Friend decided to install mxlinux

[cyrilus31]

My case with MX and phone support: my mother (76 years old, really non-technical person) is on vacation this month. She has with her an old laptop with MX-16 32bit on board (mainly for browsing Internet with Firefox). She did something probably and MX-16 couldn't boot (I'll fix it when she'll be back).

So, I prepared Live-USB with MX-18 with little remastering (updates, language loading automatically after boot and horizontal panel) and sent her by mail. I explained her on the phone how to start Live-USB with MX, how to connect to WiFi (well, there was "a problem" with Broadcom driver - b43, so I told her how to fix it (unblacklist) with MX Network Assisstant), how to log in to the network (there was additional log in through browser with login and password).

With a little patience (especially mine) it was done. She had then a list of steps what to do to start system and Firefox with Internet connection.

But even better, a few days later Broadcom drivers b43 and b44 dissapeared from MX Network Assistant Linux Drivers tab.

So I found solution here on forum and told her (still by phone) to press F4 (terminal), type: sudo modprobe b43 and then password demo and it worked.

Once again, she is non-technical person and with MX (and my little support) she managed.

I don't think there is another distribution with such possibilities and ease of use. This case is best proof.

By the way, she is using MX-16 since 2017 as well (earlier on laptop was Windows XP and it was slow).

A bit off topic but I wanted to follow up on your experience.
I had the same problem with my mum Dell laptop and her BCM 4312 wifi module. All of a sudden it decided not to connect to network. First b44 driver only appeared, blacklisted and removing it from blacklist made b43 appeared and wifi was functional again. Then b43 disappeared from MX Netword Assistant and the only solution was to type sudo modprobe b43 each time we boot (don't know if it's the same for you).
Finally by adding b43 to /etc/modules definitely solved the problem.

[Fibogacci]

A bit off topic but I wanted to follow up on your experience.
I had the same problem with my mum Dell laptop and her BCM 4312 wifi module. All of a sudden it decided not to connect to network. First b44 driver only appeared, blacklisted and removing it from blacklist made b43 appeared and wifi was functional again. Then b43 disappeared from MX Netword Assistant and the only solution was to type sudo modprobe b43 each time we boot (don't know if it's the same for you).
Finally by adding b43 to /etc/modules definitely solved the problem.

Well, it seems that it is similar problem/situation.

Unfortunately it was rather not possible to explain by phone to my mum how to add entry to /etc/modules But yes, it is a long-term solution.

Anyway, I fixed original MX installation on that laptop in less than 1 minute doing fsck to filesystem/partition.

[cyrilus31]

Well, it seems that it is similar problem/situation.
Unfortunately it was rather not possible to explain by phone to my mum how to add entry to /etc/modules But yes, it is a long-term solution.
Anyway, I fixed original MX installation on that laptop in less than 1 minute doing fsck to filesystem/partition.

By phone: go to etc/modules right click and thunar > edit file being root (something like that, don't know the english text), add b43 and that's it
She's not good with terminal but we could solve the problem in 10 minutes today.

Wifi issue is the worst case when you're far away because you can't take remote control of the PC

[Fibogacci]

By phone: go to etc/modules right click and thunar > edit file being root (something like that, don't know the english text), add b43 and that's it
She's not good with terminal but we could solve the problem in 10 minutes today.

Wifi issue is the worst case when you're far away because you can't take remote control of the PC

Well, congratulations!

[Stevo]

You might be able to blacklist those drivers in a GUI using MX Network Assistant. I don't have any of the hardware, but I see b44 and b43 blacklisted by default.

[BitJam]

A Texas rancher was visiting a farmer in Luxembourg. The proud Luxembourger showed him around. "Here is where I grow tomatoes, cucumbers, and squash. Over there I built a play set for my kids, next to the doghouse," the farmer said.

The land was tiny, and the Texan was surprised by its small size. "Is this all your land?" he asked.

"Yes," the Luxembourger said proudly. "This is all mine!"

"You mean this is it? This is all of it?" the Texan asked incredulously.

"Yes, yes, this is really all mine!"

"Well, son," said the Texan, "back home I'd get in my car before the sun'd come up and I'd drive and drive and drive, and when the sun set, why, I'd only be halfway across my land!"

"Oh, yes," replied the Luxembourger farmer wistfully, "I used to have a car like that."

[Fibogacci]

You might be able to blacklist those drivers in a GUI using MX Network Assistant. I don't have any of the hardware, but I see b44 and b43 blacklisted by default.

Well, that was the problem.

At the beginning both drivers were blacklisted (red colour) - b43 and b44.

After unblacklisting b43 - it moved and has black colour, wifi started.

After rebooting there was no b43, but b44 (blacklisted, red). The same procedure - unblacklist b44, wifi worked.

And next time there were no b43 and b44 - nor black or red.

So the solution from MX Linux Forum worked - sudo modprobe b43.

Everything was done with MX Network Assistant - Linux Drivers tab.

[cyrilus31]

Same issue here. b43 and b44 disappeared to never appear again.