Re: WiFi Hardware not detected, during Debian NetInst Install
On Sun 21 Mar 2021 at 18:27:22 (-0400), Kenneth Parker wrote:
>
> Later this week, I will be helping a friend install Debian onto a Lenovo
> Ideapad Laptop. This will be in a Public Space with, only WiFi available.
>
> Both his Lenovo, and my HP Laptop have the same WiFi hardware, found via a
> "lspci" command:
>
> > Network controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8723DE 802.11b/g/n
> PCIe Adapter
>
> So, to ensure that we can complete the Install, I wanted to test, using,
> first a Debian Bullseye Netinst CD and, when it failed, a Debian Buster
> 10.3 NetInst CD.
>
> In both cases, I used my favorite, Text / Expert Install (but also tried
> Bullseye with the "normal" Text Install). it gets to the step, to find,
> and configure the Network, but only finds the Ethernet Port which, for the
> purposes of my test, has no Cable attached. So, obviously, the Network
> Configuration fails!
>
> I was ready for it to Find the WiFi, and had, in advance, populated the
> /firmware directory of a USB Thumbdrive, but it never gets to the step,
> where it is asking for it.
>
> Any Insights?
The tests I carried out at the end of last month showed that whereas
wheezy's installer could find "loose files" of firmware on a USB
stick, buster's was unable to.
So the choice nowadays seems to be either to copy .deb files of
firmware onto a USB stick, or to copy the loose files into the real
/lib/firmware directory any time before the "Detect Network Hardware"
step.
You might have to create /lib/firmware, and any subdirectory that the
firmware habitually inhabits, eg /lib/firmware/rtlwifi for rtl8192*.
Cheers,
David.
Reply to: