My Internet is Torturing me to DEATH!!!

[Mad_Sunday]

Hello again Mindrifter, the live disk is a tool you should never be without, not only do you need it for an install (to be honest I prefer a live USB stick cos it's quicker) but its also an excellent tool you can use to test and repair systems. If you have a DVD burner in your other PC you can download the live disk from the Linux Mint web site (Mint 9 Gnome if that's what you had before) and burn it (slowly) to a disk, or put it on a 1 or 2 Gig USB stick with Unetbootin. Once you have booted from that disk your PC should connect OK to the net (meaning something happened/changed with the install). You can then (also from the live disk) open GParted from the Menu button/control centre and use that to delete your existing Mint partition (if your going to re-install make sure you back up any important files). Using the install option from the live desktop again should now work and you will, hopefully, have your system working again.

Pete

[Mindrifter]

I have the live disk, I never did anything with it. I just don't know how to boot off of it.

[eric k]

If you place the live CD in your CD/DVD drive and then boot the computer, Linux Mint should load and run directly off the disc. That will enable you to rule out whether the issue is your hardware or the OS; if you do get a connection while running the live CD, then something went wrong with the version of Mint installed on your computer. If you still can't get a connection, most likely it's a hardware failure.

Before you reboot and try with the live CD, make sure your BIOS is set up to boot from the CD/DVD drive before it boots from your hard disk, otherwise your computer will bypass the live CD altogether and boot up your installed Mint OS. You can enter BIOS to change the boot order by pressing a key, usually Delete or F2 depending on your motherboard, while the manufacturers splash screen appears on start up.

[inktitan]

Booting from a live CD is typically simple. Have the CD in the drive when the computer boots up. Then during the BIOS load portion of the boot process press either F2 to enter setup or F12 to select boot options. Now these options maybe different depending on who made your BIOS but you should have something similar. In the set up menu you can select to have your PC always look to boot from the CD or USB first this way you wont have to press anything. If you just want the one time boot then the Boot options menu is the way to go.

[inktitan]

This might not be something you want but it will help you understand alot of what we are talking about. Feel free to ask questions but I recommend that you read this. It is the users guide written to be simple.
http://ftp.heanet.ie/pub/linuxmint.com/ ... sh_9.0.pdf

[Mindrifter]

I don't have access to the BIOS. There's no enter setup message when I turn on my computer, I've even tried pressing delete (the button the mb's user guide told me to use) and nothing came up

[Mad_Sunday]

You may be pressing "del" to early or to late. Keep trying until you get it right. The usual time is just as the screen flashes on, if you miss it use crtl alt del to reboot and try again. If you still can't hit it at the right time take your keyboard plug out, that should halt the boot process or take the power lead out of your hard drive so it has no boot device.

Pete

[Mindrifter]

I pressed delete during the loading screen, and this is what came up: Process: ___): GLib-WARNING **: getpwuid_r (): failed due to unknown user id (0)

In the place where I put three _'s (after Process:) there were different numbers each time I rebooted (because it took a couple times to write all this down). And each time there was a different number, something different came up like 10 seconds after that message. Here are the four numbers I wrote down, there might be more but I wasn't looking at the beginning all the time because I was trying to write the other stuff down. But here are the numbers: 396, 435, 421, and 459.

[Mad_Sunday]

I pressed delete during the loading screen, and this is what came up: Process: ___): GLib-WARNING **: getpwuid_r (): failed due to unknown user id (0)

In the place where I put three _'s (after Process:) there were different numbers each time I rebooted (because it took a couple times to write all this down). And each time there was a different number, something different came up like 10 seconds after that message. Here are the four numbers I wrote down, there might be more but I wasn't looking at the beginning all the time because I was trying to write the other stuff down. But here are the numbers: 396, 435, 421, and 459.

I just can't understand why you can't access the bios, try using the F keys F2 or F8 are the normal ones. How did you get the original install done? What happens if you have the live disk in the drive when you boot the computer?

If your PC gives a beep when it starts, that's the time to hit the del key, several times if you have to. That message your getting is from the linux sytem loader WAY after the time you should be pressing the DEL key. Switch the PC on (or reboot) PC goes "beep", you press the key.

Pete

[Mindrifter]

Okay, thanks I got onto the BIOS, and there is still no connection. Which means I'm going to have to buy a new ethernet card right?

[inktitan]

No. While on the live CD session give the lsmod, ls...

02:00.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8111/8168B PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet controller (rev 03)

This is actually a tricky card. A bug was reported about a year ago. I was helping someone with this earlier. http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=150&t=56386 Let me see your lsmod

r8169 39554 0
mii 5237 1 r8169

See these are wrong for your card they will give intermittent connection if any at all.You need the driver from this site http://www.realtek.com/downloads/downlo ... wn=false#2 it should be the first one under Unix/Linux. For help with that package read the readme file included with the download or try this link http://www.linuxforums.org/forum/suse-l ... files.html Let us know if you need more help with this.

[Mindrifter]

Well, I actually took a lot easier route and just borrowed a card from my uncle and I'm on my computer now with the internet finally working. So, you can consider this resolved i guess?

[inktitan]

I have actually gone that route myself with my current set up. I couldn't get the usb to work so I got a pci card instead. well I'm glad you are on-line.

[Mad_Sunday]

Well, I actually took a lot easier route and just borrowed a card from my uncle and I'm on my computer now with the internet finally working. So, you can consider this resolved i guess?

I've been a linux user for around 7 years and often this is the best way to go. Why sit there ripping your hair out when spending a few quid (dollars) on a bit of hardware instantly fixes the problem. Well done on sticking with this and actually getting it sorted.

Pete