I’m a senior and have minimal knowledge of computers (so please talk to me like a 3rd grader). I’ve been using Windows 7 for a few years and want to switch to Linux Mint. I managed to download a portable copy of Cinnamon 19.3 onto a 128GB USB using Rufus. At least temporarily, I want to use it on the USB and keep Windows 7 on the hard drive for emergencies. Unfortunately, I can’t get on the internet with LM yet. I have an eMachines PC but only have access to wifi now and use a Netgear internet adapter (A6100). It works fine for Windows but not LM. Is there a way I can download the driver I need (rtl8812au) for Linux on Win7 and transfer it to Linux Mint Cinnamon 19.3? Please don’t get overly technical. I just learned what a terminal window is! Thanks so much in advance.

Welcome to LinuxQuestions.org. This "how to" should work equally well for Mint 19.3...
http://ubuntuhandbook.org/index.php/...0-kernel-5-13/

Is there any way that you can get to a wired ethernet connection to get the internet connectivity you need?

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Thank you for replying, and for the link. Yes, I think so. I have an LM-bootable usb that I can put into someone else's computer to download the driver. Thanks!

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There's a bit more involved than just downloading the driver though.

This command is used to install the git, build environment and dkms (Dynamic Kernel Module Support) packages....
They might require other dependencies that will get pulled in at the same time. In other words, best done on the target machine itself.

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Thanks for the warning. I found someone who uses an ethernet cable to connect and plan to use my bootable usb with "persistence" to do the install tomorrow, so hopefully I can use the same usb on my own pc later. Thanks for following up with me. It's much appreciated. I'm thinking I have about a 50% chance of success, but I tend to be overly optimistic about my computer endeavors.

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