Arch Linux

spacekobold

Member

Registered: 2022-11-19

Posts: 14

Help installing kernel driver for Realtek RTL8852BE WiFi

I'm trying to set up WiFi on my new machine (ASUS Prime B650M-A AX motherboard with included WiFi). Following the instructions on the Wiki for wireless network config, it didn't appear there was an installed kernel module/driver for the WiFi device:

$ lspci -k

...
07:00.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8125 2.5GbE Controller (rev 05)
	DeviceName: Realtek RTL8125BG LAN
	Subsystem: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. Device 87d7
	Kernel driver in use: r8169
08:00.0 Network controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. Device b852   # <--- this one
09:00.0 USB controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Device 43f7 (rev 01)
	Subsystem: ASMedia Technology Inc. Device 3328
...

Searching around about the issuer led to this GitHub repository: rtw89 - Driver for Realtek 8852AE, an 802.11ax device. I followed the included instructions to attempt to install via AUR:

git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/rtw89-dkms-git.git
cd rtw89-dkms-git
makepkg -sri

No errors were reported, however one reboot later there was no change to the output of `lspci -k`. As far as I can tell, no kernel modules were installed, neither 'rtw' nor '8852' show up in the output of of `lsmod`.
The GitHub repo included this note about kernel versions:

This branch was created from the version merged into the wireless-drivers-next repo, which is in the 5.16 kernel. IF YOU USE DRIVERS FROM THIS REPO FOR KERNELS 5.16+, TOU [sic] MUST BLACKLIST THE KERNEL VERSIONS!!!! FAILING TO DO THIS WILL RESULT IN ALL MANNER OF STRANGE ERRORS.

This is probably part of my issue, but I have no idea what they mean by "blacklist kernel versions". Best the internet tells me when searching that is about how to blacklist kernel modules, and the Arch-user friends I've been chatting with have no idea what they mean by that exact language either. If they mean kernel modules, I don't know what to do since I'm not even seeing anything related to this driver yet.

I've reached the extent of my knowledge as a newbie. Does anyone have any insight? Thanks.

d.ALT

Member

Registered: 2019-05-10

Posts: 953

Re: Help installing kernel driver for Realtek RTL8852BE WiFi

https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Kernel … acklisting

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