I've been playing around with Ubuntu 16.04, but I'm stuck because none of my Wi-Fi adapters seem to work with it. I've looked into installing drivers, but everything requires an internet connection, which I can't get since I also can't access Ethernet. I'm considering switching to a newer version like 20.04 since my mini PC (an Optiplex 3050 mff) might handle it. Additionally, if I do switch, I might invest in a proper M.2 WLAN adapter. I'm trying to set this up as a media center that can access web content, video files (like MP4 and MOV), and perhaps emulators for things like SNES and NES. Does anyone have any advice on how I can resolve this or suggestions for a different Linux distribution? Thanks for all the help in the past few days!
5 Answers
You might want to consider using USB tethering with your phone to grab what you need. Just make sure it's supported in your country! It's a convenient way to get a temporary internet connection without needing a LAN setup.
If you're really stuck, there's still a way to get around this. Use a separate machine with internet access to download the software you need, save it to a USB drive, and then transfer it to your Ubuntu PC. There are guides out there that detail how to install software offline too!
Thanks for the tip! I happen to have a few USB drives lying around that I could use for this.
Honestly, I would recommend jumping straight to Ubuntu 20.04. You'll get better driver support out of the box for your hardware, which should save you a lot of headaches. If your PC struggled with the installer before, maybe check the BIOS settings to ensure it's set up to boot from USB correctly.
I did try to install it but my PC didn’t recognize the installer. It suggested I use 16.04 instead, so I figured I’d try it.
It’s pretty clear that your main issue is running an outdated version of Ubuntu. If it were me, I'd search for a lightweight distro or a newer Ubuntu since 16.04 will limit your experience significantly—especially with newer software capabilities. Think about the long-term benefits!
Just a heads-up, sticking with such an old OS might not be the best idea. Many packages and repositories for 16.04 are outdated and unsupported. If you go to a newer version like 20.04 or even 22.04, you’ll have access to a lot of modern software and updates. Better performance for your media center goals too!
I tried that, but it only worked for about 5 minutes before it dropped the connection, and I couldn’t get it back.