Lost in kubuntu

[58FOOTER]

Hello all, this is my first time using Linux of any kind. My wife and son bought 2 used laptops from our local school board which do not have wireless built in. She went down to the local Compusa store and bought a wireless router and 2 usb wireless adapters. After talking with a work associate he suggested I download and us Kubuntu as the OS for them. I've done so and I've read numerous forums on setting up wireless on Ubuntu and Kubuntu but none have provided an understandable step by step procedure on setting them up. One said I would need to download the latest version Network Manager and ndiswrapper I've done this as well, the only problem is that they're download format was a compressed or zipped format. I've extracted them to the desktop but I don't know what to do next, how do i launch them. In browsing kubuntu I have noticed that there is a Knetwork Manager, is this Kubuntu's version of the same thing? If so all I should need is the ndiswrapper but how do I get it launched. I really need some help here.

[hazel]

If you have ndiswrapper as a .tar.gz file you can unzip it with "gunzip filename" and then unpack it with "tar -xvf filename". If it is .tar.bz2, you unzip it with "bunzip2 filename" and then unpack it.

In either case you will get a directory full of files, one of which will be a README file; there may also be a separate INSTALL file. Read them and do exactly as they tell you. In the great majority of cases, the sequence necessary to compile a program is:

./configure
make
sudo make install

[Grandebasta]

I would wait with setting up the wireless interface.

And I suggest that you get familiar with your laptop(s) in a wired interface, first.

You could go to the forum of "Mepislovers", and get some useful information.

Kubuntu is quasi Ubuntu with the KDE GUI.

The distro SimplyMEPIS 6.5 is similar.

Actually, you could also look at the forum of the KDE website.

[bidi]

I would just like to point out that Ubuntu, as a derivative of Debian, has module-assitant, making installing kernel modules a breeze. That aside, you still need to know what's the chipset on your wireless adapters, odds are there's already a driver out there for it which would allow you to skip ndiswrapper altogether. If you plug-in your wireless adapter while watching /var/log/syslog (tail -f /var/log/syslog), it should give you a few hints. At that point, it will become a lot easier to find answers.

PS: This should probably go on the Wireless forum.

[Oxygen]

Take the wireless cards back and demand one that works on Linux natively... they DO exist.

[58FOOTER]

Thanks to everyone's for the helpful advise. Although after getting the laptops configured and the internet working through the lan, I was able to install the compiled applications from the repository I've got my wifes laptop wireless now and I'll start on my son's next. thanks again.