[SOLVED] Unable to see, connect or configure Wireless on HP-17-ca1055cl

[SeMgCo87]

Long story short, during installation, I took over entire disk, install process screen skipped over "Wireless" setup. "Secure Boot" was disabled.

Network Device is a Realtek RTL8821ICE, include Wireless and Bluetooth integrated.

In attempting to add a Wireless Network I get a "Failed to get secrets" message.

Iwconfig indicates no wireless extension for "eno1". Not sure what current designation for a wireless radio is...used to be "wlan1".

Any help appreciated!

[Snowhog]

Can you boot back into your installation media and click on Try Kubuntu? If while running in the live session you have active Internet, then your Network Device is recognized. IF IS NOT, then we have some digging to do.

[claydoh]

I literally just today got a refurb PC with this chip. But as I am on Neon (18.04) there is no driver for it there. I had to compile the kernel module for it.

There is a non-free driver for it in 19.10, though.
Do you have the package rtl8821ce-dkms installed? It can be installed using the Driver Manager in System Settings iirc, or manually using apt.

[claydoh]

As to the naming changes in networking devices that happened circa 2013-2015 , here are some links if you get really really bored:

https://major.io/2015/08/21/understa...-device-names/
https://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Sof...nterfaceNames/

tl;dr : blame systemd

[SeMgCo87]

Thanks for the quick responses. Having used Linux since 1998 (started with SUSE and KDE from +12 yrs ago), I have become complacent with stuff just working.

A bit more research turned up exactly what claydoh indicated...package rtl8821ce-dkms was not installed. Even though there were caveats from others on that site, it installed and started working perfectly!

I am embarrassed that I gave up so easily, but it is working and I am happy...and it is a "touch screen" computer, so have to get used to that.

Thanks Snowdog and claydoh!

[jlittle]

Thanks for those links. I'd wondered why.

... tl;dr : blame systemd

[emoji6]A little unfair IMO... the old eth0, eth1 had "serious security implications". I might experiment mucking about with the udev links, to avoid having to look in /sys/class/net in scripts.

[claydoh]

Thanks for those links. I'd wondered why.

[emoji6]A little unfair IMO... the old eth0, eth1 had "serious security implications". I might experiment mucking about with the udev links, to avoid having to look in /sys/class/net in scripts.

It was a joke, I have been victim of devices changing names for no apparent reason in the dim, dark past.
I am no systemd hater, though it has made me grumble a little bit once or twice. Much like any other software I have used for any length of time.