Backup drivers
This code will build on any kernel 4.19 and newer as long as the distro has not modified
any of the kernel APIs. IF YOU RUN UBUNTU, YOU CAN BE ASSURED THAT THE APIs HAVE CHANGED.
NO, I WILL NOT MODIFY THE SOURCE FOR YOU. YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN!!!!!
This repository includes drivers for the following cards:
RTL8822BE, RTL8822CE, RTL8821CE, and RTL8723DE.
Before proceeding with either installation method, you will need to install essential packages.
For Ubuntu and similar Debian-based distributions, run:
sudo apt-get updatesudo apt-get install make gcc linux-headers-$(uname -r) build-essential git
For other distributions, please use your package manager to install “make”, “gcc”, “kernel headers”, “kernel build essentials”, and “git”.
Dynamic Kernel Module Support (DKMS) will automatically rebuild and install the driver when your kernel is updated. This is the preferred method.
If you haven’t already, install dkms. On Ubuntu and similar Debian-based distributions:
sudo apt-get install dkms
Ensure the general requirements (make, gcc, kernel headers, etc.) listed above are also installed.
git clone https://github.com/mesguerrae/rtlwifi_new.gitcd rtlwifi_new
sudo dkms add .sudo dkms install rtlwifi-new/0.6
(The package name rtlwifi-new and version 0.6 are taken from the dkms.conf file in this repository.)
DKMS will now monitor for kernel updates and automatically rebuild the rtlwifi-new modules.
This method requires you to manually rebuild and reinstall the driver every time your kernel is updated.
git clone https://github.com/mesguerrae/rtlwifi_new.gitcd rtlwifi_new
makesudo make install
If you use this manual method, you MUST re-run the make and sudo make install commands every time your kernel is updated.
To do this:
cd /path/to/your/rtlwifi_new_clone # Navigate to where you cloned the repogit pull # To get the latest driver updatesmakesudo make install
Failure to do so will result in the driver not working with the new kernel.
Some distributions provide built-in drivers that may conflict with these. For example, the stock rtl8723de driver might need to be blacklisted. For kernels 5.6 and newer, this might also include drivers like rtw88_xxxx.
You must identify and blacklist any conflicting drivers. Learning how to do this is beneficial.
Here is a useful link on how to blacklist a kernel module.
After blacklisting, reboot your system.
Use the command lsmod | grep rtw to check for conflicting drivers. The correct modules from this driver start with rtw_ (e.g., rtw_8723de, rtw_8822be, rtw_pci, rtw_core). If other Realtek drivers are loaded (e.g., r8723de), ensure your blacklisting is effective.
sudo modprobe -r rtw_8723de # This disables the modulesudo modprobe rtw_8723de # This enables the module, you can add options like ant_sel=2
Replace rtw_8723de with the specific module name you wish to manage.
If your wireless card requires specific driver options (e.g., for antenna selection):
Create or edit a .conf file in /etc/modprobe.d/. For example:
sudo nano /etc/modprobe.d/rtw_8723de.conf
Add a line with the option, for example:
options rtw_8723de ant_sel=2
Replace rtw_8723de with the correct module name and adjust the option and value as needed.
These drivers will not build for kernels older than 4.14. If you must use an older kernel,
submit a GitHub issue with a listing of the build errors. Without the errors, the issue
will be ignored.
When you have problems where the driver builds and loads correctly, but fails to work, a GitHub
issue is NOT the best place to report it. The Realtek engineers who have internal knowledge of the
chips will not read these issues. To reach them, send E-mail to
linux-wireless@vger.kernel.org. Include a detailed description of any messages in the kernel
logs and any steps that you have taken to analyze or fix the problem. If your description is
not complete, you are unlikely to get any satisfaction.