Sorry to be asking such a dumb question but when you don't know you've got to ask.

Just got a USB wireless adapter sng the linux program doesn't self install and I don't know how to install it. It's ends in .tar.gz What do I need to do to install the adapter?

Thanks,
Ron

The only dumb question is the one you don't ask

First, I must ask, are you sure the driver is meant for this adapter? In case it is, with this type of file you need to uncompress it from the command line with:

You should find an extracted directory containing some files inside. One of these files should be named README. It contains the instructions you have to follow in order to install the driver. You can copy or attach the file here for us to read and give you a hand.

BTW, what is the brand and model of the adapter? Maybe your distro's repositories already contain the driver for it. (So you could just install it from there instead of compiling it from the .tar.gz file).

Regards.

1 members found this post helpful.

odiseo77 offers some good ideas.

One is that the file you mentioned is a compressed and tarred file. The group of files are put end to end (tar) and then compressed. That part is a common thing in linux. To un-tar it and un-compress it a command line command is used usually. Some gui apps can do that also. Different distro's may have to have some options.

Now once you get the file extracted you will have to use other means to install it.

The second part is using/installing/needing drivers. If you provide some more info we might have an easier way.

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Normally, the Linux kernel takes care about these things. Sometimes Linux distributions offer some kind of utility to make use of a certain hardware/feature. You can then simply install that package with your package manager.

Do you have problems with that piece of hardware? Is it not working so you somehow went adventurous to go and look for a driver somewhere in the internet?

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Thanks for the many replies to my basic question.

The adapter is a Realtek RTL8712, it's a 300M IEEE802.11 B/G/N USB device and I'm using it now on Windoze as it self installed there.
I've printed out all four pages of the readme file but it means nothing to me after the first four lines of text as it's all in 'techno speak'( the first three lines are titles and headers!!) The Distro is Ubuntu 11.4 but I can't get to the repositories in Windoze to find out.

I'll log on to Ubuntu later and copy some documents to a place that I can get to whilst I'm on here using Windoze

SWMBO is breathing down my neck, so I've get to go now but will send more later.

Regards
Ron

I've opened the main file on the disc that came with the adapter and I'm attaching the file that is for a linux install. Ubuntu is expecting to see an auto-run file on there but can't find one, so I'm stuck with a manual install which I know nothing about.
Here is the file that I need to upload and run.

rtl8712_8188_8191_8192SU_usb_linux_v2.6.6.0.20110401.tar.gz:

Thanks
Ron

Hi,

It seems the file was not attached properly. You have to click on the "Manage attachments" button that appears below the writing area after you click on "Post reply". (Then select "browse" and then "upload").

BTW, I think ubuntu repositories don't have the driver for it (I couldn't find it at packages.ubuntu.com), so you will need to compile the driver from source (the .tar.gz file you have).

Regards.

I wonder whether the firmware-realtek Debian package would work? I also wonder why Ubuntu doesn't carry it when it's in the Debian no-free repositories?

I found the ...tar.gz file at /dev/sr0 but access is denied so I couldn't do anything with it.

It's a new Ubuntu install and I'm surprised that I don't have sufficient privilidges as I'm the only user.
So the next dumb question is how do get the root privileges?

Will try to attach the file properly this time.
Thanks for your patience.
Ron

/dev/sr0 is the CD/DVD ROM drive -- is this a live CD/DVD you're using?

The first thing to do is to run lsusb and post the output. We need to know the USB-ID of this device. There may be a simple way to install it or it may be not supported at all.

sr0 is not a live CD, it contains the CD with the adapter drivers on.

Here is the USB listing.

ron@ubuntu:~$ lsusb

Bus 005 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 004 Device 002: ID 15d9:0a4d Dexon
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 001 Device 004: ID 04e8:328e Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd
Bus 001 Device 003: ID 0bda:8172 Realtek Semiconductor Corp.
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub

ron@ubuntu:~$

Regards,
Ron

To unzip and untar the tar.gz file you'll need to copy it off the CD (since the CD is read-only). If you can't access it at all you may need to change the permission the CD is mounted with.

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I've got the file on the desktop so I can work with it now.

However a short while ago, an adapter built into the laptop started to work and I've been able to update the ubuntu installation and download some other apps. Firefox is working to some extent now, so really I don't need the Realtek adapter.
I'll mark this thread as solved and work on sorting out the adapter at my leisure.

Thanks for the help so far and I'll probably need to refer to this thread later.

Ron