Full Functioning Gateway T-1616 ( rtl8187b ) with Ubuntu 8.04 and Later

As questions about rtl8187b wireless card (of Gateway T-1616) + Ubuntu 8.04 accumulating here, I figured that it is time to make a reply. My answer is: I don't know how to make it work. Despite the fact that Ubuntu 8.04 is the only OS on my Gateway T-1616 and almost everything is working healthily, wireless included. To get that: Install a Linux Mint, you will find yourself being able to install a working windows driver for rtl8187b with ndiswrapper. Then change your /etc/apt/sources.list into the same as a normal Ubuntu hardy one, update & upgrade everything. The wireless then will still work, so will be other stuff. And if you don't like the look & feel of Mint, go ahead and read Full Circle Issue 16: GNOME-Look Guide. It does an excellent job telling us how to change the look of everything on ubuntu. The only blemish of this approach is that the mic of Gateway T-1616 wouldn't work.