Kubuntu and wireless

Seumas

I am 100% new to linux, and I have a live CD for Kubuntu 9.04. My computer is a compaq presario v500 laptops and runs windows xp (for now at least). My laptop has a built in wireless ability which works fine in windows, but I cannot get it to turn on in linux (I have tried knoppix and kubuntu). What do I have to do to enable my wireless so I can access the internet in kubuntu? Please write any responses is idiot terms, because this is the first day I have evere tried using any linux program, so I know little to nothing about how to configure ANYTHING. Thanks in advance!

Seumas

Network controller says: [0290] broadcom corp. bcm4318 g]802.11g

It didn't list a network adapter. If it helps Wireless Lan Controller is:

[14e4:4318] (rev02) 06:06.0

Goineasy9

I don't have Ubuntu up and running at the moment, but, on Fedora, that card is covered by the broadcom-wl package. If you can't find that searching in the Ubuntu non-free repos, just try searching for "4318". My laptop uses a 4322 and that's how I found the app in the Fedora repos.

mfillpot

Ubuntu and Kubuntu are good about this, in Ubuntu I believe you go to System - > Administration, then Hardware Drivers, this will list all available proprietary drivers for your hardware including the broadcom card. I do not know exactly were the option is in Kubuntu but it should be under the same name. Once you have the option opened choose the drivers you want to use and click apply. After a reboot they should work, additionally I recommend you install wicd which is a very user friendly network tool that will allow you to easily choose between wired and wireless networks.

EJFreed22

I know with alot of distros broadcom chips require you to use ndiswrapper which can be a pain to beginning users... I would recommend trying wicd which i have had alot of success with hopefully that will do it for you if not you can read up about ndiswrapper cause that might be your only other option unless there is a package that you could get for it.