Beginner with Ubuntu, here you go!
Beginner with Ubuntu, here you go!
Hello everyone, I'm a new user on Linux and decided to try it out after hearing positive reviews. Someone suggested Ubuntu, which I installed without any problems. To be safe, I also installed it on a second hard drive so I still have Windows available if needed. Since my router is on the opposite side of the house, I use an external WiFi dongle for Windows. I noticed the drivers also need to be installed on Ubuntu, but I'm having trouble finding the right way to do it. The USB drivers aren't as straightforward to install. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
I downloaded the drivers straight from the manufacturer. I looked in the package manager but found nothing there. I thought maybe I needed to place them somewhere so the manager could locate them. Was a shell script the way to go? I’m just starting out, haven’t touched Windows in nearly 35 years. Linux feels like learning a new language to me.
I downloaded the drivers straight from the manufacturer. I looked in the package manager but found nothing there. I thought maybe I needed to place them somewhere so the manager could locate them. Was a shell script the way to go? I’m just starting out, haven’t touched Windows in nearly 35 years. Linux feels like learning a new language to me.
Key details required are the Wi-Fi dongle model and the driver download link. It seems the device is USB-based, detected via lssub when running terminal. Check if it appears as a network device using inxi -Nn in the terminal.
It's important to remember that Linux handles drivers differently than Windows, especially concerning device drivers. Most commonly used hardware on Linux comes with built-in drivers or is available as a separate package through the distro's package manager. Using an OEM-supplied driver is seldom necessary unless the device isn't widely supported or hasn't been released yet. Direct OEM drivers can sometimes cause compatibility issues, such as mismatches between the distro and kernel versions, making them less ideal unless you prefer them. For wireless adapters, drivers are typically included in the kernel by default. You might be missing the microcode required for the device, which is a small proprietary code from the manufacturer. Installing the right firmware package often depends on understanding the adapter's specifics—providing its make, model, and the output of "lsusb" can help us guide you to the appropriate package.
Thanks for your help so far guys. This is the result when I use lsusb. The USB adaptor I am using is an "Asus USB-AC68 Dual Band AC1900". The drivers came from the asus website and it has a linux folder with drivers in. I just copied it to usb as I keep all my vital drivers on a usb stick for ease. I appreciate all the help so far and I hope you can keep helping me with this issue.
Download the driver from the ASUS source and extract the files. Navigate to the Linux directory and unzip the AC68_Linux package. Locate an empty area in Nautilus, open it, and click the terminal button to run the install script. The process will try to compile and install the driver. If errors appear such as "make command not found" or missing dependencies, connect your device via Ethernet to the router before proceeding. Share any additional messages in full detail.