Linux drivers for an old laptop?
 

I got a laptop and installed Debian on it, but things are not working very well:

- I chose Brazilian keyboard on the installer, but Debian ignored it and made it US. That didn't happen on my desktop or even another old laptop I have here.

- Wireless networking is not working. I need drivers for it. This is the most urgent problem!

- The touchpad doesn't work so well. I can move the pointer and the buttons work, but I can't click by tapping.

Ethernet and SD card reader work fine. I haven't tested sound, webcam and external VGA.

HP provides drivers for this notebook, but they're all for SuSE and I'd really rather keep using Debian. What are my chances?

# lspci
00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation 2nd Generation Core Processor Family DRAM Controller (rev 09)
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation 2nd Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 09)
00:14.0 USB controller: Intel Corporation 7 Series/C210 Series Chipset Family USB xHCI Host Controller (rev 04)
00:16.0 Communication controller: Intel Corporation 7 Series/C216 Chipset Family MEI Controller #1 (rev 04)
00:16.3 Serial controller: Intel Corporation 7 Series/C210 Series Chipset Family KT Controller (rev 04)
00:19.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corporation 82579LM Gigabit Network Connection (rev 04)
00:1a.0 USB controller: Intel Corporation 7 Series/C216 Chipset Family USB Enhanced Host Controller #2 (rev 04)
00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 7 Series/C216 Chipset Family High Definition Audio Controller (rev 04)
00:1c.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 7 Series/C216 Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port 1 (rev c4)
00:1c.1 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 7 Series/C210 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port 2 (rev c4)
00:1c.2 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 7 Series/C210 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port 3 (rev c4)
00:1c.3 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 7 Series/C216 Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port 4 (rev c4)
00:1d.0 USB controller: Intel Corporation 7 Series/C216 Chipset Family USB Enhanced Host Controller #1 (rev 04)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation QM77 Express Chipset LPC Controller (rev 04)
00:1f.2 SATA controller: Intel Corporation 7 Series Chipset Family 6-port SATA Controller [AHCI mode] (rev 04)
23:00.0 System peripheral: JMicron Technology Corp. SD/MMC Host Controller (rev 30)
23:00.2 SD Host controller: JMicron Technology Corp. Standard SD Host Controller (rev 30)
24:00.0 Network controller: Intel Corporation Centrino Advanced-N 6205 [Taylor Peak] (rev 34)

# lsusb
Bus 002 Device 003: ID 03f0:231d Hewlett-Packard Broadcom 2070 Bluetooth Combo
Bus 002 Device 002: ID 8087:0024 Intel Corp. Integrated Rate Matching Hub
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 001 Device 004: ID 03f0:3d1d Hewlett-Packard
Bus 001 Device 003: ID 04f2:b2ef Chicony Electronics Co., Ltd
Bus 001 Device 002: ID 8087:0024 Intel Corp. Integrated Rate Matching Hub
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub

Run in terminal to see usb drivers being loaded.
Run in terminal to show kernel you are using.
Run in terminal to show debian version being installed.

Run To show wireless chip info.

Edit. Forgot to mention. You can use this site

https://wikidevi.com/wiki/Main_Page

and this site also

https://kmuto.jp/debian/hcl/


to dfo your own research on what is missing or needs to be done using debian also.
I see Isaac Kuo checking out this thread. I'll leave the rest to him.

# lsusb -t
/: Bus 04.Port 1: Dev 1, Class=root_hub, Driver=xhci_hcd/4p, 5000M
/: Bus 03.Port 1: Dev 1, Class=root_hub, Driver=xhci_hcd/4p, 480M
/: Bus 02.Port 1: Dev 1, Class=root_hub, Driver=ehci-pci/3p, 480M
|__ Port 1: Dev 2, If 0, Class=Hub, Driver=hub/8p, 480M
|__ Port 6: Dev 3, If 0, Class=Wireless, Driver=btusb, 12M
|__ Port 6: Dev 3, If 1, Class=Wireless, Driver=btusb, 12M
|__ Port 6: Dev 3, If 2, Class=Vendor Specific Class, Driver=, 12M
|__ Port 6: Dev 3, If 3, Class=Application Specific Interface, Driver=, 12M
/: Bus 01.Port 1: Dev 1, Class=root_hub, Driver=ehci-pci/3p, 480M
|__ Port 1: Dev 2, If 0, Class=Hub, Driver=hub/6p, 480M
|__ Port 3: Dev 3, If 0, Class=Video, Driver=uvcvideo, 480M
|__ Port 3: Dev 3, If 1, Class=Video, Driver=uvcvideo, 480M
|__ Port 5: Dev 4, If 0, Class=Communications, Driver=, 480M
|__ Port 5: Dev 4, If 1, Class=Communications, Driver=cdc_acm, 480M
|__ Port 5: Dev 4, If 2, Class=CDC Data, Driver=cdc_acm, 480M
|__ Port 5: Dev 4, If 3, Class=Communications, Driver=cdc_acm, 480M
|__ Port 5: Dev 4, If 4, Class=CDC Data, Driver=cdc_acm, 480M
|__ Port 5: Dev 4, If 5, Class=Communications, Driver=cdc_wdm, 480M
|__ Port 5: Dev 4, If 6, Class=Communications, Driver=cdc_ncm, 480M
|__ Port 5: Dev 4, If 7, Class=CDC Data, Driver=cdc_ncm, 480M
|__ Port 5: Dev 4, If 8, Class=Communications, Driver=cdc_wdm, 480M
|__ Port 5: Dev 4, If 9, Class=Communications, Driver=cdc_acm, 480M
|__ Port 5: Dev 4, If 10, Class=CDC Data, Driver=cdc_acm, 480M

# uname -a
Linux ldn2 4.9.0-3-amd64 #1 SMP Debian 4.9.30-2+deb9u5 (2017-09-19) x86_64 GNU/Linux

# lsb_release -a
No LSB modules are available.
Distributor ID: Debian
Description: Debian GNU/Linux 9.2 (stretch)
Release: 9.2
Codename: stretch

# lspci -vnn | grep -i net
00:19.0 Ethernet controller [0200]: Intel Corporation 82579LM Gigabit Network Connection [8086:1502] (rev 04)
Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company 82579LM Gigabit Network Connection [103c:17df]
24:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Intel Corporation Centrino Advanced-N 6205 [Taylor Peak] [8086:0082] (rev 34)

Info on your wireless from debian
https://wiki.debian.org/iwlwifi

Start here

You need the firmware probably.

I followed all those instructions and it seems I have wifi:

# iwconfig
enp0s25 no wireless extensions.

enp0s26u1u5i6 no wireless extensions.

lo no wireless extensions.

wlo1 IEEE 802.11 ESSID:off/any
Mode:Managed Access Point: Not-Associated Tx-Power=0 dBm
Retry short limit:7 RTS thr:off Fragment thr:off
Encryption key:off
Power Management:off

But wicd still can't see any access point. I have rebooted.

Did you go into WICD's config and tell it to manage the wlo1 interface, and make sure that the interface was commented out or not listed at all in /etc/network/interfaces?

Oops. :redface:
Just did. It works! Thanks.

Now, on to the keyboard and touchpad and sound and other challenges...

EDIT: keyboard is fixed.

Mark this thread as solved. Tackle problems with new issues 1 at a time with good titles and info provided in new threads.

The Kmuto link I provided is a good link to gather info and there is a laptop table in the left sidebar that covers certain gear.

I would, but I still have to fix sound and the touchpad. For sound, there is a pretty good chance that I can fix it myself. About the touchpad, I don't even know where to start. I just know it can be done because it worked very nicely (another laptop) on Puppy Linux five years ago, when I used it.

Also, the job I did on the keyboard could be better. I will be running setxkbmap on every startup and that's good enough, but I still have to type my encryption password at boot and be careful not to type it wrong because the layout is messed up. Why did Debian fail to configure the keyboard correctly like it did with my desktop and another laptop I set up recently?