ubernewbie needs driver
 

I have converted my old dell latitude D600 to Mint7 - I LOVE IT! Problem: i have no direct web connect to this laptop. It has a BCM4309KFB chipset. I have also my primary Dell Inspiron 1525,running XP Pro connected by local wireless to the web. I have tried to download a pure driver for the D600 with no success. Best advice I have so far found was the Dell R140745 executable, but Mint says that it can't find the zipfile directory in it. I am very excited about this new world and would very much appreciate the help. Cheers.

so you want a WLAN driver?, please post the result of command lspci

cant find a command line.

what linux distro(like redhat, fedora etc) are you using? try pressing alt+f2, then type terminal

network controller: Broadcom BCM4309 802.11a/b/g (rev 3)

You will probably need the Broadcom binary driver for that wireless card. It is called 'wl'. I don't use Mint so I don't know how to insure that it is installed and loaded.

Then open a terminal (it'll be in your menus somewhere) or Alt-F2 and run xterm That's where you type commands.
That should work with the bcm43xx module.
Is it loaded? Find out with
lsmod | grep bcm

If it is not listed, load it:
sudo modprobe bcm43xx

Now see if your chipset is detected:
ifconfig
You should see your wireless interface listed.

[Edit:] also, please see here: http://linuxwireless.org/en/users/Drivers/b43 because it looks as though b43xx has been replaced by b43
[/Edit]

install broadcom-wl driver; search for broadcom in the package manager or try: yum install broadcom-wl

thanks J:
package manager is calling for a download from ubuntu of an b43-fwcutter, but since my Mint Lap is offline until i inject the driver, i am going to try to dw the package on this one and burn a copy for transfer. Appreciate your assist - it sure ain't as easy as when i was abusing 286's in the 90's. Cheers!

you shouldn't download it through another system's Package Manager. If you are downloading from another machine download the installation file:

http://packman.links2linux.org/package/broadcom-wl

Right your are - the other way failed. However, the link you suggested names only models BCM4311 and higher. Mine is a BCM4309. The beat goes on!

broadcom-wl driver is reported to work with some other bcm43xx's. so try it

One thing after another! that file is a .ymp - windows doesn't like it and all the programs out there want me to trade my mother for a fix. No way Hector!

There'll be a package manager application, refresh the package list and search for 'broadcom'. you'd find broadcom-wl. If you're unable to find one please let us know

no - package manager only shows the B43 fwcutter installed

Try this tutorial:

http://mintguides.blogspot.com/2008/...s-working.html