Re: Is it possible to conduct a Debian install over wifi (iwlwifi)?
On Wed 09 Mar 2016 at 20:41:56 +0100, Pascal Hambourg wrote:
> Brian a écrit :
> >
> > Why should the installer ask for firmware if it knows it is present in
> > /lib/firmware? Your problem is that the firmware is not transferred to
> > the device. The consequence is that the wireless interface wlan0 is not
> > detected. The syslog should confirm this.
>
> Or not. It doesn't work this way.
What doesn't work that way? The kernel? udev? The installer (which is
the component we are focussed on in this thread)?
>
> 1) The kernel detects the device and notifies hotplug/udev.
> 2) Hotplug/udev loads the matching kernel module.
> 3) The kernel module probes the device, decides it needs a firmware and
> notifies hotplug/udev.
> 4) Hotplug/udev tries to load the firmware from the specified location.
> 5) If the firmware is loaded successfully, the kernel module creates the
> network interface.
> 5") If the firmware is missing, the kernel/module writes a message in
> the kernel log.
> 6) The Debian installer parses the kernel log, detects the error message
> and prompts the user for the missing firmware.
With firmware-7.9.0-i386-netinst.iso and an Atheros based USB device the
installer does not ask for firmware. Why should it if it has found it?
It gets on with the job and at 'Configure the network' it displays wlan0
as a choice. Brilliant; the user has nothing to do.
With firmware-8.2.0-i386-netinst.iso the firmware is not asked for as
before. It can be checked that it is present in /lib/firmware and that
the correct modules have been loaded; everything looks good to go but
'Configure the network' does not display wlan0. Give the installer the
firmware as I have indicated and wlan0 is detected.
> If step 2) fails because no kernel module matches the device, then no
> firmware will be required.
But the kernel modules are found and the firmware located and copied to
/lib/firmware). Still no wlan0 interface.
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