SOLVED (sort of): Network hardware disappeared after re-boot
On 2025-08-27 07:34, Charlie Gibbs wrote:
I have a Lenovo T410 laptop running Bookworm (12.11 according to
/etc/debian_version). It's been running perfectly for months without
a re-boot - but after a re-boot today (more on this later) it can no
longer find network hardware, either wi-fi or Ethernet. "ip addr" and
/etc/network/interfaces only contain entries for the loopback device
(lo); /etc/network/interfaces.d is empty. Aside from the loss of
networking, the machine seems to be running normally (although
VirtualBox can no longer bring up a Windows XP virtual machine
which uses the networking hardware).
Many thanks to the people who replied, even though it took a while to
find the replies. I didn't want to be without network access for
however long it might have taken to get pointers to a fix, so I took the
nuclear option: I inserted my Bookworm install CD and tried various
options of increasing violence - culminating in a complete wipe of my
root partition followed by a re-install from scratch. My /home
partition was left intact, and the new installation found my networking
hardware again. I have a few things left to re-install, but for now I'm
back on my feet. The cause of the whole thing will remain a Mystery of
the Universe - although I do have cats wandering around, and one of them
once managed to open 100 windows in a single stroll across the keyboard.
No more CCs to my e-mail address, thanks.
--
/~\ Charlie Gibbs | "Some of you may die,
\ / <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> | but it's a sacrifice
X I'm really at ac.dekanfrus | I'm willing to make."
/ \ if you read it the right way. | -- Lord Farquaad (Shrek)
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