no wifi on a clean install

[dexl]

After a clean install of LM 18.2 Mate on my laptop, I cannot get the wifi to work AT ALL. In the live USB I can go to drivers setting and select the wireless driver and wifi starts working immediately. After installing the system, I did exactly the same thing, but it just doesn't install the driver. The progress bar indicator just sits there forever not finishing the task. I tried it with the USB plugged in, and it just won't install.

Then I searched online for the wireless driver for my card: "firmware-b43-installer_019-3_all.deb", but it had an unmet dependency of "b43-fwcutter_019-3.deb", so I downloaded and installed it as well. To my dismay, even though the installation goes fine in the debi manager, I still cannot connect to my wireless driver. In the drivers settings, the wireless driver still shows up as not selected, nothing happens when I select it and wait (forever!) for it to get installed. It just doesn't.

What am I doing wrong? New users installing LM18.2 will probably not want to use Mint at all, where can I find a solution to this problem? What else can I try? I do have the right drivers, but they don't want to get installed.

[Pjotr]

Hook up to a wired internet connection, launch Driver Manager and install another driver it offers you. Then unplug the wire, reboot and report what happens.

[dexl]

Here's the thing, I don't have an option to connect it to a wired internet. I need a solution where I could download things on a different computer and transfer the files to the laptop that doesn't have wired connection.

[Moem]

Or you could get a USB wifi adapter that works under Mint and use that to troubleshoot your existing wifi adapter.

[dexl]

Or you could get a USB wifi adapter that works under Mint and use that to troubleshoot your existing wifi adapter.

Hey, I haven't thought of that! That's a great suggestion, thank you!

BTW, I really hope next versions of Mint will have this issue fixed. Clean install no wifi is unacceptable...

[JeremyB]

See https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2316978 if it is just the firmware you need
This is not likely to get fixed as Broadcom will not allow Linux Mint or anyone to distribute their firmware with the Distro

[catweazel]

Clean install no wifi is unacceptable...

You're shooting the messenger. It's a Broadcom problem.

[dexl]

See https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2316978 if it is just the firmware you need
This is not likely to get fixed as Broadcom will not allow Linux Mint or anyone to distribute their firmware with the Distro

Does that mean, I won't be able to get LM working on my laptop? Here's the situation: The solution posted above to use a modem to connect to the Internet works but ONLY initially. It worked for one or two boots and now I don't know why, each time I boot the laptop, I get the same thing. Wifi is unavailable, I need to insert a USB modem to connect to the Internet. When I go to drivers, I don't see the Broadcom driver available anymore and everything else is greyed out. What?? Here's a screenie:

[JeremyB]

When it doesn't work post results from terminal for

Code: Select all

dmesg | grep b43; rfkill list