This modified version of the RealTek WiFi driver fixes some issues with RealTek cards on Linux.
Why use this driver?
Oct 31, 2018 - In this tutorial I will show you how to install WiFi drivers in Linux Mint when your adapter is not supported out of the box. Open a Terminal and try the; lspci -nn| grep Network command. That should show you the vendor ID and product ID of your Wireless card. From a device that has Internet connection, search PCI Vendor and Device Lists for the model number and brand. Then just download and install the Linux driver.
Well supported RealTek cards:
Well supported kernel releases:
Well supported Ubuntu (and Ubuntu-based) releases:
Well supported Fedora (and Fedora based) releases:
Arch is also supported, but tends to break each time the kernel is bumped up a minor version (like 3.13.x to 3.14.x). I try to fix the breakage quickly but this is not how I support my family ;-)
Other RealTek cards, kernel releases, and Linux flavors/releases are supported, but not tested by me (since I don't have them/use them). From the original readme file:
--This driver supports following RealTek PCIE Wireless LAN NICs:
--This driver supports following Linux OSes: Handbrake download for mac 10.9.5.
Please note that I have only tested the driver on Ubuntu and Fedora (the well supported releases). If you are NOT using Ubuntu, pay close attention to your kernel version when selecting branches. You also need to substitute your package manager whenever you see
apt-get install , so Fedora would be dnf install xxx . Most package names are the same but there may be some difference.
Automatic Installation:
There is an install script called install.sh which attempts to automate the manual steps. If the script fails to build and install the driver, you should follow the steps for manual installation.
After cloning this repo, if you want to run the install script, simply run:
If you already have
git installed, you can run this one-liner to clone the repo and kick of the automatic install script:
You may wish to register the modules with DKMS for automatic rebuild when your kernel changes. For that, see the steps for Semi-Automatic Installation (DKMS).
Semi-Automatic Installation (DKMS):
Thanks to saiarcot895 for the initial effort getting this working
You can alternatively use DKMS, so that when a new patch-release of the kernel is released by your distro, you don't have to manually recompile the driver. However, there are a few drawbacks with this method:
To use DKMS:
To uninstall and remove the modules from DKMS, run the following command:
Manual Installation:
To check your kernel version:
Download skype for mac 2012. These commands should be typed in an open terminal. I recommend you start in your home directory by typing
cd
0. Clone this git repository:
Install git if necessary:
Clone the repo (Basically it makes a copy of the current source code)
1. Install build dependencies:
2. (Skip unless your first build attempt fails) -> Make sure you are on the correct branch for your kernel version. The branches are named after Ubuntu releases to which they commonly apply, but the most important factor is not the version of Ubuntu, it is the kernel version. There is a script called
verify_branch that will help you find the right branch based on your kernel version. When you run 'make', the script verify_branch will be automatically called for you. It will recommend to you the best branch for your kernel version. If you tried the recommended branch and your build failed, you may need to try a different one. If so, decline the offer to automatically switch branches for you.
If you need to, you can switch to the correct branch with:
Ex: 'git checkout ubuntu-13.04'
3. Compile:
4. Unload the existing rtl kernel modules.
4.5. (Optional) Backup stock drivers
You may wish to make a backup of your stock drivers in case you need to restore them. This is done for you automatically by the install script but the truly paranoid may wish to do it themselves as well.
Or tarball it up:
Download game helix ball drop. Important: When restoring this backup manually, make absolutely sure you are putting it back in to the exact same kernel version. Failure to do this properly may result in an unbootable system. I suggest you let the script do your backups automatically and use this as a last resort.
5. Install:
6. Modprobe in the new driver (if you're not using an RTL8188CE or RTL8192CE, adjust accordingly):
(rtl8192ce is the driver for the RTL8188CE card also)
7. The rtl8192ce should load all modules it depends on (
rtlwifi , rtl8192c_common , mac80211 , cfg80211 , etc.), but if it doesn't work you may need to modprobe back in the other modules too. Common modules:
NOTE: Unlike the stock driver,
rtl8192c_common is only required with kernel >= 3.14
8. Make persistent by adding this to the end of
/etc/modules (for Ubuntu), or /etc/rc.modules (for Fedora) (if Fedora make sure /etc/rc.modules is executable), or /etc/modules-load.d/rtlwifi.conf (for Arch). If you don't have an RTL8188CE or RTL8192CE, then substitute the correct kernel module in place of rtl8192ce :
NOTE: By 'make persistent', I mean making the loading of the RLT8192CE kernel modules happen automatically at boot time so you don't have to modprobe them in yourself. If
udev is seeing your Realtek card (which is usually the case), then it will load the kernel modules for you without this, but putting this in hurts nothing.
You may want to verify your CRDA domain. For example if you were in Bolivia it would be:
iw reg set BO There is more information about CRDA available at: http://ttys1.wordpress.com/2012/04/12/fixing-regulatory-domain-crda-of-realtec-wireless-device-drivers/
Troubleshooting:
0. To check whether you are running this driver or not, run the script:
1. If you have loaded the kernel modules (with
modprobe ) and you are using this driver (check with the script in step 0), and you still have no connection, try restarting wpa_supplicant . If you use systemd :
2. If you get the following error:
After running:
You may have invalid configuration options in
/etc/modprobe.d/rtl8192ce.conf . You can either remove the file or remove any options that are not supported.
3. If you're connection seems unstable:
This driver has been modified to allow up to 33 dBm Tx power (instead of the stock driver limit of 20). This allows you to crank up the Tx power, which vastly improves performance for me.
To do this, your CRDA regulatory domain must allow it. You need to be aware of the laws that govern your local area so you are not in violation. If you do this, you assume all legal liability for your actions. Also, don't crank your Tx power up to 33 dBm when you're sitting right next to your router. Almost all wireless routers have AGC built-in that will save them from hot transmitters, but it is better to try not to fry the receiver. Keep in mind that you're hacking your wi-fi card to bypass the normal safety net(s) that prevent us from doing cool stuff.
A very lenient CRDA domain is Bolivia (BO) that will let you up to 33 dBm. To set Bolivia, run the following:
To turn up the Tx power, run this (substitute your wireless interface name for and desired power level for ):
To check the current Tx power, run:
The current Tx power will be listed as
Tx-Power=xx dBm
4. If you're getting power drops*:
You may have better luck fixing your data rate. The best rate will vary depending on your Tx power, Rx power, and distance from the router. You may want to set the rate to be fixed at a speed similar to your internet connection speed unless you're doing other stuff on your LAN. Basgoosen found his sweet spot to be 24M. You can set the fixed rate as follows (substitute your wireless interface for <wlan>, so for example wlan0):
To make this persistent, create a file in
/etc/network/if-up.d containing the following (substitute your wireless interface for <wlan>!):
*Thanks to basgoosen for this suggestion
5. My kernel package was updated by my distro and now I'm stuck back on the stock driver!
Yeah unfortunately this does currently happen anytime your kernel package is updated by your distro. The solution is to rebuild and reinstall this driver. On the plus side that gives you a chance to pull down the latest changes so that you're up to date.
Please don't save a copy of the drivers compiled under a different version of the kernel to copy back in after the kernel update. While a clever solution, this could cause undefined and potentially disastrous results if the ABI changes (which it does frequently). The drivers need to be rebuilt using the new kernel headers to ensure they are compiled correctly. It may work fine for a few upgrades, but eventually it will leave your system unbootable.
You can run this command to automatically clone this repo and kick off the installer (git must be installed already):
You might also consider using DKMS if your kernel changes often. There are instructions near the top of this README.
6. I think this driver broke something. How do I get back to the stock driver?
You basically have two choices. Either will get the job done. When you run
sudo make uninstall , the make script will try to restore your backup from when you installed. The system works like this:
Choice #1 - Use the backup that the install script made for you:*
or
Choice #2 - Reinstall your distro's kernel package:
This obviously varies by distro. For Ubuntu, try:
Please consider reporting the failure (or even better, send a pull request), so I can try to fix it.
Windows needs manufacturer-provided hardware drivers before your hardware will work. Linux and other operating systems also need hardware drivers before hardware will work — but hardware drivers are handled differently on Linux.
The good news is that, if a device will work on Linux, it’ll probably “just work” out of the box. You may sometimes need to install drivers, but some hardware may just not work at all.
How Hardware Drivers Work on Windows
When you install Windows, you’ll need to install hardware drivers provided by the hardware’s manufacturer — motherboard chipset drivers, graphics card drivers, Wi-Fi drivers, and more.
RELATED:Should You Use the Hardware Drivers Windows Provides, or Download Your Manufacturer’s Drivers?
Windows does try to help. Microsoft bundles a lot of these manufacturer-provided drivers with Windows, and hosts many of them on Windows Update. When you plug in a new device to your Windows computer and you see the “Installing Driver” bubble pop up, Windows might be downloading a manufacturer-provided driver from Microsoft and installing it on your PC. Microsoft doesn’t write these drivers on its own — it gets them from the manufacturers and provides them to you after vetting them.
If hardware isn’t working on Windows, there’s usually a driver to make it work. Unless you have an ancient device that only works with older versions of Windows, the manufacturer has done the work of making it work with Windows. Hardware that doesn’t work is usually just a quick driver download away from working.
How Hardware Drivers Work on Linux
Things are different on Linux. Most of the drivers for hardware on your computer are open-source and integrated into Linux itself. These hardware drivers are generally part of the Linux kernel, although bits of graphics drivers are part of Xorg (the graphics system), and printer drivers are included with CUPS (the print system).
That means most of the available hardware drivers are already on your computer, included along with the kernel, graphics server, and print server. These drivers are sometimes developed by hobbyists. But they’re sometimes developed by the hardware manufacturer themselves, who contributes their code directly to the Linux kernel and other projects.
In other words, most hardware drivers are included out-of-the-box. You don’t have to hunt down manufacturer-provided drivers for every bit of hardware on your Linux system and install them. Your Linux system should automatically detect your hardware and use the appropriate hardware drivers.
How to Install Proprietary Drivers
Some manufacturers to provide their own, closed-source, proprietary drivers. These are hardware drivers that the manufacturers write and maintain on their own, and their closed-source nature means most Linux distributions won’t bundle and automatically enable them for you.
Most commonly, these include the proprietary graphics drivers for both NVIDIA and AMD graphics hardware, which provide more graphics performance for gaming on Linux. There are open-source drivers that can get your graphics working, but they don’t offer the same level of 3D gaming performance. Some Wi-Fi drivers are also still proprietary, so your wireless hardware may not work until you install them.
How you install proprietary drivers depends on your Linux distribution. On Ubuntu and Ubuntu-based distributions, there’s an “Additional Drivers” tool. Open the dash, search for “Additional Drivers,” and launch it. It will detect which proprietary drivers you can install for your hardware and allow you to install them. Linux Mint has a “Driver Manager” tool that works similarly. Fedora is against proprietary drivers and doesn’t make them so easy to install. Every Linux distribution handles it in a different way.
How to Install Printer Drivers
You may need to install drivers for printers, however. When you use a printer-configuration tool to configure CUPS (the Common Unix Printing System), you’ll be able to choose an appropriate driver for your printer from the database. Generally, this involves finding your printer’s manufacturer in the list and choosing the model name of the printer.
You can also choose to provide a PostScript Printer Description, or PPD, file. These files are often part of the Windows driver for PostScript printers, and you may be able to hunt down a PPD file that makes your printer work better. You can provide a PPD file when setting up the printer in your Linux desktop’s printer configuration tool.
Printers can be a headache on Linux, and many may not work properly — or at all — no matter what you do. It’s a good idea to choose printers you know will work with Linux the next time you go printer-shopping.
How to Make Other Hardware Work
RELATED:10 of the Most Popular Linux Distributions Compared
Occasionally, you may need to install proprietary drivers your Linux distribution hasn’t provided for you. For example, NVIDIA and AMD both offer driver-installer packages you can use. However, you should strive to use proprietary drivers packaged for your Linux distribution — they’ll work best.
Linux Mint Wifi Driver Download 64
In general, if something doesn’t work on Linux out-of-the-box — and if it doesn’t work after installing the proprietary drivers your Linux distribution provides — it probably won’t work at all. if you’re using an older Linux distribution, upgrading to a newer one will get you the latest hardware support and improve things. But, if something isn’t working, it’s likely that you can’t make it work simply by installing a hardware driver.
Linux Mint Wifi 19 Driver Download
Searching for a guide to making a specific piece of hardware work on your specific Linux distribution might help. Such a guide might walk you through finding a manufacturer-provided driver and installing it, which will often require terminal commands. Older proprietary drivers may not work on modern Linux distributions that use modern software, so there’s no guarantee an old, manufacturer-provided driver will work properly. Linux works best when manufacturers contribute their drivers to the kernel as open-source software.
Linux Mint Wifi Driver Download
In general, you shouldn’t mess with hardware drivers too much. That’s the vision of Linux — the drivers are open-source and integrated into the kernel and other pieces of software. You don’t have to install them or tweak them — the system automatically detects your hardware and uses the appropriate drivers. If you’ve installed Linux, your hardware should just work — either immediately, or at least after you install some easy-to-install proprietary drivers provided by a tool like the Additional Drivers utility in Ubuntu.
If you have to hunt down manufacturer-provided proprietary drivers and extended guides for installing them, that’s a bad sign. The drivers may not actually work properly with the latest software in your Linux distribution.
Image Credit: Blek on Flickr
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