Groups | Search | Server Info | Keyboard shortcuts | Login | Register [http] [https] [nntp] [nntps]

Groups > linux.debian.user > #232243

Re: How to self-load non-freeware firmware on existing netinst ISO installer

Show all headers | View raw

On Sun 28 Feb 2021 at 18:36:49 -0600, David Wright wrote:

> On Thu 25 Feb 2021 at 14:32:49 (+0000), Brian wrote:
> > On Wed 24 Feb 2021 at 22:47:59 -0600, David Wright wrote:
> > > On Thu 25 Feb 2021 at 10:36:40 (+0800), Robbi Nespu wrote:
> > > 
> > > > > 5. Create /lib/firmware: mkdir /lib/firmware and transfer the
> > > > >    firmware there.
> > > > > 
> > > > > 6. ALT-F1 to go back to d-i. d-i should now find the firmware.
> > > 
> > > Note that on most systems, steps 3 through 6 are unnecessary as
> > > the installer will find the firmware itself anyway.
> > 
> > That's the advice given in Section 6.4.1 if the Installer Guide and,
> > if it works, it works. However, I would not like to guarantee that it
> > does, just as, in the case of the OP, the non-free installer ISO does
> > not come up with installing the firmware.
> 
> Agreed: it's difficult to do too much for the installer.
> 
> And AFAICT my advice and the Installation Guide § 6.4.1 and
> § 4.3.1 are all out of date. It appears that nowadays (official
> buster 10.8 netinst, amd64 and i386), loose firmware files
> don't get picked up, either off a second USB stick¹, or off an
> extra partition added to the hybrid installation stick. You
> have to offer it the firmware in .deb files.

"loose firmware files" is a bit of a woolly term; it needs expanding
on. The .deb files will have a directory structure (please see later).
 
> OTOH my official wheezy 7.1.0 netinst i386 installer does pick up
> the loose files, exactly as described in the Installation Guide.
> So it appears we have a regression in the debian-installer.

That isn't quite my recollection but it is so long ago that I am not
willing to push it. I am also not motivated (yet) to try it out.

> I haven't tested jessie or stretch because my netinst media are
> all firmware versions, so I can't pinpoint the change in behaviour.
> The Installation Guide's wording in those two sections (above)
> became settled by the time of wheezy, but has remained unchanged
> since then. Unless the problem has been fixed for bullseye²,
> I would suggest that the guide text needs revising.
> 
> > Transferring the firmware files directly to where the installer kernel
> > can find them seems more assured of success. If it doesn't, there is a
> > big problem for the system both during and after installation.
> 
> I also haven't tested whether, when you copy loose files to
> /lib/firmware, you have to preserve the directory structure.
> For example, wheezy automatically copies the file tg3_tso5.bin
> from '/media/tigon' to '/lib/firmware/tigon', but would manually
> copying it to /lib/firmware/tg3_tso5.bin still work (if the
> user wasn't aware of its usual location, …path-to/tigon/tg3_tso5.bin)?
>                                                   ↑↑↑↑↑↑

The directory structure has to remain intact. Execute, for example,

  modinfo zd1211rw | less

At the top we have

  firmware:       zd1211/zd1211_uphr

The kernel would expect the firmware file to be in zd1211/.

-- 
Brian.

Back to linux.debian.user | Previous | Next — Previous in thread | Next in thread | Find similar | Unroll thread

Thread

How to self-load non-freeware firmware on existing netinst ISO installer Robbi Nespu <robbinespu@gmail.com> - 2021-02-24 16:10 +0100
  Re: How to self-load non-freeware firmware on existing netinst ISO installer Kenneth Parker <sea7kenp@gmail.com> - 2021-02-24 16:40 +0100
    Re: How to self-load non-freeware firmware on existing netinst ISO  installer Robbi Nespu <robbinespu@gmail.com> - 2021-02-25 03:50 +0100
  Re: How to self-load non-freeware firmware on existing netinst ISO  installer Brian <ad44@cityscape.co.uk> - 2021-02-24 17:10 +0100
    Re: How to self-load non-freeware firmware on existing netinst ISO  installer John Boxall <jboxall47@gmail.com> - 2021-02-24 17:20 +0100
      Re: How to self-load non-freeware firmware on existing netinst ISO  installer Brian <ad44@cityscape.co.uk> - 2021-02-24 17:30 +0100
        Re: How to self-load non-freeware firmware on existing netinst ISO  installer Robbi Nespu <robbinespu@gmail.com> - 2021-02-25 04:40 +0100
      Re: How to self-load non-freeware firmware on existing netinst ISO  installer Robbi Nespu <robbinespu@gmail.com> - 2021-02-25 04:00 +0100
    Re: How to self-load non-freeware firmware on existing netinst ISO  installer Robbi Nespu <robbinespu@gmail.com> - 2021-02-25 04:00 +0100
      Re: How to self-load non-freeware firmware on existing netinst ISO  installer David Wright <deblis@lionunicorn.co.uk> - 2021-02-25 05:50 +0100
        Re: How to self-load non-freeware firmware on existing netinst ISO  installer [SOLVED] Robbi Nespu <robbinespu@gmail.com> - 2021-02-25 11:20 +0100
        Re: How to self-load non-freeware firmware on existing netinst ISO  installer Brian <ad44@cityscape.co.uk> - 2021-02-25 15:40 +0100
          Re: How to self-load non-freeware firmware on existing netinst ISO  installer Brian <ad44@cityscape.co.uk> - 2021-02-26 14:10 +0100
          Re: How to self-load non-freeware firmware on existing netinst ISO  installer David Wright <deblis@lionunicorn.co.uk> - 2021-03-01 01:40 +0100
            Re: How to self-load non-freeware firmware on existing netinst ISO  installer Charles Curley <charlescurley@charlescurley.com> - 2021-03-01 04:00 +0100
            Re: How to self-load non-freeware firmware on existing netinst ISO  installer Brian <ad44@cityscape.co.uk> - 2021-03-01 15:20 +0100
              Re: How to self-load non-freeware firmware on existing netinst ISO  installer David Wright <deblis@lionunicorn.co.uk> - 2021-03-01 18:00 +0100
                Re: How to self-load non-freeware firmware on existing netinst ISO  installer Brian <ad44@cityscape.co.uk> - 2021-03-01 21:50 +0100
  Re: How to self-load non-freeware firmware on existing netinst ISO installer Semih Ozlem <semihozlemlinuxuser@gmail.com> - 2021-02-26 06:50 +0100

csiph-web