firmware update

[margaretH]

Message from apt-get update

Need to update firmware

Code: Select all

/lib/firmware/rtl_nic/rt18168f-1.fw for module r8169
/lib/firmware/rtl_nic/rt18105e-1.fw for module r8169
/lib/firmware/rtl_nic/rt18168e-3.fw for module r8169
/lib/firmware/rtl_nic/rt18168e-2.fw for module r8169
/lib/firmware/rtl_nic/rt18168e-1.fw for module r8169
/lib/firmware/rtl_nic/rt18168d-2.fw for module r8169
/lib/firmware/rtl_nic/rt18168d-1.fw for module r8169

I did do

man -k firmware

i did read dfutool

i did run dftool verify /lib/firmware/rtl_nic/rt18168f-1.fw

ls:cannot access /lib/firmware/rtl_nic/rt18168f-1.fw

No Such File or Directory

i did do

ls -l /lib/firmware

the results i did write in this text are not copied and pasted
this is a representation. There are no directories beyond firmware. lib/firmware only contains files.

iwlwifi-1000-5.ucode

iwlwifi etc

iwlwifi etc

iwlwifi etc

All files begin with the word 'iwlwifi' i did write the word 'etc' as a replacement of the remaining letters or words.

there are not files that match the file strings shown from apt-get update .

Code: Select all

/lib/firmware/rtl_nic/rt18168f-1.fw for module r8169
/lib/firmware/rtl_nic/rt18105e-1.fw for module r8169
/lib/firmware/rtl_nic/rt18168e-3.fw for module r8169
/lib/firmware/rtl_nic/rt18168e-2.fw for module r8169
/lib/firmware/rtl_nic/rt18168e-1.fw for module r8169
/lib/firmware/rtl_nic/rt18168d-2.fw for module r8169
/lib/firmware/rtl_nic/rt18168d-1.fw for module r8169

The Question is :

How does a person translate or decypher the message from apt-get update that does pertain to a need to update files at a file string that doe not exist.

Thank you

[Thorny]

margaretH,

If you open a terminal and enter

Code: Select all

 apt-cache policy firmware-realtek

, what does it return?

[Head_on_a_Stick]

I get those messages every time I upgrade and everything seems to work just fine for me.

I used to install the firmware-realtek package just to remove the messages but it made no difference to my system at all so now I prefer to keep it "clean"

Do you have any connection problems with your ethernet card?

[stevepusser]

I think that the latest bugfix for the stable kernel went through and updated the OP's initrd as a standard part of the process, and those messages appear from the kernel as it's looking for any possible missing firmware files that any of the detected hardware might need. So apt isn't giving the message--it's the initramfs update that kernel update which apt pulled in is running. In this case, it's for a Realtek wired NIC in the OP's machine, but if only wifi ever gets used to connect to the Net, it doesn't matter that firmware is missing.

[margaretH]

cafe-soul@bonami:~$ apt-cache policy firmware-realtek
firmware-realtek:
Installed: (none)
Candidate: 0.36+wheezy.1
Version table:
0.36+wheezy.1 0
500 http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/ wheezy/non-free amd64 Packages

Thank you every one.
I will go with the flow for now and see if the boat sinks.
thank you