Trying to link two Mint Cinnamon 18.2 machines in order to get one of them online through the other.

I have a desktop with an MSI B75MA-P45 motherboard, having NO on-board WiFi capability, equipped with a USB WiFi dongle (based on the RealTek RTL8812bu chip).

Unfortunately, the install disk is pure garbage and useless to anyone but a professional programmer, and an install procedure for a dongle based on that RealteK chip that does not involve extensive programming expertise is hard to come by - impossibe so far....

I did eventually find code which can be used to (I think) get the dongle working - I tried the code on my Dell Inspiron 5567 i7 laptop and it did give me an additional dongle-based WiFi capability, piggy-backed to the existing internal WiFi on that machine.

The problem is that in order to use the code on the MSI desktop, to create the build of the needed WiFi drivers etc, one has to have a preexisting Wifi connection on the machine to download various bits and pieces of code, so "you have to be there to get there".

I took a look at LAN, and 'tethering', but I'm trying to LEARN Mint, so that is all useless right now.

I tried linking with a USB cable, no effect.....

Is there a SIMPLE way to link two Mint machines to accomplish the install?

Some other method?

Driver installation/configuration is not programming, but in any-case some technical knowledge/understanding/effort is still needed of course. Learning can be challenging but has its rewards.

If depends on what you define as simple really. Here's an 'askubuntu' thread that explains how connect an internet-connected PC to another via a wired ethernet connection...
https://askubuntu.com/questions/1694...wired-ethernet
Some time and effort is required. Another possibility might be to engage with a technically minded friend/colleague to help with this.

I have been putting in the time and effort, believe me, a few even consider me "technically oriented'.

thanks for the link to the (we hope) solution.

The RealTek chips have been a PITA for a while now - the network code has been getting quite a few updates for the last couple of years, and the drivers need constant updating. Sometimes every kernel update that comes in.
That being said, 18.2 is pretty old - I'm not sure what kernels will be backported.

RealTek support has been added to the mainline kernel at 5.2, but whether your chip is amongst those supported might be pot-luck. I reckon I might try a (very) current liveCD and see if that can connect.

Thanks syg00.

I have downloaded a Mint 20.0 "Ulyana' iso, and hope to live session/update to that release.

For some reason, on the last download from Giganet, I got a seemingly non-functioning "AMD" iso, which perhaps refers to the CPU?

I have downloaded several ubuntu iso's, and not had the slightest difficulty getting the others to work.

No, AMD64 is a generic name for 64-bit x86 CPUs, both AMD and Intel. AMD developed that hardware first. Did you check the download ?. The mint download page will have the means. Quick look at the release notes states it has a 5.4 kernel, so should be a good test.

always.

thanks .

Check the note re boot freezing here if that's your issue. I picked the Cinnamon notes, but doesn't matter which DE you are using.

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