WiFi adapter/DKMS on 6.10.6-current-rockchip-rk3588

[mitu]

I have installed the recently released `Desktop images with Armbian Linux v6.10` image (24.8.1, Debian Bookworm, with the Cinnamon desktop) on an OrangePi5 and I'm happy the HDMI support included has finaly enabled the video to my 1080p display. However, my previously supported WiFi adapter is not recognized in this version - it worked with the vendor (5.10) kernel which I used with last year's OrangePi5 image, but how it seems the driver is not installed with 6.10.

 

The WiFi adapter is connected via USB and it's listed as Realtek Semiconductor Corp. RTL8812AU 802.11a/b/g/n/ac 2T2R DB WLAN Adapter. Now, there are a few DKMS/out-of-tree drivers that I could install, but the problem is that there are no kernel headers for the current Linux image kernel - trying to install them via armbian-config returns me to the previous screen almost immediately.

 

Is the kernel headers package missing or is maybe named differently ? FWIW, the Linux image package is linux-image-current-rockchip-rk3588.

[Werner]

10 hours ago, mitu said:

it worked with

https://docs.armbian.com/User-Guide_FAQ/#why-does-hardware-feature-xy-work-in-old-kernel-but-not-in-more-recent-one

 

10 hours ago, mitu said:

vendor (5.10)

mixed up. 5.10.y is legacy, 6.1.y is vendor.

 

10 hours ago, mitu said:

6.10

While it is great to have mainline for this board it is far from feature-complete. If you need more hw features to work you have to use vendor kernel branch.

 

10 hours ago, mitu said:

headers

Have you tried to lookup headers via apt? If no success, try building your own kernel packages, or an image with matching headers pre-installed, with the build framework: https://github.com/armbian/build

Sometimes it can happen that headers are not available for various reasons. Uncaught packaging failure, mirror unsync, ....

 

Still interesting though since IIRC driver for 8812au should be included by default. However it might have been disabled due to build errors or whatever...

[mitu]

@Werner thank you for the reply.

 

I'm familiar with the Wiki page, I'm aware some functionality will be missing using the 'edge/current' kernels. In fact, my intention when using the current/upstream kernel was to test how HDMI output was working, since it wasn't working a few months back. However, the functionality I'm missing is not related to the specific SBC/Vendor - as you said also, I was expecting the driver for the 8812au to be included/work.

 

I haven't found a related 'kernel headers' package through apt also, hence my question/topic is mostly about the package. Having the headers package would help with any external kernel module that would be installed through dkms.

Edited September 5 by mitu

[Igor]

On 9/5/2024 at 12:28 PM, mitu said:

I haven't found a related 'kernel headers' package through apt also

 

Releasing packages on repo was purposefully delayed for a good week in order to keep with another expectation you have - that release software is well tested  What we help here is to lower % of breaking your old installations by delaying with releasing packages so images gives additional round of test resoults. Testing of one release exceeds budgets for hundreds  if not thousands of times. If you don't help with testing, its impossible to test. And you don't / very little. There is nothing we can do and only everyone of you can improve this. If you want better service, step up, help us maintain some small part, perhaps automation for repository management? Which is related to your problem. More people, better organisation, faster and better will be updates ... or at least not worse.

 

https://github.com/armbian/os/actions/runs/10762581915
Once this is finished with success, packages will be uploaded to the repo:

https://github.com/armbian/os/actions/workflows/repository-sync.yml

Then few cycles of repository synchronisation:

 

https://github.com/armbian/os/actions/workflows/redirector-update.yml

Followed by re-director update, which serves, in theory, only mirrors that are up to date:

 

Someone needs to help maintaining this mechanism. 

If you expect drivers going up with the kernel, then you need to help here:
https://github.com/armbian/build/blob/main/lib/functions/compilation/patch/drivers_network.sh

[mitu]

Hello @Igor, thank you for the update.

 

I understand the predicament for lacking enough resources given the scope of the project and I don't expect things to work OOB without testing. I've updated the package list via apt and now I can see the headers package now for the current-rockchip-rk3588 Linux kernel (along with a the new linux-image .deb package). I have installed it and can confirm that dkms works fine to complile the WiFi dongle's driver - though it's not fully working yet, though this is purely a driver issue, not related to Armbian/Debian.

 

Thanks for the updated kernel packages.