Dell Latitude D630 Laptop install challenge

Hi got online and did as you suggested, I went to Antojose.com and followed the instructions. This is what I got. View attachment 3033
I did a reboot but nothing in the tray appeared.
Then I thought I would go ahead with the last command line a nothing, I even tired the command line with l and 1. Eager to see the next steps.
20180304_133239.jpg
 


Don't use a capital letter for sudo. It's all lowercase.
 
Morning all - also from your picture in #40 Harry, as opposed to Stan's instructions in #39:

Code:
sudo apt-get purge bcmwl-kernel-source

That should be a lowercase "el" not a numeric "one" - bcmwl - or it will not work.

Cheers

Wizard
 
Morning all - also from your picture in #40 Harry, as opposed to Stan's instructions in #39:

Code:
sudo apt-get purge bcmwl-kernel-source

That should be a lowercase "el" not a numeric "one" - bcmwl - or it will not work.

Cheers

Wizard
Repeated the steps, I think I spelled everything correctly, new statements this time. :eek:o_O
20180304_153534.jpg
 
Just a holding post for now, Harry.

You should have "install" without the quotes, between sudo apt-get and firmware-b43-installer. Without the install you have an invalid operation.

But hold off on that, I'll try to get back soon.

Chris
 
I'll let Wizard and the others guide you for now as I must mostly step back and do my work thing (12-hr midnight shifts). It looks like you're on the right track, and I'll follow along as best I can for the next few days, but I won't have much time for contributing. I would still highly recommend that you learn to copy and paste the commands... you can see how it will save you time and trouble when you need to use the command line.

Cheers
 
I'll let Wizard and the others guide you for now as I must mostly step back and do my work thing (12-hr midnight shifts). It looks like you're on the right track, and I'll follow along as best I can for the next few days, but I won't have much time for contributing. I would still highly recommend that you learn to copy and paste the commands... you can see how it will save you time and trouble when you need to use the command line.

Cheers
I can make that work now that i am hard wired to the net.
 
This for Stan @atanere

Stan

Code:
sudo apt-get install linux-firmware-nonfree

... will not work, see

Code:
apt-cache policy linux-firmware-nonfree

... it seems this package was supportive of Ubuntu 14.04 and thus the Linux 17 series (your link mentioned Qiana which was 17.0) but not with Ubuntu 16.04 upon which the 18.3 series the OP is using, is based.

I am looking more into this.

Harry, once you get that command I referenced fixed, you may get further.

Did you succeed in establishing an Ethernet cable connection?

Wizard
 
Ah, I've caught up :rolleyes: back before long.

Wiz
 
OK, so we could do with getting the PCI ID because there are apparently at least two versions with that LP-PHY thingie (don''t you love it when I talk technical?:rolleyes:)

Harry this is similar to the first command you followed from antojose.com but it is this, exactly:

Code:
lspci -vnn | grep 14e4

... that has that "pipe" symbol between vnn and grep, with a space each way. No numbers except for 14 and 4.

You may get an output of either

14e4:4312 BCM4312 b43

or

14e4:4315 BCM4312 b43, wl

Let us know which one.

Cheers

Wizard
 
OK, so we could do with getting the PCI ID because there are apparently at least two versions with that LP-PHY thingie (don''t you love it when I talk technical?:rolleyes:)

Harry this is similar to the first command you followed from antojose.com but it is this, exactly:

Code:
lspci -vnn | grep 14e4

... that has that "pipe" symbol between vnn and grep, with a space each way. No numbers except for 14 and 4.

You may get an output of either

14e4:4312 BCM4312 b43

or

14e4:4315 BCM4312 b43, wl

Let us know which one.

Cheers

Here is what I got. I may not understand the tech thingie talk but I sure love the discovery!! Like christmas in every line. lolScreenshot from 2018-03-04 20-50-16.png
Screenshot from 2018-03-04 20-50-16.png


Wizard
 
Tip: Much of the time you do not need to type commands into the Terminal. Highlight the command written on a web page. Move your cursor anywhere in the Terminal and press your mouse wheel or mouse middle button. Automatic Copy and paste! No spelling mistakes! No Typos! No other errors!

If you only have a mouse with two buttons you can achieve the same by pressing both buttons together
 
Tip: Much of the time you do not need to type commands into the Terminal. Highlight the command written on a web page. Move your cursor anywhere in the Terminal and press your mouse wheel or mouse middle button. Automatic Copy and paste! No spelling mistakes! No Typos! No other errors!

If you only have a mouse with two buttons you can achieve the same by pressing both buttons together
Got it, thanks. :cool:;)
 
OK, so we could do with getting the PCI ID because there are apparently at least two versions with that LP-PHY thingie (don''t you love it when I talk technical?:rolleyes:)

Harry this is similar to the first command you followed from antojose.com but it is this, exactly:

Code:
lspci -vnn | grep 14e4

... that has that "pipe" symbol between vnn and grep, with a space each way. No numbers except for 14 and 4.

You may get an output of either

14e4:4312 BCM4312 b43

or

14e4:4315 BCM4312 b43, wl

Let us know which one.

Cheers

Good Morning Wizardofoz, I do believe that this is what we are looking for!!

0c:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Broadcom Corporation BCM4312 802.11b/g LP-PHY [14e4:4315] (rev 01)

The simple things are sometimes difficult to learn, but boy once you learn them it sure makes things simple!!

Wizard
 
OK, regrets for the delays, and now may not be a good time if northern folk are tired, so we can leave the following until you, in particular, Harry, are bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, if you prefer.

First up, I would like the OP (that's you, Harry) to make the acquaintance of SPM - Synaptic Package Manager - and check for me whether a couple of packages are there or not, and what is their status? If I am not mistaken, Synaptic now ships installed under the Mint 18 dot series, and so you can find it at Menu - Administration - Synaptic, or just go to Menu and start to type Synaptic. You enter the same password as you use in Terminal.

It looks as follows:

5iVD4Vz.png


SCREENSHOT 1 - Synaptic at launch

You can drag and drop the corners and sides, top and bottom to get more viewable space where text spools off the window edge.

For the benefit of The Viewers, if you are using a Debian-based Linux Distro, that is, Debian, Ubuntu, Linux Mint and others, Synaptic will be in your Repositories (which is what Synaptic shows), but if not installed, at Terminal:

Code:
sudo apt-get -y install synaptic

... will do the trick.


TB2lEbU.png


SCREENSHOT 2 - Synaptic's Description of Synaptic

The 1st screenshot looked a little daunting with all the categories. That gets better as we progress. In the 1st shot, my mouse cursor was near Search (magnifying glass), that is where we search from. Forget the Filters for now, learn about them later.

So I have clicked Search and type in "synaptic" without the quotes to see that Synaptic is installed (sounds Irish, I know), then highlighted it by clicking anywhere in the same line, and the bottom pane, which I have expanded, gives a good synopsis or summary of the package.

Don't do this straight away, Harry, but these are the packages I want you to check on:

  1. bcmwl-kernel-source
  2. b43-fwcutter and
  3. firmware-b43-installer
My searches yield the following results, in my 64-bit edition of Linux Mint 18.3 'Sylvia' Cinnamon. I will just group them as Screenshots 3 - 5, and you will see at the left that my Search results are being captured as I go, for this session of Synaptic.

mAHZmaK.png


0pw3HtD.png


WH4zpDT.png


SCREENSHOTS 3 - 5 -Search Results

Now would be a good time for you to perform this for yourself, but first take a look at Synaptic's Menu at top, click Help and then Icon Legend - this will get you used to identifying the status of packages that you have, and/or want to install.

From that legend, we can see that with my 3 searches, on my system -
  • bcmwl-kernel-source is Available, Supported (by Linux Mint and its parent, Ubuntu), but not installed
  • b43-fwcutter, likewise and
  • firmware-b43-installer is Available, Not Supported, and not installed (no idea on that one)
We can talk about Latest Version and Installed Version in another arena.

For now, I would like you to perform your own checks on these 3 packages, and come back to us with your results.

I have to go for now, but I will be back with more.

Cheers

Wizard
 
Good Morning, bright-eyed and bushy- tailed!! Ok, did a few re-reads on the above direction. So hare are the screen shots of the above commands. It appears that none of these files are installed. I was tempted to try and install them. :D:eek:
firmware-b43-installer.png
firmware-b43-installer.png
 

Attachments

  • synaptic.png
    synaptic.png
    135 KB · Views: 806
  • bcmwl-kernel-source.png
    bcmwl-kernel-source.png
    110.1 KB · Views: 831
  • b43-fwcutter.png
    b43-fwcutter.png
    86.3 KB · Views: 690
Hi all, and regrets if you've lost a bit of brightness in your eye and bushiness in your tail :(. Even Wizards have other commitments than Linux (yes, I know that's blasphemous), and last time I made a doppelganger (cloned myself) to get twice as much work done, I got a massive headache and could only drink half as much beer.

When you're fresh, Harry -

I was tempted to try and install them. :D:eek:

... and you could , but the only ones we want are

Code:
b43-fwcutter

and

firmware-b43-installer

... and in all likelihood, just the latter, which is firmware-b43-installer.

b43-fwcutter is for extracting firmware from the Windows driver, and I am not even sure it will work here, but it appears to work for Fedora, openSUSE and Gentoo, and it is in our Repositories for a reason.

GENTLEMEN START YOUR ENGINES

Harry, all you need do for now is install that firmware-b43-installer.

If you choose to do this from SPM (Synaptic), then

1. Call it up as you did for your screenshot.

2. Click the empty box at left of the package, you'll get 5 options, 4 of which are greyed out for an uninstalled package

3. Choose "Mark for installation"

4. Go to your top Menu and where the icon for the cog is click the word "Apply" below it

5. Follow the prompts

When that completes, the formerly empty box will be filled (likely green for Mint), and there will be output for Installed Version.

6. Disconnet your ethernet cable, reboot your computer, and see if you get WiFi.


If you choose to install at Terminal:

1. Type and enter (including your password)

Code:
sudo apt-get -y install firmware-b43-installer

2. Disconnet your ethernet cable, reboot your computer, and see if you get WiFi.


If this works, and survives multiple reboots, then we are as good as gold.

If it only survives one session and then turns its toes up, then we can use a command called modprobe to see if that kickstarts it, and if that does the trick, we can write a command for that which will run at startup to keep doing so.

Let me know how you go.

Cheers

Wizard
 
To the great Wizardofoz, and others that have guided me throughout another successful install of the Linux OS. Eye of newt, horn of toad, a sprinkle of ash from horn of antler, mix in a cauldron, with passion and love!! And poof another lonely, Isolated, Dell Laptop comes to life!! The landfill thanks you!!! On to the next challenge installing a Linksys router to a Satellite to power up another tired old laptop. To be posted in a new thread, see you guys soon!!
 

Members online


Top