Linux - NewbieThis Linux forum is for members that are new to Linux.
Just starting out and have a question?
If it is not in the man pages or the how-to's this is the place!
Notices
Welcome to LinuxQuestions.org, a friendly and active Linux Community.
You are currently viewing LQ as a guest. By joining our community you will have the ability to post topics, receive our newsletter, use the advanced search, subscribe to threads and access many other special features. Registration is quick, simple and absolutely free. Join our community today!
Note that registered members see fewer ads, and ContentLink is completely disabled once you log in.
If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us. If you need to reset your password, click here.
Having a problem logging in? Please visit this page to clear all LQ-related cookies.
Get a virtual cloud desktop with the Linux distro that you want in less than five minutes with Shells! With over 10 pre-installed distros to choose from, the worry-free installation life is here! Whether you are a digital nomad or just looking for flexibility, Shells can put your Linux machine on the device that you want to use.
Exclusive for LQ members, get up to 45% off per month. Click here for more info.
Recently installed MX on this old laptop and everything seems okay. When I connect the Ethernet port to the router with a cable, instantly I get a popup telling me I'm connected, and the Internet works fine. Wi-fi is another story. Nothing I've tried lets me tune in on my router (or any of the 30+ others in the area). I heard something about incompatibility between Linux drivers and Dell hardware; could that be the problem? I'm no genius so let's take it slow and easy. Thanks.
The command lspci issued in a terminal should provide that information. You may have to issue the command as root.
As an aside, the Dells I've had (I've had several Inspirons over the years) all had Broadcom chipsets, when can be gotten to work in Linux. It just usually takes a couple of extra steps.
that adapter would seem to have a linux driver. can you run inxi -n and iwconfig (as root [not sure if mx uses sudo or su] - looks like it is probably sudo) to get some more info about the state of your adapter.
Last edited by cordx; 06-04-2020 at 01:10 AM.
Reason: to sort of clarify
that adapter would seem to have a linux driver. can you run inxi -n and iwconfig (as root [not sure if mx uses sudo or su] - looks like it is probably sudo) to get some more info about the state of your adapter.
From inxi it shows that the driver for the wireless adapter is ath5k. It also says IF: wlan0 and state: down.
For iwconfig it shows a lot of stuff for wlan0; I'm not sure what's relevant.
unblock index|type
Enable the device corresponding to the given index. If the device is hard-blocked, e.g. via a hardware switch, it will remain unavailable though it is now soft-unblocked.
is it possible there is a switch in the off position?
Last edited by cordx; 06-04-2020 at 08:06 PM.
Reason: to quote
is it possible there is a switch in the off position?
The only switch I can think of that is relevant is the wi-fi switch on the router, but it is definitely on. My tablet connects to it wirelessly no problem.
Can't find any hardware switches on the laptop. Would it help to log into the router and tweak something? (I know about as much about networks as I do about Linux.) Or must we assume at this point that there's a hardware problem inside the laptop? (Oh, horrors!)
Yes, according to rfkill there is a wifi switch on the laptop and it is set to "off". Therefore it cannot initiate wireless. Do you have one of the FN-key combos on that to kill wifi, if so, try that.
this page suggests there is possibly a function key and this image makes it look like it is f11.
Yes, that's how my keyboard looks also. Looks like I missed the obvious--except that that doesn't work either. In fact, many of the blue functions on certain keys don't do anything or don't do what they say. Only the blue brightness and volume control keys work, and a few of the other blue ones work in Libre Office, like the slash and asterisk. Is there possibly a Linux driver needed to make those keys work?
LinuxQuestions.org is looking for people interested in writing
Editorials, Articles, Reviews, and more. If you'd like to contribute
content, let us know.