How do I install the firmware on ubuntu 12.04

I have a Dell Latitude D610 and whenever I try to connect to wifi, it says missing firmware. When I open my additional drives icon, nothing is there. I have rebooted many times. What should I do to solve this problem?

3 Answers

Try install the linux-firmware-nonfree package. Use your favourite package manager, or use the terminal with the following command:

sudo apt-get install linux-firmware-nonfree

The package includes some firmware, such as Broadcom wireless card firmware binaries. You can see the list here: Launchpad page about the linux-firmware-nonfree package.

first enable non-free debian packages by editing /etc/apt/sources.list and adding contrib and non-free to the line

deb stable main

so it becomes

deb stable main contrib non-free

and also add these lines:

deb squeeze main contrib non-free
deb-src squeeze main contrib non-free

now run

apt-get update

then you can look at firmware packages you might want by typing

apt-file --package-only search /lib/firmware/ 

and finally run

apt-get install firmware-linux-nonfree

and any other packages you think you need

In case you don't have an internet connection on the machine you're working on, which might happen with this kind of problem, you can download the firmware package with another machine, transfer to the machine without connection and install it using the Ubuntu software center (right click on the deb file and select application).