WiFi worked when run Xubuntu off CD but stopped after installation

pegasus.w · 07-25-2008, 05:48 PM

I'm a Mac/Windows user and am trying out Linux for the very first time.

I first tried out Xubuntu by running Xubuntu directly off the CD-ROM, it worked beautifully. It recognized all the hardware configuration and connected to my WiFi network without any problem. I was excited and installed Xubuntu directly.

However after Xubuntu was installed, Wifi stopped working. It's not even showing the list of access points available.

Is there a difference between running Xubuntu off the CD-ROM vs the actual install?

Help.

Thanks in advance.

stress_junkie · 07-25-2008, 06:27 PM

Unfortunately this is not unusual. The good news is that you can boot the live CD to see what is required to make the wireless work. Try this. Boot the live CD. Open a terminal window. Mount the Xubuntu partition. Enter the lsmod command to see what modules are loaded. Pipe the output to a text file on the Xubuntu partition. Let's say that /dev/hda1 is the Xubuntu partition.

Code:

sudo -i
mkdir /mnt/hda1
mount /dev/hda1 /mnt/hda1
lsmod > /mnt/hda1/lsmod-live.txt
umount /mnt/hda1

Then boot the installed Xubuntu. List the modules that are loaded and compare that to the ones that were loaded when the live CD was running.

Code:

sudo -i
lsmod > /lsmod-installed.txt
diff /lsmod-live.txt /lsmod-installed.txt
sdiff /lsmod-live.txt /lsmod-installed.txt

Hopefully you will be able to see what is missing. If not then post both lsmod files here.

pegasus.w · 07-28-2008, 04:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stress_junkie

Unfortunately this is not unusual. The good news is that you can boot the live CD to see what is required to make the wireless work. Try this. Boot the live CD. Open a terminal window. Mount the Xubuntu partition. Enter the lsmod command to see what modules are loaded. Pipe the output to a text file on the Xubuntu partition. Let's say that /dev/hda1 is the Xubuntu partition.

Code:

sudo -i
mkdir /mnt/hda1
mount /dev/hda1 /mnt/hda1
lsmod > /mnt/hda1/lsmod-live.txt
umount /mnt/hda1

Then boot the installed Xubuntu. List the modules that are loaded and compare that to the ones that were loaded when the live CD was running.

Code:

sudo -i
lsmod > /lsmod-installed.txt
diff /lsmod-live.txt /lsmod-installed.txt
sdiff /lsmod-live.txt /lsmod-installed.txt

Hopefully you will be able to see what is missing. If not then post both lsmod files here.

Thanks for getting back to me. Will try it out and try to decipher the difference.

pegasus.w · 07-28-2008, 04:11 AM

I must be sounding really stupid. How can I find out the name of my Xubuntu partition?

pegasus.w · 07-28-2008, 04:12 AM

This is what I know:

1. I have only one partition.
2. This is the partition I used to install Xubuntu.

I will try out hda1 and see if it works.

pegasus.w · 07-28-2008, 04:18 AM

This is very strange. I just booted using Live CD and this time the WiFi didn't work either.

linuxlover.chaitanya · 07-28-2008, 04:26 AM

which version of Xubuntu did you use?
After installation did you try to find out if your wlan card was detected and that the required driver was installed?

pegasus.w · 07-28-2008, 05:34 AM

I'm using the latest version which is 8.04.1.

The first time I booted it up using Live CD, it worked beautifully. But after the permanent install, WiFi stopped working. I think it still detected the Wifi card, as the "Wifi" icon did appear on the upper right hand corner of the screen. However it was not able to detect any of the access points around.

linuxlover.chaitanya · 07-28-2008, 06:28 AM

If it detected the card then may be it is not properly configured.
Is the IP configuration according to your network?

IndyGunFreak · 07-28-2008, 07:47 AM

Well, no matter what it done on the Live CD, it doesn't work now, so lets trouble shoot it..

Assuming this wireless device is "internal" open a terminal and run "lspci" no quotes, and see how it identifies your wireless device. Should look something like this...

Code:

06:00.0 Ethernet controller: Atheros Communications Inc. AR242x 802.11abg Wireless PCI Express Adapter (rev 01)

if its a USB device, I *believe* "lsusb" will identify it. Once the device is known, we should be able to get it working somehow...

IGF

pegasus.w · 07-31-2008, 04:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by linuxlover.chaitanya

If it detected the card then may be it is not properly configured.
Is the IP configuration according to your network?

My network is a very simple setup. WiFi with DHCP. No WEP security either.

pegasus.w · 07-31-2008, 04:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IndyGunFreak

Well, no matter what it done on the Live CD, it doesn't work now, so lets trouble shoot it..

Assuming this wireless device is "internal" open a terminal and run "lspci" no quotes, and see how it identifies your wireless device. Should look something like this...

Code:

06:00.0 Ethernet controller: Atheros Communications Inc. AR242x 802.11abg Wireless PCI Express Adapter (rev 01)

if its a USB device, I *believe* "lsusb" will identify it. Once the device is known, we should be able to get it working somehow...

IGF

It's a PCMCIA card, so lspci didn't work. Is there a different command to look at my PCMCIA?

linuxlover.chaitanya · 07-31-2008, 05:33 AM

This command should work for you "lspcmcia" ( without quotes obviously )

pegasus.w · 07-31-2008, 06:14 AM

This is what was returned when I used lspcmcia:

Socket 0 Bridge: [yenta_cardbus] (bus ID: 0000:00:02.0)
Socket 1 Bridge: [yenta_cardbus] (bus ID: 0000:00:02.1)
Socket 1 Device 0: [orinoco_cs] (bus ID: 1.0)

Does this give you an idea on which chipset is inside my PCMCIA WiFi card?

linuxlover.chaitanya · 07-31-2008, 06:26 AM

From the last line I believe it is orinoco chipset by Proxim. But you better check it as I do not use PCMCIA cards.