Hello
I've never used anything other than Windows before in my life, and I grew tired of it becoming unstable after periods of time, among other things.
After talking with some people, they've convinced me to switch to Ubuntu.
So I made the switch, and now I cannot seem to connect to the internet with either an ethernet cable nor wireless connection.
With the ethernet cable, it stays on "Idle", and the wireless keeps disabling itself.
What am I doing wrong?
blackbelt_jones
04-10-2007, 03:17 PM
When I use Ubuntu with my DSL, the connection autoconfigures with DHCP. In other woirds, I install the OS, and I'm online. Here's something you may want to try.
Boot your live Ubuntu CD again, and when the CD is booted, open firefox and see if your browser is online. If it is, your best bet may be to simply reinstall the system.
I'm rememberig the first time I installed Linux with an ethernet connection. I kept looking for the way to set up my connection, and I didn't realize I was online the whole time. There's an excellent chance that you're smarter than I was, but I don't wnat to presume anything.
If DHCP isn't the answer for you, what you're looking for is probably something called pppoe (point-to-point-protocall on ethernet). Keep digging and you'll probably find the answers you need online, or maybe by summoning the pppoe manpage, which you'll get by typing in the terminal window:
man pppoe
(A word about manpages: There's a manpage for every command line application. Manpages are written in a kind of highly concentrated style that when you look at it, seems to be either immensely helpful, or no help at all. When they're helpful, they're awesome, cause they give you the info you need with a minimum of searching and reading. And the more you use them, the more helpful they become. Always check the manpage first.)
HellTestament
04-10-2007, 03:30 PM
Thanks, I'll give it a whack and let you know how it goes
EDIT
Nope, that didn't work either. It worked fine when I had WinXP on my laptop, but after I partitioned it and installed Ubuntu, it won't connect, not even on the Live CD.
Is it possible that my Hardware got deleted? If so, how do I get it back?
I've also noticed that my hotkey at the top of my laptop for turning WLAN isn't working, but my sound hotkeys are. Hrum...
blackbelt_jones
04-10-2007, 03:51 PM
Thanks, I'll give it a whack and let you know how it goes
EDIT
Nope, that didn't work either. It worked fine when I had WinXP on my laptop, but after I partitioned it and installed Ubuntu, it won't connect, not even on the Live CD.
Is it possible that my Hardware got deleted? If so, how do I get it back?
I've also noticed that my hotkey at the top of my laptop for turning WLAN isn't working, but my sound hotkeys are. Hrum...
Well, it was worth a try. My next (and more promising) suggestion is that you seek help at the Ubuntu forums (http://ubuntuforums.org/).
I'm 99.9 per cent certain that there's an answer to your Ubuntu problems, and if you get past it, you're going to be so glad you did, but I'm not an Ubuntu guy, and there's a little voice in my head that is saying that you need to try SUSE. :D
You're a long way from that point, though. What you need right now is to go where the Ubuntu users are.:)
tact
04-10-2007, 11:34 PM
hey there HellTestament:
I was anti-windows the day I first toyed with win3.0. (actually the psychosis has deeper roots back when I refused to use any MS flavoured DOS when I was weaned away from CP/M). From desqview and desqview/x to OS/2 to my first taste of linux about 9yrs ago (Red Hat back then).
Was kinda forced into using windows on company provided laptops for years until just recently when I had a look at ubuntu 6.10. Now even my company's IT boffins (who have sold their hearts, souls, and first born sons to MS) cannot complain - I have totally removed winXP pro from even my corporate laptop. My only back-compatible road is WINE or XP in a VM (and my dive log software runs fine under WINE so am happy - its about the only windows program I cannot replace with something native so far).
Don't get me wrong - I am not at all a programmer type, tech-head or geek (tho I envy them all at times). Just a "joe" who has work to do and doesn't like MS.
Back to ubuntu, specifically your problem getting network up... ubuntu made it onto my corporate laptop precisely for the reason that it managed to identify and support all my laptop's hardware in one shot - it just worked.
Particularly network stuff. Switching from wifi to wired and back is fully automatic. better than it ever was in winXP.
1. as blackbelt_jones mentions, it works so well are you might not notice its working (sorry - don't mean to insult your intelligence either). What "stays idle" and what are you trying that does not work?
2. to what are you connecting? At home do you have broadband connection that is through a broadband router and all you need to do is connect to a port and it assigns you an IP address via DHCP? At the office??
3. what version ubuntu do you have?
4. bring up a terminal (applications>accessories>terminal) and at the prompt type "ifconfig" and you should get a lot of info on configured network interfaces. (paste the output back here if you like).
5. like blackbelt_jones do look into the ubuntu forums/wiki's etc they are really active and very helpful.
HellTestament
04-11-2007, 09:49 PM
Tact and Blackbelt, don't worry if you feel like you are insulting my intelligence. After all, I am a complete newbie to Linux, so to me it may seem like it is working, but it is not, and vice versa - besides, I'm used to it :P
Anyways, I got my ethernet port working fine - apparently Idle means it is connected in Ubuntu, very confusing. My real problem lies within my Wireless card, which from what I've heard, is a pain to get working again after a format - especially on a Unix-based system, since it doesn't re-install itself like normal drives. It is a Broadcom BCM4318, by the way. Ugh, if only I had a job, I'd have money to buy something that is would re-install itself.
Anyways, I broke my Kernal earlier today trying to get it to work. I guess my Linux is the "Edgey" type(whatever that means), and I used a method for a different type of Linux, so yeah. Freezes up on bootup, and I lost my live CD. Im making a new one, I should have it running by tomorrow. Oh well, I am liking Linux, even though I messed my poor computer up with it. It is very interesting, and I am going to learn as much as possible about it :D I shant give up.
Oh, tact, I am using Ubuntu 6.10, if that helps you any.
tact
04-12-2007, 01:14 AM
Hey again HellTestament,
Ok well I am no linux guru but I am using the same flavour of ubuntu as you (6.10 "Edgy Eft") so may be able to give some guide.
Firstly, after you install over again from live CD and until you are very familiar with your linux - try to stick to installing packages that come from "official ubuntu" repositories. These are built for ubuntu and configure themselves properly. Saves you mega headaches. Ignore this advice after you are confident to compile or install stuff you download from other sources.
Just to help you find your way around... in the ubuntu distro (and others also) software packaged specifically for that distro are organised into "repositories". Ubuntu keeps totally free AND open source software packages in one repository, it is enabled by default and you can see whats available to you by clicking System>Administration>Synaptic Package manager.
Looking at that packet manager you would see what is installed and what is not. And adding new packages takes a few clicks (and perhaps a nice broadband connection or a lot of patience) and not much more.
There are other repositories (called Multiverse and Universe) with ubuntu specific packages - these contain packages that are either not free or not totally open source. It is easy to enable these repositories in Synaptic. Google or ask for some guides. Enabling these then adds even more packages for you to consider (depending on your stance on free and open source software).
Secondly (and the reason for the words on repositories) once you have reinstalled Edgy and get your internet up again on a wired connection, one of the easiest ways to get your wifi working is to find an application in the Synaptic repositories called NetworkManager.
This application makes managing networks (wired and wifi and VPN's etc) a breeze! Love it!
There are some "gotchas" or tips around getting it to work but when you get there - if it does not work first time - then ask. :)
blackbelt_jones
04-12-2007, 02:15 AM
I guess my Linux is the "Edgey" type(whatever that means).
Oh, tact, I am using Ubuntu 6.10, if that helps you any.
"Edgy" refers to the nickname for the 6.10 release. It's one of the fun aspects of Linux culture that certain distributions give their various releases nicknames, and the different distributions have different conventions for assigning nicknames. Debian names its releases after characters from the movie "Toy Story": Buzz, Potato, Woody, Sarge, Etch. Another distro names its releases after characters from "Star Wars", still another seems to use characters from Shakespeare.
For some reason, Debian-based distros seem to use their nicknames a lot more than some others. I couldn't even tell you the nickname of the SUSE release I'm currently using, though I'm pretty sure it has one.
Ubuntu is Debian based, and it names its releases in an adorable, goofy, alliterative animal fashion. First came Warty Warthog, then Dapper Drake, and now we have Edgy... Elephant? I honestly don't know. Like I said before, I'm not an Ubuntu man.
tact
04-12-2007, 05:07 AM
...and now we have Edgy... Elephant? I honestly don't know. Like I said before, I'm not an Ubuntu man.
Its "Edgy Eft" (an Eft is like a salamander or newt) *grin* These distro codenames are a fun twist for sure.
The ubuntu ones all refer to an animal as noted but the first word seems always to be a "human character trait"(?) of sorts - "Warty", "Dapper", "Edgy", and coming is "Fiesty" Fawn.
I can't wait for "Punch-drunk Prawn", "Malevolent Monyet", or "Fickle Frog". Wait a minute, since "Warty" the alliterative names have been alphabetical order too - "D", "E", "F"... so Fickle Frog is out. Next to start with "G"?
"Godless Gorilla"?
"Gormless Gannet"?
hehehe
mrrangerman43
04-12-2007, 05:49 AM
Debian names its releases after characters from the movie "Toy Story": Buzz, Potato, Woody, Sarge, Etch.
I didn't know that.... now I know why I like Debian, or was it why I like Toy story???? Can't wait for Zurg to come out:)
blackbelt_jones
04-12-2007, 03:38 PM
For some reason, Debian-based distros seem to use their nicknames a lot more than some others. I couldn't even tell you the nickname of the SUSE release I'm currently using, though I'm pretty sure it has one.
Turns out the codename for openSUSE 10.2 is "Basilisk Lizard" Catchy, isn't it? :p
tact
04-13-2007, 06:24 AM
Turns out the codename for openSUSE 10.2 is "Basilisk Lizard" Catchy, isn't it? :p
*chuckle* you'd wonder about a mother's love if she gave u a name like that. ;)
wh666-666
04-13-2007, 11:32 PM
It is a Broadcom BCM4318, by the way. Ugh, if only I had a job, I'd have money to buy something that is would re-install itself.
I have the exact same card in a HP pavillion laptop. I had the same trouble in a different distro. Never managed to get my broadcom card working (exact same one) and HP bios lock machines to stop you changing your hardware so i used a netgear pcmcia card instead. Try having a look at the thread i posted and try searching other threads. If you do find a solution please let us know.
Is your system a 32/63 bit compatible one btw? If it is then to get the hardware to show up as present you need to add the 32 bit driver and replace the system file it produces or use a 64bit distro.
Hello
I've never used anything other than Windows before in my life, and I grew tired of it becoming unstable after periods of time, among other things.
After talking with some people, they've convinced me to switch to Ubuntu.
So I made the switch, and now I cannot seem to connect to the internet with either an ethernet cable nor wireless connection.
With the ethernet cable, it stays on "Idle", and the wireless keeps disabling itself.
What am I doing wrong?
i had the same problem, what i had to do was install the system while ethernet lead was connected, this is a problem that should by all accounts be ironed out in 7.04
what are you installing? edgy? dapper?
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