Windows Wiz, Linux skeptic, Fadora Tryout

[Revenant]

I am expert windows user and have a degree in computer science but have managed to avoid serious contact with Linux mostly the whole time with the exception of my UNIX courses...which I quickly forgot.

I have agreed to test out a Linux operating system for a local writers group which I am a part of and here is my dilemma. I got the group talked into buying the same laptops a few months back, an eMachines 4620. Yeah, yeah, laugh it up...but all I have had so far with it is a good experience...under windows.

I have thus far tried installing Slackware, Ubuntu, Kubuntu, and Mandrava and Red was the first one where my Ethernet adapter worked on install so I'm going with it so far.

So here is the deal now. I...uh...don't remember setting a root password in the installation. Is there anyway to retrieve it or change it or hack it cause root wont log in under terminal.

Second problem is with my broadcom 4318 wireless adapter. I need a fix that is going to get that online without a lot of linux knowledge (yeah led by the hand) because I have to get it working on at least 8 other laptops just like mine. I have searched this topic on the thread and see that there is stuff out there but what I really need something that says "Your and idiot, here you go". I'll play around and learn Linux later but right now I need the hardware to just work so I can go back and say "See, this is free and it works great!"

Thanks,
Keith

[Legomax]

not very sure about this (im a noob myself) but i did a google and someone claimed that this worked for your type of wireless adapter. ndiswrapper-1.13-2.lvn5.i386.rpm if you google that, you will get to a download page at some point and FEdora has a GUI downloader of its own for RPM packages which will take care of the rest. i wouldnt go through with this until someone more knowledgable comes to the table. Srry about your problems with Linux so far Keith, but the short-term issues in Fedora is less than the long term issues is Windows. the main thing is that you dont have to worry about that virus called symantec (it can steal over $50 a year you know!)

[a thing]

Ouch, Broadcom is notorious for bad Linux support.

As for the root password, you'll need to boot a live CD, chroot into Fedora's root partition, and run passwd. This doesn't make Unix-like OSs insecure because you can password the BIOS and/or put the hard drive before the CD drive in the BIOS's boot order.

[Antarctica]

Umm, I'm a newbie too like you two, but I've managed to learn a whole lot in Linux in the past month that I've had it. I'll try to help you as best as I can with your problems.

I'm not sure what distro you're running, but this forum is mainly for Fedora Core users. If you want to go to a forum for any distro of Linux, I'd recommend http://www.linuxquestions.org/

Now about resetting your root password... I've never come across that problem, but my theory is that you can just reinstall whatever distro you're using. Make sure that you don't format the hard drive. Then, in the installation, it should ask you to set a root password. Make sure you remember that password because you will be using it for many operations throughout Linux.

Now, onto your wireless problem. Check to see if your card is supported in your distro of Linux. If it is, then you're good to go. Otherwise, see if it's supported by ndiswrapper by checking this list: http://ndiswrapper.sourceforge.net/m...index.php/List I could tell you if it's supported, but I think that the best way to learn Linux is through experience and others guiding you. If it's supported, then you're in luck. Go grab the latest copy of ndiswrapper at http://sourceforge.net/projects/ndiswrapper/ Get the stable version and the extension should be .tar.gz. That type of file is called a tarball and contains the source code. Extract ndiswrapper to a folder in your desktop and follow this tutorial: http://www.manix-place.co.uk/wireless.html

I followed that tutorial and it helped me get my wireless internet working in Fedora Core 5. If you have any other questions, just reply to my post or ask me.

[a thing]

Originally Posted by Antarctica

Now about resetting your root password... I've never come across that problem, but my theory is that you can just reinstall whatever distro you're using. Make sure that you don't format the hard drive. Then, in the installation, it should ask you to set a root password. Make sure you remember that password because you will be using it for many operations throughout Linux.

You don't need to go through all that trouble. passwd in chroot will work fine.

[markkuk]

Originally Posted by Revenant

ISecond problem is with my broadcom 4318 wireless adapter. I need a fix that is going to get that online without a lot of linux knowledge (yeah led by the hand)

I don't think such a fix exists. You have two choices: either NdisWrapper which allows you to use the Windows driver under Linux, or updating the FC5 kernel to a version that has the native bcm43xx driver. In either case, you need some manual hacking to extract the non-free drivers or firmware from the Windows install files.

Originally Posted by Revenant

I need the hardware to just work so I can go back and say "See, this is free and it works great!"

If you want hardware to just work, you should check for Linux compatibility before buying it.

[Revenant]

If you check compatiblity for Fedora The broadcom 43xx series of wireless adapters IS supported. It just doesn't work. Linux recognizes it just fine but just like, slackware, mandriva, Kubuntu, Ubuntu, and Studio 64, it just doesn't work.

I'm sure that every Linux user here has checked for compatibility before installing Linux on all their machines they've installed it on. And I don't intend to buy anything. Thus "See, this is FREE and it works great!"

I working with ndiswrapper right at this moment and going to see if the tutorial mentioned by Antarctica works.

Thanks for the input and help everyone.

[pparks1]

My Dell D610 has a Broadcom 4318 in it and I was able to get the wireless going. Had to use NDISWRAPPER and wpa_supplicant....also took me about 10 hours to get it all going the first time. Now that I have it documented, it only take a few moments.

Send me a message if you need some help....it's kinda tricky when you are new.

[Revenant]

Thats what I'm talking about. I need something that takes moments. I now basically nothing about Linux and might be installing something about 7 times. I'm looking into getting this done myself but I might contact you for help.

Thanks.

[nick.stumpos]

you dont need a live cd to change the password. when you boot the machine as soon as the grub screen is diplayed press a and append a '1' onto the end of the line. this will boot you into single user mode and allow you to change the passwd

[fnord]

Originally Posted by Nickisgod1

you dont need a live cd to change the password. when you boot the machine as soon as the grub screen is diplayed press a and append a '1' onto the end of the line. this will boot you into single user mode and allow you to change the passwd

Not if you do not know the existing root passwd???????

[Dan]

*Sigh* Been there... Done that.

See this page.

http://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/e...ot-passwd.html

Dan

[nick.stumpos]

you dont need to know the root password to go init 1 just go there and type
#psswd root

[Deore]

Although there were many suggestions on the root pass issue I would like to add my opinion...
Some distros do not ask for root password in the install with purpose. Then after initial setup one can login as a normal user and:
$ sudo passwd root
and use that user's own password for the sudo command.
Fedora is to my knowledge not that kind of distro (I can't recall, I installed mine long time ago - if I were windows user I would have remembered that )
So if you are indeed using Fedora than use one of the methods described above to change the root password.

[GreyWizzard]

Originally Posted by Deore

{snip} Some distros do not ask for root password in the install with purpose. Then after initial setup one can login as a normal user and:
$ sudo passwd root
and use that user's own password for the sudo command.
Fedora is to my knowledge not that kind of distro (I can't recall, I installed mine long time ago - if I were windows user I would have remembered that ){snip}

You darned hard-core Linux-type people! How dare you get so comfortable with a good OS as to forget things??

On a serious note, the FC5 install does prompt one to enter a root password. Although it has been a while since I have done my last FC5 install, I do recall that quite vividly since I made the same mistake on one of my install attempts.

The first time I did not have the background to know any better and did the whole reinstall thing. Worked, but took a long time. The next time I had a situation similar (from someone else's mistake that time, not mine!) I had heard of the single user option. That is by far the easiest and quickest.

Going into single user (init 1) does NOT ask for a password to login, but you can change the password just as Nickisgod1 mentioned.

One thought on trying to get all this simplified so you can show it off to your group. You may want to hook it up to a wired network and update everything prior to working on the wireless card. Some of the updates have historically broken things like the wireless configs and some of the more current wireless solutions may even require the system to be completely up to date.

Besides, it is always best to update an installation completely right after install, before you customize anything. You always want the most current security and never want to have to redo any configs you just did because an update changed it.