Debian questions

[mystified]

I just installed Debian Etch and with some help from Greg2 I have almost everything I need setup. But I do have some questions:

 

Is there a way to search for package without knowing the full package name?

 

How do I start daemons?

 

Also, I configured wireless networking using the native linux drivers and ran into the same problem I did with Mandriva. So I googled and found some info and it said do not use the native linux drivers. Use ndiswrapper. I followed the instructions step by step and it worked. But then I rebooted and no internet. So I ran as root: /etc/init.d/networking restart. And it started my wireless. I don't know why it's not starting at boot but is there some file I can edit that will tell it to start at boot? I have a smilar problem in Windows. Sometimes when I boot wireless starts and sometimes it doesn't and I have to use the repair option and it always works and I get wireless. I've heard people say that wireless in Windows is unpredictable. I guess my main concern is that it's not a hardware problem because I only have two weeks left on my warranty.

[tyme]

I would contact the makers of the system and ensure that it's not a hardware problem. If the warranty is almost up, might as well have them check it. The fact that it sometimes doesn't start up both in Windows and Linux makes it seem like it may be a hardware issue...the system, for some reason, may not see it at boot (i.e. maybe it takes too long to initialize the device?). I'd contact them and see what they have to say before the warranty is up, better safe than sorry.

[arctic]

I just installed Debian Etch and with some help from Greg2 I have almost everything I need setup. But I do have some questions:

 

Is there a way to search for package without knowing the full package name?

 

How do I start daemons?

Basically everything is here: http://learn.clemsonlinux.org/index.php?ti...p;printable=yes but there is also rcconf which can be installed and used for managing services. It is a ncurses based tool thus must be launchedfrom the cli. But it works pretty well.

Also, I configured wireless networking using the native linux drivers and ran into the same problem I did with Mandriva. So I googled and found some info and it said do not use the native linux drivers. Use ndiswrapper. I followed the instructions step by step and it worked. But then I rebooted and no internet. So I ran as root: /etc/init.d/networking restart. And it started my wireless. I don't know why it's not starting at boot but is there some file I can edit that will tell it to start at boot?

/etc/init.d/rc.local

[Greg2]

I have a smilar problem in Windows. Sometimes when I boot wireless starts and sometimes it doesn't and I have to use the repair option and it always works and I get wireless. I've heard people say that wireless in Windows is unpredictable. I guess my main concern is that it's not a hardware problem because I only have two weeks left on my warranty.

I agree with tyme. It is 'very' important to contact them and let them know before the warranty is up.

 

I use the same wireless chip as you, and have had no problems using Linux or Windows... contact the manufacturer!

[Greg2]

So I ran as root: /etc/init.d/networking restart. And it started my wireless. I don't know why it's not starting at boot but is there some file I can edit that will tell it to start at boot?

In your /etc/network/interfaces (if your wireless is eth1)

 

make sure you have the line

auto eth1

for wireless, and

allow-hotplug eth0

for ethernet.

[mystified]

Thanks for the answers Greg and arctic. I'm sure I'll have more! :)

 

As far as my wireless card goes I went to Acer and filled out an online technical support form. It says it takes 3 to 4 business days to get a response so hopefully I'll hear from them by the end of the week.

 

Now as far as my Broadcom card goes I've done a lot of research on it in the past year because it has given me so many problems and everything I've read says this card is a problem in linux. I found one thread where someone posted about how to set the card up using ndiswrapper and he included a poll and over 60% of the people said they couldn't get it to work. According to Mandriva errata the linux drivers are reverse engineered and not provided by Broadcom so they are considered to be unstable. On the Debian page I found it told me not to use those drivers but to use ndiswrapper instead. The difference so far between Mandriva and Debian is that when wireless quit working in Mandriva nothing I tried would get it working again. In Debian, the two times it has stopped working restarting the network did the trick. But people have also told me that ndiswrapper using windows drivers are also unstable. As far as windows goes, I have rarely booted into it since last semester when I needed a windows program for school. But since day one sometimes the network started at boot and sometimes it didn't. But all it took was a few clicks to get it up and working. I've had a number of people tell me that wireless in Windows is flaky so I just chalked it up to that. So now I'll just have to wait and see what the Acer people say.

[Greg2]

As far as my wireless card goes I went to Acer and filled out an online technical support form. It says it takes 3 to 4 business days to get a response so hopefully I'll hear from them by the end of the week.

If it were my lappy... I would also call them on the phone:

http://us.acer.com/acereuro/page11.do?sp=p...p;crc=790373818

End User Technical Support and Service (USA only)

For end user technical support, spare parts and service: 1.800.816.2237

[mystified]

I called Acer and they said it was not a hardware problem. They had me change an option in Windows and now it starts at boot.

 

So far restarting the network is working. Now I have to try encryption.

 

I did find this site http://ara.edos-project.org which let's you search for available packages in Debian by name. So far I have to say I'm pretty impressed with Debian.

 

EDIT: I could not get WEP encryption to work and WEP is the only option offered. I don't know why it didn't work. It's pretty straight forward and easy to use.

 

I also found this command while researching Debian: apt-cache search package name. Now I know how to find the exact name of the packages I need. I'm having fun googling and learning more! :)

 

One of the things I'm enjoying is that Debian left KDE alone and like Gentoo it's the way it was designed. I hate what Mandriva did to KDE. I have no idea why they messed with it and even took out a working feature. The menu updating tool.

[Greg2]

I also found this command while researching Debian: apt-cache search package name. Now I know how to find the exact name of the packages I need.

IIRC, that is the way you found your k7 kernel? :)

 

I have never used it (I use Gnome and Synaptic), but if I used KDE, I would try Adept

apt-get install adept

for a gui package manager with a search feature.

I could not get WEP encryption to work and WEP is the only option offered. I don't know why it didn't work. It's pretty straight forward and easy to use.

I'm not being sarcastic, but... I use a 256 bit wep key with the 'native' driver. :D

 

perhaps you could restart your wireless with the native driver and make it work, like you are doing with ndiswrapper? Just a thought. :P

[mystified]

I tried the native driver and it didn't work. I have the card working now and I just don't want to cause problems with it. I'll probably mess with encryption again but I want to do some more research.