Cannot connect to network

[Sharon]

Thanks @ Quarnero

Your help is greatly appreciated, and does not go unnoticed by me. I have not ignored your last response. I have tinkered with other laptops, and since I almost always use cable (faster, private) I have been involved in 3 major projects - all overseas. Travel is out as you know so Wi-Fi fell to the wayside.

I’ve still been adding to the ltop budget a bit here and there. Just had to buy a new one and was groaning that I had no time allotted to wait for Librem 15.

I have PureOS working now on a old ltop.

Tomorrow I will be working through your suggestion. First, I have to learn just what you’re talking about and how I do it. At least I am able to make mistakes and start over.

Your help hasn’t been wasted,

~s~

[Quarnero]

@Sharon

I have to learn just what you’re talking about and how I do it.

I think (by recognizing my partial fault, organizational one), it is much more about back and fourth logic on how to achieve your goal by yourself and not that I’m able (was able) to explain something consequently or didactically (especially not in language that is not my native one).

Let me try again, please start with this two (three) commands (within PureOS Terminal):
$ sudo update-initramfs -u -k all
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-5.9.0-5-amd64
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/yourWi-Fi_card/?????????.bin
etc.

$ sudo lspci -nn | grep Network and/or $ sudo lspci -vnn | grep -i net

As said, doesn’t matter which command is first or second (at this point), but that (if) your PureOS (linux-image) recognizes your Wi-Fi hardware is important (to ensure) to know this exact hardware fact.

For example you should start (as well) with:
$ cd /lib/firmware/
$ ls -la

and see (just look) which files are already there: showing that your Ethernet, files needed (firmware data) are already installed (as they are).

And, please prepare your commands in your text editor (gedit for example, with Oblivion color scheme ) Wi-Fi_ToDo.txt file before copying them to your Terminal! Start by taking them down from this Forum (thread+provided links, etc.), only copy needed commands, explanations, just necessary things to stay focused to your Wi-Fi.txt file.

P.S. Tomorrow I decided (actually need) to reinstall other Linux distribution on one of my old ltops too, although last installation was just about two weeks ago, as just wasn’t happy how I made (sized) my partitions … trying to say: “I wasn’t focused, all the way, last time with my own ltop”.

EDIT: Using $ sudo dmesg | grep wlan0 or $ sudo dmesg | grep wlan1 might help to identify your WiFi card to.

[Sharon]

@Quarnero

P.S. Tomorrow I decided (actually need) to reinstall other Linux distribution on one of my old ltops too, although last installation was just about two weeks ago, as just wasn’t happy how I made (sized) my partitions … trying to say: “I wasn’t focused, all the way, last time with my own ltop”.

I have been trying to install both, Pure and Win 10 together but on two separate HDDs on a HP Z-400 workstation station with 2 new HDDs. I did spend a lot of time searching but everyone is plagiarizing the other guy that assumes everyone has ONE HDD. AskUbuntu has more ‘this was already answered’ than they have help. I guess they think a answer for 5 years ago is good for today. So I black listed them from my ever landing there again, even.

So I’m going to ask here - my last resort (because I talk too much here ) it will be my next post.

I have a feeling you are successful with your re-sizing partitions and making it work. Once I have to two working together. Next Wednesday.I am going back to that ltop and try your suggestions which I copied out and printed in case I blow up my modem/computers/house/city/planet.

[Gavaudan]

Putting two OSes on two hard drives is the same process as putting them both on one. The only difference (in my experience, and I don’t think this is a set-in-stone rule, but it’s what I do) is where to put the bootloader for Linux.

So: first, go into your BIOS settings and ensure it boots in UEFI mode (again, I don’t think this is strictly necessary, but it works for me). Once done, install windows before installing Linux. After it’s installed, boot into it and ensure that it works.

When you’re satisifed windows works, go ahead and install your Linux distro on the second hard drive. In the Linux installer, choose to put the bootloader on the drive windows lives on (as that’s where the windows bootloader is).

Here is a picture with the option I’m speaking of circled.

Then proceed as normal. Reboot and ensure that your Linux distro boots as it should.

If you don’t see grub (screen with some text giving you boot options before actually booting your Linux distro) or if you don’t see windows in the list of boot options, open a terminal in Linux and run sudo update-grub. It should show up after that, and you should see something about “Windows Bootloader” in its output.

if you have any questions or need more detail, lemme know.

[Quarnero]

@Sharon

At least I am able to make mistakes and start over.

I’ll try (start over) remotely with PureOS and Tosh A660–0QE (not for real) once more, as simple as it gets (this time).

Open Tilix or GNOME Terminal and enter (just for your orientation if Realtek® RTL8191SE indeed in question here):
sudo lspci -vnn | grep -i net

Open Files here (/etc/apt):

Type Ctrl+L and write up front /etc/apt (above line) admin:// to get admin:///etc/apt, hit Enter (+ your sudo passwd), to get this:

Open sources.list file with other application (enter passwd):

Add this new line, save sources.list and close it:
deb http://httpredir.debian.org/debian/ buster non-free

Connect Ethernet cable and back to Terminal to enter following commands:
sudo update
sudo apt install firmware-realtek
sudo apt install firmware-misc-nonfree
sudo reboot

After reboot open Settings / Power if you see:

If successful select your Network and enter required Wi-Fi passwd: