Realtek 8821CU chipset support added to Linux kernel 6.2

fliz · March 28, 2023 at 7:13 PM

Last November, I asked for help getting wifi to work on my sbc. It uses the 8821cu chipset. Chewitt explained that out of tree drivers aren't added to the codebase because of the constant need to update and patch them whenever bumping kernels. I was advised to add the driver myself and run a home-built LE image. Setting up WIFI on a sbc

This worked, and I've been using a home-built LE 10.0.3 since.

Chewitt also mentioned that work was being done to add support to the kernel. It looks like that support was finally added in 6.2 https://github.com/torvalds/linux…9204670e2644334

I don't *need* to upgrade to the newest LE yet, but are there plans to use kernel 6.2 or will LE stick with 6.1 since it's an LTS version?

If LE is going to stick with 6.1 for the foreseeable future, is there anything that can be done to add the driver support?

If there are plans to either bump to 6.2 or somehow add the driver support, I'm happy to wait until that's done and just stick w/ my home-built 10.0.3 in the meantime.

Thanks again for everything. You guys are providing an invaluable service maintaining LE.

**jernej** · March 28, 2023 at 7:58 PM

LE11 will keep 6.1 kernel, but master branch, what will eventually become LE12, will see kernel updates. Usually we are pretty quick to update, but 6.2 update stalled a bit (at least I have issue with network on OPi3 LTS board with 6.2).

Anyway, RTW88 USB and, for some boards, SDIO patches were backported to 6.1 and are present in LE11. Which board do you use?

Glennza · March 29, 2023 at 2:50 AM

My little Celeron-based box running a recent Nexus nightly has a RTL8821CE and runs reasonably reliably. Sometimes I have to restart as it fails to connect and the list of available wifi networks is empty. Always connects after restart (although if I refresh the network list they will disappear again.)

The RTL8821 driver has been in the nightlies for quite a while.

**jernej** · March 29, 2023 at 5:03 AM

Quote from Glennza

The RTL8821 driver has been in the nightlies for quite a while.

Generic yes, RPi, for example, no.

fliz · March 29, 2023 at 8:45 PM

Thanks! I'll give a nightly a try if LE11 doesn't work.

The board I'm using is a generic w/ a dubious company name that I got off amazon