Bug#561309: needs firmware for module r8169 (/rtl8168d-{1, 2}.fw)
Package: firmware-linux-nonfree
Version: 0.21
Severity: normal
> On Wed, 2009-12-16 at 10:11 +0900, Miles Bader wrote:
> > Package: firmware-linux-nonfree
> > Version: 0.21
> > Severity: normal
> >
> >
> > Installing the new kernel package "linux-image-2.6.32-trunk-amd64"
> > results in new warning messages like:
> >
> > W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/rtl8168d-2.fw for module r8169
> >
> > It looks like this firmware was removed from the kernel proper as part
> > of the non-free firmware removal process, which suggests that it should
> > be included in firmware-linux-nonfree instead.
>
> We don't yet have clear permission to distribute this. However, it is
> only required for a chip which is newly supported by the r8169 driver in
> 2.6.32. If the driver worked for you before, it will continue to work
> now.
May I provide evidence to the contrary?
I compile my own kernels, and use them exclusively unless some problem
arises which forces me to use another kernel. Therefore, I keep a stock
Debian kernel installed and available via GRUB in case something bad
happens with my kernels.
In the Fall I had to replace the motherboard on my desktop system, and
it uses r8169. The Debian kernels for 2.6.30 and 2.6.31 will boot fine
on this hardware and provide perfectly working ethernet support.
When 2.6.32-truck (AMD64 here) was released, I tried switching to that
for my Debian backup kernel... but it hangs in boot, with some very
nasty backtracing. It does print the warning about missing firmware,
but the boot will not finish -- unlike previous Debian kernels on this
same hardware.
I usually build my custom kernels from kernel.org git now, since
kernel-archive.buildserver.net went down. Those run just fine for me.
I did not submit a bug report on this because I looked at the Debian BTS
first, and saw that the issue had already been addressed: missing
firmware would likely appear later. I assumed that the Debian Kernel
Team knew that 2.6.32 will not boot on hardware like mine without that
firmware, but now I see that my assumption was wrong.
Would you like me to submit a new bug report, or is merely providing
this anecdote sufficient?
HTH,
Dave W.
-- System Information:
Debian Release: squeeze/sid
APT prefers unstable
APT policy: (990, 'unstable'), (350, 'experimental')
Architecture: amd64 (x86_64)
Kernel: Linux 2.6.32-0git091206.desktop.vesa (SMP w/4 CPU cores; PREEMPT)
Locale: LANG=en_US.UTF-8, LC_CTYPE=en_US.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8)
Shell: /bin/sh linked to /bin/bash
firmware-linux-nonfree depends on no packages.
firmware-linux-nonfree recommends no packages.
Versions of packages firmware-linux-nonfree suggests:
ii initramfs-tools 0.93.4 tools for generating an initramfs
ii linux-image-2.6.31-1-amd64 [l 2.6.31-2 Linux 2.6.31 for 64-bit PCs
ii linux-image-2.6.32-0git091206 daw06 Linux kernel binary image for vers
-- no debconf information
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