Install FC18 on laptop? Wifi woes

[Bill Davidsen]

Ranjan Maitra wrote:
> On Fri, 18 Jan 2013 12:56:08 -0500 Bill Davidsen <davidsen at tmr.com>
> wrote:
>
>> Ranjan Maitra wrote:
>>> Are you able to follow these instructions?
>>>
>>> https://lists.fedoraproject.org/pipermail/users/2013-January/428974.html
>>>
>>> I wondered if the problem is that the RPMfusion broadcom-wl is not up
>>> to date.
>>>
>> I believe that the opposite is true, the kernel in the Live-CD is so old that
>> the matching drivers are no longer readily found on rpmfusion. The current
>> packages match a kernel newer than the one on the Live-CD or install DVD.
>
> The broadcom-wl is numbered:
>
> 5.100.82.112
>
> which appears to be earlier (?) than the number:
>
> 5.100.138 in the supplied link.
>
> That is why I was thinking that the broadcom-wl is not upto date.
>
>>
>> Thanks for the link, unfortunately installing thing not in the distro requires
>> downloading the packages. It's Catch-22, if I had network connectivity I could
>> download the things I need to get network connectivity. But then I wouldn't need
>> to...
>
> Yes, I was able to use a wired connection to get these: it is pretty
> straightforward from then on (at least, was, for me).
>
>> I can download to external media, but that gets ugly, complex, and vastly
>> time-consuming. Install a package, find out what else it needs, repeat indefinitely.
>
> I understand the frustration. What did you do previously to get WiFi
> working on F? Broadcom support has never been included in F from what I
> understand.
>
Wired was easy the last time I updated this, though not as easy as when I ran 
ISP servers and had GB to the server and OC12 (or so) to the net. I can take the 
laptop to a wired connection, it just doesn't *have* one where it is, and it 
would seem as though there would be a way to do it better than sneaker net and 
taking it for a ride in my car.

I will be able to get there from here if I choose to make it a death battle, but 
someone could be my friend forever if they made up an "install spin" which had a 
Live-CD and a kernel with all the drivers needed to access current video and 
wireless devices such as are commonly used in affordable hardware.

I would expect more of rpmfusion, I would think they would have the drivers for 
the Live-CD and install DVD available, even though the kernels are out of date.

Thanks for the sympathy, looking at how bizarre the partitioning stuff has 
become, I suspect getting to an install over what I want to erase and not over 
the current stuff will be exciting. Before someone says it, of course I have 
backups, at least of the important stuff, the rest could be recreated if needed.

> Best wishes,
> Ranjan
>
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-- 
Bill Davidsen <davidsen at tmr.com>
   "We have more to fear from the bungling of the incompetent than from
the machinations of the wicked."  - from Slashdot