$ sudo apt-get install apt-file
$ sudo apt-file update
$ apt-file find ip2x00

It's probably bundled in firmware-linux-nonfree or other package. Otherwise you can git the firmware from kernel.org and manually place it (/lib/firmware/*).

$ apt-file find ipw2200-bss.fw

might prove more usefull, since it's the actual "file". Actually it's firmware-ipw2x00 in debian stretch. Which is what you're trying.

My sources.list

Change stretch to jessie I suppose in your case.

As far as the sound, there's more than one soundcard on modern systems. Even on older systems since win-modems often were or tied into a soundcard.

$ cat /proc/asound/cards

If you don't set your index # through /etc/modprobe.d/ means those can change between boots. Which can be a problem if 0 isn't the card you intend to use (0 is default).

$ alsamixer -c 1
$ speaker-test -c 2 -l 1 -D hw:1

If you're not doing anything fancy like pulseaudio you can set a default soundcard in the .asoundrc.

YMMV. If you are using pulse then " -D pulse " or leave it off entirely (might need to rm/mv the .asoundrc). With pavucontrol to "select" your soundcard, implying gui, mouse, and other ugh things relative to an appliance.

Hi. I tried the commands you suggested for ipw2200, and now I have found ipw2200-bss.fw
I then added all the sources in your source.list (kept it as "stretch" as my debian version is the latest (9.1)), and did the "apt-get install firmware-ipw2x00 wireless-tools", and rebooted, and the error message went away! Thanks for that!

Now here's the shocker... I now have sound!!!! (I can now use the laptop for its intended purpose!!!)

I don't think the sound issue was related to the ipw2200 stuff as that's only dealing with wireless (from what I googled). I didn't need to do anything with my sound card configuration after I installed Debian, but interestingly, the only way I got sound coming out was if I changed the port from "Headphones/ Amplifier" to just "Headphones/ No Amplifier". (see photos of before and after) (Note, I have nothing plugged into the headphone jack yet. But sound now comes out of the laptop speakers). Anyway, I should now just enjoy it and not think about it anymore. But I now have a million questions!:

1) Regarding the ipw2200 stuff, I just downloaded debian 9.1 today. Why is ipw2200 not included with the Debian install package? Is this a driver only for old laptops?

2) Why on earth did Debian linux work for my laptop sound, when Mint, Lubuntu, and AntiX all did not??? They are all based from Debian! -if they didn't work, Debian shouldn't have worked either?

3) Not that I want to do this as an extra project, but now that we know Debian does work for sound on my laptop, would it be easy to configure Mint, Lubuntu, or AntiX so that they too could produce sound on my laptop?

4) I actually find the GUI of AntiX and Lubuntu nicer than Debian, but I'll gladly stick to Debian as it's the only one giving me sound. I am new to Debian (and linux really), but if I did try and install or switch to a new desktop environment, is that easy to do? Will that slow things down noticeably? Or should I just leave it as is?

5) There's a few things I would like to make "more prettier" in Debian. For example, the terminal window, as root, does not change color. It's nice to see the text change to red if I am root, as it does in other distros. Another thing is when I login, I don't want the login screen to ask for my password each time. There seems to be an option in the "Users Settings", to "Don't ask for password on login", but it's always grayed out. Anyway, these are just minor inconveniences that I could live with if I have to.

A big thanks to everyone who helped me with this issue!
Will
linux ninja-in-training

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My guess is that sound would have worked on those other distributions, if you only had fiddled with whatever the heck settings that pulseaudio sound mixer GUI had exposed to you with that drop down. That's the sort of weird not-right setting change that I was talking about, to get things working as desired.

I don't know deeply why the "wrong" settings are required to get sound to work on some older computers. I just know that fiddling with weird "wrong" settings is how I have gotten sound to work as I desired on some older computers. So my reaction when sound isn't working is to not panic and fiddle with settings because that's what has worked for me in the past.

To get XFCE4 looking nicer, it's good to install xfwm4-themes with:

My personal preference is the Windows Manager theme "tgc". Its one of the more compact ones and I like the look. I also put everything into a single Panel. On widescreen displays, I like to put the Panel in "vertical mode" against the left edge. I love how XFCE4 rotates the taskbar text labels on vertical panels - very space efficient, but retaining the text labels.

As for installing new desktop environments - it's easy in Debian (as well as AntiX and other Debian based distributions). For example, if you want to install LXDE as in Lubuntu, use:

If you're not sure what package name to use, use

In the login, you can choose what desktop environment or window manager to use.

For logging in automatically without entering your password...I'm a bit confused. You mention "User Settings", which makes it sound like you installed the default GNOME3 desktop environment, but your screenshots are clearly XFCE4. This means that maybe you installed both the GNOME3 and XFCE4 tasks on initial install.

Which is fine, but it means it's ambiguous whether you're using GDM or LightDM for the login manager. Also, there will be menu options for both the GNOME settings and the XFCE4 settings - this can be confusing, since most (but not all!) of these settings will only apply to programs specific to that desktop environment.

If GDM3 is the active login manager, you go to GNOME's "User Settings", and you have to unlock editing them with a button somewhere. I forget exactly where, but it'll prompt you for the root password to unlock it.

If LightDM is the active login manager, I don't think there's a GUI interface to enable auto-login user. What I do is edit /etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf and go down to the [Seat:*] settings; change things to this:

There may be some easier way to do this, this is just how I'm used to doing it.

The index numbering of sound cards can CHANGE between boots. My guess is that you got lucky and the soundcard that you wanted got index 0 (this boot). Or you installed something that was missing like pulseaudio. Modern browsers now require pulseaudio to have sound in browser. Or other less traveled routes like libapulse etc...

Thanks Isaac - I followed your changes to get the auto-login working, and it did. I also installed the lxde desktop, and it suits me fine. Also, you're right about me installing Gnome3 and XFCE4 at the same time. During installation, I remember clicking on a few, just so I would have a choice. It probably would be better to install one to start with, and after everything is working, do an apt-get install to tryout other desktops.

With regards to sound cards changing between boots, that's pretty scary. That means one day your sound suddenly stops working!

Thanks again for helping me resolve these issues.
Will

There are index numbers and names. You don't have to use the index numbers (but index 0 is default without customization). And you could hardcode the numbers with some /etc/modprobe.d/ .conf trickery. But if you use the names and don't have dupes it'll keep working. Pulseaudio probably uses the names by default and most times is unaffected when the indexes change.

$ cat /proc/asound/cards
Where 0 and 1 is the index numbers and HDMI and Generic are the names. Since there's no dupes in my case the index could change but the names will be the names.

$ speaker-test -c 2 -l 1 -D hw:Generic,0

Instead of -D hw:1,0 for the device. It's not really anything to be scared of, just be aware of it. In case things don't work for you at the next boot, you'll have a hint as to why.

You're welcome! I personally have not had any issues with sound cards changing between boots, but I only have a couple computers with HDMI output. I don't think it will be an issue on an old laptop from well before HDMI even existed.