Bug#1035824: installation-reports: unable to detect Realtek RTL8188EUS 802.11n USB WiFi adapter

Fabian Greffrath

unread,

May 9, 2023, 12:50:07 PM5/9/23

to

Package: installation-reports
Severity: normal

Boot method: USB
Image version: debian-bookworm-DI-rc2-amd64-netinst.iso (downloaded 2023-05-05)

Machine: Lenovo IdeaPad 5

Base System Installation Checklist:
[O] = OK, [E] = Error (please elaborate below), [ ] = didn't try it

Initial boot: [O]
Detect network card: [E]
Configure network: [ ]
Detect media: [ ]
Load installer modules: [ ]
Clock/timezone setup: [ ]
User/password setup: [ ]
Detect hard drives: [ ]
Partition hard drives: [ ]
Install base system: [ ]
Install tasks: [ ]
Install boot loader: [ ]
Overall install: [E]

Comments/Problems:

Sadly, another failed attempt to install Debian on my brand-new Lenovo
IdeaPad 5, this time using a USB dongle equiped with the Realtek
RTL8188EUS chip set.

The installer failed to detect the network adapter and presented me
with a list of kernel modules, none of which got my device to work.
This is what dmesg reports after I plug the adapter into a USB port on
my current device, which is obviously not the same one as the report
applies to (which is why I removed all of the appended logs):

[42871.476218] usb 1-4: new high-speed USB device number 19 using xhci_hcd
[42871.624725] usb 1-4: New USB device found, idVendor=0bda, idProduct=8179, bcdDevice= 0.00
[42871.624729] usb 1-4: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=3
[42871.624731] usb 1-4: Product: 802.11n NIC
[42871.624732] usb 1-4: Manufacturer: Realtek
[42871.624733] usb 1-4: SerialNumber: 00E04C0001
[42871.936975] r8188eu: module is from the staging directory, the quality is unknown, you have been warned.
[42871.970033] usbcore: registered new interface driver r8188eu
[42872.005633] r8188eu 1-4:1.0 wlx482254c71aaf: renamed from wlan0
[42872.597812] r8188eu 1-4:1.0: firmware: direct-loading firmware rtlwifi/rtl8188eufw.bin
[42872.597825] r8188eu 1-4:1.0: Firmware Version 11, SubVersion 1, Signature 0x88e1
[42881.731472] r8188eu 1-4:1.0: firmware: direct-loading firmware rtlwifi/rtl8188eufw.bin

Interstingly, calling dmesg on the system where the installation
attempt failed, the line starting with 42871.936975,i.e. where the
actual kernel module is loaded, and all following ones are omitted.

Hope this helps!

Cheers,

- Fabian

Cyril Brulebois

unread,

May 9, 2023, 1:12:07 PM5/9/23

to

Hi Fabian,

Fabian Greffrath <fab...@debian.org> (2023-05-09):

> Sadly, another failed attempt to install Debian on my brand-new Lenovo
> IdeaPad 5, this time using a USB dongle equiped with the Realtek
> RTL8188EUS chip set.
>
> The installer failed to detect the network adapter and presented me
> with a list of kernel modules, none of which got my device to work.
> This is what dmesg reports after I plug the adapter into a USB port on
> my current device, which is obviously not the same one as the report
> applies to (which is why I removed all of the appended logs):
>
> [42871.476218] usb 1-4: new high-speed USB device number 19 using xhci_hcd
> [42871.624725] usb 1-4: New USB device found, idVendor=0bda, idProduct=8179, bcdDevice= 0.00
> [42871.624729] usb 1-4: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=3
> [42871.624731] usb 1-4: Product: 802.11n NIC
> [42871.624732] usb 1-4: Manufacturer: Realtek
> [42871.624733] usb 1-4: SerialNumber: 00E04C0001
> [42871.936975] r8188eu: module is from the staging directory, the quality is unknown, you have been warned.
> [42871.970033] usbcore: registered new interface driver r8188eu
> [42872.005633] r8188eu 1-4:1.0 wlx482254c71aaf: renamed from wlan0
> [42872.597812] r8188eu 1-4:1.0: firmware: direct-loading firmware rtlwifi/rtl8188eufw.bin
> [42872.597825] r8188eu 1-4:1.0: Firmware Version 11, SubVersion 1, Signature 0x88e1
> [42881.731472] r8188eu 1-4:1.0: firmware: direct-loading firmware rtlwifi/rtl8188eufw.bin
>
> Interstingly, calling dmesg on the system where the installation
> attempt failed, the line starting with 42871.936975,i.e. where the
> actual kernel module is loaded, and all following ones are omitted.

Please share the full /var/log/syslog (compressed).

Cheers,
--
Cyril Brulebois (ki...@debian.org) <https://debamax.com/>
D-I release manager -- Release team member -- Freelance Consultant

signature.asc

Cyril Brulebois

unread,

May 9, 2023, 3:50:05 PM5/9/23

to

Control: reassign -1 src:linux
Control: tag -1 patch

Hi,

Cyril Brulebois <ki...@debian.org> (2023-05-09):

Nevermind, as spotted by Pascal Hambourg, the staging driver isn't shipped
in nic-wireless-modules (name that's slightly different from the usual
drivers/staging/rtl8**).

Reassigning to src:linux and tagging accordingly.

Merge request coming up (once Salsa upgrades are over), but the r8188eu-udeb
branch is already available in my fork:
https://salsa.debian.org/kibi/linux/

Tested locally by hotpatching the relevant linux-support file, with the same
line addition, resulting in the following debdiff:

Files in second .deb but not in first
-------------------------------------
-rw-r--r-- root/root /lib/modules/6.1.0-8-amd64/kernel/drivers/staging/r8188eu/r8188eu.ko

Unlikely to appear in time for RC 3, chances should be better for RC 4 (but
it really depends on whether we'll need or want another linux upload in the
next few days).

signature.asc