Zorin 8 Lite on old Dell Inspiron 1100

Hello Zorin

I'm new to Linux, but have tried out a lot of distro's and like this one the best.
I'd like to be able to get a couple issues sorted out and would greatly appreciate some guidance.

The OS installs and runs very nicely but I cannot get my network cards working. I know this is an older PC, but it's not dead so I am trying to use it and ditch MS Windows.

Here are the cards:

02:01.0 Broadcom BCM4401 100Base -T (Rev 01)
02:04.0 Texas Instruments PCI1510 PC Card cardbus controller (PMCIA slot)

I've tried a bunch of stuff for the wlan (ndiswrapper and using the additional wireless drivers function)
and not having any luck. It can see the network but will not connect.

The wired does not connect. I downloaded a package from Broadcom and just cannot get that to install either.

I do have the original CD for the wlan and copied over the .inf but I had issues there as well.

I hope I'm posting this in the correct forum - I feel like I've been everywhere but in a circular pattern....
Any takers?
Thanks

Hi and Welcome to Zorin! I am currently not running Lite so will hope Wolfman/madvinegar/Gizmuntu will be able to assist!

Unless I am strongly mistaken, light is simply a stripped down zorin using the LXDE desktop, you should be able to add the appropriate Ti / Broadcom drivers from software center or synaptic by conducting a search
I'm not staff so please don't shoot me if what I'm saying is incorrect.

Hi,

as "botchrusher" said, the WiFI/network drivers should be on the Zorin disk?. Is networking enabled correctly?.

Please open a terminal (Ctrl + Alt + t) and paste this command and post the results back here please:

Code:

lspci

This is so we can see what hardware you have firstly, on the networking side, please wait for Madvinegar as he is the resident networking expert!.

In the meantime, please see the Zorin Lite post install guide: (No networking tips sorry!)

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=4835

You do have Zorin OS Lite 8 don't you?.

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=6917

Only supported until June 2014!.

Thanks for the replies - yardwork has me busy.
Here are results of lspci

Code:

anyone@anyone-Inspiron-1100:~$ lspci
00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation 82845G/GL[Brookdale-G]/GE/PE DRAM Controller/Host-Hub Interface (rev 03)
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation 82845G/GL[Brookdale-G]/GE Chipset Integrated Graphics Device (rev 03)
00:1d.0 USB controller: Intel Corporation 82801DB/DBL/DBM (ICH4/ICH4-L/ICH4-M) USB UHCI Controller #1 (rev 02)
00:1d.1 USB controller: Intel Corporation 82801DB/DBL/DBM (ICH4/ICH4-L/ICH4-M) USB UHCI Controller #2 (rev 02)
00:1d.2 USB controller: Intel Corporation 82801DB/DBL/DBM (ICH4/ICH4-L/ICH4-M) USB UHCI Controller #3 (rev 02)
00:1d.7 USB controller: Intel Corporation 82801DB/DBM (ICH4/ICH4-M) USB2 EHCI Controller (rev 02)
00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801 PCI Bridge (rev 82)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation 82801DB/DBL (ICH4/ICH4-L) LPC Interface Bridge (rev 02)
00:1f.1 IDE interface: Intel Corporation 82801DB (ICH4) IDE Controller (rev 02)
00:1f.5 Multimedia audio controller: Intel Corporation 82801DB/DBL/DBM (ICH4/ICH4-L/ICH4-M) AC'97 Audio Controller (rev 02)
00:1f.6 Modem: Intel Corporation 82801DB/DBL/DBM (ICH4/ICH4-L/ICH4-M) AC'97 Modem Controller (rev 02)
02:01.0 Ethernet controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4401 100Base-T (rev 01)
02:04.0 CardBus bridge: Texas Instruments PCI1510 PC card Cardbus Controller
anyone@anyone-Inspiron-1100:

Lubuntu 8 Zorin OS Lite 32 bit

Laptop has 1 GB ram
HDD 120GB
Celeron 2 GHz

I've seen a lot of reference to the less than spectacular Intel graphics as well.
I have the bios (A32) up to 8mb for the graphics, but full screen boots need the line 'i915.modeset=1' put in, not quite sure how to get this permanent.

As to drivers on the install medium (DVD), I have that available but I'm pretty much as noob as noob can be on this.
I did clean install with network cable plugged in.
Thanks again and will watch for replies.

Hi,

did you check and see if you had a live internet connection when you had the live cd running?, do us a favour and start the live cd once and check and see if the internet is working with a "NETWORK CABLE PLUGGED IN".
When the system installs, it needs to search for other software and must be connected to the internet in order to do this, normally from what I can see, your WiFi card is not in the hardware list?. Is it a laptop/netbook?.

Hi Wolfman, Inspirons are Notebooks - but can't remember if the 1100 was the first Dell Netbook!

OK- booted into live CD - as usual, the WiFi can see the network but will not connect even when the network is set to open/no encryption.
Wired connection does not work. I have lights on all those devices. The options from the right side of the task bar are enabled for both WiFi and networking.
If I look on my router it does not show up. It just seems weird that it will see the WiFi but not connect.
On the offhand that the router would not pick up a new mac, I rebooted the modem and router as well and still no joy.
The Inspiron is a notebook.
Thanks for your help all - I'm hoping it's something relatively simple that I am not familiar enough with Linux to know...

Hi,

having looked again; I think you may have to manually setup your network using PPPOE!.

You do have all your internet service provider (ISP) details handy?, open a terminal (Ctrl + Alt + t) and paste the following command and do this using the network cable first!:

Code:

sudo pppoeconf

A text-based menu program will guide you through the next steps, which are:

Confirm that your Ethernet card is detected.
Enter your username (provided by your ISP).
Enter your password (provided by your ISP).
If you already have a PPPoE Connection configured, you will be asked if it may be modified.
Popular options: you are asked if you want the 'noauth' and 'defaultroute' options and to remove 'nodetach' - choose "Yes".
Use peer DNS - choose "Yes".
Limited MSS problem - choose "Yes".
When you are asked if you want to connect at start up, you will probably want to say yes. (This option does not work) See the secton "Connecting on Boot"
Finally you are asked if you want to establish the connection immediately.

Once you have finished these steps, your connection should be working.

See also:

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/ADSLPPPoE

Let us know if this helps!.