Re: Linux Q4os 64 Bits
Raingarda Krzynowek
Fairly new to Linux, and trying to revive some older hardware for donations. Up until now, I've been reviving older and RAM-restricted computers by installing Ubuntu-based Lubuntu, Linux Lite and LXLE. In those distros, wireless drivers, sound, video and webcam drivers are automatically identified and loaded in the first install process.
What sets Debian-Q4OS apart is how fast and light it is (I am using a machine with less than one gig of RAM to write this post) and how excellently and easily it can be made to look like Windows (e.g. XPQ4, or FreeXP). The trade-off, especially for one not terribly familiar with Terminal command strings and "compiling" Debian drivers, is the difficulty in locating and installing device drivers.
ADDENDUM: looking for a lightweight and easily-installed File Manager like Linux Dolphin, or one that behaves similar to Windows XP File Manager, but for Debian in 32-bit, but with a very small footprint.
The Linksys card *should* be a Broadcom b43 in which case you can install the drivers direct via synaptic
You'll need b43-fwcutter and firmware-b43-installer and possibly firmware-b43legacy-installer followed by a reboot.
You may need to fiddle with /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf as the b43 is normally blacklisted in there but try it first. I have found that sometimes you need to manually run sudo modprobe -r b43 then sudo modprobe b43 in order to get it all to light up. I that case it is probably blacklist.conf that needs a tweak but see what happens.
I see that there is a LOT of good information there, but as a new-to-Linux type, *implementing* all that sort of thing is still a mystery. Indeed, I was chatting with a software type tonight, telling him that if they can make *one* distro of Linux (probably called PLAYSKOOL LINUX for super simple), market share of Linux would leap from 1.89% to at least 30%.
I am looking at the information you've provided and see how the Linksys branded PCMCIA is likely Broadcom hardware and takes that sort of driver. That part is easily understood, as I've installed many Broadcom drivers on Windows-based machines, for the most part, laptops.
In anticipation of loading additional software and drivers on the initial install, I have placed icons for the Synaptic installer on the desktop.
I would imagine that the mechanics of performing the operations you have suggested involve opening the Synaptic installer, directing it to a software repository and looking for those items you've listed: b43-fwcutter, firmware-b43-installer, and (possibly) firmware-b43legacy-installer. Not having the machine with Q4OS on it in front of me, I would imagine that the Synaptic installer menu would have a search utility to enter the names of the packages into, and then a means to download it. My default download is to the /downloads directory.
Now, fiddling with /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf similarly has me at a loss. I suppose the challenge for any experienced Linux user is understanding just how alien the Linux OS is to the average Windows user, and in particular, mastering the CLI / Terminal commands.
So, assume that I reach the machine with Q4OS loaded, get to the Synaptic installer and further assume that the Synaptic menu is intutitive and user friendly, and that I can locate and download the packages you've mentioned.
Assume, again, that fiddling with Blacklist file, came from the clicked-on and expanded downloaded files, which created the /etc/... directory and sub-directory, I would then open the Terminal and enter in the commands you have listed. After the sudo command runs, I should see the status lights of the PCMCIA card light up (so far, so good? Or please correct me if, as I suspect, I am wrong.)
Software installation in linux uses packages - bundles of stuff that provide the files needed to make the software work.
In Debian and Ubuntu (which comes from Debian) these packages are package-name.deb files. Hence they are often referred to as deb(s). Managing the installation of packages, along with other packages in which they may depend (dependencies) is handled using a bit of software called apt. This is a CLI tool. Back in the early 2000's a GUI called synaptic was developed which made it much easier to search for and install software.
When you install software with synaptic it does the whole job for you. You just right click the package and mark for Installation. You do not download it and then run it like a windows .exe or .msi. After you have installed a package you can find it in /var/cache/apt/archives. If you wish you can revisit it in synaptic and reinstall with a Download only option which will just download the original(if required).
Q4OS does have the firmware for b43 cards installed and there is every chance that it will 'just work' with your card. However I have found on occasions that re-installing (either via CLI or synaptic) can help to kickstart it.
Linux drivers (kernel modules) can be loaded and unloaded via the modprobe tool. There are occasions where it is desirable to not load a specific module and that is handled through the blacklist system. That lives in /etc/modprobe.d
This is part of blacklist.conf and you can see from the comments some of the things it is doing.
There at the bottom is the b43 and it shows the old bcm43xx blacklisted in favour of the new b43 and ssb code that should be present - or will be if the b43 firmware is reinstalled. I have come across b43 cards that actually needed b44 to work!
You may not need to get involved with this at all - but you must be aware of its existence as debugging any issues often starts here.
If the card is going to 'just work' then you should see it in the TDE Network utility.
If there are no lights on the end of the card then the next step is to open Konsole and do sudo modprobe -r b43 then sudo modprobe b43.
If it still doesn't light up then you need to (re)install the b43 bits I have mentioned, reboot and see what happens - again it may still need the modprobe commands to get going.
File Manager - just open the Documents icon on the desktop - click the Up arrow, or press f9 and you'll see a variety of trees on the left. Click the Home button - it's all there. You need to play with this. Right click on the desktop - create new URL - call it File Manager, in the next line click the file browse icon at the right hand end and browse to your Home and the OK that URL. You'll then have that on the desktop if that's what you want.
Timely. I've just installed q4OS on several older 32 bit systems. Enjoy the speed and simplicity. One of those systems is a Dell D620 laptop with integrated Broadcom 4311 wifi. I can verify that after installing Synaptic, and then all 3 " b43-fwcutter and firmware-b43-installer and possibly firmware-b43legacy-installer" as bin suggests above - all 3 show up when searching for "b43" in Synaptic - and after a reboot, a wireless connection does show up in the lower right tray. Right click on that icon, and edit your connection for security and it works. Hope that helps!
The LinkSys PCMCIA card remains in the PCMCIA slot, and I have tried extracting and replacing it to see if Linux recognizes new attached hardware. No joy. The status lights of the PCMCIA are lit, but the machine is not recognizing it within recognized devices or networks.
07) You may need to fiddle with /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf as the b43 is normally blacklisted in there but try it first. I have found that sometimes you need to manually run sudo modprobe -r b43 then sudo modprobe b43 in order to get it all to light up. I that case it is probably blacklist.conf that needs a tweak but see what happens.
08) ADDENDUM: I thought being able to ScreenCap to illustrate problems or progress would be helpful. In Windows PRNT SC puts the screencap in buffer and pastes easily into whatever image editor you have loaded.
This has not worked for me here. I've tried SCREEN RECORDER, which is one of the baked-in applications that comes with Q4OS, but that has not worked, most likely because it seems to be geared to video files as opposed to simple image files.
To capture screenshot without installing anything simply press PrtScr key and then right click the desktop and select "Paste clipboard contents" and then you should have a dialog box where you can select image format and file name.This works even before installing software with the desktop profiler although I'm not sure about when using a different DE.
I have a b43 wireless card, specifically the BCM4318 Broadcom card. I got it to work by first installing b43-fwcutter through the console, not synaptics. I hate that Synaptics thing. I just opened a terminal and typed in sudo apt-get install b43-fwcutter. and hitting Enter Then I typed in sudo apt-get install firmware-b43-install and hit Enter again. I rebooted and voila! The card was recognized and ready to go. I then installed Network manager and set it to connect automatically.
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