Need Help With New Laptop- Linux

[raymac46]

Well all is not sweetness and light with Broadcom if you're running Linux Mint Debian Edition. I dumped the ISO of LMDE onto a USB stick with UNetbootin. Upon boot on my Inspiron 15 laptop (Broadcom wifi chipset 43224) there was no list of wifi networks whatsoever.

However a boot on my basement desktop (Atheros wifi) gave instant wifi connection.

Upon further research I found out that with LMDE you have to download, build and install the Broadcom 802.11-STA driver module, plus blacklist some other stuff to get wifi going. Doable, but not the most user friendly solution.

Looks as if the Ubuntu based Linux Mint is friendlier to new users as it offered a driver install to Clutter.

At the end of the day I still feel that an Intel or Atheros wifi card is the better choice. I don't think anyone should have to connect via wire and then go through the hoops just to connect wirelessly. My 2 cents at least.

Edited November 3, 2011 by raymac46

[sunrat]

Probably the main reason some add-ons don't work is because it's version 7, not because it's Iceweasel.

To get the bottom bar back, go to Preferences menu and tick "Add-on bar".

[Cluttermagnet]

Yes I don't think you are going to have a problem. The newer kernels handle Broadcom a lot better and the situation will continue to improve as I think a real FOSS Broadcom driver is coming along nicely.

Kernel 2.6.33.7 that was in Mandriva 2010.2 handled Broadcom 4312 right out of the box with no sweat on my Inspiron Mini 12. Good luck!. Don't forget to use good encryption on your router and client machine.

 

Your struggles with LXDE have caused me to hold off trying the Debian flavored Mint for now. I need simple in my life right now. But actually, long term, I feel myself leaning towards Debian, just as Mint has decided to. I suspect that in time, LXDE will be a pretty good choice for lots of folks.

 

Regarding your encryption comments I've highlighted above, I'm not sure I understand. Frankly, I have never gotten around to using even a single instance of encryption in my now ~15 years as a desktop user. But I'm probably long overdue to learn the techniques and also to start to use those encrypted password holder utilities, etc. I certainly think that going wireless would be a good first occasion to try encryption. But just how do you mean those comments? Encrypt what, exactly? And how would I go about doing that? Remember, encryption newbie. I can recite the names of a few popular encryption utilities, that's about it.

 

BTW I still have a copy of Mandriva 2010 here. I ought to see if it is the 0.2 release and try it out on my wireless. I'll grab a DVD copy of the latest Mandriva 'soon'. I've always liked that distro, need to get more familiar with it.

 

 

Probably the main reason some add-ons don't work is because it's version 7, not because it's Iceweasel.

To get the bottom bar back, go to Preferences menu and tick "Add-on bar".

 

I couldn't find this item in FF7 Preferences. Or should I be looking elsewhere?

 

[Cluttermagnet]

I hope Urmas will suggest how I could get a better desktop than the stock Mint 11 desktop. It is 'OK' but I think I'd be much happier with a 'fallback' gnome 2 desktop. Trouble is, how to do that? I've tried, no luck so far. The stock Mint desktop is too much like KDE and Windows. I'm just much more used to and comfortable with gnome.

[Cluttermagnet]

Actually, I would be VERY careful using any automated reg cleaning, even from CCleaner. The program does a great job at cleaning log files, temp files, various levels of temporary files on the system and you may want to use the occasional surgical reg cleaning from CCleaner, but be very careful. Surgical strike type cleaning is about the only safe way to use registry cleaners of any kind. IMHO.

 

Clutter, I no longer have a NoScript on the status bar, but the one in the menu bar to the right along with WOT and FlashBlock works the same way. I would suggest using it there.

 

Fran, all I can say is that you must be viewing a very different desktop than I am with Mint 11. Coincidentally, though, I just this moment finally found the NoScript icon. They have hidden it way up top to the left of the address window. Yikes! I swear, Officer, I never even saw it! Mozilla also moved the Reload/Stop icon and hid it next to the other side of the address bar. Remember, folks, I am a refugee from FF 3.6 and don't even have much seat time with FF 7 yet. Ah well, they just can't resist tinkering.

 

Yeah, I'll be pretty closely monitoring any registry changes for sure, not just shotgunning them. There's the beauty if images, BTW. If you hose Windows. just overwrite the smoking ruins with a fresh image- providing one is being diligent and keeping fairly frequent image updates on hand.

 

Another thing I didn't care for in FF 7 was the dropping of Yahoo as a search option. But I found a dandy FF extension that takes care of this: Add to Search Bar 2.0. Problem solved.

Edited November 4, 2011 by Cluttermagnet

[Cluttermagnet]

CC Cleaner

 

Use this in Windows for general cleaning including the reg, remember to accept the chance to backup every time you use it.

 

The other place I visit has very good things to say about Windows 7 own defragger. No personal experience as I use Diskeeper 10 which seems to be brilliant at what it does.

 

Yes, I've heard good comments about that, too. I also understand that a frequently run copy of Win7 will actually just take the initiative and run a defrag session without it being requested. I forget where I read that, and I'm only assuming that is accurate. Ditto for Windows own security utility, it got high marks from Fred Langa and others the past year or two.

 

I'll get to all that in time, it's a lower priority, but natural curiosity will no doubt kick in to some degree. I intend to bring my free copy of ELSIE and see how it runs in Win7, let it loose to calculate a few radio frequency filters and see how it does.

 

Short term, verifying wireless is working (before locking it back down) and getting a desktop Betty can easily adapt to (coming from Ubuntu and gnome)- those will be my priority. Then I can let her loose on her new laptop and go back to all my ancient desktops.

 

[Guest LilBambi]

Your struggles with LXDE have caused me to hold off trying the Debian flavored Mint for now. I need simple in my life right now. But actually, long term, I feel myself leaning towards Debian, just as Mint has decided to. I suspect that in time, LXDE will be a pretty good choice for lots of folks.

 

Regarding your encryption comments I've highlighted above, I'm not sure I understand. Frankly, I have never gotten around to using even a single instance of encryption in my now ~15 years as a desktop user. But I'm probably long overdue to learn the techniques and also to start to use those encrypted password holder utilities, etc. I certainly think that going wireless would be a good first occasion to try encryption. But just how do you mean those comments? Encrypt what, exactly? And how would I go about doing that? Remember, encryption newbie. I can recite the names of a few popular encryption utilities, that's about it.

 

BTW I still have a copy of Mandriva 2010 here. I ought to see if it is the 0.2 release and try it out on my wireless. I'll grab a DVD copy of the latest Mandriva 'soon'. I've always liked that distro, need to get more familiar with it.

 

 

 

 

I couldn't find this item in FF7 Preferences. Or should I be looking elsewhere?

 

Ah, yes, I think mine was originally to the left of the addressbar too. I didn't like it there so I right clicked to the RIGHT of the + for a new tab (open area) and chose customize from the dropdown menu and moved it to the right.

[Cluttermagnet]

Regarding my imaging problem with external USB2 drive, which I wrote about here, I'm thinking that maybe I ought to instead be persuing something like partimage? I'm open to suggestions, guys. As it is, I can image just fine to another partition on the internal drive, then slowly move that image manually onto the external drive. But perhaps partimage or similar can handle USB2?

 

Looks like maybe I should be learning a different imaging utility?

[sunrat]

I couldn't find this item in FF7 Preferences. Or should I be looking elsewhere?

I've ditched my menu bar and the menu becomes a single tab and it's under Preferences but not in the actual Preferences dialog. Try right-clicking on the tab bar and select "Add-On Bar". or maybe it's under View.

 

[Cluttermagnet]

I've ditched my menu bar and the menu becomes a single tab and it's under Preferences but not in the actual Preferences dialog. Try right-clicking on the tab bar and select "Add-On Bar". or maybe it's under View.

Oh, OK- good! The right click trick does it here. But meanwhile, I finally found where Mozilla had hidden the NoScript icon, way up in the address bar. That's more what I was needing, just a way to see what permissions are available per web page.

 

[Urmas]

I hope Urmas will suggest how I could get a better desktop than the stock Mint 11 desktop. It is 'OK' but I think I'd be much happier with a 'fallback' gnome 2 desktop.

Sorry for not answering sooner, Clutter -- been an insane week, work load wise.

 

Anyway:

 

1. Do you want another panel on top? Right click on the existing [bottom] panel:

 

 

Choose "New Panel". The new panel is likely to be in a wrong place by default. No worries: right click on the new panel, choose properties:

 

 

Orientation: top. You can return here later if you want to adjust the panel height, make it autohide...

 

 

... or tweak colour and transparency.

 

 

2. OK, we have two panels now -- one is empty, and another has one "wrong" panel app (the Mint Menu) that needs to be dealt with.

 

Deleting stuff from panels is easy: right click on a panel app you want gone...

 

 

... choose "Remove From Panel", and POOF!

 

Adding stuff to panels is easy as well: right click on (either) panel, choose "Add to Panel", and here is what you get:

 

 

Click on an item you want to have on your panel. Then either click on the "Add" button or (this is the better method because this way you get the item into the right place right away) simply grab the highlighted item with the mouse and drag it onto the place you want (on either panel).

 

This is "Main Menu":

 

 

This is "Menu Bar":

 

 

So... remove Mint Menu and add Main Menu and/or Menu Bar. Note that when you are moving apps on panel(s), it is essential to right click on all panel apps and make sure they are unlocked. You can not move apps "over" other apps that are locked to panel. Nor can you move a locked panel app. And... in order to move an unlocked panel app, right click on it, choose "Move", and move it to your place of choice with the mouse.

 

Right. Off to work, Clutter!

 

I posted a screenshot of my "Virtual Mint" here a while ago. Never mind, here, look:

 

 

Does it look anything like what you are striving for? If it does... the panel apps in use are:

Top panel, from left to right: Menu Bar, Clock (with weather)

Bottom panel, from left to right: Main Menu, Window List, Indicator Applet, Workspace Switcher, Show Desktop Button, Rubbish Bin Applet, Notification Area

 

[securitybreach]

Ha, that is pretty the same instruction I posted on the other Mint thread. Of course, your post is alot a better and it included pictures

[Urmas]

Of course, your post is alot a better...

Flattery will get you everywhere.

 

... and it included pictures

Well since I can not speak English... um... the ways are many, said the granny whilst wiping the table with her cat.

[securitybreach]

Well since I can not speak English... um... the ways are many, said the granny whilst wiping the table with her cat.

:hysterical:

[Cluttermagnet]

Well since I can not speak English... um... the ways are many, said the granny whilst wiping the table with her cat.

 

We feed the cat blueberries. He loves them, demands them, wolfs them down and comes back for more.

Her Siamese is strange but wonderful. He has a very winning personality, actually.

 

 

 

Well, I feel a little bit proud to have figured out the add a panel/ add an applet thing already. I already had an upper panel going on this lappie. This takes me clear back to the original Clutter thread in 2007 where you helped me figure out Ubuntu Dapper 6.06, Urmas. You da man!

 

It was helpful to see those other tips, however. I hadn't quite figured out the parts about moving the menu up, or sliding icons around within a panel.

 

I think that will get us where we need to be with this desktop. Close enough. Betty will be able to handle it. Thanks for all the great help with all the issues in this thread. You guys are the greatest!

 

 

Edit: Urmas, the "Main Menu" item has proved to be more than adequate for now. Having a menu in the top panel restores much of that 'gnome feeling' IMO. A big bonus is that having Main Menu allows you to drag and drop icons from the drop down list. We both like to have a few favorites up in the top panel. She likes the Firefox icon, and a couple of games icons, especially Klondike solitaire, to be up there, ready to go. I add a few others myself including the Disk Mounter one and System Monitor, for example.

 

These little changes make a big difference.

Edited November 5, 2011 by Cluttermagnet

[raymac46]

@Clutter

By encryption I meant use WPA or WPA2 on the router with a password on the laptop. Do not send wireless transmission without some sort of security. Otherwise some war driver can steal your Internet access, or worse.

BTW I am currently in a hotel in the US and I've connected to the local hotel net with a cable. Seems to be more stable.

Edited November 5, 2011 by raymac46

[securitybreach]

I agree it is always better to enable encryption but do not think that it will stop someone who wants in bad enough. All of the current wireless encryptions can be easily cracked using readily available open source tools and capturing a few packets (they even sale hardware devices that automatically crack wireless encryption). I will not provide the links to how this is done but a simple Google search will list many methods of accomplishing this. One solution to the problem is to filter your wireless connections based upon the MAC address of the clients although one can also spoof that as well. I personally use WPA2 (TKIP+AES) as it is more secure than normal WPA and I would also filter your wireless connections by MAC address as to keep out most intruders.

[Guest LilBambi]

I agree it is always better to enable encryption but do not think that it will stop someone who wants in bad enough. All of the current wireless encryptions can be easily cracked using readily available open source tools (they even sale hardware devices that automatically crack wireless encryption). The solution to this problem is to filter your wireless connections based upon the MAC address of the clients although one can spoof a MAC address as well. I would personally use WPA2 TKIP+AES as it is more secure than normal WPA.

We use the same WPA2 encryption. However, for my clients, I generally set them up to be WPA2 AES only where possible. Because when it comes to WPA2, TKIP is the weak link. But some older hardware devices that still work perfectly well only support TKIP on WPA2.

[securitybreach]

We use the same WPA2 encryption. However, for my clients, I generally set them up to be WPA2 AES only where possible. Because when it comes to WPA2, TKIP is the weak link. But some older hardware devices that still work perfectly well only support TKIP on WPA2.

Good point

[Urmas]

I hadn't quite figured out the parts about moving the menu up, or sliding icons around within a panel.

So you have it licked now? Drat.

 

That means I made this for nothing:

http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/1718/25r.mp4

 

 

 

[securitybreach]

So you have it licked now? Drat.

 

That means I made this for nothing:

http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/1718/25r.mp4

 

 

Very nice

[Cluttermagnet]

So you have it licked now? Drat.

 

That means I made this for nothing:

http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/1718/25r.mp4

 

 

 

Wow! Beautiful. No, your time wasn't wasted, Urmas- I just now learned yet a few more tricks by watching that video.

 

I presented Betty her laptop a couple of nights ago. She likes it, and has no trouble navigating. She has only had a few minor questions centered around Firefox and also some 'appearance' issues. I tinkered and jazzed up her window color and icon scheme just a little, to improve visibility.

 

BTW I'm slightly embarrassed to mention this, but I've so far not found the time to test wireless. I'll get to it. I am supremely confident it is going to work, however, especially considering that when Mint 11 woke up for the first time, it offered proprietary Broadcom drivers for wifi- which of course I let it install. Looks like it going to be a slam dunk on this particular platform.

 

Another interesting tidbit- this Lenovo G570/nnnn machine was marked down 100 dollars to 379. on NewEgg. The next week I looked and it was back up to 479. Just today, sharp- eyed Betty spied an ad in the weekend insert to the local newspaper. Here was some version of the G570 on sale for 349. at Office Depot. I'm not going to sweat it. She got a pretty good deal IMO, and no, she didn't seem too upset about the 30 dollar margin.

Edited November 7, 2011 by Cluttermagnet

[Cluttermagnet]

At about 3 weeks out now, Betty is doing great with her laptop. She had no real difficulty getting used to the slightly different desktop 'look'. We both like that Lenovo G570. It was a pretty good buy. Thanks again, you guys, for all the great help!

[securitybreach]

Excellent news

[Guest LilBambi]

At about 3 weeks out now, Betty is doing great with her laptop. She had no real difficulty getting used to the slightly different desktop 'look'. We both like that Lenovo G570. It was a pretty good buy. Thanks again, you guys, for all the great help!

Awesome!!! Our best to you and Betty!

[V.T. Eric Layton]

COOL!