(Update: Please consider using network manager again as it is working now with Gutsy and Wicd has been causing too many problems. Again, Wicd is not recommended as network manager is working just fine with the Edimax EW-7608pg.)

With the release of Ubuntu Gutsy, there remains questions as to whether or not Ubuntu wireless bugs with once working chipsets have been resolved. In today’s post, we look at what works, what will never work reliably and what you can do to have wireless access with 802.11g using WPA – no excuses.

Items of note:

  • Uninstall network-manager. You can do this by going to System, Administration then choosing Synaptic, then doing a search for network-manager-gnome, removing all of it from there. Or easier yet, Applications, Accessories, terminal, then using your mouse to paste in this code.
sudo apt-get remove network-manager-gnome network-manager
  • Now go to Wicd’s download page, install the ‘testing release’ (wicd 1.3.4).
  • Making sure that this automatically starts up for you at each boot, goto System, Preferences, Sessions. Click ‘new’, then add a title and in the ‘command’ box, paste this.
/opt/wicd/tray.py

As for how Gutsy sees wireless cards, generally it will be something like wlan0 or wlan1, etc. Use the screen shots below to help you get that setup. I recommend this MIMO card hands down. It is based on the Ralink chipset, RT61, while using another RT based driver. Another card that works is this one based on RT2500. And of course, this card based on the Prism chipset, which is not working in Gutsy.

Using your console and the simple iwconfig command to find out what your card is called in Ubuntu.

Using System, Administration, network to learn what the card is called – you will need to drag this window out some for a better view, however.


Setting up Wicd, once you know what your card is called – “wlan? or ra0 or ra?”. Note my use of wext for the WPA driver, if using a non-Ralink card not talked about here, your WPA driver may vary.

Trouble with domains name or DNS issues? Go to this post. And for those of you stuck with ExpressCard only with no access to PCMCIA slots, try this option – same wireless card company, devices again tested by me personally with Gutsy.

[tags]wireless, linux pc[/tags]