[UFO Chicago] Debian Linux Is Trash

[Jay F. Shachter]

Esteemed Colleagues,

I am trying to install a few decent operating systems on a 32-bit
machine, and there aren't many options.  Yesterday evening, at the UFO
meeting, someone suggested Debian Linux.

Debian Linux is so insanely fanatical about using only free software,
that when I installed it, the installation procedure stated at one
point that my computer had network devices that required non-free
firmware, and that if I had removable media with the non-free firmware
on them, I could insert or attach those media, before proceeding with
the installation.  I did not, of course, have any bloody removable
media with any bloody non-free firmware on them, and therefore I did
not bloody insert any, and proceeded with the installation.  I now
have a Debian system that thinks that I do not have a wireless
Internet device.  It recognizes only the wired device, and the
loopback device.  This is bloody ridiculous.  No other operating
system that I have installed on this computer is incapable of
recognizing my bloody wireless device.

(I am a little annoyed, I don't know if you can tell.)

How do I get my Debian system to recognize my wireless device?
Preferable without having to re-install it?  As always, thank you in
advance for any and all replies.

                        Jay F. Shachter
                        6424 North Whipple Street
                        Chicago IL  60645-4111
                                (1-773)7613784   landline
                                (1-410)9964737   GoogleVoice
                                jay at m5.chicago.il.us
                                http://m5.chicago.il.us

                        "Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum videtur"