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Install Debian on a machine that recently had a new gigabit network card installed. Used the regular installer (excluding nonfree firmware) and ignored the message about installing nonfree firmware.
When installing some system packages using apt (forget which ones, might have just been apt update && apt dist-upgrade but cannot replicate nor can remember exactly what triggered) got the following message:
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/rtl_nic/rtl8107e-2.fw for module r8169
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/rtl_nic/rtl8107e-1.fw for module r8169
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/rtl_nic/rtl8168h-2.fw for module r8169
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/rtl_nic/rtl8168h-1.fw for module r8169
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/rtl_nic/rtl8168g-3.fw for module r8169
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/rtl_nic/rtl8168g-2.fw for module r8169
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/rtl_nic/rtl8106e-2.fw for module r8169
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/rtl_nic/rtl8106e-1.fw for module r8169
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/rtl_nic/rtl8411-2.fw for module r8169
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/rtl_nic/rtl8411-1.fw for module r8169
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/rtl_nic/rtl8402-1.fw for module r8169
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/rtl_nic/rtl8168f-2.fw for module r8169
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/rtl_nic/rtl8168f-1.fw for module r8169
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/rtl_nic/rtl8105e-1.fw for module r8169
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/rtl_nic/rtl8168e-3.fw for module r8169
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/rtl_nic/rtl8168e-2.fw for module r8169
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/rtl_nic/rtl8168e-1.fw for module r8169
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/rtl_nic/rtl8168d-2.fw for module r8169
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/rtl_nic/rtl8168d-1.fw for module r8169
Everything works fine using the network card that "needs" nonfree firmware. Does this mean that a free driver works fine with the network card and that have nothing to worry about or would most recommend installing the nonfree driver?
I get the same warnings every time a pkg triggers update-initramfs with below device, but it has done that for a couple yrs now and everything works fine. Also happens with radeon boards if you don't have the whole firmware pkg installed, kind of annoying but never found a way to turn it off.
I'm a little lazy about firmware, I only install what I need. I don't even have free firmware-linux-free installed, cuz I don;t need it. Some people will tell you to always install the firmware pkgs, so it's kind of up to you. If the device is not loading any firmware, or asking for it, I don't see the point in having dozens of blobs on the system.
bw123 wrote:Some people will tell you to always install the firmware pkgs
The CPU microcode packages are the only things that should be needed, especially for Intel Haswell machines because they will fall over unless patched (Intel ****ed up the design).
I also see those errors with the r8169 driver but it seems to still work.
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-4.16.0-1-amd64
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/raven_gpu_info.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/raven_asd.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/polaris12_mec2_2.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/polaris12_mec_2.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/polaris12_me_2.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/polaris12_pfp_2.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/polaris12_ce_2.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/polaris10_mec2_2.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/polaris10_mec_2.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/polaris10_me_2.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/polaris10_pfp_2.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/polaris10_ce_2.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/polaris11_mec2_2.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/polaris11_mec_2.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/polaris11_me_2.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/polaris11_pfp_2.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/polaris11_ce_2.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/raven_rlc.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/raven_mec2.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/raven_mec.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/raven_me.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/raven_pfp.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/raven_ce.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/raven_sdma.bin for module amdgpu
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/amdgpu/raven_vcn.bin for module amdgpu
It seems to come from /usr/share/initramfs-tools/hook-functions around line 80-100 there is a function that runs modinfo on each module to be installed in the initramfs and greps the output for word firmware. Evidently some modules support multiple devices that do and do not require firmware. It seems to be assuming that every single firmware the module supports is 'possibly missing' whether or not the device atually needs one of them.