Problem updating EeePC 701 4G - need a linux expert!

PNEfan

Hope you can help me. I am trying to configure my 4GB Eee 701 to enable me to use a Vodafone wireless modem dongle by following these instructions:
http://www.betavine.net/bvportal/web/linux_drivers/repository

I am a complete novice with Linux, but quite competent with Windows PCs. My Eee has the original Xandros OS and simple desktop. I have tried trouble-shooting in the EeeUser forums, but although quite a lot of people have posted similar problems, I can't understand which solution (if any) would work for me.

I have opened a terminal window, started Synaptic, entered the Betavine details to the repositories list and tried to download.

The messages I get are as follows:

Could not load all repository indexes
The repository might be no longer available or could not be contacted because of network problems. If available an older version of the failed index will be used. Otherwise the repository will be ignored. Check your network connection and the correct writing of the repository address in the preferences.

http://update.eeepc.asus.com/p701/Release.gpg: Could not connect to update.eeepc.asus.com:80(1.0.0.0), connection timed out
http://update.eeepc.asus.com/p701/en/dists/p701/Release.gpg: Could not connect to update.eeepc.asus.com:80(1.0.0.0), connection timed out
http://betavine.net/repo/debian/dists/etch/EeePC/Release.gpg: Could not connect to betavine.net:80(1.0.0.0), connection timed out

I closed this window and received this message:

Warning
An error occured
The following details are provided:

W: Couldn't stat source package list http://update.eeepc.asus.com p701/main Packages (var/lib/apt/lists/update.eeepc.asus.com_p701_dists_p701_main_binary-i386_Packages) - stat (2 No such file or directory)

W: Couldn't stat source package list http://update.eeepc.asus.com p701/main Packages (/var/lib/apt/lists/update.eeepc.asus.com_p701_en_dists_p701_main_binary-i386_Packages) - stat (2 No such file or directory)

W: Couldn't stat source package list http://betavine.net EeePC/Packages (/var/lib/apt/lists/betavine.net_repo_debian_dists_etch_EeePC_Packages) - stat (2 No such file or directory)



There is no problem with my wireless connection (using a nearby router, 100% signal). So why can't I download the software/files?

Thanks in advance if anyone can help/shed light.

fwor

One basic reason why it's failing is that the files it is trying to get don't exist in the location that it's looking.

For example if you go to

http://update.eeepc.asus.com/p701/

you find that there is no file there called Release.gpg

In all probability, Asus have changed the directory and file layout on their update server and hence the update is failing.

Have you checked with Vodafone themselves to see if they have their own recommended method for the Eee?

fwor

On closer inspection, I suspect it's failing because it can't validate the content and/or the repository itself. Release.gpg is probably a public key file, and it's absence probably means that it will fail unless you can prevent synaptic from checking.

More worrying is that the Installation Guide on the Betavine website lists distros that their drivers will work with, and Xandros isn't one of them. This may just be because the doc is out of date, though, if you know for a fact that people have definitely had it working with Xandros.

PNEfan

Fwor
Thanks for shedding some light.

garrydh

It looks like you have a DNS problem of some kind. The eeePC (or at least synaptic) is not correctly resolving the address to get the updates.

If you have a linksys router it could be due to a known fault that some eeePC users have had. Details and solutions can be found here:

http://wiki.eeeuser.com/howto:manualdns
http://wiki.eeeuser.com/repository_problems

Note that to follow the first set of instructions you'll need to find out your ISP's DNS servers, these can normally be found in your router. The second instructions advocate using free DNS servers available online. It's up to you if you want to trust them or not (although I have heard of OpenDNS and they look OK, I haven't researched them heavily enough to vouch for them).

Since the problem only seems to affect software like synaptic and not firefox you could also use the instructions above to change the DNS settings just long enough to download the software and then change them back.

fwor

Incidentally if you're willing to try a different distro, the last post in the following thread states that support for the Vodafone Mobile Connect is included in the standard kernel of Mandriva Linux 2008.1:

http://forum.vodafone.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=1018

I've not got an Eee so I can't confirm or refute the suggestion, but can't see why someone would make it up. If correct you won't need any additional drivers.

If you want to give it a go, I'd recommend backing up your existing Xandros install to a spare hard disk using Clonezilla or Partimage, so that you can revert if it all goes badly wrong...

kerpob

Or alternatively, if you want to try a new distro, you could run one from usb. Would recommend going to eeeuser.com - many many experts there