@Axolotl1

The next thing is to go into the bios and see if you can boot from that drive,

Hugz & xXx

https://linuxmint-installation-guide.readthedocs.io/en/latest/boot.html

@shaknais also I don't even know what usb wifi even is

@Axolotl1

One more thing we could try, just in case...

This sort of kicks the kernel to make it restart network things, just in case:

sudo bash -c 'rfkill list ; iwconfig ; mokutil --sb-state'

@MelissaBearTrix I don't know the model of the computer and I have another usb but that has everything I'll need when I'm getting set up again so if anything gets deleted from whatever you suggest it's off the table

@Axolotl1

Can you stick the wifi USB in with the other USB ports to feel up, if that works, you can stick the bus with Linux on it back into that USB port

Hugz & xXx

@MelissaBearTrix w h a

@Axolotl1

How many USB ports are on the computer ?

The USB thumb drives need to be plugged directly into the computer

If you have a USB hub with other devices connected, will the wifi USB stick work in the USB hub

Hugz & xXx

@MelissaBearTrix what do you mean by wifi usb

@Axolotl1

Let's start again

How do you connect to the internet? Did you say you have a USB dongle for internet

Hugz & xXx

@MelissaBearTrix with my wifi password? also:

@Axolotl1

Do you have a spare / free USB port in your computer?

Hugz & xXx

@MelissaBearTrix yes

@Axolotl1

Use that USB port for your thumb drive

Hugz & xXx

@MelissaBearTrix what now

@Axolotl1

I don't think that will work as you have it plugged in the USB hub

At the end of the day you have to be able to boot from that USB thumb drive

Hugz & xXx

@MelissaBearTrix that's the red and black one on the back.

@Axolotl1

Is that a clean and formatted USB drive ?

Hugz & xXx

@MelissaBearTrix from what I know, no. The white one is contingency plan in case my pc randomly dies

@MelissaBearTrix I already got past that point I already said that. That's why I'm asking. If I didn't get that far I wouldn't be trying to get the wifi set up.

@Axolotl1

1. So you have downloaded Linux ?

2. Have you tried booting from the USB drive ?

Hugz & xXx

@MelissaBearTrix I'M ALREADY FUCKING THERE I JUST NEED TO GET IT CONNECTED TO THE WIFI

@Axolotl1

And sorry

And you should calm the fuck down ... Giggles

Hugz & xXx

@MelissaBearTrix I'M BEING GAY AND DRAMATIC I DON'T NEED TO CALM DOWN

@Axolotl1

Could you try running this command in a terminal, and whilst it is running, pull out the usb wifi and put it back in a couple times:

watch -n 1 lsusb

@shaknais what do I do with the information it just gave me

@Axolotl1

Did it show up as a WiFi device? Or did it call itself a hub?

@shaknais hub. That's all I'm seeing

@Axolotl1

Well, I can tell you what's wrong. Not necessarily how to fix it.

You need a driver to use this WiFi.

Which probably means working out the model of the wifi, finding the driver, downloading it somehow, and then installing it.

@shaknais FUCK

@shaknais I don't even know what to put for alt text I am so confused

@Axolotl1

Yup. No driver, I'm afraid. It'll be one of the odd Realtek ones.

@shaknais

Gggrrrr ... Thanks for helping .... Hugz

@Axolotl1 ... This is a reason some people don't like Linux

Did you find the driver ? ... I think the best way would be though windows ... Control panel .... Hardware ... ~ Wifi

Hugz & xXx

@MelissaBearTrix @shaknais giving up for tonight. If I keep going I'll go insane.

@shaknais@mastodon.social @Axolotl1@gaygeek.social I'd try using a more cutting-edge distro, if you know what I mean? I have a tp-link usb wifi dongle that requires kernel 6.14<, pretty sure Mint doesn't have that yet

@witix @shaknais what is with all this wifi dongle stuff