[Solved] [Debian 5.0] WiFi & apt-get install problems

[hantran]

Hi,
I've recently installed Lenny on my laptop, and I have 2 problems (at the moment)

1/ No internet.
I don't know how to setup internet connection (WiFi). I have another PC with internet working fine.

Here is the output of cat /etc/apt/sources.list and lspci

hantran@debian:~$ cat /etc/apt/sources.list
#
# deb cdrom: [Debian GNU/Linux 5.0.3 _Lenny_ - Official i386 CD Binary-1 20090905-08:231]/ lenny main
deb cdrom: [Debian GNU/Linux 5.0.3 _Lenny_ - Official i386 CD Binary-1 20090905-08:231]/ lenny main
#Line commented out by installer because it failed to verify:
#deb http://security.debian.org/ lenny/updates main
# Line commented out by installer because it failed to verify:
#deb-src http://security.debian.orf/ lenny/updates main
#Line commented out by installer because it failed to verify:
#deb http://volatile.debian.org/debian-volatile lenny/volatile main
#Line commented out by installer because it failed to verify:
#deb-src http://volatile.debian.org/debian-volatile lenny/volatile main

hantran@debian:~$ lspci
00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Mobile 4 Series Chipset Memory Controller Hub (rev 07)
00:0.2 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 4 Chipset Intergrated Graphics Controller (rev 07)
00:02.1 Display controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 4 Series Chipset Intergrated Graphics Controller (rev 07)
00:1a.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB UHCI Controller #4 (rev 03)
00:1a.1 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB UHCI Controller #5 (rev 03)
00:1a.2 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB UHCI Controller #6 (rev 03)
00:1a.7 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB2 EHCI Controller #2 (rev 03)
00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) HD Audio Controller (rev 03)
00:1c.0 PCI bridge: Interl Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) PCI Express Port 1 (rev 03)
00:1c.1 PCI bridge: Interl Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) PCI Express Port 2 (rev 03)
00:1c.2 PCI bridge: Interl Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) PCI Express Port 3 (rev 03)
00:1c.3 PCI bridge: Interl Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) PCI Express Port 4 (rev 03)
00:1c.4 PCI bridge: Interl Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) PCI Express Port 5 (rev 03)
00:1c.5 PCI bridge: Interl Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) PCI Express Port 6 (rev 03)
00:1d.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB UHCI Controller #1 (rev 03)
00:1d.1 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB UHCI Controller #2 (rev 03)
00:1d.2 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB UHCI Controller #3 (rev 03)
00:1d.7 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB2 EHCI Controller #1 (rev 03)
00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801I Mobile PCI Bridge (rev 03)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation ICH9M LPC Interface Controller (rev 03)
00:1f.2 SATA controller: Intel Corporation ICH9M/M-E SATA AHCI Controller (rev 03)
00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) SMBus Controller (rev 03)
08:00.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8111/81688 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet controller (rev 03)
0e:00.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4312 802.11b/g (rev 01)
1a:00.0 FireWire (IEEE 1394): 02 Micro. Inc. Device 10f7 (rev 01)
1a:00.1 SD Host controller: 02 Micro. Inc. Device 8120 (rev 01)
1a:00.2 Mass storage controller: 02 Micro. Inc. Device 8130 (rev 01)

2/ apt-get install "Couldn't find package"
The output of the <apt-get install> command is always "Couldn't find package XXX". Any package.
What's the problem ? Is it because there's no internet?
I want to simply do apt-get install synaptic, in order to install other packages easier with Synaptic, but I got "Couldn't find package synaptic".

Thank you

[izar]

hantran@debian:~$ cat /etc/apt/sources.list
#
# deb cdrom: [Debian GNU/Linux 5.0.3 _Lenny_ - Official i386 CD Binary-1 20090905-08:231]/ lenny main
deb cdrom: [Debian GNU/Linux 5.0.3 _Lenny_ - Official i386 CD Binary-1 20090905-08:231]/ lenny main
#Line commented out by installer because it failed to verify:
#deb http://security.debian.org/ lenny/updates main
# Line commented out by installer because it failed to verify:
#deb-src http://security.debian.orf/ lenny/updates main
#Line commented out by installer because it failed to verify:
#deb http://volatile.debian.org/debian-volatile lenny/volatile main
#Line commented out by installer because it failed to verify:
#deb-src http://volatile.debian.org/debian-volatile lenny/volatile main

2/ apt-get install "Couldn't find package"
The output of the <apt-get install> command is always "Couldn't find package XXX". Any package.
What's the problem ? Is it because there's no internet?
I want to simply do apt-get install synaptic, in order to i

Code: Select all

aptitude update

nstall other packages easier with Synaptic, but I got "Couldn't find package synaptic".

Thank you

Edit sources.list so that it looks like this

#
# deb cdrom: [Debian GNU/Linux 5.0.3 _Lenny_ - Official i386 CD Binary-1 20090905-08:231]/ lenny main
#deb cdrom: [Debian GNU/Linux 5.0.3 _Lenny_ - Official i386 CD Binary-1 20090905-08:231]/ lenny main
deb http://ftp.de.debian.org/debian/ lenny main contrib non-free
deb-src http://ftp.de.debian.org/debian/ lenny main contrib non-free

#Line commented out by installer because it failed to verify:
deb http://security.debian.org/ lenny/updates main contrib non-free
# Line commented out by installer because it failed to verify:
deb-src http://security.debian.org/ lenny/updates main contrib non-free
#Line commented out by installer because it failed to verify:
deb http://volatile.debian.org/debian-volatile lenny/volatile main contrib non-free
#Line commented out by installer because it failed to verify:
deb-src http://volatile.debian.org/debian-volatile lenny/volatile main contrib non-free

Change de for a country near your location from this list
Now do:

Code: Select all

apt-get update

and install to your heart's content.
Edit: Typo corrected

[craigevil]

For the wireless take a look at:
bcm43xx - Debian Wiki - http://wiki.debian.org/bcm43xx

[hantran]

@izar:
I've edited sources.list exactly like you said, and when I run apt-get update, I got this

hantran@debian:~$ apt-get update
Err http://ftp.fr.debian.org/ lenny Release.gpg
Temporary failure resolving 'ftp.fr.debian.org'
Err http://ftp.fr.debian.org/ lenny/main Translation-en_US
Temporary failure resolving 'ftp.fr.debian.org'

...same thing with 'security.debian.ord' and 'volatile.debian.org'

W: Failure to fetch http://ftp.fr.debian.org/debian/dists/lenny/Release.gpg Temporary failure resolving 'ftp.fr.debian.org'

W: Failure to fetch http://ftp.fr.debian.org/debian/dists/l ... -en_US.bz2 Temporary failure resolving 'ftp.fr.debian.org'

W: Failure to fetch http://ftp.fr.debian.org/debian/dists/l ... -en_US.bz2 Temporary failure resolving 'ftp.fr.debian.org'

...same thing with 'security.debian.org' and 'volatile.debian.org'

@craigevil: thanks. I've followed the first step for Broadcom 4312 (wl) but I got the same message 'Temporary failure resolving ...', and when I try to install the necessary packages I got "Couldn't find package ..."

[oOarthurOo]

There was nothing wrong with your original sources list, except for the typo that says "orf" instead of org. It was just commented out because during install you must not have had a working internet connection. Remove the comments and do aptitude update.

Debian officially recommends aptitude, though many people prefer to use apt. If you're just starting out I'd recommend starting out with aptitude.

deb http://security.debian.org/ lenny/updates main contrib non-free
deb-src http://security.debian.org/ lenny/updates main contrib non-free
deb http://volatile.debian.org/debian-volatile lenny/volatile main
deb-src http://volatile.debian.org/debian-volatile lenny/volatile main

[hantran]

The command aptitude update give the same results. Exactly the same.

[oOarthurOo]

The command aptitude update give the same results. Exactly the same.

From the Debian FAQ

8.1.3 aptitude

aptitude is a package manager for Debian GNU/Linux systems that provides a frontend to the apt package management infrastructure. aptitude is a text-based interface using the curses library, it can be used to perform management tasks in a fast and easy way.

aptitude provides the functionality of dselect and apt-get, as well as many additional features not found in either program:

<snip>

You can use aptitude through a visual interface (simply run aptitude) or directly from the command line. The command line syntax used is very similar to the one used in apt-get. For example, to install the foo package, you can run aptitude install foo.

Note that aptitude is the preferred program for package management from console both for package installations and package or system upgrades.

For more informations, read the manual page aptitude(8) and install the aptitude-doc package.

And from the Debian Reference Manual

2.2. Basic package management operations

Aptitude is the current preferred package management tool for the Debian system. It can be used as the commandline alternative to apt-get / apt-cache and also as the full screen interactive package management tool.

Thanks for chiming in.

[aicardi]

The command aptitude update give the same results. Exactly the same.

I don't know if you are posting from the computer in question or not. If you are then this has no relevance. If you are not- Are you sure you are connected to the Internet with the computer you are trying to update?
Here is my list:

Code: Select all

# Stable
deb http://http.debian.org/debian/ lenny main contrib non-free
# Stable Sources
#deb-src http://http.debian.org/debian/ lenny main contrib non-free
# Security Updates Stable
deb http://security.debian.org/ lenny/updates main contrib non-free
# Debian Volatile http://www.debian.org/volatile/
deb http://volatile.debian.org/debian-volatile lenny/volatile main contrib non-free
deb http://volatile.debian.org/debian-volatile lenny/volatile-sloppy main contrib non-free
# Debian Stable Backports
# For information visit
# http://www.backports.org/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=instructions
# apt-get install debian-backports-keyring
deb http://www.backports.org/debian lenny-backports main contrib non-free
# Debian-multimedia.org apt-get install debian-multimedia-keyring
deb http://www.debian-multimedia.org lenny main

[hantran]

@oOarthurOo : I meant, in my case, it gave the same results, the same errors. I didn't say aptitude and apt are the same. Sorry I was not very clear.

@aicardi: I'm posting from my other PC of course. The laptop in question doesn't have an internet connection. The two machines are connected to each other when they use Windows (Seven). But not when the one is Debian and the other is Windows. I hope you understand what I mean.

[aicardi]

@aicardi: I'm posting from my other PC of course. The laptop in question doesn't have an internet connection. The two machines are connected to each other when they use Windows (Seven). But not when the one is Debian and the other is Windows. I hope you understand what I mean.

I guess I am confused then. If you boot into the machine in question (Debian) and it is not connected to the internet. I don't see how it could update the sources.

[hantran]

But it just what I wanted to ask you, by posting this topic. I want to know how to connect this laptop to the internet, by a WiFi connection (or to share the internet connection with this PC which I'm using to post these messages).

[oOarthurOo]

But it just what I wanted to ask you, by posting this topic. I want to know how to connect this laptop to the internet, by a WiFi connection (or to share the internet connection with this PC which I'm using to post these messages).

Ahhhh....

Well, the simplest way would be to plug an ethernet cable into the laptop to update && upgrade, then install needed components.

Second method, is to determine what is the model and make of your wireless card, lspci posted here can help with that, then determine what packages you need to enable wireless. You can download the deb files from the Debian packages website for your version (e.g., Lenny) and install using dpkg -i.

Once wireless is configured you can then switch back to using aptitude to manage updates and installs.

EDIT: I should make clear, download them using your computer that is connected to the internet, then put those deb files on a cd or flash drive to move over to the non-connected computer.

EDIT2: Depending on the packages you need to enable wireless, and the method you used to install, you may not need to download the deb files, they could be obtained from a cd rom as well. Most likely, however, you just have the first cd rom, and you need wireless firmware for your device.

[hantran]

Thank you.

The problem is solved.

[oOarthurOo]

Glad to hear it. You should post your solution in order to help other users who experience similar issues.