's old Gateway laptop with Ubuntu to take on a trip with us, do to email, save phone pix, and blog a little.

I couldn't get the WIFI to work, and spent 8 - 10 hours yesterday working on it. I was getting ready to throw the laptop out the window, along with Linux in general, because it seemed to be impossibly obtuse and obstructive. I combed Google for help, and found this forum. Unfortunately by then I was brain dead.

This morning, I figured that I may have totally screwed up everything, so I used Boot&Nuke to wipe the hard drive and started again. I did the additional software route and installed what looked like the Broadcom drivers, but it didn't do the trick. I used Wild Man's answer for Connor_Schulz's post, which didn't quite get me there, but it pointed to bapoumba (http://ubuntuforums.org/member.php?u=171805)'s sticky.

Long story short, carefully following the directions, going to the Broadcom guide doing those steps and BOOM - WIFI!

Thanks for putting this stuff out here in short sentences with simple words in a clear logical manner. You have made my day.


ZombieWoof

kerry_s
March 15th, 2015, 10:23 PM
wifi's always the 1 with most issues. for future info there's an app in the repo called ndisgtk that will let you use the windows driver, but you have to connect to internet to get it, a catch 22 for some.

always ask here on the forums if your not sure.
make sure any guide you follow is for your version installed & if possible updated, some guides are really old & can toast your install.

good luck to on your trip.

wildmanne39
March 16th, 2015, 02:27 AM
Ndiswrapper is almost never needed and using it with windows drivers should be a last resort.
Thanks

kerry_s
March 16th, 2015, 02:47 AM
Ndiswrapper is almost never needed and using it with windows drivers should be a last resort.
Thanks

i'm just saying sometimes it's easier if you want to get up & running fast, you may not want to take the time to hunt down a fix, it's a couple of minutes compared to hours or days looking for a fix.