Hey,
I loved linux. Im running ubuntu on my main desktop and i loved it so much that i decided to go and ran another version on linux on my laptop, so i went with debian squeeze. My wireless does not work and I spent 4 hours reading posts with no solution found. Anyway...
I got to download the driver for my wireless card from broadcom http://www.broadcom.com/support/802.11/linux_sta.php and is a .tar.gz. I do not have a lot of experience with linux, but i like the challenge and I need some help on this. How do I install the driver when is in .tar.gz? Can i get a step-by step instruction and if not a link or something.

Thank you.

Tarballs are not made to be installable. They are simple compressed archives.

The first thing I would do is untar the compressed file and see whether there is a readme file inside it.

Also, Ubuntu has drivers for Broadcom wireless devices in the Ubuntu repos (I have used Ubuntu on two Dells).

Open up the Synaptic Package Manager and go to Settings-->Repositories-->Ubuntu and enable the "Proprietary Drivers for Devices" item. Then you will be able to install the drivers without messing with the tarball.

Frankbell, you are right on that, but my problem is not with Ubuntu on my desktop. My problem is with debian 6.0 on my laptop, so how do i handle it on debian?

HEllO? Anybody??? i really need help with this? Please and thank you

Debian wiki on Broadcome diveices. I hope this helps.

http://wiki.debian.org/bcm43xx

This page from the Debian wiki might help.

http://wiki.debian.org/wl

This extended discussion on Linux Wireless provides a lot of useful background.

http://linuxwireless.org/en/users/Dr...%28broadcom%29

A friendly word: Everyone here is a volunteer. Persons come here when they can and try to help when they can. I understand impatience, but everyone else has things they are dealing with also in the non-volunteer aspect of their lives. I try to remember that.

Frankbell, i thought this was one of those forum where they ignore the newbies questions and I did not this forum is well kept. I know you guys are volunteers and i am very thankful for the time, dedication and patience you guys have towards us, newbies. Thank you very much for your help.
The links you have provided me with were the ones I tried first with negative result. The first one
http://wiki.debian.org/bcm43xx, came with an error on the firmware-b43-installer and I couldn't install it. Then i tried the second link, http://wiki.debian.org/wl, no success. At that point I tried ndiswrapper since I had the win-driver for BCM4312, no success. I came hero to post more to get more help and since I got no answer quick enough I went and did a clean install and tried everything again. Late night I saw your post giving me the links.
Now, at this point is worth mention that I found a solution to this problem. How? Here it is.
When I tried the first link, http://wiki.debian.org/bcm43xx, and got the same error with the "firmware-b43-install". I left it there and went to the second link to tried it at the installation of 'module-assistant and wireless-tools' the command line told me that firmware-b43-install is partially install and if I want it to reinstall it. Yes, Same error than before. So i used Synaptic to completely remove firmware-b43-installer and followed the rest of the second link, http://wiki.debian.org/wl, steps. And yes it work I have wireless connections available. I declare this post solve. Thanks, Frankbell.