[nzlug] Ubuntu 8.04

[Greg Fawcett]

I still think you were unrealistic in hoping for the seamlessness of a
pre-installed OS (eee) from a live disk on random hardware.

For what it's worth, I installed Ubuntu 8.04 on an old ASUS with a no-name
PCMCIA wireless card a few weeks ago and everything "just worked". I'm
getting more and more requests to upgrade people tired of Windows
vulnerability, and so far haven't had to resort to the command line once to
get anything working.

Cheers!
Greg.



2008/5/27 Steve Withers <sbwithers at gmail.com>:

> Thanks, Daniel.
>
> I shouldn't really write e-mails to the list when I'm grumpy about  things
> not working out as I had hoped. :-)
>
> I know how to fix all this, but I was annoyed that the state of play for
> wireless has been so bad for literally years on end.
>
> I could make space on the laptop and actually install Ubuntu into it, then
> try to get it all going.....and maybe spend hours on it. I've been that
> soldier on and off since I started using Linux in 1993.
>
> But I'm hoping for that magic moment when everything just works. THEN,
> Linux
> will take over the world.
>
> The Asus eeePC with it's Xandros "4.5" Linux installed is a vision of how
> things could be. Everything just works........
>
> Thanks again.
>
> Steve
>
>
> On Sat, May 24, 2008 at 9:56 PM, Daniel Pittman <daniel at rimspace.net>
> wrote:
>
> > "Steve Withers" <sbwithers at gmail.com> writes:
> >
> > > I want to get kdenlive working on Linux so I can abandon Windows for
> > > video-editing.......and thus use Linux for everything.
> > >
> > > But my current distro, Xandro 4.1, can't be updated to the latest libs
> > > without seriously messing with apt. I get a long list of new things I
> > > need that aren't available to me as I am.
> > >
> > > OK...so try Ubuntu 8.04......on three systems. No wireless network
> > > functioning for any of them and no sound on two of them.
> > >
> > > One is an Acer "travelmate" 2483 laptop with Broadcom wireless. Ubuntu
> > > tries to download the B43 firmware.....nice trick with no network.
> >
> > Mmmm.  That could perhaps be better handled.  You might want to report
> > that as a bug to the developers, unless it thought the Ethernet was live
> > anyway.
> >
> > > It's a "live" boot anyway, so even if I was on the net via ethernet, I
> > > can't reboot to install the firmware as I just live boot over again.
> >
> > Technically, loading firmware for the driver doesn't have to happen at
> > boot time: it can happen at any point after the machine has started.
> >
> > That isn't to say that Ubuntu (or the Linux driver) implements that, but
> > it certainly /could/ -- the technical capabilities are there.  Removing
> > and reinstalling the module from the running kernel would probably work
> > if it didn't happen automatically.
> >
> > > never-ending loop for me there. I don't want to wipe Windows on the
> > > laptop if the sound and wireless dont' work on Ubuntu. I don't do
> > > leaps of faith anymore.
> >
> > I don't entirely blame you.  For that particular issue you can probably
> > trust what it says on the box, or try downloading the firmware over
> > Ethernet to test it out -- which is likely the most sensible approach.
> >
> > > One PC has a USB wireless adapter......not supported.
> > > The other has a DSE 802.11b card that works with a Uni-kernel.....but
> > Ubuntu
> > > uses SMP only.
> >
> > Actually, Ubuntu uses a "generic" kernel that will switch between SMP
> > and UP depending on the available hardware.  However, a "only works with
> > uni-kernel" driver sounds like a vendor supplied binary driver, not a
> > free one.
> >
> >
> > You are unlikely to have much luck with that, for the same reason the
> > other two wireless cards are a pain: the vendors are being, more or
> > less, rat bastards about letting free drivers exist.
> >
> > > Three systems.....all no go.  I'm sad.  Maybe the next version.
> >
> > Well, you didn't do very exhaustive testing of the Broadcom wireless
> > card, which I would fully expect to work when the non-free firmware that
> > it is illegal to redistribute is loaded.
> >
> > Try installing the firmware via Ethernet, then see if the wireless
> > works.
> >
> > Oh, and you didn't mention what the sound related issues were.  It is
> > certainly possible that those, also, will improve with a little advice.
> >
> > Regards,
> >         Daniel
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> >
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