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Installing a driver by hand.

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stf92
Posts: 41
Joined: 2018-05-27 20:16

Installing a driver by hand.

#1 Post by stf92 »

Hi: I have installed debian (debian-9.4.0-i386-DVD-1.iso) on an Acer Aspire One computer. The driver for the wi-fi controller is propietary (non-free firmware) and, so, it is not included in the distribution. However the installer asks for media containing the file (iwlwifi-3160-17.ucode) to be inserted. I have tested in several ways, including putting it into a directory called /media, with no results. So I gave up and installed instead the firmware iso image which comes with non-free distributable drivers. However I want to be able to install without recourse to internet and so (that is to install from the debian-9.4.0-i386-DVD-1.iso) I need a means to install the driver by hand. OK.

I made

Code: Select all

root@revenge mnt]# locate iwlwifi-3160-17
/home/semoi/Downloads/iwlwifi-3160-17.ucode
/stretch/lib/firmware/iwlwifi-3160-17.ucode
/usr/lib/firmware/iwlwifi-3160-17.ucode
[root@revenge mnt]# 
As you can see, the firmware installer put the driver into /lib/firmware. So, what if after installing debian-9.4.0-i386-DVD-1.iso I copy the driver to /lib/firmware and make modprobe <name of the driver>? Could it be as simple as that?

Note: I have two partitions mounted. One with Stretch and the other with Arch linux, which is the running OS at present. Hence the duplicated entries. Stretch is mounted on /stretch.

arzgi
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Re: Installing a driver by hand.

#2 Post by arzgi »

Why do you use install-disk, if you already have installed stretch? After installation, wifi can be configured, (which propably is the prefferred way) but it does not require installation disk.

EDIT: Now I red your post second time with more tought, and makes more sense. My apologies :roll:
Last edited by arzgi on 2018-05-29 14:31, edited 1 time in total.

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bw123
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Re: Installing a driver by hand.

#3 Post by bw123 »

...
So, what if after installing debian-9.4.0-i386-DVD-1.iso I copy the driver to /lib/firmware and make modprobe <name of the driver>? Could it be as simple as that?
That is the way I've been handling firmware for a long time, for several wifi devices, and also for radeon boards. I don't like the big pkgs with all those blobs, when I only need one little file. The downside is, if/when there is an updated ver of the firmware, you don't get it thru apt.

Probably a good idea to remove the module, modprobe -r and then modprobe to get it to work.
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stf92
Posts: 41
Joined: 2018-05-27 20:16

Re: Installing a driver by hand.

#4 Post by stf92 »

Thanks. But tell me, if you please, what permissions should the file have, I mean the driver? And could I use the ping command to see if things work?

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