WIFI Connection
 

Put MINT 17.1 on USB and booted from it. Trying to establish internet connection???? Do not understand the terms used in the connection window?? (I'm not tech literate!!) HELP!!!

Try Every wifi connection has
1. An ESSID - it's name
2. A passphrase - It's password.

To get it up in linux, you have to put the passphrase through wpa_passphrase which transmogrifies it, and put the resulting string in wpa_supplicant.conf. An example:

Thanks Business Kid,,,but you lost me,,,,have no idea what those terms mean. About all I can do at this point of having LM running from the USB stick is ,,,,get to the terminal. I do know my router SSID 192.168.1.1 ,,,,and the name of the wifi network I'm on. I have a windows computer sitting right next to it that I have a connection on,,(it's the one I using here)

The SSID is the name of your WIFI network which you see when you scan for networks. For instance if you visit a library or a coffee shop which has free WIFI and they tell you their network name is. A made-up example would be "STARBUCKS-FREENET", and that's what is meant by SSID. You have your Windows system attached to some WIFI network? This would be the same name.

Do you have a Mint desktop environment? A graphical desktop, that is?

If so you have a few options to look for WIFI networks and attaching to them. We're also assuming that the WIFI network you do find, if there's a password, that you do know it. Please be aware of these things as you move forwards with this.

For instance if you are at home, have a WIFI network, then you should know the name and the password, if not, check with someone who should be able to tell you, or see if there's a sticker on your router telling you the defaults and try to verify with someone that those defaults are still correct. If you are attaching to another WIFI, public or not, be sure you know the name and whether or not there is a password for that network.

In the Mint desktop, there are main Menu->Preferences choices like "Network" and "Network Connections" which you can use to see and connect to networks. Also on the other corner (usually lower right) of the desktop, there should be network icons to allow you to select a WIFI network and attempt to attach to it. You will be prompted if a password is required, and as said before, you should double check what that password is in advance.

Hi...

If the information above doesn't help, please tell us the wireless adapter you're using. To do this, open a terminal and post the results of this command...

If using a USB adapter, use this command...

Regards...

from terminal I get
Bus 001 Device 003: ID 0781:5598 SanDisk Corp.
Bus 001 Device 002: ID 413c:a005 Dell Computer Corp. Internal 2.0 Hub
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 001 Device 005: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 001 Device 004: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 001 Device 003: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 001 Device 002: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub

Man,,,it looks like Linux might not be for tech dummies like me????

Try the first (lspci) command, I don't see your adapter listed above.

You're not a dummy, besides, you got this far. :)

Regards...

03:00.0 Ethernet controller [0200]: Broadcom Corporation BCM4401-B0 100Base-TX [14e4:170c] (rev 02)
Subsystem: Dell Inspiron 9400 Laptop [1028:01cd]
Kernel driver in use: b44

0c:00.0 Network Controller [0280]: Broadcom Corporation BCM4311 802.11b/g WLAN[14e4:4311] (rev 01)
Subsystem: Dell Wireless 1390 WLAN Mini-Card [1028:0007]
Kernel driver in use: b43-pci-bridge

Would you like to share the terms you don't understand which are displayed in the connection window then everybody can stop guessing and possibly give a useful answer you'll understand?

In which case the answers and suggestions above may prove beyond you when you're looking for a "KISS" answer. ;)

Play Bonny!

:hattip:

Was typing this however noticed an additional post arrived, and have to say that I absolutely agree with Soadyheid.

I feel it would be infinitely easier for you who has noted that you have great difficulty with technical topics, to instead us the desktop connection manager to find and attach to your WIFI network.

Please provide some feedback to Soadyheid's post.

And "very well", thanks to the other commands, we do know you have a Broadcom 802.11b/g adapter.

Yes there are commands you can run using the terminal window, they are more complex than using the User Interface Connection Manager, however ultimately using the Connection Manager will allow the system to save the selected WIFI network and settings so that you do not have to enter commands at each boot, nor will you have to remember and recall those commands should anything go wrong where you need to get it working again.

All that said, please choose your preference.

well Soadyheid,,,,the truth at this point I can't even get back to the "connections window",,,like I said,,this this may very well be beyond my capabilities. However,,,I feel like if I can get on line,,and communicate with the www I can wade through the "shallow" part,,,,if there is a shallow part. Really all I use computer for is browsing, email,,,a little music/video etc.

Please try this https://www.ghacks.net/2015/03/27/ho...-installation/

Hi...

Thank you for posting the results. Since you have a Broadcom adapter, there's a good chance you're missing the firmware. Please open a terminal and copy and paste the following commands and press "Enter" one at a time....

The above is from the instructions here. Let us know how it goes... :)

Regards...

Hi...

I thought of the same article but the OP said he was running Mint live. Will those instructions work on a distribution not installed on the hard drive?

Regards...

Thanks rtmistler,,,that helped to jog my memory as to getting back to connection window. From that window I click "wifi" for connection type,,,then drop down menu for create ask for SSID,,,,??? Mode,,,???? BSSID,,,??? Device MAC Address,,,???? Cloned MAC Address,,,???? MTU,,,,?????

Hi...

Like I said in my previous post, there's a chance you will need to install the firmware for your adapter before being able to log into a network. Also, you shouldn't need to deal with all all you've mentioned. You should be able to just choose the name of your network, enter the password for the network, if it has one, and then you should be good to go. :)

Regards...

ardvark71,,,,tried those commands got results of Could not resolve 'archive.ubuntu.com

Unable to fetch some archives, maybe run apt-getupdate or try with --fix-missing

The second image in that instruction. Do you not see something similar? Do you not have the icon on the lower right of your screen?

ardvark71,,,when you say "adaptor",,,,do you mean the USB stick?,,,,router??? "firmware" for these???

This install attempt will not work because it tries to go online to obtain these files. Since your network is not operating, it will not work.

Hi...

By adapter, I mean the wireless device that's located inside your computer. In your case, Broadcom is the manufacturer of your device. It would most likely help you if spent some time researching these terms using Google.

As far as the inability to download the files, simply connect an ethernet cable from your router/modem to your computer to resolve that, if you have one.

Regards...

yes, I have that window but I do NOT have the list of wireless choices. Nothing between "wired" and Network settings, network connections

Hi...

As I said, you will need the firmware to be able to use your wireless adapter. Please refer back to what I said in post #13. You will need to attach an ethernet cord from your modem/router to your computer to obtain and install this file.

Regards...

I would assume I have the adaptor, since it has been connected using wireless for the past 8-10 years (MS). This is an older laptop that has MS XP on it that I though might be a good candidate for linux,,so,,,yes,,,I would think the adaptor,,,and,,the firmware is in place.

I very much doubt this since you don't seem to have any kind of interent connection in your copy of Mint. The firmware is software not hardware.

Regards...

wouldn't the same firmware that has been running windows all these years be the one that would run linux?

Hi...

No, in this case, the firmware resides in the operating system (Windows XP or Linux Mint, as examples,) not in the chip itself. the code may be close to the same but there would be a firmware file(s) for each different operating system.

I don't want to spend a lot of time explaining the terms, as this is something you can do on your own using Google. ;)

If you have an ethernet cable on hand, please use the instructions I gave you above. If you don't, you will most likely have to go to someone who is knowledgeable in Linux to do this for you. Also, keep in mind that if you continue to run Mint live and not install it to your hard drive, you will need to repeat the same procedure each time you boot into Mint.

Regards...

As I recall it, the firmware in linux is shipped with the kernel and resides in /lib/firmware. I have nearly 150 Megs of stuff for various cards, most of it redundant, as I don't have the hardware installed. If the firmware for your device is there, it should be loaded automatically.

Firmware is software for the cpu in the network card, or whatever the device is. All these cards are inclined to have their own cpu, gpu or dsp. It may include the program and lookup tables, and doing it this way allows a rewrite or patch to be applied to hardware if things change, or a vulnerability has to be patched. Lookup tables can also be updated to use extra channels, or the like. If a nic was hacked to allow root access, you'd be very happy to update the firmware, instead of having to junk the card and buy again. All the more so on laptops, where replacements are much more difficult.

Hi...

I don't believe firmware for Broadcom chips are ever included due to licensing issues.

Regards...

Again, ardvark71, stop misleading people. Firstly, the firmware files are not 'in the kernel'...they reside as files in the file system, and are not typically part of the initrd/kernel. Secondly, the Broadcom drivers have been available for MANY years, freely...they are present on openSUSE, Fedora, CentOS, and probably Mint. This is even covered extensively in the Mint forums. Stop giving out this very dubious 'legal advice' about what's free/not, and potentially frightening off a new user for no reason. From a very small bit of research:
https://wiki.debian.org/wl

...and from that page:
OP, there are instructions for installing the drivers for Mint 17.1 without an internet connection. Find them here:
https://community.linuxmint.com/tutorial/view/692
https://community.linuxmint.com/tutorial/view/796

Since you're finding your way here, you obviously have a working Internet-capable computer, so following these instructions should be easy. Just download that file, copy it to a USB drive, and put it into your Mint system, where you can drag and drop the file to your desktop.

The open source drivers are included, not the proprietary "wl" drivers or the firmware that the "b43" driver needs. I am quite sure you know this.

There's nothing dubious about it and I stand by my statement. If it was legal for the firmware or the proprietary drivers to be included in Linux distributions upon shipment, it would have been. New users need to understand legal issues and requirements that involve Linux.

Reported.

First, stop shouting. Secondly, the WL drivers have ZERO to do with the issue...the issue is "device firmware". The version doesn't matter, so stop trying to split hairs. Your exact words were "I don't believe firmware for Broadcom chips are ever included in the kernel due to licensing issues." Doesn't say wl or anything else. Broadcom themselves has proprietary drivers that are again, 100% legal to use/download.
https://www.broadcom.com/support/dow...Infrastructure

...and ndiswrapper is 100% legal as well:
https://wiki.debian.org/NdisWrapper

Pay close attention: the drivers are free for download, and this includes the firmware in those driver packages. The B43 firmware is free and open source, and included with most versions/distros of Linux, and have been for years. The only way anything could even be a bit illegal, is if someone tried to sell something that included it. Which the OP isn't. Again, as you've been told before, such things fall under the fair use policies of the DMCA. If you haven't read it, refrain from giving out incorrect 'legal advice' until you have.
Wrong again; it is 100% legal for a user to use the proprietary drivers, and has been for quite some time. There are even tools (like b43cutter) explicitly written to utilize this driver. It's not distributed because the vendor doesn't want to do it, since it puts them in the position of maintaining it after, and providing end user support, which they are not prepared to do.
Correct, but you don't understand any of these issues, are not a lawyer, and shouldn't act as one. If they have any doubts, they need to consult someone who does know; based on your posts, it's clear you don't. Stick to the LQ rules about staying on topic. The OP did not ask for legal advice, licensing terms, etc...they asked about getting their device to function. Firmware has been available freely (and legally) for at least 5 years now.

Feel free to report whatever you'd like. You're off topic, and giving bad and misleading advice, and should stop doing so.

I used the b43 module for years for a bcm4312. I have it still running, actually. The wl stuff is a PITA and isn't needed, imho. Any firmware I needed was in the kernel, IIRC. I checked my post, which may have misled. I said firmware was "shipped with" the kernel. Maybe I should have clarified that it wasn't compiled into the kernel, but I thought my comments on firmware's purpose made that clear. I don't think I ever used

the wl stuff was potentially faster than b43, but I never noticed any lack of speed. The bad grace with which wl is supported made me want to run away.

I appreciate ALL these responses and possible solutions and the volume of knowledge that is being presented here. I have to conclude that IF this is the kind of knowledge that is necessary for me to use Linux for my purposes (basically browse, email, pic and some video) then it would certainly not be for me.

TBOne,,,I REALLY appreciate those links for downloading the "firmware, software or whatever" it is,,,another dumb question,,,,instead of putting it on another USB, could I just add it to the USB that already has the LM on it,,,,that way it would be there every time I run LM from the USB

Short answer is "yes".
Longer answer is "yes, with a but...."

Since you're running Mint 'live' from that USB stick, you may have problems getting another Windows system to recognize the format. From there, you'd have to find the right partition (typically / or /home) to store the file. Personally, if I was you and you're running Mint live from a USB stick, I'd not use 17.1 but get the latest version which is 18.1 (18.2 is already in beta, and due to be released soon). Always start out with the latest versions of things, since bugs are fixed and new capabilities are added. This may fix your problem without doing ANYTHING.

Also, don't get hung up on Mint...there are MANY distros out there, such as Fedora, openSUSE, or Ubuntu, which support a great deal of hardware and function the same for the most part. The wifi drivers/firmware for your card are supplied with any of the distros I mentioned above, and have been for some time.

Again TBOne,,,Appreciated VERY much!!! Can I download 18.1 onto (over) the existing 17.2 that is already on the USB? Or do I need a new USB? Where would I find that download?

When moving from one major version to another, it's always best to format and do a clean install/copy. Just nuke the stick you have now to be safe. And you can find the Mint download from the Mint website; first hit in Google for "linux mint":
https://www.linuxmint.com/

OK,,,I cleaned USB, downloaded 18.1 from the link (not sure what the "mirror" list meant???). When I plugged the USB into the other computer message said could not boot from USB. Open the USB and had nothing listed??? On the computer it was downloaded with, it DOES show a list of contents?

Ok, and based on what you posted, there's nothing we can tell you. How did you create the bootable USB stick? With what program? On what kind of system, running what OS? All these things matter.

While you may be new at computers, think about how you would describe a problem/ask a question with something you are familiar with. For example, would you just tell a mechanic, "My car doesn't work, but sometimes it does!" or would you say "I hear this particular noise, when I get above a certain speed and turn left, then my car has trouble starting after that.." This is the same thing. Not meaning it in a nasty way, but just to illustrate a point, especially if you're going to post in forums about a topic which you're new to.

That aside, there are ample guides such as this, which are step-by-step, with pictures:
https://mintguide.org/tools/317-make...inux-mint.html

Putting "how to create a bootable mint 18 usb stick" into Google pulls up this along with many others.

Got it,,,I understand. Actually I created the original USB stick with (I think) UNetbootin,,,,which is why I wound up with 17.2,,,,that was the most recent option it had. Not that I'm trying to create a bootable USB with a later version,,,,I'm lost. I'm thinking I may try to find someone who will make a "stick" for me. I sincerely appreciate all the help,,,Thank you VERY much!!!