Re: trouble installing on old laptop

["Selim T. Erdogan" <selim@alumni.cs.utexas.edu>]

Marcus,  7.02.2014:
> I'm trying to install Debian on an old laptop (Dell Lat 420) to do
> some development work. I'm getting the message that I need the
> non-free iwlwifi-4965-2.ucode file
> 
> I've tried installing without thinking that I can apt-get firmware
> after installing but base install fails because it “can't find a
> kernel” ???

Could the installer you downloaded be for amd64 (64-bit), though your 
laptop needs i386 (32-bit)?  (Though I don't know if the installer would 
even boot in such a case.)