[fixed, but crude] WiFi problems

[merelyjim]

After the last install, my Realtek 802.11n chipset couldn't be recognized.
Ten years ago, if this had been the only problem encountered with a new install, it'd be golden!
But after looking on the Debian forums, I tried this in the command line;
aptitude update
aptitude install firmware-realtek wireless-tools
... and nothing.  But, I know from past experience on other distro's, this should work.
Hum. Okay, we'll try this;
sudo apt-get install network-manager-gnome && sudo apt-get remove wicd
It worked. This is being posted over wifi, so worth mentioning.
Is it a crude fix? I assume so, but it works, and might help someone else if I post it. 
9% CPU usage,  15% (567mb/3.62gb) RAM - nice!

[falldown]

WOW is that network-manager-gnome eating up all your ram?
If that is the case I will try and help you find a better (lighter) solution.

[merelyjim]

I appreciate the offer, but with that much RAM sitting there doing nothing, not an issue with this machine.

Brings up the question of;
1. Best tool to diagnose what's going on in your system? Command-line, GUI, whatever works best.
2. Is there a hardware database for what plays well in VSIDO filed away in the wiki somewhere? (One assumes that if I had problems with my Toshiba and Realtek wifi, someone else might as well...)

If there's one thing that I learned from the CrunchBang forums, it's that someone will make use of whatever you've written down to make their experience better. Looking around here, think we can duplicate that. 

[lwfitz]

Ive been thinking about a known working hardware thread and this seems like a good time to start one........ Thanks for the work around Jim!

[VastOne]

Thanks merelyjim!  I asked for this and you had already delivered it!

I appreciate it!

[merelyjim]

@VastOne;
Dude, this is a freakin' cool distro! Thank you for letting me play in the public park you created! 
I just wish I could have edited //etc/apt/bing/bang/bong.floppythingy.txt with a few lines of code, but... um, no. Maybe someday.

[ew]

Is it a crude fix? I assume so, but it works, and might help someone else if I post it. 
9% CPU usage,  15% (567mb/3.62gb) RAM - nice!

Thanks. Hopefully this will solve my wifi-issues too. B43xx-you know..., always a hazzle...,
but I have always been able to sort it out with network-manager, but with Wicd it seems
quite impossible...

[jedi]

So if you hate 'wicd', don't want the 'gnome' invading your system, then the solution (THANKS DIZZIE!!!) is 'ceni'...
Both of the aforementioned apps use what would have once been considered a 'vast' amount of resources.  (wicd can take anywhere from 30 to 65mb ram)  I'm not sure about the 'gnome-network-manager', however, with the addition of the word "gnome" at the front of it, I'm going to make my own assumptions and never use it!
That said, this is how I went about getting 'ceni'.  Enable the aptosid repository (the only place I knew of to get it) by adding the following line to your /etc/apt directory, either in sources.list or by creating its own file in the directory /etc/apt/sources.list.d/.

deb http://aptosid.com/debian/ sid main fix.main

Once installed, you access it by typing 'ceni' in the terminal.  It requires admin rights to run so it WILL ask you for your 'su' password.  Once 'ceni' starts, the rest should be pretty self-explanatory!  Enjoy the WiFi, and the resources you'll save by getting rid of 'wicd' and/or that 'gnome' guy! 

[VastOne]

^ Needs to be a How To

And now the million dollar questions, can this replace wicd on the next build and can a new user easily setup wifi with ceni?

Speaking of dizzie, where the hell is he?

[VastOne]

Also, when one opens up /etc/apt/sources.list you will see

Code Select Expand

# deb http://oscar.aptosid.com/debian/ sid main fix.main

Just uncomment it and run apt-get update

[merelyjim]

Just read the HOWTO; thanks!

[jedi]

^Let us know if it works, or if we need to change something in the How To!  Good luck...