On Tue, Feb 17, 2026 at 07:45:39PM +0100, Antony Stone via Dng wrote:
> On Tuesday 17 February 2026 at 19:36:19, Haines Brown via Dng wrote:
>
> > On Mon, Feb 16, 2026 at 11:46:32PM +0100, Antony Stone wrote:
> >
> > > I have to admit to having become significantly confused about what the
> > > real problem is here. Have you confirmed, for example, that including
> > > the wireless firmware during the installation process results in a
> > > bootable machine, but not doing so results in a non-bootable machine?
> >
> > Since I am connected by Ethernet I did not ask that firmware be installed
> > from external media. I in case I nerver had problems installing by meaas
> > of wifi and did not need to bring in firmware to do it.
>
> Please explain that last sentence.
>
> Are you saying that you can perform an installation:
>
> a) using the wireless interface as your Internet connection
> AND
> b) without providing firmware for the wireless interface during the
> installation process?
>
> Are you also saying that such an installation is successful, resulting in a
> bootable system?
>
> If so, your simplest option sounds to me to be just that - install over
> wireless and then use the resulting system (which I am pretty sure is going to
> have working ethernet as well should you prefer to use that interface later).

I normally do a netinst installation while connected wirelessly.
The installer provided all the needed firmware. I do not need to
put firmware on a USB key during installation. Now, with the same
netinst on the same USB key and same hardware except for the
presence of a video card that rquires a proprietary driver, after
it flashes that the kernel and iniram are loaded, the boot
process hangs witn the message about wireless firmare.

If I disconnect the Ethernet cable, after I the druve to boot
from the GRUB menu, there flashes the message "unable to
configure disabled firmwre" I think. The installation process
begins When asked if I want to load firmware, I say No, The
instllatlion process then autoconfigures the network
successfulliy.

The installation process runs normally. When it finishes I am
asked to reboot. I do do and the GRUB menu comes up. After I
select the drive to boot, messages flash by that the machine is
uble to dicover the firmare and is loading the kernel and initial
ramdis, the boot hang as it waits for the unneeded wireless
firmare.

> Are you also saying that such an installation is successful,
> resulting in a bootable system?

No

> If so, your simplest option sounds to me to be just that -
> install over wireless and then use the resulting system (which
> I am pretty sure is going to have working ethernet as well
> should you prefer to use that interface later).

Makes no difference if I install over wireless or Ethernet. Same
hardware, same installattion proceedure, whether wifeless or
Ethnet. The only thing new is a dead GPU chip on the MB and in a
PCIe slot a vidio card that needs a propietary driver.

--

     Haines Brown