Kubuntu On Acer Aspire 3000

[Kyuuketsuki]

I have an Acer Aspire 3000 laptop (17" screen) which will not, no matter what I do, run Windows on it (not even the default install supplied by the company) ... if anyone is interested, my trials and tribulations with it are at the Petri IT forums.

I have decided to try Kubuntu on it because, firstly many Linux aficionados say it's a better distro & secondly (unlike OpenSUSE) it appears to pick up the system wireless which is effectively what I want it for i.e. a basic portable system.

Hopefully I won't have issues connecting it via the wireless (I found out it probably supported wireless by trying the Live CD) and, to my surprise, it was listed as a non-activated device. I wasn't able to activate it as far as I could tell but I figured that was still a hopeful sign and am installing it as I type in this post ... I mean we're talking here about a laptop that was effectively a doorstop (a useless brick) that, because of Linux, now has a potentially fully useful life ahead of it.

So assuming this works and I can get it running wirelessly (any advice appreciated) I want it to do several things:

• Run office software (shouldn't be an issue as I know KDE has KDE Office ... I kinda like KDE Office because it is similar in look & feel to MS Office so straightaway there's a familiar thing to use)
• Connect to my LG NAS
• Run Tweetdeck (requires Adobe Air): I suspect this can be done because there is a Linux version
• Run a MSN Messenger clone (I believe there's an app called Kopete that does this).

The primary user of the system will be my daughter who, seemingly like most kids of her age, uses twitter and MSN, but she's also an aspiring (that could be a joke, geddit?) writer hence the need for office.

So that's what I'm after, a basic portable surfing machine and this PC, though old, will do the trick nicely if I can get the damned thing to work ... currently it's installing with a blank screen so my "hopefulness" may well be misplaced. To be fair it has had several blank screen moments and has come back but this one's the longest yet, and currently it's gone very quiet indeed.

That's about it ... I'll be back I guess if it installs OK

Keke

[oshunluvr]

Re: Kubuntu On Acer Aspire 3000

Most of your assumptions seem correct. I might suggest OpenOffice instead of KDE Office because it is more polished at this point and has total MSOffice file compatibility.

I wonder though - if the supplied windows won't install are you sure you don't have bad hardware?

[GreyGeek]

Re: Kubuntu On Acer Aspire 3000

My thought too, Oshunluvr.

I'd recommend that when the LiveCD is booted the memory test option is run for an hour or more.

[Kyuuketsuki]

Re: Kubuntu On Acer Aspire 3000

Most of your assumptions seem correct. I might suggest OpenOffice instead of KDE Office because it is more polished at this point and has total MSOffice file compatibility

I know OO is technically superior but I just don't like it ... my favourite WP running (typically, I know there is or was a Windows port) on Linux is Abiword. The primary user, if I ever get it working OK, will be my 15 year old daughter so I will probably install OO as well and let her choose the one she wants to use.

I wonder though - if the supplied windows won't install are you sure you don't have bad hardware?

It's a possibility but I've tried everything, every version (2000 through to Win 7) that I could think of, eventually settling on the default XP Home install (I think it uses Ghost or something to install it) on the basis that that version should work because it was the supplied one. I had several hard disks and a spare system so I could swap some bits around. I've been trying to get it working since late July so I really have tried (and I'm a fairly advanced Windows techy with over 20 years at various support and dev stuff behind me) and the only OS that has worked is Linux ... all I need to do now is get the wireless working.

I'd recommend that when the LiveCD is booted the memory test option is run for an hour or more.

I don't think there is a memory problem because I booted it with the ISO version of memtest86+ ... 4 passes and no problems ... plus there's the fact that both OpenSUSE and now Kubuntu 9.10 run absolutely happily on it.

So, some advice please

Back to 9.10 ... I finished the install and I am upgrading from 9.10 to 10.04, I have to admit the whole thing looks very slick and my daughter was playing with the machine last night and referred to it as "Shiny" (very complimentary). Still under 9.10, the first thing I need to do is get the wireless working.

I wasn't able to get it working last night but, to be fair, I hadn't spent much time figuring out how as I built it then gave it to my daughter to play with. The OS did detect the wireless hardware (a hardware icon was visible on the panel) so I clicked that and then "Activate" in the applet that came up but now can't see any wireless card at all, don't know where to go to configure such things.

I have tried under system settings, network settings and system settings, advanced, hardware with no luck ,,, on the assumption that the wireless has, in fact, activated where do I go to configure it?

Thanks for the replies so far, by the time you reply I'm guessing the system will be upgraded to 10.04

Keke

[Kyuuketsuki]

Re: Kubuntu On Acer Aspire 3000

OK ... successful upgrade to 10.04 ... Should this now be moved to the 10.04 forum?

Anyway, how do I get the wireless activated & configured?

Keke

[oshunluvr]

Re: Kubuntu On Acer Aspire 3000

There are a ton of posts here about wireless - generally start by removing everything associated with knetworkmanager and install wicd. If that doesn't "just work" start a new thread (after you read the others, of course )

[GreyGeek]

Re: Kubuntu On Acer Aspire 3000

First, do the easy thing. Plug in a cat5 ethernet cable from the back of your wireless to your PC. That should get you an immediate internet connection. Then ...

KMenu --> System --> Hardware drivers

which will scan your unconfigured hardware and see if it has any drivers to download and install, including your wireless driver. If that works then you are done.

If it cannot configure your wireless then open a console and issue

lspci | grep Network

to see your your wireless hardware is. Using that information navigate this site: wireless.kernel.org and locate your hardware. It will have the driver and instructions necessary to install it.

As another option you can use ndiswrapper. If you need to use it let us know.

[Kyuuketsuki]

Re: Kubuntu On Acer Aspire 3000

Hi GG,

I've been following your attempt to help someone else here: http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3112334.0 specifically:

Use apt-get or Synaptic and completely removed the following packages:

modemmanager
network-manager
network-manager-openconnect
network-manager-openvpn
network-manager-pptp
network-manager-vpnc
knm-runtime
network-manager-kde
plasma-widget-networkmanagement

and install the following packages, if you haven't already:

python-urwid (0.9.9.1-1)
python-wicd (1.7.0-2)
wicd (1.7.0-2)
wicd-cli (1.7.0-2)
wicd-curses (1.7.0-2)
wicd-daemon (1.7.0-2)
wicd-gtk (1.7.0-2)

Then, reboot.

KNetworkManager and wicd interfere with each other.

That didn't work ... I have checked that my XP installation (which very weirdly works in safe mode with network ... this might give you an idea why I finally ditched it) to check that wireless is switched on by default (that is to say that if I boot & restart in safe mode with networking it switches on and connects to my wireless router).

If I type "sudo iwlist scanning" I get:

lo Interface doesn't support scanning.

eth0 Interface doesn't support scanning.

wlan0 Interface doesn't support scanning : Network is down

And when I type "iwconfig" (never knew about that one, LOL) I get:

lo no wireless extensions.

eth0 no wireless extensions.

wlan0 IEEE 802.11bg ESSIDff/any
Mode:Managed Access Point: Not-Associated Tx-Power=0 dBm
Retry long limit:7 RTS thrff Fragment thrff
Power Managementff

Presumably, by "KMenu --> System --> Hardware drivers", you mean "KMenu --> System Settings --> Advanced --> Hardware"? If so I can't find any evidence of it scanning anything or any option for downloading drivers.

"lspci | grep Network" returns:

00:0b.0 Netwotk controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4318 [AirForce One 54g] 802.11g Wireless LAN Controller (rev.02)

I already know it works with wired network.

Keke

[GreyGeek]

Re: Kubuntu On Acer Aspire 3000

That advice was for folks who had a working internet connection but were blocked by a problem with in incompletely removed KNM app. Your problem is different. Since you have a working Internet connection via eth0 make sure that KNM is removed and wicd is installed.

Presumably, by "KMenu --> System --> Hardware drivers", you mean "KMenu --> System Settings --> Advanced --> Hardware"? If so I can't find any evidence of it scanning anything or any option for downloading drivers.

Nope. I'm running Kubuntu 10.4 with KDE 4.5.1 with the CLASSIC menu configuation, and my "Hardware" menu option is where I reported it. When you run it a dialog appears saying it is scanning... Then a window appears. I've attached a graphic of mine, which shows no unconfigured proprietary hardware.


Very curious ...

Your "iwlist scanning" reports

wlan1 Interface doesn't support scanning : Network is down

but "ifconfig" shows

wlan0 IEEE 802.11bg ESSIDff/any
Mode:Managed Access Point: Not-Associated Tx-Power=0 dBm
Retry long limit:7 RTS thrff Fragment thrff
Power Managementff

You reported TWO wlanx interfaces, in addition to your Ethernet port.

Wlan0 "appears" to be active but won't scan and is not linked to an AP. Wlan1 doesn't support scanning.

Without resolving the wlan1 defect, try to force wlan0 to scan for AP cells by specifically with:

sudo iwlist wlan0 scanning

IF it lists your AP and any others, then run wicd and configure it with your AP name, type and password. Then try to connect.

If specific scanning doesn't list your AP then we'll have to use either the wireless.kernel.org source for the broadcom 4318 driver, or ndiswrapper.

[oshunluvr]

Re: Kubuntu On Acer Aspire 3000

I have an old HP laptop with the same card and the bcmwl-kernel-source worked for me. You'll likely need to use that.

[GreyGeek]

Re: Kubuntu On Acer Aspire 3000

That or, perhaps,

sudo apt-get install b43-fwcutter

[Kyuuketsuki]

Re: Kubuntu On Acer Aspire 3000

OK,

I will look at that this evening though today I plan to take it to work and get some guy who knows Linux (admittedly not an Ubuntu variant) to have a look.

The wlan1/wlan0 thing was a typo because I am working on the laptop but typing on another machine so I'm typing it all in and I made a mistake ... sorry (there is ONLY wlan0)

And oshunluvr, I neglected to thank you for your advice above ... it was that that sent me off to GG's old wireless thread ... so thanks

Keke

[oshunluvr]

Re: Kubuntu On Acer Aspire 3000

Hey. no problem. If I get a chance this week I might pull out that old lappy with the same wifi card and see if I can remember how I got it working.

[sithlord48]

Re: Kubuntu On Acer Aspire 3000

does this machine have a switch to turn off the wifi (on some laptops its fn+f2 or a real switch).

[Kyuuketsuki]

Re: Kubuntu On Acer Aspire 3000

Hey Guys,

Stage 1 complete ... the guy at work has done my wireless connection as well as a webcam and installed a scanner driver. Haven't tried the last yet but I have a Canoscan LIDE20 which doesn't work with anything above XP (pretty good scanner too).

I'm mostly home 'n dry (thanks) but I would like to install Adobe Air & connect to my LG NAS.

Again, thx for the help.

Keke