Well, I just attempted an Obuntu install on another SD card, this time using the earlier 8-16 image, which Kirth uploaded:
OBUNTU.update-20130816.tar.gz
Surprizingly, it booted the first time. The only problem is that I get exactly the same wireless firmware errors in dmesg that I've already referred to in the last post. So it looks like I'm still back at square one.
Anyway, if you ended up with an external, SD card install, you probably followed hickathmoc's instructions:
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...15#post2791215
They don't seem to be entirely complete, a few 'sudos' missing here and there, but I've never had any problem with them as a general guide, besides the inevitable wireless problems that seem to follow from them.
I haven't been able to reinstall the firmware. It looks like I'll have to download other parts of the repository to do that. So perhaps I'll try that next (not that I'm all that optimistic that it will make much of a difference) along with trying to install some other drivers. There seem to be indications that USB networking might work.