(Some distributions make exceptions for binary firmware see Fedora’s stance on the issue for example.) But Ethernet adapters tend to have their drivers included in the kernel, whereas some wifi adapters rely on out-of-tree drivers which complicates matters further: the drivers have to be built for the kernel in use, and in secure boot environments, signed on top of that. There are a few Ethernet adapters where this isn’t true, and they are as difficult to use as wifi adapters.Īs far as hardware diversity goes, I suspect there’s as much on the Ethernet side as on the wifi side. this recent long thread).Įthernet adapters on the other hand typically don’t require such firmware uploads, and can therefore be used as-is. This causes a lot of difficulty for users, and Debian for example is infamous in this respect (which has led to numerous discussions, e.g. This means that the wifi adapters in question can’t be used easily. Wifi adapters often require firmware to be uploaded to the adapter by the operating system, and some distributions don’t include that firmware in their default installation images because it isn’t free software ( i.e., succinctly, it isn’t provided with source code in a form that’s modifiable by the user, with an appropriate license).
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