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Networks normally need some manual intervention. Like telling it the essid and key for wireless. But it can be as simple as "sudo dhclient -4 -v eth0". The -4 and -v are probably optional. The tendency is to not bring the network up at boot so you can select and activate a firewall before being exposed to the network. And that really depends on the distro.
I usually use a WIFI when I'm out and about or my MIFI when I'm at home; the MIFI has a monthly allowance of 4GB which is fine for light use but as way too small for repeated tries at downloading a 1+GB file.
I did find the array of possibilities that includes FireFox but it won't work without a way to get onto a WIFI or my MIFI.
I also have a POTS dialup account but that's too slow for most things beyond getting my email.
I'm not familiar with the term "eth;" can you explain?
The odd thing is I've only tried looking around from a bootable USB; while I can easily find many features of my existing WinXP (including a couple of .pdfs about the netbook itself that I spent years not knowing were there), there is no trace of any WIFI icon.
Your answer sounds like I'll have to get access info from the administrator of any WIFI I want to use and then start right off the bat using Terminal. Any thoughts?--one
of my concerns is that without knowing whether the downloaded distro mounted on a USB drive using UNetbootin is OK before I install it, I still don't have much to go on. I did expect more things to do with booting from the USB drive.
I usually use a WIFI when I'm out and about or my MIFI when I'm at home; the MIFI has a monthly allowance of 4GB which is fine for light use but as way too small for repeated tries at downloading a 1+GB file.
Sometimes I need a no brainer because all 4 primary partitions are used by the manufacturer
and I need Windows to run DRM motorcycle tuning software that requires Windows. Wine is not a option.
Linux in VM? Naw. This is easier for me.
Code:
# su spot
# whoami
spot
# inxi -Fxz
System: Host: biker Kernel: 3.10.32 i686 (32 bit, gcc: 4.7.1)
Desktop: JWM git-905 Distro: Slacko Puppy Linux Linux 3.10.32 [ arch]
Machine: System: Hewlett-Packard (portable) product: Presario CQ57 Notebook PC version: 068C110003204910000620100
Mobo: Hewlett-Packard model: 3577 version: 24.48
Bios: Hewlett-Packard version: F.42 date: 11/07/2011
CPU: Dual core AMD C-50 (-MCP-) cache: 1024 KB
flags: (lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4a ssse3 svm) bmips: 3993.9
Clock Speeds: 1: 1000.00 MHz 2: 1000.00 MHz
Graphics: Card: ATI Device 9804 bus-ID: 00:01.0
Display Server: X.Org 1.12.4 drivers: ati,radeon (unloaded: vesa) Resolution: 1366x768@60.0hz
GLX Renderer: Gallium 0.4 on AMD PALM GLX Version: 2.1 Mesa 8.0.4 Direct Rendering: Yes
Audio: Card: ATI SBx00 Azalia (Intel HDA)
driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:14.2
Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture ver: k3.10.32
Network: Card: Ralink Device 5390
driver: rt2800pci ver: 2.3.0 bus-ID: 07:00.0 chip-ID: -1
IF: wlan0 state: up speed: N/A duplex: N/A mac: <filter>
Card: Realtek RTL8101E/RTL8102E PCI Express Fast Ethernet controller
driver: r8169 ver: 2.3LK-NAPI port: 2000 bus-ID: 06:00.0 chip-ID: -2
IF: eth0 state: down mac: <filter>
Drives: HDD Total Size: 250.1GB (7.8% used) 1: id: /dev/sda model: WDC_WD2500BEVT size: 250.1GB
Partition:
RAID: No RAID devices detected - /proc/mdstat and md_mod kernel raid module present
Sensors: System Temperatures: cpu: 64.8C mobo: N/A gpu: 64.0
Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: N/A
Info: Processes: 96 Uptime: 1:15 Memory: 343.7/1623.5MB Init: SysVinit runlevel: 5
Gcc sys: 4.7.1 Client: Shell (sh) inxi: 2.1.1
# fdisk -l
Disk /dev/sda: 250.1 GB, 250059350016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 30401 cylinders, total 488397168 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x16cc72e1
Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 2048 409599 203776 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda2 409600 449538047 224564224 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda3 449538048 480073727 15267840 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda4 480073728 488395119 4160696 c W95 FAT32 (LBA)
# blkid
blkid: /dev/sdd1: No such file or directory
blkid: /dev/sde: No such file or directory
blkid: /dev/sg2: No such file or directory
blkid: /dev/sg3: No such file or directory
/dev/loop1: UUID="75c046fe-e263-4015-9712-c427241a9722" TYPE="ext3"
/dev/sda2: UUID="64F68FC2F68F92CA" TYPE="ntfs"
/dev/loop0: TYPE="squashfs"
/dev/loop4: TYPE="squashfs"
/dev/loop5: TYPE="squashfs"
/dev/sda1: LABEL="SYSTEM" UUID="10703818703806CE" TYPE="ntfs"
/dev/sda3: LABEL="Recovery" UUID="EE34B6F134B6BBC1" TYPE="ntfs"
/dev/sda4: LABEL="HP_TOOLS" UUID="E4C1-BF34" TYPE="vfat"
#
Some wifi networks are open. You just need to set the essid and use dhcp to connect to them. There are some gui networking tools in linux. Like network-manager and other things. YMMV, depending on distro and gui environment. From the cli something like:
Where # denotes as root. For distros like ubuntu you'd prefix those with sudo. Although with something like network manager running, it can prevent you from going the cli route. There's an encryption key: line in iwlist output, if it's "off" then that type of network is open. If it's "on" then you need some key information to gain access. Or other skillsets.
$ lspci
You should have some mention of network controller with details about wireless lan if you have wifi hardware. Or lspci -n for unknown hardware which you can research for hints about. There's a pciids.sourceforge.net project for having a database of known hardware.
$ lsusb
If you have a usb wifi device. Just things to verify that it's there. Getting it to work isn't always an out of the box experience. Depending on the distro and hardware.
I tend to ethernet to a router with ddwrt + client bridge for wireless access, it's much simpler. I could do the same thing on the original firmware of that router in repeater mode. For a device that costs $40, worth every penny.
As a radical but quick alternative, you can purchase a ready-made Live/Installation CD or DVD of your chosen form of Linux from a number of places. Prices run only a few dollars even for DVDs. Google to find a source.
You said: "You can always go to the library & download."
I might look into that.
Usually I find the Apple Store WIFI works very well for my MacBook Pro and also for these other projects--I've asked and they don't appear to mind but if I need some special help they might not be that open.
Hi Shadow_7
You said: "Networks normally need some manual intervention. Like telling it the essid and key for wireless."
I'm not certain how to open a connection in the first place. What am I looking for (presumably **after** a successful install)? Is there an option in the install process lead-in to choose a program for my internet access (similar to my understanding of how I might choose a browser)?
Hi all
Some of what you have provided goes beyond the problem I originated. I now have a distro on a USB drive that does boot up enough to show the Mint screen and to browse through (and open) the existing files (on XP) and to go from menu to menu. Although I got this far by just repeatedly trying to download from the Linux site, my answer is covered in a way.
The **biggie** before I mark this topic as answered (and go on to new topics) is:
Is what I have a usable installation USB or have I a need for further help on topic?
Try it out as your desktop for a bit more.
You do have installable media.
Ubuntu/Mint etc should ask you to choose a wireless SSID and prompt you for the password.
If you have a wired connection, it will just make the connection.
Check you can access the internet on Firefox.
When you eventually decide to install, lots of data will be downloaded (several GBytes).
The actual install takes place in parallel with the download.
Your DVD/USB does not contain everything...
Expect to reboot only once.
Last edited by JeremyBoden; 04-02-2014 at 04:28 PM.
Network wise, a lot of distros default to network manager, and it's clickable from the task bar by default in many distros. A little buried in the clock, meters, and other indicators in the corner, but there in a lot of cases. Or launchable from the menus.
If your default network is ethernet and routed via DHCP, then it is automagically setup and active at boot for most distros I've come across. Disabling that is probably more difficult than making it work. There is wicd which is an alternative to network manager and other options too.
It's the wifi devices that make networking difficult. Many have proprietary drivers or firmware and often fail to function properly in any operating system. Plus it's difficult to detect fat fingering a long key for wireless, which could be the ONLY thing wrong with your setup.
So, when I install, you say several GB more has to download? Ouch--I started this inquiry after seeing (what remained at the time of) my monthly GB limit eaten up by failed downloadings just trying for 1.2 GB! At this point I still don't have a working download manager--after unzipping from a .tar.gz, my result is a folder full of files with no .exe to click. Do you have a favorite download manager? Not being able to resume after whatever kind of stop I'm hitting sounds like a big no-no for that "several more GB" anyhow.
Since sheer persistence has gotten me through the initial download step, obviously I wasn't running afoul of some arbitrary download size limit. I hope I'm not stretching the topic too far in maintaining a thread of related matters.
On the Mint booted from my USB drive, I did finally find an indication of FireFox--after I tried clicking the nondescript star-lock-washer-looking icon at the lower left corner, a panel of things including FireFox came up. Naturally, not having any isp setup in the booted-from-USB-Mint, I guess not being able to go online at that point is a normal result. So, I gather, I don't have any sign the USB mounting failed in some way (?).
You said, "Network wise, a lot of distros default to network manager, and it's clickable from the task bar by default in many distros. A little buried in the clock, meters, and other indicators in the corner, but there in a lot of cases. Or launchable from the menus."
I take it that's after installing? Just booting from the USB on top of WinXP with IE, the firefox icon seems pretty dead.
I am confused.
You say that you downloaded Mint and got a tar.gz file???
You should not get one - normally you get an iso format file which is designed for writing to bootable media
such as DVD or a USB stick.
You should not try to unpack the contents - its highly compressed to fit in as small a space as possible.
You should not normally expect to see any exe files in Linux.
Your DVD includes both a non-disk trial and an installer.
You do not need a special download program - any web browser, such as Firefox can do this.
You don't need any special ISP setup.
Assuming you have a router connected to an ISP and you connect to the router via wifi,
all you need to do is select a wireless access point and enter a password.
You say "Just booting from the USB on top of WinXP with IE, the firefox icon seems pretty dead."
Can I assume that Windows is not active at this point?
If so, just forget Windows!
Do you plan to overwrite Windows or do you want to keep some/all of Windows?
"You say that you downloaded Mint and got a tar.gz file???"
Not quite--I wrote, "At this point I still don't have a working download manager--after unzipping from a .tar.gz, my result is a folder full of files with no .exe to click."
That bit is my sad tale of trying to get a download manager (I mentioned that in the light of the point that, in my situation, downloading "bare" can only succeed with persistence and luck). Seeing no .exe in the resulting folder means, to me, I have to do something more or something else to continue the downloading process.
If you weren't aware of the first result of downloading a download manager being a .tar.gz file, you very likely use a different one that doesn't have that particular wrinkle.
The .iso download appears to have worked but all I've been able, so far, to do to test drive it has been to look at the desktop and examine files that are on the HDD.
Obviously the lack of anything I can try out might be normal but I'd really like to know what's happening.
I see.
It's possible to compile a .tar.gz file.
Using a Linux Compiler, you can make this into a executable object.
Most people are never required to compile things.
I strongly suspect that you don't have the necessary prerequisite compilers and libraries.
But compiling is easy - follow the steps in a file called README in the .tar.gz file.
You must install Mint before planning on compiling programs...
BTW I don't use a special download manager (and I downloaded 2TBytes last month).
You might like to investigate small software such as:-
wget - read the man wget page
curl - read the man curl page
You can install these into Mint (if absent) with
Code:
sudo apt-get install wget
etc
I'm not sure if these will persist over reboots until you actually install Mint onto disk.
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