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Using on Vista pc SOLVED

Posted: 29 Apr 2019, 03:41
by straybit
I have played with VectorLinux off and on for the past 10 years. It was based on Slackware.
I tried a live version on a Compaq Presario F572US that is running 32 bit Win Vista. It has an AMD Athlon 64 Dual core processor Unfortunately, it uses a Broadcom 802.11b/g WLAN and I have to blacklist some modules. (I believe the nVIDIA nForce Networking controller is for ethernet which I don't often use.)
In searching for a way to insert a file in the .iso file, I found this site and, after a coupe of days of reading, am excited to try it out.
I will say that the link at the bottom of your Home page is broken - that address no longer exists.
Because the Compaq is running 32 bit sw now, I thought that I would have to use the 32 bit Porteus-XFCE-v3.1-i486.iso along with drivers and modules which I put on a USB memory. (Please correct me if I am wrong. I also have Porteus-XFCE-v4.0-x86-64.iso with its modules,bundles and updates in another directory on the USB device) I plan to use the Compaq to try to get a usable USB or else burn a CD.
I eventually will try it on other laptops that are running Win10 and a tower that I used for VL and have stolen some of its cabling.
It will be a few days before I can get back as I have to prepare for a meeting tomorrow night then all the paperwork following.

Using on Vista pc

Posted: 29 Apr 2019, 04:29
by Ed_P
straybit wrote:
29 Apr 2019, 03:41
I will say that the link at the bottom of your Home page is broken - that address no longer exists.
Which link would that be, the Download It link or the Install It link? Both work for me.

Using on Vista pc

Posted: 29 Apr 2019, 19:49
by nanZor
The build system itself may be done, but there is a single link that points to one of the many porteus mirrors from which you can download your desired iso image

http://porteus.org/porteus-mirrors.txt

The Install-It icon link brings up instructions, faqs, and other assorted goodies on how to install. It is also replicated, along with other info inside your iso image at:

/boot/docs/install.txt

In fact, inside /boot/docs itself, are the windows-based installer exe, and also a unix based shell script to install, so you don't even really need 3rd party installers. Just a hint - once you've got the iso on the usb stick, run the installer from *that*, not from the iso image you initially downloaded.

Initial installation in the context of the usb stick means making it bootable. Once a boot has been achieved, there are other built-in utilities that make doing a frugal installation to a hard disk, or even building another usb stick possible with further customizations.

Using on Vista pc

Posted: 30 Apr 2019, 21:32
by straybit
Ed: Sorry! I can't find it today. I was reading about the cheat codes and it was at the bottom of the page that I was reading that there was a link to Linux cheat codes.

nanZor: I was looking porteus-mirrors txt but couldn't figure out where they were located. The one I wound up useing was in Wales (I believe :D - the little grey cells aren't as good as they used to be!) And that is a long ways from Idaho!
As for what I was doing the other day: I realize now that I could have dl'd to the Vista - or even copied over my network - but it won't link to the network in Linux and as I'm so used to Win10 ( :evil: ) that I was working from there and thought sneaker net was the easiest. When i get ready to work on it again, I'll probably copy over the WiFi then do my installation there.

Using on Vista pc

Posted: 01 May 2019, 04:47
by straybit
Installed Porteus-XFCE-v4.0-x86_64.iso to CD and rebooted. Oh! Good! I can start learning Linux again.
As I thought, I can't get the Broadcom WIFI to work. Will keep playing.
Activated frozen-bubble-2.2.13-x86_64-bundle-xfce-dan.xzm (I may have wrong spelling of dan. I hand write and then have difficulty reading my writing :x ). then clicked on it in Games
Get Error: Failed to execute command "frozen bubble". Failed to execute child process "frozen bubble" (No such file or directory)
Cannot get file manager to reduce its window size - can get the double box in the upper right corner to change to single box and back. Can get arrow in lower right corner but mouse doesn't catch and move it. ( and the arrow points up-right to down-left! ???)
Will play more Thursday.

Using on Vista pc

Posted: 01 May 2019, 08:35
by donald
Hi straybit

frozen-bubble-2.2.1.3-x86_64-bundle-xfce-don.xzm
md5sum c3d000974e845efb18ff17657805f427

This bundle was made to work with porteus 3.2.2.
I don't know why it is available in 4.0...sorry.

Window size:
place the mouse pointer in the window to be resized,
hold down the alt and right mouse button.
Drag the mouse to change the window size.

Wifi:
Which (Broadcom) Chipset?

Using on Vista pc

Posted: 02 May 2019, 02:50
by straybit
Thanks, Donald.
I found the problem with window size: the right side was off the screen. Click and hold on the header and was able to move it left and then could resize. Appreciate your instructions and will try that when I boot Porteus.
I don't see windows identifying the chip set, although it did say that the inf section was BCOM43XG11_NT60. Doesn't say any thing to me.
It has been more than a year since I did much with Linux. Is there a command that will give that info?

Using on Vista pc

Posted: 02 May 2019, 03:38
by straybit
Found another topic and refreshed some of my grey cells!
lspci: Broadcom Corporation BCM 80211b/g WLAN (rev02)
hth

Using on Vista pc

Posted: 02 May 2019, 08:16
by donald
Good start,but not verbose enough.
try:
lspci -vnn | grep -i net
to get the textual and numeric ID's (names & numbers)

It may be that only a certain firmware is missing
grep -i firm /var/log/dmesg
Look for the usual suspects like "failed to load.." etc.

lspci -knn will show which driver is used.

Using on Vista pc

Posted: 03 May 2019, 19:38
by straybit
root@porteus:/home/guest# lspci -vnn | grep -i net
00:14.0 Bridge [0680]: NVIDIA Corporation MCP51 Ethernet Controller [10de:0269] (rev a3)
03:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Broadcom Corporation BCM4311 802.11b/g WLAN [14e4:4311] (rev 02)
root@porteus:/home/guest# grep -i firm /var/log/dmesg
[ 0.100536] ACPI: [Firmware Bug]: BIOS _OSI(Linux) query ignored
[ 0.113050] acpi PNP0A03:00: [Firmware Info]: MMCONFIG for domain 0000 [bus 00-06] only partially covers this bridge
root@porteus:/home/guest# lspci -knn
.
.
.
03:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Broadcom Corporation BCM4311 802.11b/g WLAN [14e4:4311] (rev 02)
Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company BCM4311 802.11b/g Wireless LAN Controller [103c:1374]
Kernel modules: ssb

Using on Vista pc

Posted: 03 May 2019, 20:44
by donald
While searching if this wifi issue has already be solved, I found this module:
https://yadi.sk/d/oyKc96JN3VpL6e%5Burl
It contains some firmware files and the modified blacklisting files.
Copy it into the modules folder > reboot and, fingers crossed, the wifi will work.

Using on Vista pc

Posted: 04 May 2019, 20:11
by straybit
There was no directions on yadi.sk - at least I don't read russian.
Put the module in porteus/modules and rebooted.
ifconfig still does not list wlan*, only eth and lo.
wifi says: = on
ping my router: network unreachable

Using on Vista pc

Posted: 04 May 2019, 20:52
by straybit
Finding http://www.porteus.org/component/conten ... rteus.html, I added the file to backlist wl and rebooted.
In looking at etc/modprobe.d, my change was there. But so was another file: broadcom_blacklist.conf which contains a line "blacklist b43". I started to comment it out and realized that my change would be lost on reboot.

Using on Vista pc

Posted: 04 May 2019, 22:26
by donald
Porteus 4.0 doesn't ship the proprietary wl.ko driver so all of the free drivers
shouldn't be blacklisted in b43_blacklist.conf and broadcom_blacklist.conf.
( the module contains corrected files )

However,
The information I found says that it should work with the b43 driver, but
it may work with the wl driver as well.
Unfortunately, porteus 4.0 does not seem to have the wl driver.
(porteus 3.2.2 does)
If it's not too much effort, try porteus 3.2.2 to see if the Wi-Fi works with this wl driver.
(of course without the module)

Using on Vista pc

Posted: 04 May 2019, 23:51
by Ed_P
Do note the last comment at the bottom of that linked page.
144-howto-broadcom-wifi-under-porteus wrote:Hopefully all broadcom problems will finally be gone in Porteus-1.2.
The page might be a tad outdated. :happy62: