New Pi

First install wicd: sudo apt-get install wicd-curses then run it: sudo wicd-curses select your router and enter the encryption key. Job done (if you're lucky).

Bit hard without a network connection.

Is the wifi config gui not hidden in a menu somewhere, even though it's not on the desktop? Alternatively you could edit the wifi settings file manually: sudo nano /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf

Here's how it should look for a WPA2 network:

---------- ctrl_interface=DIR=/var/run/wpa_supplicant GROUP=netdev update_config=1 network={ ssid="WifiNetworkNameGoesHere" #psk="WifiPasswordGoesHere" psk= proto=RSN key_mgmt=WPA-PSK pairwise=CCMP group=CCMP auth_alg=OPEN }

---------- where the psk is either the wifi password or a hash of the wifi password. Put a # before the line you don't use (ideally, remove the password line). Generate the hash with "wpa_passphrase WifiNetworkName"

Thanks. That looks quite a mouthful for someone very new to Pi. Hope the method in previous post works

Malcolm

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T M Smith 
Using an Iyonix and RISC OS 5.20 in the North Riding of Yorkshire

Thankyou for the info. I will cable-up my Pi and see if I can carry out your instructions. Which is the recommended site for this download, or doesn't that matter?

Malcolm

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T M Smith 
Using an Iyonix and RISC OS 5.20 in the North Riding of Yorkshire

apt-get pulls packages down from the main Raspbian package repository. All Linux distributions work this way. Each Linux distribution has its own package library (known as a repository or repo) and its package installer installs packages from there by default, though you can usually add third party repos to its search list.

Distros don't all use the same package installer: Debian and distros derived from it, such as Raspbian, Ubuntu and Mint, use apt-get while The RedHat distros, Fedora, RHEL and their derivatives use yum. Probably too much info I know, but its useful to know that this is the main schism among Linux distros, with others, such as SUSE and slackware, following along behind. Most mainstream distros support much the same set of packages/apps: the package names may differ a bit, but generally not enough to make them unrecognisable.

HTH

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martin@   | Martin Gregorie 
gregorie. | Essex, UK 
org       |

Fortunately Raspbian supports Ethernet straight out of the box.

Thanks Martin, this all contributes to my small amount of knowledge of Linux and clears up the point in question.

Malcolm

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T M Smith 
Using an Iyonix and RISC OS 5.20 in the North Riding of Yorkshire

Sure. But if he could figure that out & do an update, he'll also get the wifi icon on the desktop.

For OP, to do a full update, open a terminal or console window and type these lines in order: sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get -y dist-upgrade sudo rpi-update sudo reboot

The first line is important. It gets a new list of available packages & updates from the server (up-to-date versions, dependencies etc etc). Don't go installing or upgrading until you have done that at least once.

I have tried the apt-get line which proceeded OK until it displayed on screen 0%[ connecting to Debian] when the system seemed to freeze.

No download and I had to reboot.

What is wrong?

Malcolm

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T M Smith 
Using an Iyonix and RISC OS 5.20 in the North Riding of Yorkshire

Is it plugged into a WIRED network ? "connecting to Debian" really means that is is trying to get out on the int ernet. Is it possible?

Does ping 8.8.8.8 give you a reply? (8.8.8.8 is Google's name server)

Thanks for that! :-)

I knew it would be worth lurking in this NG even though it's unlikely I'd actually buy myself a Pi. You can pick up a lot of useful hints and tips from this NG and that ping test is a nice easy one to remember. I've just tried it on this win2k box and got an average ping time of 20ms.

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Regards, J B Good

Well, hmm, yes, but I meant you to ping from the Pi. To see if you have networking from the pi, since it is the pi that will contact debian's repository when doing apt-get update

Yes, I did understand that point. I was just chipping in to thank you for providing an easy to remember ping address, usable on_any_ system with a CLI and internet access.

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Regards, J B Good

Thanks Rob and Alex. Pinged google OK. Had left wifi dongle plugged in previously which may have caused lack of connection. I then updated the system as per Alex which after about 2hrs completed OK. Then ran Robs code which was OK until I had to select router and enter encryption key. I then get errors from Bash; not sure what I should be entering to get aceptance. How do I select router? I am with Plusnet and using a technicolor router with ssid,sn & router password, GW, MAC and key password shown underneath.

Malcolm

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T M Smith 
Using an Iyonix and RISC OS 5.20 in the North Riding of Yorkshire

A further thought: if you consider yourself a Windows power user and/or are familiar with the Windows command line, you may find a copy of 'Linux in a Nutshell' comes in useful.

A significant difference between Linux and Windows is that Windows has a tendency to hold a lot of its configuration data in the Registry or in encrypted files which makes it quite inaccessible without a special app, while almost all Linux configuration data is held as plain ASCII text files and hence can all be read and modified with your favourite text editor. Then, of course, there are the man, apropos and locate commands as well as good command line editing, command completion and the ability to search back through the last 1000 lines of commands you've entered, which all help as well.

Hopefully, the above will give you some idea of why knowing how to use the command line is rather more useful under Linux than it is under Windows. This is why you'll see it used a lot: we do it because its useful and not for any purely geeky reasons.

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martin@   | Martin Gregorie 
gregorie. | Essex, UK 
org       |

Thanks for that Martin.

Malcolm

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T M Smith 
Using an Iyonix and RISC OS 5.20 in the North Riding of Yorkshire

The CLI (CMD or 'DOS box') in windows has a similar input buffer (like Doskey of old) but it only stores input for each session. If you close the CLI then start another, nothing of the previous seesion is stored.

Your mention of "the last 1000 lines of commands" prompted me to test the one in Linux Mint 15 to see if my memory in regard of Knoppix Live CD sessions doing likewise was true.

To my surprise, not only does it retain the input commands over successive sessions it also does so for previous boot sessions which, of course, I wouldn't have experienced with a Live CD session.

Just for kicks, I've logged into the NAS4Free console via SSH to test this feature in a freeBSD *nix and it seems to work through successive login sessions ok but no sign of storing previous boot sessions.

I think that's most likely on account I'm running the embedded image version from flash media so the input buffer is only held in ram rather akin to a Live CD session. Not a big deal on a server that maybe gets rebooted 3 or 4 times a year (mostly for OS updates).

+1 for that feature.

I'm not a very experienced Linux user despite playing with the Red Hat Linux 5.0 install CD that was included with the famous "Linux for Dummies" book my brother in law gave me as a present some time around

1997 / 1998. The book seems to be a first edition published in 1997! It still remains an excellent reference even today.

I've dabbled on and off (more off than on) ever since but never quite got to using it 'In Anger' so to speak. However, having an understanding of the basics is a boon when booting any Live CD flavours of *nix and I've gotten well beyond the stage of "Right! That's Linux Installed. Now what do I do?" that I was at when I first installed RH5.

I'm expecting to accelerate my aquaintance with Linux in about a year's time when I make my next major hardware upgrade and will no longer be able to usefully boot into win2k.

There's no other version of Microsoft windows I'd care to directly inflict on a poor defenceless PC so it's going to be a case of a Linux host with whatever minimal versions of windows 'guests' that are required for any 'must have' software installed into disposable virtual machines that I don't have to encumber with the baggage of an antivirus suite.

I'm planning on "Having My Cake And Eating It Too". :-)

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Regards, J B Good

rpi-update installs bleeding-edge code. That may not be a good idea for a beginner, unless they are prepared to sort out any problems.

The Bash shell stores all commands in the file ~/.bash_history but only on shell exit. If you have multiple sessions (windows) open, only the history of the last one closed will be saved. Max file size etc. is controlled via environment variables, see "set | grep HIST". Other shells have other policies.

See "man bash" and search by typing /HIST (and Enter). Only / (and Enter) jumps to the next entry.