no network on many live distros

duffsuzi · 09-24-2021, 05:14 PM

I've tried a few live distros and/or installs---Mint, Manjoro---and there is no network connection. It seems this has something to do with the r8169 that is used. I've tried downloading the r8168 and installing it, then blacklisting the r8169. No good.

So basically, I need to know what's going on in the linux world with the software I need to get my lan card working. I have the ASRock Steel Legend M.

I ran inxi -Nazy and it came back as 8125 but I could not find that version in the repos.

I also only halfass know what I'm doing. But I'm sure the guys that know what they're doing already knew that.

jefro · 09-24-2021, 06:51 PM

lspci ought to reveal it. Modprobe won't hurt.

You can't just put drivers on that don't match.

https://askubuntu.com/questions/1279...e-should-i-use

frankbell · 09-24-2021, 08:47 PM

I gather that

Quote:

r8168

refers to a Realtek chipset.

For testing purposes, you may want to try at least some of those Live CD/USBs with a wired connection to rule out other culprits.

aus9 · 09-24-2021, 09:18 PM

I have a 8168....it uses the kernel module r8169 for ethernet.

jefro, agreed your command would also work but OP already knows inxi so it is quicker IMHO
frankbell, I am pretty confident he has a Realtek 8168 that needs module r8169. so lets see if below helps before he does downlaoding to save the internet?

Code:

inxi -Nxxx # NOT OP
Network:
  Device-1: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet 
  vendor: Micro-Star MSI driver: r8169 v: kernel port: f000 bus-ID: 22:00.0 
  chip-ID: 10ec:8168 class-ID: 0200

so we can not blacklist r8169 please.

2) your chip IDs may differ from mine.

Please post the result of these commands into a code box, the same code is fine.
You may need root powers depending on your distro to do that.

Code:

dmesg | grep 8168
dmesg | grep 8169
dmesg | grep firmware

For me, I get a hit for 8168 due to its ID
I get a multiple hits for module r8169 .....which has
"[ 3.321094] r8169 0000:22:00.0 enp34s0: Link is Down
[ 6.590707] r8169 0000:22:00.0 enp34s0: Link is Up - 1Gbps/Full - flow control off"

^^ showing that my ID has Gigabit ethernet ....and is woking.

I do not get any hits for my eth card for firmware but YMMV

duffsuzi · 09-25-2021, 08:52 AM

Code:

inxi -Nazy
Network:
  Device-1: Realtek RTL8125 2.5GbE vendor: ASRock driver: N/A modules: r8169
  port: f000 bus-ID: 03:00.0 chip-ID: 10ec:8125 class-ID: 0200

sudo dmesg | grep 8125]
[    0.294382] pci 0000:03:00.0: [10ec:8125] type 00 class 0x020000

sudo dmesg | grep 8169
[    2.959838] r8169 0000:03:00.0: unknown chip XID 641
[    7.288169] systemd[1]: Condition check resulted in First Boot Wizard being skipped.

sudo dmesg | grep firmware
[    0.134001] Spectre V2 : Enabling Restricted Speculation for firmware calls

Hopefully this will help make what I wrote above more clear. I suppose I should have written it better. Maybe I should add that openSuse worked; Mint and Manjaro do not. The code above was ran on Manjaro Live.

ondoho · 09-25-2021, 10:41 AM

So, this is NOT wifi, yes?

As aus9 said, please undo all the half-cocked stuff you did/described in your OP.

Now that we have positively identified the device, a Quick Search(tm).
Relevant-looking results:
https://askubuntu.com/questions/1259...rking-on-20-04
https://askubuntu.com/questions/1359...-how-to-preven
https://github.com/awesometic/realtek-r8125-dkms
https://www.linuxquestions.org/quest...er-4175686564/

duffsuzi · 09-25-2021, 12:15 PM

Not wifi. It is an ASRock Steel Legend M motherboard. This comes with a Realtek ethernet connection. In the researching I've done, it seems that I'm the rare and lucky type in which (for some reason) linux loads the wrong driver. It suggested changing the r8169 driver with the r8168 driver (making sure LinuxXX matches) and then blacklisting the r8169. I did this. No connection. So I looked and found that inxi reports 8125. So I'm guessing I need an r8125 driver? Not sure, but I looked in the repos where I got the r8168 driver and could find nothing for 8125.

This is all somewhat frustrating because I'm been playing with linux for a couple of decades and drivers USED TO BE a pretty big problem... for printers especially. I'd have thought with new versions of linux I wouldn't be having driver issues.

duffsuzi · 09-25-2021, 12:25 PM

So after glancing at the links, it seems I need to compile the driver. LOL. No thanks. I think I'll just go back to Windows. Seriously, it's not a brand new or uncommon motherboard. The fact that the driver is not included is.... I mean, really? It's weird for almost 10 years I used linux only and thought of the future when the kinks would be out. Lately I've been spending more and more time on Windows and really think I might just quit linux all together.

The reason I'm trying to reinstall the system is because I'm trying to get pipewire to work now that FINALLY it looks like the sound nightmare will be fixed. But really, to hit a driver issue while crossing my fingers that sound will finally work?

Maybe it's time to trade in the car and get a different one.

jefro · 09-25-2021, 03:09 PM

Just for fun, tell me what lspci says about that. I know you ran other test.

It may be that the correct nic was in the latest kernel.

duffsuzi · 09-25-2021, 05:55 PM

lspci just says it's a Realtek RTL8125.

jefro · 09-25-2021, 08:35 PM

https://askubuntu.com/questions/1259...rking-on-20-04

Not sure what get with this page. https://www.realtek.com/en/component...press-software

aus9 · 09-25-2021, 08:36 PM

ahh ok well you may not have to re-compile as you could install a kernel from
https://liquorix.net/

this has instructions for Debian and Ubuntu (and by deduction distros based on those)

but I run it and noticed something.....your firmware did not have a hit for realtek ethernet but for my liquorix kernel

Code:

modinfo r8169
filename:       /lib/modules/5.14.0-7.1-liquorix-amd64/kernel/drivers/net/ethernet/realtek/r8169.ko
firmware:       rtl_nic/rtl8125b-2.fw
firmware:       rtl_nic/rtl8125a-3.fw
firmware:       rtl_nic/rtl8107e-2.fw
firmware:       rtl_nic/rtl8107e-1.fw
firmware:       rtl_nic/rtl8168fp-3.fw
firmware:       rtl_nic/rtl8168h-2.fw
firmware:       rtl_nic/rtl8168h-1.fw
firmware:       rtl_nic/rtl8168g-3.fw
firmware:       rtl_nic/rtl8168g-2.fw
firmware:       rtl_nic/rtl8106e-2.fw
firmware:       rtl_nic/rtl8106e-1.fw
firmware:       rtl_nic/rtl8411-2.fw
firmware:       rtl_nic/rtl8411-1.fw
firmware:       rtl_nic/rtl8402-1.fw
firmware:       rtl_nic/rtl8168f-2.fw
firmware:       rtl_nic/rtl8168f-1.fw
firmware:       rtl_nic/rtl8105e-1.fw
firmware:       rtl_nic/rtl8168e-3.fw
firmware:       rtl_nic/rtl8168e-2.fw
firmware:       rtl_nic/rtl8168e-1.fw
firmware:       rtl_nic/rtl8168d-2.fw
firmware:       rtl_nic/rtl8168d-1.fw
license:        GPL
softdep:        pre: realtek
description:    RealTek RTL-8169 Gigabit Ethernet driver
author:         Realtek and the Linux r8169 crew <netdev@vger.kernel.org>
srcversion:     4179CFC9720197617C8BF37
alias:          pci:v000010ECd00003000sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
alias:          pci:v000010ECd00008125sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
alias:          pci:v00000001d00008168sv*sd00002410bc*sc*i*
alias:          pci:v00001737d00001032sv*sd00000024bc*sc*i*
alias:          pci:v000016ECd00000116sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
alias:          pci:v00001259d0000C107sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
alias:          pci:v00001186d00004302sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
alias:          pci:v00001186d00004300sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
alias:          pci:v00001186d00004300sv00001186sd00004B10bc*sc*i*
alias:          pci:v000010ECd00008169sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
alias:          pci:v000010FFd00008168sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
alias:          pci:v000010ECd00008168sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
alias:          pci:v000010ECd00008167sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
alias:          pci:v000010ECd00008161sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
alias:          pci:v000010ECd00008136sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
alias:          pci:v000010ECd00008129sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
alias:          pci:v000010ECd00002600sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
alias:          pci:v000010ECd00002502sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
depends:        
retpoline:      Y
intree:         Y
name:           r8169
vermagic:       5.14.0-7.1-liquorix-amd64 SMP preempt mod_unload 
sig_id:         PKCS#7
signer:         Build time autogenerated kernel key
sig_key:        41:C2:1C:CE:A4:82:47:C5:5B:CF:46:B7:DE:0D:B3:10:DE:8B:12:5F
sig_hashalgo:   sha512
signature:      4D:60:BA:CE:AA:76:81:5E:2F:CF:FB:20:0B:E8:A9:1F:97:31:D9:11:
		48:97:8E:52:5A:BC:11:BA:43:C7:B2:F3:DA:23:CE:6B:7F:FD:F5:E5:
		24:B9:CF:1E:66:63:71:BA:8F:EC:F5:09:7A:79:75:32:17:DE:B5:54:
		F4:64:B0:F0:2E:FE:A0:2C:01:FD:7D:C6:D5:11:F3:F1:B3:F1:27:60:
		46:F3:0A:F7:BD:72:B0:12:48:4E:E4:84:1E:51:90:BF:8D:0A:24:9C:
		E0:85:AC:7D:1F:A4:B3:11:7A:9A:83:1C:A5:90:27:2D:6D:82:D4:06:
		A1:E8:C2:4D:59:E7:54:55:DE:9C:EA:B2:77:89:66:B5:D3:85:F7:2E:
		05:C2:29:1D:5F:C2:B1:32:2E:A4:D0:6C:13:0F:90:EF:68:E8:B4:AF:
		58:01:AC:A3:13:C4:C2:88:CE:23:61:B0:B5:98:1F:5F:F8:BD:BC:3A:
		88:CE:44:EB:AB:79:27:96:DA:E9:5B:D1:41:B7:3F:E6:86:17:27:EE:
		43:F9:41:51:F4:BD:A5:59:AB:3E:80:CA:92:9A:DE:40:12:0C:52:F3:
		8C:34:DB:5D:97:5C:D4:7A:41:C4:64:00:F6:4C:17:80:34:EB:D5:C6:
		C4:A8:BD:5F:78:D7:95:25:4F:D2:2B:75:61:D0:00:2E:EE:44:CA:A3:
		8F:C6:96:3B:A5:F7:FD:CF:48:0B:80:1A:0B:D6:A3:3B:A1:DC:AE:13:
		B9:60:04:7D:7E:CD:65:AA:94:95:D1:37:EE:68:BD:11:C5:45:EA:A0:
		E7:8A:87:DD:86:59:F1:DF:F9:E4:2A:53:81:BB:55:9C:8D:79:AD:CF:
		7A:FF:52:6E:F7:37:1F:B0:E0:DA:1A:24:30:67:C3:2C:E5:10:F4:B3:
		5B:1F:A6:44:DC:BC:DF:A7:70:AD:F5:B3:A5:6F:04:21:E2:F6:2B:12:
		7C:CE:0E:88:61:A6:32:20:5E:90:DC:D0:FD:1A:0E:0F:9B:CD:F1:0E:
		6E:66:8E:51:EE:93:0D:58:DA:E9:E7:E9:86:58:D6:03:0A:C1:95:C6:
		DB:9A:6E:43:A4:71:91:E4:94:09:AC:59:37:22:A2:E5:01:56:CD:D7:
		E7:35:31:88:8B:47:FB:8D:10:50:EC:C5:CA:CE:11:E8:44:69:92:0D:
		82:DD:89:A6:02:AC:D2:F9:12:5D:F0:4C:4F:CA:B4:5B:ED:56:92:A8:
		52:10:1B:7B:E4:C4:6F:2F:19:E3:CB:06:6B:7C:FE:0F:3A:6C:07:AB:
		C7:B6:16:28:8C:48:5E:F9:76:29:DA:2D:97:23:D4:C0:2A:98:B1:37:
		77:2B:D9:5D:38:F2:8D:94:D9:09:2A:49

thats way too much info so here is the snippets that interest me and may interest you?

alias: pci:v000010ECd00008125sv*sd*bc*sc*i*.......that in pci ID format is 10ec:8125.....look familiar?
but we also have
firmware: rtl_nic/rtl8125b-2.fw
firmware: rtl_nic/rtl8125a-3.fw

I am not sure but if you look at package manager, and I am not even sure which distro you are on....
they may not be in your firmware-realtek.....and you might need them.But they are installed on my system

@frankbell I was wrong to think he had a 8168. wrong again.

duffsuzi · 09-25-2021, 10:31 PM

I was trying to run Manjaro. Debian gave me issues with pipewire and I've read that the arch distros work pretty well with it. So now I'm in this weird linux hell, of... trying to get sound working----leads to wiping my MX-Linux system to install Manjaro..... to the driver not working on the ethernet---- to having to install a different kernel which is available in Debian.... Yeah, I know... the kernel is in arch distros too... but really... I'm too old for this. I would rather be playing my drums than chasing linux around. Sure linux can be fun.... but... it's getting annoying at this point. After all these years I just feel it should be more... complete. I really hate Windows... but.. I load it up... My drums and guitar work easily with all the software I need. My videos play without getting this video/audio sync issue. Like watching the Godzilla movies with the overdubs.

Does anyone else feel that linux is just somehow lagging? Maybe it's too many distros? If more people worked on fewer projects/distros? I don't know. I really am not aware enough of that level of things to say with any certainty and I'm only speculating. I really liked linux when I first go into it. I had some vision in my head of what it was going to be in the future. It came close, but it still seems far behind too.

aus9 · 09-25-2021, 11:28 PM

manjaro has forums.

but LQ also is very good for sound.

If you install pavucontrol.....and go to Configuration TAB you can set your sound device.

Is sound to come of hdmi cable, 3.5 mm cable or usb sound device?

EDIT I found a guide that might work on Manjaro for the kernel
https://tutorialforlinux.com/2021/03...llation-guide/

I think you already know page one so click on page 2 for the action if interested.

duffsuzi · 09-26-2021, 07:54 AM

I know how to use pavucontrol. I have a USB interface I plug MIDI drums and a guitar into. Then I use jack, and Cadence, and a2jmidi... blah blah blah... Now tell me how to easily switch from audio going out of my USB interface to audio going out of the HMDI cable to my TV while running jack?

This is the reason I was installing pipewire--- because linux audio sux.