Ubuntu / Debian apt-get install build-essential issue

Recently, I installed Ubunto 6.06 on my Presario 906us laptop. Unfortunately, the wireless did not work by default. I google and found a a very nice article for installing the Compaq W200 (Orinoco) drivers:

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/WifiDocs/Device/CompaqW200?action=show&redirect=InstallingCompaqW200

The installation process involves downloading the source, compiling the drivers and installing them. In order to compile the drivers, I had to get various packages. The article suggested using the following line:

sudo apt-get install build-essential cvs linux-headers-`uname -r` gcc-3.4-base cpp-3.4

Instead of working, I get an error that build-essential could not be found:

Reading package lists… Done
Building dependency tree… Done
E: Couldn't find package build-essential

The problem turns out to be an incomplete package list. To fixed the problem, you can either run either apt-get update from the command line or run the Synaptic Package Manager and press the refresh button.