Puppy Linux 8.0 not detecting Wireless (Solved)

[Meta Master]

My disc-booted 64-bit Puppy Linux 8.0 is not detecting my computer's wireless network interface. The wireless network interface does run fine with my computer's installed Ubuntu operating system. Puppy Linux is only detecting my eth0 ethernet.

Puppy Linux's terminal revealed my network module should be iwlwifi, but Puppy Linux still insists "No new interfaces were detected" when loading that network module via the Puppy Linux's Network Wizard.

This is a Latitude 6430 laptop.

[rcrsn51]

Open a terminal and run: dmesg | grep -i firmware

[Meta Master]

Open a terminal and run: dmesg | grep -i firmware

Here's everything that appeared from running that command:

(nothing appeared)

[Meta Master]

Should I report this as a bug? I don't believe Puppy Linux 8.0 on CD should be having this kind of an error OOTB and my burning software and this copy of Puppy Linux were both directly from the Puppy Linux home page and loaded on a Latitude 4320: a popular type of laptop to run Linux systems on.

I will try to be patient in waiting for answers, but if the OS doesn't work as intended from the CD on partitions with no bad sectors, that does seem like a bug on Puppy Linux's end. Searching online could only offer potential workarounds like using a USB stick -defeating the purpose of a CD's simplicity.

[TerryH]

If you do have intel wifi card, it is surprising you didn't get a result with the dmesg command in earlier post. What did you do to identify iwlwifi?

Try to search for other terms in dmesg: (copy & paste)

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dmesg | grep -i wifi

The above command should tell you what firmware version iwlwifi is trying to load. If not included in the bionicpup 8.0 you can copy it from the working ubuntu. The firmware is located in /lib/firmware
The results should show one or several -2 error codes. All will work, the highest version number would be the preferred version.

[Meta Master]

Try to search for other terms in dmesg:

Code: Select all

dmesg | grep -i wifi

If you do have intel wifi card it will tell you what firmware version it is trying to load. If not included in the bionicpup 8.0 you can copy it from the working ubuntu. The firmware is located in /lib/firmware
The results should show one or several -2 error codes. All will work, the highest version number would be the preferred version.

Here is the exact text I see on my end when entering that:

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root# dmesg | grep -i wifi
root#

[rockedge]

Is the Wifi turned on? My DELL 1505E laptop when Bionic first starts the Wifi card is disabled and I need to use the FN key and F3 to enable Wifi (and bluetooth) Until I do this Bionic will not see it. After the initial setup the card stays enabled through the next reboot.

All indications point to your WiFi card is turned off when Puppy Linux starts. Boot Bionic from CD then turn on the WiFi device and then run one of the network connection programs.

[Meta Master]

Is the Wifi turned on? My DELL 1505E laptop when Bionic first starts the Wifi card is disabled and I need to use the FN key and F3 to enable Wifi (and bluetooth) Until I do this Bionic will not see it. After the initial setup the card stays enabled through the next reboot.

All indications point to your WiFi card is turned off when Puppy Linux starts. Boot Bionic from CD then turn on the WiFi device and then run one of the network connection programs.

My WiFi is switched on, but the WiFi light on my laptop indicates it is not active. However, this is not the case when I turn on my Ubuntu OS installed on this same laptop. This laptop to my knowledge does not have a function key for turning on/off wifi due to having this physical separate switch located on the right side.

I have previously edited my boot order. Though I would not know why, I will attempt to put NIC up the boot order list so it loads before CD, in hopes this resolves the issue.

Edit: The previous idea did not work. Issue persists.

[rockedge]

What is the device name of ethernet card, eth0?
What does the command (in terminal) produce?

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ip link set wlan0 up
ifconfig -a

or try (in terminal) :

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ifconfig wlan0 up

[Meta Master]

I used the "ip link" command and found my wireless is flat out not appearing to Puppy Linux.

When running gentoo setup, ip link revealed I had wlp2s0 as my wifi.

In Puppy Linux's terminal, ip link does not show wlp2s0, only lo and eth0.

Why is this happening and how do I fix this?

Edit: I typed the above prior to reading the previous poster's post. Doing said user's command, as well as tweaking it to say wlp2s0 instead of wlan0, gave me the error: SIOCGIFFLAGS: No such device. ifconfig -a only showed info for eth0 and lo, but no third device. ifconfig wlp2s0 up also gave back the response: ifconfig: SIOCGIFFLAGS: No such device

[rockedge]

when you boot from CD use F2 on the splash page to get a prompt to add a kernel parameter

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net.ifnames=0

this will insure that the network cards begin with the names eth0 and wlan0
this will make it easier for us to debug by using common names

then attempt the ifconfig commands again

[rockedge]

the kernel you are running is 4.19.23 ? What is the kernel version in the gentoo that sees the card?

How old is your machine again? Perhaps a kernel swap to an earlier kernel will have the firmware needed by your card?

[rcrsn51]

Run the command: rfkill list wlan

[Meta Master]

when you boot from CD use F2 on the splash page to get a prompt to add a kernel parameter

Code: Select all

net.ifnames=0

this will insure that the network cards begin with the names eth0 and wlan0
this will make it easier for us to debug by using common names

then attempt the ifconfig commands again

The Puppy Linux splash page just takes me to the basic help page when I press F2. I then just see the list of boot options.

the kernel you are running is 4.19.23 ? What is the kernel version in the gentoo that sees the card?

How old is your machine again? Perhaps a kernel swap to an earlier kernel will have the firmware needed by your card?

The Dell Latitude 6430 came out around 2012.

I mistyped in the previous post you refer to, saying Puppy Gentoo instead of Puppy Linux; in case I confused.

As for gentoo, I downloaded a copy of gentoo about 5 days ago and ran it through the basic setup, and it detected the card at the very beginning when I ran ip link. I do not know what kernel that is and no longer have that gentoo as it failed to install. I had the same result running ip link on my installed copy of Ubuntu though.

Run the command: rfkill list wlan

It returns that it is not soft blocked or hard blocked.

[Meta Master]

In case it is useful, here is my full network info for this laptop:

Device-1: Intel 82579LM Gigabit Network vendor: Dell driver: e1000e
v: 3.2.6-k port: f080 bus ID: 00:19.0
IF: eno1 state: down mac: <filter>
Device-2: Intel Centrino Ultimate-N 6300 driver: iwlwifi v: kernel
port: f040 bus ID: 02:00.0
IF: wlp2s0 state: up mac: <filter>

Note: I got that network info with my installation of Ubuntu, not from Puppy Linux.

[davids45]

G'day Meta Master,

When I get this problem, particularly playing with a new kernel, it's caused by missing firmware. Always self-inflicted in my case but I don't know if you've had a problem with the Puppy during the install.

Check with Rox file manager what's in the /lib/firmware directory. Should be something that resembles your wifi device, perhaps in a subdirectory.

Is there an fdrv (firmware) being loaded? I sometimes miss loading this fdrv when I do a manual Puppy install and so lose the wifi firmware .

David S.

[Meta Master]

G'day Meta Master,

When I get this problem, particularly playing with a new kernel, it's caused by missing firmware. Always self-inflicted in my case but I don't know if you've had a problem with the Puppy during the install.

Check with Rox file manager what's in the /lib/firmware directory. Should be something that resembles your wifi device, perhaps in a subdirectory.

Is there an fdrv (firmware) being loaded? I sometimes miss loading this fdrv when I do a manual Puppy install and so lose the wifi firmware .

David S.

I can access that folder. I see lots of gear icons next to potential fw, bin, etcetera files and folders full of said files.

I do not know what "resemble" would mean in this case, as I have no idea what I am looking for. There are multiple iwlwifi files and multiple intel files.

I do not know what you mean by an fdrv being loaded or how I would check if it is loaded.

The few iwlwifi firmware that actually show up in the Network Wizard for Puppy Linux, do not actually work.

[rockedge]

the Dell driver: e1000e is a standard so I am not sure yet what is going on. It should be in the kernel's firmware.

the boot option page is what I am talking about. it is there where you place the line net.ifnames=0

when you boot this Bionic from the CD is it working otherwise?

[Meta Master]

the Dell driver: e1000e is a standard so I am not sure yet what is going on. It should be in the kernel's firmware.

the boot option page is what I am talking about. it is there where you place the line net.ifnames=0

when you boot this Bionic from the CD is it working otherwise?

I clarify, I got that network info with my installation of Ubuntu, not from Puppy Linux.

I have no idea how to type on the boot option page.

The CD is working despite lack of Internet.

[ozsouth]

@Meta Master
Would you please run in a terminal (& post results of):
lspci -nn

[Meta Master]

@Meta Master
Would you please run in a terminal (& post results of):
lspci -nn

Interesting. Shows the network controller.

"Intel Corporation Centrino Ultimate-N 6300" Ultimate-N? I wonder what the N stands for

Naturally gives a bunch of other info I can't simply copy-paste here, if you'd like anything else retyped though I can.

[ozsouth]

From the lspci -nn, ascertain the network card id. The code will be [xxxx:xxxx] format, straight after card name.

[Meta Master]

From the lspci -nn, ascertain the network card id. The code will be [xxxx:xxxx] format, straight after card name.

[8086:422b]

[ozsouth]

OK adaptor is an intel 8260 & I believe you are missing the firmware file linked below. Download it,
& expand in an empty folder (tar -zxvf) & copy iwlwifi-8000C-13.ucode file into /lib/firmware & reboot, saving.
https://wireless.wiki.kernel.org/_media ... 0.13.0.tgz

[TerryH]

@Meta Master
Would you please run in a terminal (& post results of):
lspci -nn

Interesting. Shows the network controller.

"Intel Corporation Centrino Ultimate-N 6300" Ultimate-N? I wonder what the N stands for

Naturally gives a bunch of other info I can't simply copy-paste here, if you'd like anything else retyped though I can.

The N comes from the wifi standard 802.11N. Here's a wikipedia reference:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEEE_802.11n-2009

[TerryH]

OK adaptor is an intel 8260 & I believe you are missing the firmware file linked below. Download it,
& expand in an empty folder (tar -zxvf) & copy iwlwifi-8000C-13.ucode file into /lib/firmware & reboot, saving.
https://wireless.wiki.kernel.org/_media ... 0.13.0.tgz

That's weird, it shows up as Intel Ultimate-N 6300 in a google search.

I believe it requires iwlwifi-6000-4.ucode, which is in the fdrv_bionicpup64_8.sfs.

[ozsouth]

@TerryH - there's several types of this adaptor - I googled the card id 8086:422b & got the info I posted. If the right firmware file was already available, bionicpup should at least pick up the adaptor, even if it didn't connect, so I think Meta Master should at least try the firmware file I posted above.

[Flash]

There are about a hundred versions of Puppy Linux. Which one is Puppy Linux 8? That might help us to help you.

[bigpup]

RE: Latitude E6430 - Wireless Connection

There is a slide wifi switch located on the right side of the computer. You can slide forward or back to enable/disable.
By laptop features image. Looks like it is next to the optical drive slot.

Puppy could be booting with wifi disabled until you use this switch.
May have to move it off than back to on.

Understand something about Puppy Linux.
A 300MB OS can not have every possible hardware support file needed by every possible computer.
It does for a lot of the common hardware, but not everything.
Thus we may have to figure out what the hardware is and guide you on getting the needed software to add to Puppy.
WIFI hardware is usually the hardware missing support software.
Way to many different WIFI devices out in the world of computers.

Hang in there, it will be worked out.

[Meta Master]

SOLVED

Puppy Linux 8.0 does not come with iwlwifi-6000-4.ucode. This is a bug on Puppy Linux's end that can causes a failed OOTB experience, but can be worked around.

User TerryH was correct in stating: "That's weird, it shows up as Intel Ultimate-N 6300 in a google search. I believe it requires iwlwifi-6000-4.ucode"

If anyone else has this issue on a similar system, go to this link: http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic. ... 421#497421

Download the driver linked in the forum post by tempestuous that shows the aforementioned driver, put it on a flash drive, pop it into your running Puppy Linux, and click on it to install it. Anyone with a different system will likely have to download a driver too -specifically a .pet file corresponding to the correct driver for your system.

Make sure to exit the Puppy Network Wizard completely before following the next step.

After that I went through the manual "load module" procedure and selected iwlwifi. Then go into the Frisbee wifi setup and set it as default (if on laptop). It should now connect to your wifi.