Working with xubuntu (xfce) 18.04 on a dell optiplex 755.
I'm a relative newbie to linux.
Successfully used a simple wifi usb adapter stick on earlier Windows 7 with same machine for occasional home wifi connection for phone (the stick was earlier driven with Baidu Hotspot software, similar to Connectify, both of which are not available on linux). I'm trying to figure out a way to do use same wifi adapter with xubuntu.

Web search indicated linux software Tanaza might work, but it does not appear in xubuntu software center. Further search indicated that installing the wifi-ap snap could serve same function. I installed that, using instructions on <https://docs.ubuntu.com/core/en/stac...s/installation>, but am having difficulty activating wifi-ap.

In accordance with those instructions, I pre-installed snapd version 2.34(...) and the network-manager snap. The steps for initial installation of wifi-ap, and for checking its plugins, all work fine per those instructions.

However, when I go to the second page of instructions <https://docs.ubuntu.com/core/en/stacks/network/wifi-ap/docs/basic-ap-setup> then whenever I command
sudo wifi-ap.status
then I get back
ap.active: false
and I never see any wifi activity in my phone's wifi search.

I still get the "ap:active: false" output even after inputting
sudo wifi-ap.config set disabled=false or
sudo wifi-ap.status restart-ap
which that page and site suggests (both these commands do not produce any output).

On the other hand, I am able to generate a passphrase with
sudo wifi-ap.config get wifi.security-passphrase
so at least something is working!

Questions:
1. Is there a different/easier/better way to enable a usb wifi stick than what I'm trying?
2. I'm assuming that the wifi-ap snap will be trying to find my usb adapter and enable me to use it. Am I fundamentally misunderstanding this?
3. I'm assuming that the "ap:active: false" output means that the wifi-ap snap is in an unusable status. How could I activate it? The instructions unfortunately don't refer to the problem I'm having.

What does ifconfig wlan0 up say? Can you see your device is lsusb?

Hi hedron,
~$ ifconfig wlan0 up
output is
wlan0: ERROR while getting interface flags: No such device

So I suppose that means the device is not being detected?

Can you provide the output of the following (with device plugged in)?

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Another useful diagnostic step is to run the following in a terminal window
then plug in the USB device and observe/capture the output. That will help tell us where things are at (with respect to the kernel) with this device.

Hi ferrari
The usb wireless adapter device is plugged in, and a light is shining on it.
I suppose it is the Ralink RT3072 below:
~$ lsusb
Bus 002 Device 004: ID 03f0:e111 Hewlett-Packard
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 007 Device 002: ID 0d8c:000c C-Media Electronics, Inc. Audio Adapter
Bus 007 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 006 Device 002: ID 04f2:0112 Chicony Electronics Co., Ltd KU-8933 Keyboard with PS/2 Mouse port
Bus 006 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 005 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 001 Device 003: ID 148f:3072 Ralink Technology, Corp. RT3072 Wireless Adapter
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 003 Device 002: ID 046d:c404 Logitech, Inc. TrackMan Wheel
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub

Also per your suggestion
usb-devices command produced many records, the one for Ralink is here:
T: Bus=01 Lev=01 Prnt=01 Port=03 Cnt=01 Dev#= 3 Spd=480 MxCh= 0
D: Ver= 2.00 Cls=00(>ifc ) Sub=00 Prot=00 MxPS=64 #Cfgs= 1
P: Vendor=148f ProdID=3072 Rev=01.01
S: Manufacturer=Ralink
S: Product=802.11 n WLAN
S: SerialNumber=1.0
C: #Ifs= 1 Cfg#= 1 Atr=80 MxPwr=450mA
I: If#= 0 Alt= 0 #EPs= 7 Cls=ff(vend.) Sub=ff Prot=ff Driver=rt2800usb

Next, I unplugged the usb wireless adapter and ran
dmesg-w
output was extensive, but right after I plugged in the usb adapter again, there was the following specific additional output, and the light on the usb adapter does NOT shine anymore:
[20205.767462] usb 4-2: new full-speed USB device number 2 using uhci_hcd
[20205.903459] usb 4-2: device descriptor read/64, error -71
[20206.147454] usb 4-2: device descriptor read/64, error -71
[20206.383451] usb 4-2: new full-speed USB device number 3 using uhci_hcd
[20206.519444] usb 4-2: device descriptor read/64, error -71
[20206.763436] usb 4-2: device descriptor read/64, error -71
[20206.871449] usb usb4-port2: attempt power cycle
[20207.315425] usb 4-2: new full-speed USB device number 4 using uhci_hcd
[20207.731416] usb 4-2: device not accepting address 4, error -71
[20207.859411] usb 4-2: new full-speed USB device number 5 using uhci_hcd
[20208.275402] usb 4-2: device not accepting address 5, error -71
[20208.275428] usb usb4-port2: unable to enumerate USB device


I quit the terminal at that point, which I guess stopped the process.

Please let me know what you think.

Yes, this confirms that your Ralink device is chipset is supported by the rt2800usb driver (which is loaded)....
Although it is possible to configure a wifi connection from the CLI, I think it would be easier if you consider using WICD or NetworkManager (graphical utilities) to get the required wifi connectivity.

References:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/NetworkManager
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/WICD

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ferrari
Thanks, using your tip to try network-manager, I got my hotspot usb stick working finally with "Network Connections" in xubuntu. I found this webpage which made it very easy to do:
https://www.debugpoint.com/2016/07/q...pot-in-ubuntu/.

I confirmed it works with my phone now.

I hadn't realized the normal settings managers could do this.

Glad to have prompted your further research. I hadn't actually realized you were trying to get a hotspot working....but yes NM is good for that.

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