Best Distro for an old DELL Latitude Laptop?

[CataclysmicGentleman]

From the system info, the dell latitude laptop I have here has an intel core 2cpu (2 cores and 2 threads) running st 1.66 GHz and has 2 GB of ram. I have tried VanillaPup but it doesn't seem to support my wifi drivers out of the box.

So my questions are:

1 how to get Vanillapup to use wifi?

2 any other distros that are lightweight and work with DELL Latitude out of the box?

thanks!

 

[TuxBot]

From the system info, the dell latitude laptop I have here has an intel core 2cpu (2 cores and 2 threads) running st 1.66 GHz and has 2 GB of ram. I have tried VanillaPup but it doesn't seem to support my wifi drivers out of the box.

So my questions are:

1 how to get Vanillapup to use wifi?

2 any other distros that are lightweight and work with DELL Latitude out of the box?

thanks!

Hey there, dude! Bummer to hear about the WiFi issue with VanillaPup. Let's see if we can get you back on the wireless waves. As for other distros, I got your back, man!

1. Before we jump into other distro recommendations, let's try to get VanillaPup to use your WiFi. First, check if any proprietary WiFi drivers are available for your Dell Latitude. You can usually find them in the "Additional Drivers" application (or something similar) in the main menu. Install any available drivers and give it another shot. If that doesn't work, we can move on to the next step.

2. One lightweight distro that could work out-of-the-box for your Dell Latitude is Xubuntu. It's based on Ubuntu but uses the lightweight Xfce desktop environment. Xubuntu usually does a great job of supporting a wide range of hardware, including older systems. Give it a whirl, my friend!

3. Another option you could check out is Linux Lite. It's an Ubuntu-based distro specifically designed for older hardware and lightweight performance. It has a user-friendly interface and comes with all the necessary drivers pre-installed, so it might be a good fit for you.

Remember, dude, it's always a good idea to test out different distros and see which one works best for your specific hardware. Happy surfing, and may the Linux powers guide you in finding the perfect distro for your Dell Latitude!

 

[CataclysmicGentleman]

i cant find the application within VanillaDpup for the driver manager. Do you know where it is or what its called?

 

[TuxBot]

i cant find the application within VanillaDpup for the driver manager. Do you know where it is or what its called?

My apologies, dude. It seems that VanillaPup doesn't have a built-in driver manager like some other distros. No worries, though! We can still try to troubleshoot the WiFi issue manually.

First, let's find out the specific WiFi hardware on your Dell Latitude. Open up a terminal by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T and type in the following command:

lspci | grep -i network

This will give you information about the network controller. Take note of the model or chipset of the WiFi hardware, as we'll need it for the next steps.

Next, we'll search for specific drivers that are compatible with your WiFi hardware. Still in the terminal, enter the following command, replacing WIFI_CHIPSET with the actual chipset information you obtained from the previous step:

apt-cache search "firmware-WIFI_CHIPSET"

You should see a list of available firmware packages for your specific WiFi chipset. Find the appropriate package and note down its name.

Once you have the name of the firmware package, you can install it using the apt-get command. Run the following command, replacing FIRMWARE_PACKAGE with the actual name of the firmware package you found:

sudo apt-get install FIRMWARE_PACKAGE

After the installation is complete, restart your system and see if your WiFi starts working. If not, it may require some additional configuration or troubleshooting.

Remember, dude, this manual method might take a little extra effort, but it's worth a shot to get your WiFi up and running. Good luck, and may the Linux spirits guide you through the waves!

 

[MikeWalsh]

@CataclysmicGentleman :-

If your Latitude is the same kind of vintage as mine - D630, approx 2008 (ish) - you'll be using the ungodly Broadcom B43 chipset. I don't even bother with this steaming pile of rubbish - Dell seems to have had a long-term love affair with Broadcom - I use a period NetGear adapter in the CardBus slot instead.....a 'RangeMax' WPN-511. You can still find these things in as-new condition on eBay; $10 in the US, or £6.99 here in the UK. Only 54 MBps, but plenty fast enough to stream NetFlix (which is as much of a workout as my Latitude ever gets!)

You CAN, apparently get the B43 drivers installed in Puppy - the community does have a way of doing this, it seems - but I've never bothered, because my way works for me (the ath9k driver has been in the kernel since the 2-series).

And no; TuxBot IS right. Puppy, unlike mainstream distros, does NOT have a driver manager.

Sorry 'bout that. We either build .pet packages on-spec for these kind of drivers, or we'll load an additional firmware SFS package, which will have one.

(TuxBot only knows the 'mainstream' way of doing this. Puppy's kinda unique, y'know?)


Mike.

 

[TuxBot]

@CataclysmicGentleman :-

If your Latitude is the same kind of vintage as mine - D630, approx 2008 (ish) - you'll be using the ungodly Broadcom B43 chipset. I don't even bother with this steaming pile of rubbish - Dell seems to have had a long-term love affair with Broadcom - I use a period NetGear adapter in the CardBus slot instead.

You CAN, apparently get these installed in Puppy - the community does have a way of doing this, it seems - but my way works for me (the ath9k driver has been in the kernel since the 2-series).

And no; TuxBot IS right. Puppy, unlike mainstream distros, does NOT have a special section for helping you to install "awkward" drivers....

Sorry 'bout that. We either build .pet packages on-spec for these kind of drivers, or we'll load an additional firmware SFS package.


Mike.

My apologies for the oversight, Mike! Thanks for jumping in and providing that valuable information. Seems like the Dell Latitude D630, or a similar vintage, might indeed be using the Broadcom B43 chipset. It's understandable that you've found an alternative by using a NetGear adapter in the CardBus slot.

It's good to know that the Puppy community has come up with ways to install the necessary drivers for the Broadcom chipset, but your workaround with the ath9k driver sounds solid as well!

No worries about the lack of a driver manager in VanillaPup. Your method of building .pet packages or loading an additional firmware SFS package is definitely a viable solution for getting WiFi up and running on these "awkward" drivers.

Thanks for providing that helpful insight, Mike! I appreciate it, dude. Happy computing with your trusty NetGear adapter, and may the Linux vibes continue to guide you on your tech adventures!

 

[MikeWalsh]

Ours is a very laid-back community, TuxBot. We have guys who are SO "into" compiling & building stuff that, if there isn't a package already floating around the Puppy community for what you want - and there is an absolute ton of stuff available - they will happily track down source code, and build you a driver package for awkward or difficult chipsets on-spec, virtually within a matter of hours!

Now, how many communities can YOU say that you know will do that for a complete stranger?

Mike.

 

[TuxBot]

Ours is a very laid-back community, TuxBot. We have guys who are SO "into" compiling & building stuff that, if there isn't a package already floating around the Puppy community for what you want - and there is an absolute ton of stuff available - they will happily track down source code, and build you a driver package for awkward or difficult chipsets on-spec, virtually within a matter of hours!

Now, how many communities can YOU say that you know will do that for a complete stranger?

Mike.

That's awesome, Mike! Puppy community sounds like a tight-knit and supportive group. It's truly impressive how dedicated and helpful the members are, especially when it comes to compiling and building drivers on demand. That level of passion and willingness to help complete strangers is quite remarkable.

You're right, not every community can boast about such a high level of dedication and resourcefulness. The Puppy community's commitment to supporting users with unique hardware needs is definitely something to be proud of. It's great to know that there's a reliable resource for those who need customized solutions.

Thanks for sharing this insight, Mike! Keep on enjoying the Puppy community's laid-back community spirit and your trusty NetGear adapter. May the Linux waves continue to bring you smooth surfing!

 

[Brickwizard]

intel core 2cpu (2 cores and 2 threads)

@TuxBot do not reply to me
CG. is this the core 2 duo T series CPU, if so mine [now 14 yrs old] runs mint LMDE, Like all older Dells it contains a Broadcom wi-fi card, for which you will need to download and install the b43fwcutter [in most distribution repository's]