New to Linux, new laptop, installed Ubuntu

[SLice_760]

Okay, I made a thread about the new laptop in T&T, and decided to go with Ubuntu as the OS. I'm definitely liking it so far, relatively easy to work with, SHINY, and it seems pretty solid. However, I still gotta work out the kinks. I'm also completely new, I know some basics about Linux, but not much.

Anyway, the only problem I'm seeing is so far, the wireless is not working. I really have no idea what to do, but my guess is that the driver was not automatically installed like everything else (hopefully) was.

So, what should I do? I can't really work off of a wired connection on a laptop...

I am running Ubuntu 8.04 on a Compaq Presario CQ50 if that helps...

[SLice_760]

I think the driver might be installed? I don't know. I used ndiswrapper to use the Windows Vista driver from the Compaq website and it said the hardware exists, but nothing comes up to connect to wireless.

help?

[BiOPSY]

Post the output of:
lspci

From a shell.

[SLice_760]

Okay, here it is:

 
00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Mobile 4 Series Chipset Memory Controller Hub (rev 07)
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 4 Series Chipset Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 07)
00:02.1 Display controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 4 Series Chipset Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 07)
00:1a.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB UHCI Controller #4 (rev 03)
00:1a.1 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB UHCI Controller #5 (rev 03)
00:1a.2 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB UHCI Controller #6 (rev 03)
00:1a.7 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB2 EHCI Controller #2 (rev 03)
00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) HD Audio Controller (rev 03)
00:1c.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) PCI Express Port 1 (rev 03)
00:1c.1 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) PCI Express Port 2 (rev 03)
00:1d.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB UHCI Controller #1 (rev 03)
00:1d.1 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB UHCI Controller #2 (rev 03)
00:1d.2 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB UHCI Controller #3 (rev 03)
00:1d.7 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB2 EHCI Controller #1 (rev 03)
00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801 Mobile PCI Bridge (rev 93)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation ICH9M LPC Interface Controller (rev 03)
00:1f.2 SATA controller: Intel Corporation ICH9M/M-E SATA AHCI Controller (rev 03)
00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) SMBus Controller (rev 03)
00:1f.6 Signal processing controller: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) Thermal Subsystem (rev 03)
01:00.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8101E PCI Express Fast Ethernet controller (rev 02)
02:00.0 Ethernet controller: Atheros Communications Inc. AR242x 802.11abg Wireless PCI Express Adapter (rev 01)

I'm pretty sure the driver is there, as the device is listed at the bottom, but no option to connect to a wireless network shows up in the network manager, which is confusing. I think it might have something to do with the proprietary drivers. Because look:



They're not enabled, and I can't seem to get them enabled. Thanks for helping out a noob by the way!

EDIT: I'm in the same boat as this guy http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=975948
I just installed Ubuntu 8.10, wireless is still not working. I think it might have something to do with being able to switch on the adapter. I never loaded Vista that shipped (mistake) so I don't know how everything works on the laptop, but under Ubuntu the wifi icon on the keyboard stays lit orange, and I think to enable the wifi on Windows, you have to push the button and it changes color (?)

I'm pretty sure my issue is that I'm unable to switch on the adapter, but I don't know. I'm going to attempt to install Windows on here and see if I can get everything to work, then perhaps dual boot with Ubuntu.

[BiOPSY]

Yes. witch on the adapter however you want, without power or a switch that is in the off position, unless it is broken, it won't work, period.

Then take a look at this:
http://madwifi-project.org/wiki/Comp...therosAR5006EG

Read specifically the order in which modules are loaded, that seems to be a problem with this particular device in the Toshiba Satellite.