Laptop recommendation needed

[mörgæs]

Thanks for your advice on the Lenovo.

If you have the time please add a post to the laptop compatibility list about how to get it running.

[duncan12]

Thanks for your advice on the Lenovo.

If you have the time please add a post to the laptop compatibility list about how to get it running.

Done thanks.

[Bucky Ball]

Thread moved to Recurring Discussions.

[operative-terminus]

It depends on your kernel version, at first I was only kernel 3.8 because that is the latest that Linux Mint 15 supports. Wireless "just worked" but it would randomly lock up sometimes, which was a major problem. I upgraded to 3.9 using the "mainline kernels". Kernel 3.9 fixed the locking up but stopped the wireless working. I eventually found the fix.

1. Check that you are indeed already on a kernel version greater than 3.9 using the "uname -r" command. Those are the only kernels where these steps apply.
2. Run "sudo apt-get remove bcmwl-kernel-source". (Why? Broadcom had updated the bcmwl-kernel-source package to work on kernel 3.9+ but the latest version was not yet in the repos and therefore it would fail to install on kernel 3.9+.)
3. Download the latest actual version as a .deb from http://packages.ubuntu.com/raring/bcmwl-kernel-source and install it.
4. Ensure the bcmwl-kernel-source package is actually in use by your computer by opening something like "proprietary drivers" or "hardware drivers" in the control panel, and ticking the box next to bcmwl-kernel-source.
5. You may need to reboot and then your wireless should work!

Further troubleshooting:

• Ensure that all wireless related packages other than bcmwl-kernel-source are gone, eg things like b43-fwcutter, just search in synaptic and mark them for uninstall.

Hope this helps, it's my experience anyway. Please let me know how you go.

By the way, this laptop is really great, after getting the few Linux hiccups out the way!

Thanks so much for taking the time to explain your workaround. I was going to try it, but prior to that I upgraded to the 13.10 Beta and the wireless works now! I'm having some other issues now, but at least the wireless works, and that's what I was really after . If I end up having to go back down to 13.04 I will definitely try your workaround and let you know how it goes.