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I run into all kinds of problems with hardware not working after install (specifically the touchpad and wifi), but everything works perfectly on the LiveUSB. Is there a setting to install to disk with those basic drivers? I'd rather just have these general drivers working and update each device individually later than try to troubleshoot every problem Ubuntu ends up with after install, especially when those problems prevent me from having a mouse pointer and an Internet connection.

My hardware:

  • HP Probook 4720s (originally a Windows 7 64-bit machine)
  • Core i5 2.5 Ghz Processor
  • 4GB of RAM
  • Radeon 530v GPU
  • Synaptics Touchpad
  • Atheros Wireless Adapter

Further details: I'm attempting to install the latest 64-bit version of Ubuntu 14.04. I have done this both with and without updates via wi-fi during installation, with the same results. I'm using a Live Image on a 4 GB USB drive made using UNetbootin.

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  • The thing is, there is no such thing as catch-all drivers, and I hope you are not serious about updating each device individually, that's easier said then done. What wireless card is there and what touchpad? Oct 23, 2014 at 18:40
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    Why? Why is that so strange? First of all, that's exactly what I end up having to do when I install normally (with wifi). A bunch of devices that were working fine on the Live CD are now nonfunctional and I have to troubleshoot each one individually. I would rather have some general but functional drivers than ones that don't work at all if I'm going to be scouring the web for my hadware's actual drivers. Also, if there is no general set of drivers that tend to work for more hardware, then what exactly is the LiveCD using that the full installation is not? That is all I meant by "catch-all".
    – Michael
    Oct 23, 2014 at 18:53
  • I have a Synaptics touchpad and an Atheros wireless adapter, and I have gone over multiple solutions here that solved other people's similar problems without luck. I just don't get why the Live version can be so functional while the full install ends up making the OS unusable.
    – Michael
    Oct 23, 2014 at 18:56

1 Answer 1

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As far as wireless card, you could use Ndiswrapper , which is basically a way to use windows driver for Ubuntu. Refer for more info to this page:

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/WifiDocs/Driver/Ndiswrapper

As touchpad , I can suggest only a workaround: when I installed Ubuntu on Acer C720 chromebook it turned out that touch pad at the moment has no linux drivers at all, so I bought a wireless mouse - those suckers typically are plug and play - no need to install no driver, and it works all the same on Ubuntu, Fedora, and Mint that I have on my two laptops. And windows too.

If your programming and script-fu is powerful enough you may write your own driver, but really there should be something decent available in Linux world already. Or maybe you could try looking for something close to your model and install a driver for that instead

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