Installing headers and building driver for RTL8188 WiFi dongle for orange pi pc [`nmcli dev wifi list` not works]

[mss]

I just build  the build the driver for my RTL8188FTV that supported by rtl8188fu. It works as wifi hot spot but has some problems with  nmcli . I share what is done and I hope it be useful for others.

 

0. Install dkms , make and git:

 

apt install dkms make git

 

1. Remove any existing source and dkms config for module :

 

 

 dkms remove rtl8188fu/1.0 --all

 rm -f /lib/firmware/rtlwifi/rtl8188fufw.bin

 rm -f /etc/modprobe.d/rtl8188fu.conf

 rm -r /var/lib/dkms/rtl8188fu

 

2.  Get current kernel version and install matching headers:

 

uname -a 

 

My results are:

 

 Linux orangepipc 5.10.21-sunxi #21.02.3 SMP Mon Mar 8 00:28:04 UTC 2021 armv7l GNU/Linux

 

so my matching kernel headers package would be `linux-headers-current-sunxi=21.02.3` . You might replace `sunxi` and `21.02.3` depending on your top results. I installed it by specifying version:

 apt install linux-headers-current-sunxi=21.02.3

 

3. Make kernels headers scripts:

cd /usr/src/linux-headers-$(uname -r)
make scripts

 

4.  Clone arm branch from driver repository:

 

git clone -b arm https://github.com/kelebek333/rtl8188fu rtl8188fu-arm

 

5. Disable power saving in make config. find and replace this variable in `./rtl8188fu-arm/Makefile` and set as below:

CONFIG_POWER_SAVING = n 
CONFIG_WIFI_MONITOR = y

 

 

6. Build and install driver:

ln -s /lib/modules/$(uname -r)/build/arch/arm /lib/modules/$(uname -r)/build/arch/armv7l
dkms add ./rtl8188fu-arm
dkms build rtl8188fu/1.0
dkms install rtl8188fu/1.0
cp ./rtl8188fu/firmware/rtl8188fufw.bin /lib/firmware/rtlwifi/

 

 

 

# Known problems :

- ` nmcli dev wifi list` not works.

 

Refrences:

- https://github.com/kelebek333/rtl8188fu/tree/arm#how-to-install-for-arm-devices

- https://docs.armbian.com/User-Guide_Advanced-Features/#how-to-build-a-wireless-driver

- https://forum.armbian.com/topic/13628-help-me-to-setup-a-wifi-ap-via-command-line/?do=findComment&comment=104106

 

- https://github.com/ulli-kroll/rtl8188fu

- https://askubuntu.com/a/1131265/483814

- https://github.com/brektrou/rtl8821CU#arm-architecture-tweak-for-this-driver-this-solves-compilation-problem-of-this-driver

[Igor]

Does the module loads if you modprobe it ?

[mss]

It should be loaded correctly `modprobe rtl8188fu` doesn't return anything  and it works as hotspot.

[VyacheslavS]

I tested this method on Orange Pi PC2 (Armbian 21.08 Focal).

~:% uname -a
Linux orangepipc2 5.10.60-sunxi64 #21.08.1 SMP Wed Aug 25 18:29:57 UTC 2021 aarch64 aarch64 aarch64 GNU/Linux

The instructions have a small clarification for the aarch64 architecture.
The symlink must be like this to install the driver:

sudo ln -s /lib/modules/$(uname -r)/build/arch/arm64 /lib/modules/$(uname -r)/build/arch/aarch64

 

The driver is installed and works well.

[Dave Mullen]

Note in the last line, it should read

cp ./rtl8188fu-arm/firmware/rtl8188fufw.bin /lib/firmware/rtlwifi/

[Nasko]

Successfully installed on cubietruck:

Details are:

dmesg snip:

[   12.218407] usb 3-1: New USB device found, idVendor=0bda, idProduct=f179, bcdDevice= 0.00
[   12.218447] usb 3-1: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=3
[   12.218461] usb 3-1: Product: 802.11n
[   12.218472] usb 3-1: Manufacturer: Realtek
[   12.218483] usb 3-1: SerialNumber: 00e04c000001

 

lsusb:
Bus 003 Device 002: ID 0bda:f179 Realtek Semiconductor Corp. RTL8188FTV 802.11b/g/n 1T1R 2.4G WLAN Adapter