Newbie video problems

[andy baxter]

Hal Davis wrote:
>
>
> James Takac wrote:
>> On Monday 03 December 2007 12:07:41 Hal Davis wrote:
>>   
>>>  Got the graphical mode up and running in low-res, and nothing I change in
>>> the video settings "sticks". I pick something, test it, select it, and then
>>> go back into the settings and it's back on generic.
>>>
>>>  And while I can load Firefox, it doesn't see the internet anymore, so I
>>> don't see how I can execute the command you gave me, especially since I
>>> haven't a clue how to do internet access from a command line.
>>>
>>>     
>>
>> Hi Hal
>>
>> What type of connection do you have, i.e. dialup or dsl or cable? Does the 
>> icon resembling 2 computer screens show near the time? If so and you're using 
>> dsl or better try right clicking it and disable networking. Then repeat and 
>> reenable it. Sometimes that's enough to get it going again. Otherwise enter a 
>> terminal Applications -> Accessories-> Terminal will suffice. 
> Whoops. Realized why I wasn't seeing the internet. I had moved my 
> laptop in where my home desktop is, so I could check this email and 
> work on the laptop without moving 3 rooms away. I forgot that the 
> laptop was using a wired network, and I hadn't set it up for wireless. 
> It wasn't seeing the internet because I hadn't plugged in the ethernet 
> cable. Doh.
>
> But, to answer your question, I have FIOS at home. I'm getting good 
> internet on the laptop when I actually plug in the cable.
>
> Not getting email on the laptop. I get all my email on my office 
> computer, and I used gotomypc.com from other computers to check the 
> email at the office.
>
> Right now that's not an effective solution with my laptop stuck on 
> generic resolution, showing only about a quarter of what should be 
> onscreen. So, it would be quite clumsy to try to use gotomypc.com to 
> look at the office computer from my laptop.
>
> When I go to the command prompt, I still get this pesky message:
>
> [   90.000000] bcm43xx: Error: Microcode "bcm43xx_microcode4.fw" not 
> available or load failed.
>
> Can anyone tell me what that's about, and what to do about it? And is 
> it related to my inability to make video setting changes "stick"?
>
> Hal Davis 
I just did a quick check on google (googled bcm43xx linux), and bcm43xx 
is a driver for your wireless card, so not directly connected to your 
video problems. The message is saying (I think) that the driver can't 
load a file containing the firmware for the card. But I'm not sure why 
it needs to do this - maybe someone else can help.

see http://linuxwireless.org/en/users/Drivers/b43

for some more clues.