Missing firmware for module r8169?

[Xeno Idaltu]

Debian Stable (Buster)

I recently installed the latest Linux Kernel from the Backport repo and received this message:

Error! Bad return status for module build on kernel: 5.4.0-0.bpo.3-amd64 (x86_64)
Consult /var/lib/dkms/nvidia-legacy-390xx/390.116/build/make.log for more information.
/etc/kernel/postinst.d/initramfs-tools:

W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/rtl_nic/rtl8125a-3.fw for module r8169

[sunrat]

Your Nvidia graphics driver failed to build for your kernel. Did you install the matching kernel headers from backports?
The firmware message is unrelated and most likely benign if your network is working.

[Xeno Idaltu]

1) Since I already had Backport on all I did was:
sudo apt install linux-image-5.4.0-0.bpo.3-amd64 linux-headers-5.4.0-0.bpo.3-amd64

I think there might be another step I need to take because I always get the TTY Terminal instead of the Display Manager. Whenever I try to run the command startx I get an error telling me that the command can not be found.

2) According to a very old post I saw online (circa Debian Jessie) I need to tell Xorg to use my graphics card.
By making file /etc/xorg.conf.d/20-nvidia.conf

Inside file 20-nvidia.conf:
Section "Device"
Identifier "GPU"
Driver "nvidia"
EndSection


3) Do you recommend me doing this or is an obsolete tweak?
Also why does /etc/X11 appear as a file when using Kernel-5.4 but appears as a directory when using Kernel-4.19?

[sunrat]

So you have the headers. Maybe they just won't build for that kernel. There is no backport available for that driver so you may just have to stick with kernel 4.19 for now. No amount of tweaking is going to make it work until you get the driver module to build and that conf file is usually unnecessary once modules are built.
It helps to provide info about your hardware when asking hardware questions. inxi is very useful for that, graphics info is easily found with

Code: Select all

inxi -G

[Xeno Idaltu]

I have an Nvidia 500M series that has no Vulkan suport and hence why this graphic card will forever use the 390xx-Legacy Version.

If the problem is Nvidia then that means I need to purge it and use Nouveau instead right?

Is there a way to make Kernel 5.4 to only use Nouveau?
I don't want to purge Nvidia yet.

[sunrat]

If the problem is Nvidia then that means I need to purge it and use Nouveau instead right?
Is there a way to make Kernel 5.4 to only use Nouveau?
I don't want to purge Nvidia yet.

The problem is nvidia is not building for that kernel. Is there a reason you need that rather than the default 4.19 kernel (presuming you use Buster, you didn't say)? 4.19/Nouveau works well here on a system with GTX560.

Last time I wanted to replace nvidia with nouveau I just removed all the nvidia packages and nouveau started automatically. I don't know how to force nouveau without removing nvidia but vaguely recall a thread about that somewhere recently. Maybe just remove the blacklist file.

[stevepusser]

The version in Bullseye is easily backported, and has been tested and confirmed to build on 5.4 kernels.

IDK why backports hasn't added it to support their kernels. I think that they should.

[Head_on_a_Stick]

how to force nouveau without removing nvidia

Remove the blacklist file (or just comment out the nouveau line) and use an X.Org configuration file.

Something like

Code: Select all

# /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/20-nouveau.conf
Section "Device"
   Identifier "Nvidia card"
   Driver "nouveau"
EndSection

[Xeno Idaltu]

Sorry for late reply.

The reason I tried upgrading the kernel was because my third party PS4 controller had no rumble support. I thought maybe if I upgraded I could make it work. I tried it on other distros with a more recent kernel and still doesn't work.

[Bloom]

I can't help you with the NVidia hardware as I don't use anything of NVidia, but I can help with the warning regarding the Realtek firmware.
It is about this warning:

Code: Select all

W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/rtl_nic/rtl8125a-3.fw for module r8169


Solution:

Code: Select all

$ sudo -i
# cd /lib/firmware/rtl_nic
# wget https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/firmware/linux-firmware.git/plain/rtl_nic/rtl8125a-3.fw
# update-initramfs -u


[Penaut Butter]

I can't help you with the NVidia hardware as I don't use anything of NVidia, but I can help with the warning regarding the Realtek firmware.
It is about this warning:

Code: Select all

W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/rtl_nic/rtl8125a-3.fw for module r8169


Solution:

Code: Select all

$ sudo -i
# cd /lib/firmware/rtl_nic
# wget https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/firmware/linux-firmware.git/plain/rtl_nic/rtl8125a-3.fw
# update-initramfs -u


Hello, I hope replying to a fairly old post ain't against the rules.
I was wondering if simply grabbing the firmware from kernel's git like you just mention, is the correct way of getting the latest firmware for debian. Is it OK to do it in terms of stability and security?

[Bloom]

Replying to a message of two months ago isn't a problem, I think.

This missing firmware problem only occurs with kernel 5.3+, so not with a standard Stable. You can get the warning with Testing or with Sid, or with Stable if you enabled backports and upgraded the kernel.
The extra Realtek firmware modules will find their way into the firmware-realtek package and then this won't be necessary.
Including the Realtek firmwares into your system by grabbing them from the kernel source location just serves to make the warnings disappear. It adds no problems for later on if you want to upgrade. In fact, each upgrade will overwrite the firmware directory tree and thus remove the grabbed Realtek firmwares, so you would get the warning again. Simply repeat the download commands after an upgrade.

If you'd rather not do this, that's fine also. The network card seems to work just fine without the firmware and the warning can be ignored.