New system setup help, please

**Sybella** · 06-05-2005

Would someone be kind enough to help me get started, please? I have a new system and really don't want to go back to windows but I'm feeling quite overwelmed. Everything is different and unfamiliar (except for Firefox and Thuderbird, which I have used for a while on my windows system). Since I'm used to windows, I think it's harder because I have to "unlearn" and "relearn" so please be patient with me.

I have a Compaq Presario 2188 (here is the info on it: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MEWN%3AIT&rd=1)
It has an internal wireless card that I'm trying to get onto the network but...well, I should back up...

So far, I have reformatted the drive and installed Mandrake LE2005. I went to Broadcom (on my xp machine), downloaded the linux driver bcm5700 for the card, burned it, installed them on my linux machine via the rpm and now I'm stuck. When I use the setup wizard, it asks me to manually install a driver but when I select the broadcom driver from the list (any of the 4 bcm driver choices) I get thrusted back to the list to select another driver. Help please...what do I do now?

I need to get this online so that I can finish customizing it and using it. I've had this computer sitting her for a month because of OS trouble, finally went to the bookstore last night and bought a magazine to get a full version of Mandrake LE2005, and now I'm so frustrated I am ready to cry. I bought a book too, Linux Desktop Garage, but like I said, I'm pretty darn overwelmed with things like, how do I install anything? If I do, where does the OS put it? Then what? "Remember, this isn't windows, 'Bella." Yes, I talk to myself.

On a side note, the touchpad is driving me crazy!! I can't stand tapping and can't turn it off without the synaptics touchpad driver...so as soon as I get online after getting one driver issue under control, I get to do this all over again with the touchpad. Ack! LOL!

**02bunced** · 06-05-2005

Try using NDISWrapper http://www.mandriva.com/products/101....i586.rpm.html
and then using the Windows driver that came with the card. This may fix the issue.

**Sybella** · 06-05-2005

Ndiswrapper is already on my system (which is good since I am still trying to figure out how to install things anyway LOL!) but I couldn't figure it all out. Before I downloaded and burned a copy of the linux driver for my card, I tried that route...but, I don't know how to locate the windows driver on the xp disc via linux. I was able to "explore" the disc to choose the driver file to wrap but without knowing what I was looking for, I was just wasting time and confusing myself more. I just took the jump and have no experience with Linux.

**Sybella** · 06-05-2005

One more thing...a driver didn't come with the card. I don't have a seperate program for it. It's supposed to run on xp drivers but I'm not sure how that is supposed to work either. I have tons of experience with external cards that go into the pcmcia slot and have their own programs and drivers but not this.

**02bunced** · 06-13-2005

Try a different system such as Suse or Ubuntu - Mandrake/Mandriva has never been very good at hardware detection

**Flatline** · 06-13-2005

Mandrake/Mandriva has never been very good at hardware detection

Actually, I have always found that the hardware detection is quite good. Could you run

Code:

lspci

and post the output? That way, we'll know which broadcom chipset we're dealing with.

Thread Tools

Display

New system setup help, please

Posting Permissions