Sometimes multiple sources don't merge properly to let you "select" (via traditional means) the packages in the other sources. You have at least 4 sources in the update listing. xenial, xenial-updates, xenial-security, xenial-backports. One OLD school trick to merge the sources that I use.

$ sudo apt-get install dselect
$ sudo dselect update

$ sudo apt-get install firmware-realtek

It's kind of a cousin to tasksel. You can run it just dselect and have an ncurses installer menu-ish driver interface. But it also acts like apt if you send it CLI parms. There's probably a more proper way of apt-get --merge update or some such that dselect ultimately does, I just never bothered to learn it since dselect does it. And in terms of OLD school things, dselect also populates the available file which is one way to more casually browse the complete listing of "available" packages with more verbose descriptions and meta-data, all in one file.

bob@bob-HP-Laptop-17-bs0xx ~ $ /etc/apt/sources.d/
bash: /etc/apt/sources.d/: No such file or directory


Where do I learn about the commands/and the results? So as you can see there isn't a file?? Thanks.

as you see still unable to install "realtek"




bob@bob-HP-Laptop-17-bs0xx ~ $ sudo apt-get install dselect
[sudo] password for bob:
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following NEW packages will be installed:
dselect
0 upgraded, 1 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 188 kB of archives.
After this operation, 1,675 kB of additional disk space will be used.
Get:1 http://mirrors.us.kernel.org/ubuntu xenial-updates/main amd64 dselect amd64 1.18.4ubuntu1.2 [188 kB]
Fetched 188 kB in 5s (31.4 kB/s)
Selecting previously unselected package dselect.
(Reading database ... 372573 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack .../dselect_1.18.4ubuntu1.2_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking dselect (1.18.4ubuntu1.2) ...
Processing triggers for man-db (2.7.5-1) ...
Setting up dselect (1.18.4ubuntu1.2) ...
bob@bob-HP-Laptop-17-bs0xx ~ $ sudo dselect update

Hit:1 http://mirrors.us.kernel.org/ubuntu xenial InRelease
Get:2 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security InRelease [102 kB]
Get:3 http://mirrors.us.kernel.org/ubuntu xenial-updates InRelease [102 kB]
Hit:4 http://ppa.launchpad.net/linrunner/tlp/ubuntu xenial InRelease
Ign:5 http://packages.linuxmint.com sonya InRelease
Hit:6 http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu xenial InRelease
Hit:7 http://packages.linuxmint.com sonya Release
Hit:9 http://ppa.launchpad.net/teejee2008/ppa/ubuntu xenial InRelease
Get:10 http://mirrors.us.kernel.org/ubuntu xenial-backports InRelease [102 kB]
Hit:11 http://ppa.launchpad.net/ubuntuhandbook1/apps/ubuntu xenial InRelease
Fetched 306 kB in 3s (100 kB/s)
Reading package lists... Done
Merging available information
Replacing available packages info, using /var/cache/apt/available.
Information about 85677 packages was updated.
bob@bob-HP-Laptop-17-bs0xx ~ $ sudo apt-get install firmware-realtek
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
E: Unable to locate package firmware-realtek
bob@bob-HP-Laptop-17-bs0xx ~ $



"

$ dpkg-query --load-avail -l '*firmware*'

It might not be called that on your system. Perhaps firmware-linux-nonfree or something else. The other advantage of creating the available file is that the --load-avail option works for that legacy command. The more modern variant...

$ apt-cache search --names-only firmware

Might not be search, perhaps find, etc, not running my .deb based system atm.

$ sudo apt-get install apt-file
$ sudo apt-file update
$ apt-file find rtl8723be | grep -i firm

Or whatever driver is associated with your wifi chipset on that apt-file command. This should help you ID the right package for the needed file. At a minimum it should find the kernel and the firmware packages, perhaps others too.

bob@bob-HP-Laptop-17-bs0xx ~ $ dpkg-query --load-avail -l '*firmware*'
Desired=Unknown/Install/Remove/Purge/Hold
| Status=Not/Inst/Conf-files/Unpacked/halF-conf/Half-inst/trig-aWait/Trig-pend
|/ Err?=(none)/Reinst-required (Status,Err: uppercase=bad)
||/ Name Version Architecture Description
+++-==============-============-============-=================================
un alsa-firmware- <none> amd64 (no description available)
un alsa-firmware- <none> i386 (no description available)
un atmel-firmware <none> all (no description available)
un bladerf-firmwa <none> <none> (no description available)
un bladerf-firmwa <none> amd64 (no description available)
un bladerf-firmwa <none> i386 (no description available)
un dahdi-firmware <none> all (no description available)
un dns323-firmwar <none> all (no description available)
un expeyes-firmwa <none> all (no description available)
un firmware-addon <none> all (no description available)
un firmware-amd-g <none> <none> (no description available)
ii firmware-b43-i 1:019-2 all firmware installer for the b43 dr
un firmware-b43-l <none> <none> (no description available)
un firmware-b43le <none> all (no description available)
un firmware-cryst <none> all (no description available)
un firmware-extra <none> all (no description available)
un firmware-linux <none> <none> (no description available)
un firmware-tools <none> all (no description available)
un firmware-tools <none> all (no description available)
un firmware-tools <none> all (no description available)
un firmware-tools <none> all (no description available)
un grub-firmware- <none> amd64 (no description available)
un grub-firmware- <none> i386 (no description available)
un isight-firmwar <none> amd64 (no description available)
un isight-firmwar <none> i386 (no description available)
ii linux-firmware 1.157.12 all Firmware for Linux kernel drivers
un linux-wlan-ng- <none> all (no description available)
un midisport-firm <none> all (no description available)
un nouveau-firmwa <none> all (no description available)
un prism2-usb-fir <none> amd64 (no description available)
un prism2-usb-fir <none> i386 (no description available)
un sigrok-firmwar <none> amd64 (no description available)
un sigrok-firmwar <none> i386 (no description available)
un ubertooth-firm <none> all (no description available)
un ubertooth-firm <none> all (no description available)
un zaptel-firmwar <none> <none> (no description available)
bob@bob-HP-Laptop-17-bs0xx ~ $


I think I saw mention of B43 firmware, I fail to understand if the b43 mentioned above if what I need(?), or do I need a "driver".

I need a course in terminal commands...

Thanks for the assist.

bob@bob-HP-Laptop-17-bs0xx ~ $ apt-cache search --names-only firmware
linux-firmware - Firmware for Linux kernel drivers
bladerf-firmware-fx3 - nuand bladeRF firmware downloader (FX3)
dns323-firmware-tools - build and manipulate firmware images for a range of NAS devices
expeyes-firmware-dev - hardware & software framework for developing science experiments
firmware-addon-dell - firmware-tools plugin to handle BIOS/Firmware for Dell systems
firmware-extract - A firmware-tools plugin to extract firmware
firmware-tools - Scripts and tools to manage firmware and BIOS updates
firmware-tools-cli - Scripts and tools to manage firmware and BIOS updates
firmware-tools-common - Scripts and tools to manage firmware and BIOS updates
firmware-tools-gui - Scripts and tools to manage firmware and BIOS updates
grub-firmware-qemu - GRUB firmware image for QEMU
linux-wlan-ng-firmware - firmware files used by the linux-wlan-ng driver
prism2-usb-firmware-installer - firmware files for the prism2_usb kernel driver
sigrok-firmware-fx2lafw - Firmware for Cypress FX2(LP) based logic analyzers
ubertooth-firmware - Firmware for Ubertooth
ubertooth-firmware-source - Source code for the Ubertooth firmware
alsa-firmware-loaders - ALSA software loaders for specific hardware
atmel-firmware - Firmware for Atmel at76c50x wireless networking chips.
dahdi-firmware-nonfree - DAHDI non-free firmware
firmware-b43-installer - firmware installer for the b43 driver
firmware-b43legacy-installer - firmware installer for the b43legacy driver
firmware-crystalhd - Crystal HD Video Decoder (firmware)
isight-firmware-tools - tools for dealing with Apple iSight firmware
midisport-firmware - Firmware loader for M-Audio's MidiSport devices
nouveau-firmware - Firmware for nVidia graphics cards
bob@bob-HP-Laptop-17-bs0xx ~ $

$ COLUMNS=200 apt-cache search --names-only firmware

Can help expand it to give the full names, without resizing your xterm.

What about the apt-file one? A little googling shows that you're probably using an rtl8723be variant. You can always go non-distro routes. Same as my hp stream 11, same as my hp 15-ba053nr, for the rtl8723be so no surprise there. Although the USB thing is different.

$ lspci -nnk

$ lsmod | grep -i rtl

$ dmesg | grep -i rtl

When I first got my hp stream 11 ('2014), I had to go this route for a "current" enough driver to work longer than a couple minutes / < 2 hours. Requires the kernel headers and some tools to compile things.

DRIVER:
$ git clone https://github.com/lwfinger.com/rtlwifi_new.git
$ cd ./rtlwifi_new/
$ make
$ sudo make install

FIRMWARE:
$ git clone https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux...x-firmware.git
$ cd ./linux-firmware/rtlwifi/
$ sudo rsync -aRXHv ./* /lib/firmware/rtlwifi/

Perhaps backup and stuff first. But should work in theory. Also note that your device (if like mine) has multiple antenna points and only one antennae which might not be attached to the default which would leave you with a weak almost unusable signal strength. In my case:

$ sudo ip link set wlo1 down
$ sudo modprobe -r rtl8723be
$ sudo modprobe rtl8723be ant_sel=2
$ sudo ip link set wlo1 up

Then the usual networking for wifi things.

I don't know if this still pertains. but sending it along just in case. Now I will study your last to me. Thanks for the patience.

"
bob@bob-HP-Laptop-17-bs0xx ~ $ sudo apt-file update
Ignoring source without Contents File:
http://ppa.launchpad.net/linrunner/t...tents-amd64.gz
Downloading complete file http://packages.linuxmint.com/dists/...tents-amd64.gz
% Total % Received % Xferd Average Speed Time Time Time Current
Dload Upload Total Spent Left Speed
100 283k 100 283k 0 0 107k 0 0:00:02 0:00:02 --:--:-- 107k
Downloading complete file http://mirrors.us.kernel.org/ubuntu/...tents-amd64.gz
% Total % Received % Xferd Average Speed Time Time Time Current
Dload Upload Total Spent Left Speed
100 31.7M 100 31.7M 0 0 171k 0 0:03:09 0:03:09 --:--:-- 15983
Downloading complete file http://mirrors.us.kernel.org/ubuntu/...tents-amd64.gz
% Total % Received % Xferd Average Speed Time Time Time Current
Dload Upload Total Spent Left Speed
100 25.3M 100 25.3M 0 0 165k 0 0:02:37 0:02:37 --:--:-- 268k
Downloading complete file http://mirrors.us.kernel.org/ubuntu/...tents-amd64.gz
% Total % Received % Xferd Average Speed Time Time Time Current
Dload Upload Total Spent Left Speed
100 23366 100 23366 0 0 7346 0 0:00:03 0:00:03 --:--:-- 7347
Downloading complete file http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/di...tents-amd64.gz
% Total % Received % Xferd Average Speed Time Time Time Current
Dload Upload Total Spent Left Speed
100 20.3M 100 20.3M 0 0 160k 0 0:02:09 0:02:09 --:--:-- 540k
Ignoring source without Contents File:
http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu/...tents-amd64.gz
Ignoring source without Contents File:
http://ppa.launchpad.net/teejee2008/...tents-amd64.gz
Ignoring source without Contents File:
http://ppa.launchpad.net/ubuntuhandb...tents-amd64.gz
bob@bob-HP-Laptop-17-bs0xx ~ $ "

Once it's updated, you need to search.

$ apt-file find rtl87

Using the info from dmesg about "missing" firmware as the search parameter would narrow it more precisely. Or using strings on the module.ko for more insight. Plus modinfo and other kernel tools to help know what your options are (especially the non-default ones).

Shadow 7,

Still pluggin away. Found this,

"bob@bob-HP-Laptop-17-bs0xx ~ $ lspci -vnn | grep 14e4
libkmod: ERROR ../libkmod/libkmod-config.c:635 kmod_config_parse: /etc/modprobe.d/broadcom-sta-ommn.conf line 1: ignoring bad line starting with 'Blacklist'
bob@bob-HP-Laptop-17-bs0xx ~ $ "

Confused, ha, how do I correct this??

Thanks,
BR

There was another driver for my rtl8723be, that is a broadcom sta driver (with something about bluetooth working with the sta driver, not working with the rtlwifi driver). Although I think that error is not related to your setup (or mine). And the error appears to be that it's "blacklist" not "B"lacklist when it comes to those .conf files. Comment out the bad line (it's being ignored anyway), or correct the typo if you want it to actually try something.

Network: Card-1: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller
driver: r8169 v: 2.3LK-NAPI port: 4000
bus-ID: 01:00.0 chip-ID: 10ec:8168
IF: eno1 state: up speed: 1000 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
Card-2: Realtek Device d723
port: 3000 bus-ID: 02:00.0 chip-ID: 10ec:d723
IF: N/A state: N/A speed: N/A duplex: N/A mac: N/A

Also, can remember inserting, "Blacklist", just can't remember where/why. Before I settled on this site I attempted to correct the problem. Now I wished that I had a "text" editor that would copy my terminal discussion??

$ cat $HOME/.bash_history | grep -i nano
$ history | grep -i nano

If it's recent enough, it might still be in your history. Otherwise you can scan for it.

$ egrep -r -i blacklist /etc/modprobe.d/*
$ find /etc/modprobe.d/ -iname '*.conf'

As long as you can remember part of the information, you can narrow down the hits to get what you were looking for in relatively short order. Content, name, date, lots of things to filter your hits and refresh your memory.

/etc/modprobe.d/broadcom-sta-ommn.conf

From your previous error message. Sometimes the system stops just shy of screaming the answers at you.

Can the following be explained? tks.
Bob R

bob@bob-HP-Laptop-17-bs0xx ~ $ /etc/modprobe.d/broadcom-sta-ommn.conf
bash: /etc/modprobe.d/broadcom-sta-ommn.conf: Permission denied
bob@bob-HP-Laptop-17-bs0xx ~ $ sudo /etc/modprobe.d/broadcom-sta-ommn.conf
[sudo] password for bob:
sudo: /etc/modprobe.d/broadcom-sta-ommn.conf: command not found
bob@bob-HP-Laptop-17-bs0xx ~ $ sudo apt-get install firmware-b43-1pphy-installerReading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
E: Unable to locate package firmware-b43-1pphy-installer
bob@bob-HP-Laptop-17-bs0xx ~ $ sudo apt-get install firmware-b43-lpphy-installerReading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
Package firmware-b43-lpphy-installer is not available, but is referred to by another package.
This may mean that the package is missing, has been obsoleted, or
is only available from another source
However the following packages replace it:
firmware-b43-installer

E: Package 'firmware-b43-lpphy-installer' has no installation candidate
bob@bob-HP-Laptop-17-bs0xx ~

The first one, you're trying to execute a configuration (text) file, which should fail. They are read at boot and used to determine "preferences", like don't load this module/driver (aka blacklist), or load this module with these parameters (aka options). It is not by itself an executable.

The second one is that you're installing a virtual package, which only exists to avoid changing dependency hell of other packages. The thing you want likely exists by another name. Using apt-file can help ID the name of the package you actually need.

$ sudo apt-get install apt-file
$ sudo apt-file update
$ apt-file find 43xx

$ apt-file list firmware-brcm80211

Seems like testing+ on debian renamed the whole b43 stuffs. Or removed it entirely. You might have stable packages still showing up in the apt-listing for testing. Or other apt quirks depending on your sources.list and your last update / update method.