hello. i'm quite new to linux and i'm already exhausted but windows was slowing down the universe so i guess now at least i'm doing something other than waiting!

I've just put ubuntu onto this compaq r4000

it's got a bcm4306 wireless which is disabled and the button which is rigged to windows on/off wireless isn't responding. after some research i've concluded that the thing to do is get ndiswrapper going with the correct linux driver for my wireless. got most of the way through the ndiswrapper setup, follow the instructions i found here:

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Wi...f#Introduction

but when i got to step 3: configure
and entered the first line there:
sudo ndiswrapper -i bcmwl5.inf

i got:

"couldn't open bcmw15.inf: no such file or directory at /usr/sbin/ndiswrapper-1.9 line 219"

i believe the instructions had me in the /bcm4306 folder
which does exist and i see that the file is indeed there.

continued with the rest of the intructions and they appeared
to go fine. but wireless internet isn't working.
i imagine this is probably a newbie question and most likely
just has to do with somehow pointing to a different folder?..
thanks ahead of time.

you may use ndisgtk (sudo apt-get install ndisgtk)
then installing the driver will be much easier...

thanks manu-tm . k that went fine.

i think i already installed the driver according the the 2g instructions on the page i linked to above.

didn't work. i went to install it again:

wget http://myspamb8.googlepages.com/Driver_3607.zip
unzip Driver_3607.zip

seemed to go fine.

but still no wireless?.
sorry if i'm a fool, so new to this.

I suppose you have the last version of ubuntu ('karmic'.) Normally a lot of the job is now done almost automatically on karmic with ndisgtk and NetworkManager (the link you mentioned refers to older versions of ubuntu like 'feisty'.)
Check the driver (bcmwl5.inf) is listed and enabled in:
system->admin->windows wireless drivers
system->admin->hardware drivers
Then what's the network manager applet saying?

yep i have the 9.10 i think called karmic.
so strange i've tried and read so many hours
but not till you mentioned it did i realize
there's a tab on the menu for 'windows drivers'
goofy.

so the driver was not showing there,
i installed it, it threw 'unable to see if hardware is present'
but shows the driver as installed and even says on the drivers list next to the name of the driver 'hardware present: yes' but everytime i open the dialog it pops up error 'unable to see..

the hardware driver does show, 'broadcom b43 wireless driver'

and the applet still reads null.

thank you

When you used the old instructions, it states to blacklist the native driver. That driver is B43.
When a kernel module is assigned to a device, no other module (ie. ndiswrapper) can be assigned to that device and therefore is not detected by that module.
In root terminal:
lspci -v
should give lines for your Broadcom Network Controller with:
Kernel driver in use: ndiswrapper
Kernel modules: ssb

If the B43 module is in use then it must be removed and ndiswrapper must be restarted (either during boot or through the command line).
-------------------------------------------------
Edit:
I noticed this link to someone using fwcutter in Jaunty, so if B43 module is still assigned, the firmware may work:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php...99&postcount=7

it's working fine and i don't know what i did! i had rebooted and tried but it didn't work but now somehow.. wish i understood what part of what i did worked but i guess it's a gift horse.. thanks to both of you for teaching. much appreciation!