New Lenovo X1 cannot find ethxx or wxx network adapters

[wdx12]

Hello,
Just purchased new X1 Lenovo laptop. Moving my Puppy Fosspup bootable USB to test and
Barry's network tool cannot detect any eth or wifi adapters on the new machine?

Any ideas on how to proceed.

[mikewalsh]

@wdx12 :-

Frankly, I'm not surprised.....though it depends to some extent, on just HOW 'new' the hardware is. New to you, yes.....but how long has the machine actually been on the market for?

It's a well-known fact that the Linux kernel takes anywhere from 6 weeks to in excess of 6 months, to play 'catchup' with newly-released hardware, chipsets, etc. Windoze and Crapple 'associates' release source code, specs, etc, to their 'partners' as soon as it's out, so that bang up-to-date, correctly working drivers always come with any new item.

The Linux kernel maintainers, associate devs, etc, have to reverse-engineer everything from scratch. And that takes time. On top of which, 95% of Linux devs don't get paid for what they do, and most of their 'dev' work occurs in their own spare time at home.....

Think about that, the next time the urge to purchase the latest shiny gadget takes you....!

Mike.

[rockedge]

@wdx12 I am wondering if you have disabled Secure Boot (UEFI/EFI) and enabled Legacy boot?

Is this a EFI boot problem? You might need to check this and it's possible you will need to set up the drive partitions differently.

Or are you trying to boot directly from USB and what is happening? Can you describe what is happening to be able to start to debug your issue?

[mikeslr]

Like MikeWalsh I suspect a driver problem. Fossapup64 was published 2 years ago. The Kernel it uses is, I believe, 5.4.53 with included wifi drivers compiled to work with that kernel. If you run Menu>System>Pup-Sysinfo you can identify not only the kernel in use but also all the hardware employed by your computer. It's Sys-Spec>Base will tell the former. Just knowing which new Lenovo --the specific model-- will help; and 'Base' will report that. Pup-Sysinfo's Devices>PCI Devices will identify the builtin network adapters, both ethernet and wifi. If we know which device your computer uses as a wifi adapter we'll have a better idea of what you'll need to do to use wifi.

In the last two years several newer Puppys and even more newer 'kernel-packages' have been published.

Out of curiosity --no guarantees-- you might want to try booting the just published Voidpup64-22.02+4, viewtopic.php?t=5270 which employs the 5.15 kernel with associated drivers.

[rockedge]

I have a kernel 5.16.14-klvx that is a huge Puppy Linux kernel. I am running it in both a Bionic64 and a Fossapup64-9.5 and am testing it in a Fossapup64-9.6 that I just built using woof-CE that so far only has run on a QEMU virtual machine.

Direct Link to 5.16.14-klvx or go to https://rockedge.org/kernels Kernels->64Bit

Use the Quickpet->Change Kernel utility to swap it in easily.
Or use from a terminal command line:

Code: Select all

change_kernels

[mikeslr]

Hi rockedge. Thanks for the new kernel which I'll try out in my Fossapup64 & others.

I think you were referring to the one identified in the attached screenshot as hugh-5.16.14-klvx.tar.bz2. The presence of a fdrv_5.16.14-klv.sfs suggest that wdx12 might also need it; or at any rate its use by replacing the builtin fdrv.sfs won't hurt.

wdx12 don't hesitate to ask any questions regarding swapping kernels.

hugh-5.16.14-klvx.tar.bz2.png (29.89 KiB) Viewed 1476 times

[wdx12]

Hi Guys,

Thanks for prompt feedback. I will try to summarize in one response to all.
FYI attached is pup-sysinfo.txt

New machine (Dec 2021) is Lenovo X1 Gen 9. on that machine.
///
Network Interface: No active interface
Wireless Network: No wireless connection
///
Network controller [0280]: Intel Corporation Wi-Fi 6 AX201 [8086:a0f0] (rev 20) ??
///

I have UEFI disabled and I'm able to boot my USB thumb drive with fossaPup65_9.5 ok
on the system.

I agree on the latest and greatest comment I still have my Lenovo X1 gen 3 from 2015 as backup
which works like a charm with Win7/Ubuntu dual boot and Puppy via USB drive.

I had no choice on new machine given new work software tools are tied to Win10/11 so I took a chance with
Lenovo.

I was also wondering if I should purchase a cheap USB-WIFI from Amazon and get around it while waiting
for updates.

I will take a peek recommended ISO to try.

Again THANKS for prompt feedback!

wdx12

[mikewalsh]

Oh, I LIKE that "product name", I really do. 20XW00FSUS.....very appropriate!

A USB wifi dongle is always a useful thing to have. I'll recommend one straightaway, which has worked with every Puppy I've ever used.....so long as I've had the driver for it. (Prior to Tahrpup, it had to be added separately; post-Tahrpup, it was in the kernel by default.)

TP-Link WN-725N

I wouldn't take too much notice of Amazon's Linux kernel info..! I know for a fact that the driver for this appeared around the middle of Canonical's k3.13 development; I'd bought it in 2013, and switched to Linux the following May. I started off with the newly-released Ubuntu 14.04 LTS "Trusty Tahr", which shipped with the k3.13 kernel by default. To start with, driver support for the wifi dongle just wasn't there; it was Ethernet or nowt. It suddenly appeared around the middle of September that year, shortly after the second major point release update (14.04.2), at which time we were somewhere around k3.13.78/80....

Enough of the history lesson! That should do what you want, so long as it's the v2. v1 used a short-lived chipset that never worked under Linux; most are now v2s, but there is the odd v1 still knocking around the market-place here & there. Just be aware of that. Build quality is sublime, as you would expect from TP-Link.....and despite how tiny it is, it's got a surprising range on it, still holding a strong signal over 20 yards from your router. (Or at least, it did for me.)

Mike.

[ozsouth]

@wdx12 - you are likely missing firmware - download file linked below, expand in an empty folder & in a terminal,
cd /(that folder) & run tar -zxvf (filename), & place 6 resultant files (under subfolder) into /lib/firmware.
Then try to connect to net. Use at own risk. https://wireless.wiki.kernel.org/_media ... 5109.0.tgz
I also have the usb adaptor @mikewalsh suggests above - works well.

[TerryH]

Hi Guys,

Thanks for prompt feedback. I will try to summarize in one response to all.
FYI attached is pup-sysinfo.txt

New machine (Dec 2021) is Lenovo X1 Gen 9. on that machine.
///
Network Interface: No active interface
Wireless Network: No wireless connection
///
Network controller [0280]: Intel Corporation Wi-Fi 6 AX201 [8086:a0f0] (rev 20) ??
///

I have UEFI disabled and I'm able to boot my USB thumb drive with fossaPup65_9.5 ok
on the system.

I agree on the latest and greatest comment I still have my Lenovo X1 gen 3 from 2015 as backup
which works like a charm with Win7/Ubuntu dual boot and Puppy via USB drive.

I had no choice on new machine given new work software tools are tied to Win10/11 so I took a chance with
Lenovo.

I was also wondering if I should purchase a cheap USB-WIFI from Amazon and get around it while waiting
for updates.

I will take a peek recommended ISO to try.

Again THANKS for prompt feedback!

wdx12

The firmware required for:
Network controller [0280]: Intel Corporation Wi-Fi 6 AX201 [8086:a0f0] (rev 20)
is probably not in the firmware fdrv.sfs.

If you run in a terminal:
dmesg | grep -i firmware it should show the firmware you need. You will see a -2 error code for the missing firmware.
It should be placed in /lib/firmware.

You can also check dmesg | grep wifi

[mikewalsh]

@ozsouth :-

@wdx12 - you are likely missing firmware - download file linked below, expand in an empty folder & in a terminal,
cd /(that folder) & run tar -zxvf (filename), & place 6 resultant files (under subfolder) into /lib/firmware.
Then try to connect to net. Use at own risk. https://wireless.wiki.kernel.org/_media ... 5109.0.tgz
I also have the usb adaptor @mikewalsh suggests above - works well.

Yeah, it's served me well for several years. From what I recall Bill saying some years back, the r8188eu source code actually compiled pretty easily with older kernels, too; I had it running in one of rerwin's Lupu-Supers, with a k3.2 kernel, AND Racy with the k3.0.66 kernel, as well.....both on the old Dell lappie, and both courtesy of Bill. (The Dell never came with internal wifi; it was Ethernet or nowt, unless you upgraded it yourself.)

TP-Link's "Amplified Twin-Loop antenna" technology works astonishingly well for such a tiny item.

Mike.

[wdx12]

Thanks guys,

I ordered the NANO WIFI as Mike suggested. Very tiny nice!

Will also try Ozsouth updating missing firmware suggestion and TerryH "dmesg" command.

I have a question on updating /lib/firmware, I'm currently using bootable USB fossa pup and I assume all drivers are in
fdrv_fossapup64_9.5.sfs file. If I update the /lib/firmware folder will that information be persistent on next reboot?

Again thanks.

wdx12

[mikeslr]

I have a question on updating /lib/firmware, I'm currently using bootable USB fossa pup and I assume all drivers are in
fdrv_fossapup64_9.5.sfs file. If I update the /lib/firmware folder will that information be persistent on next reboot?

Again thanks.

wdx12

Only if you execute a Save to your SaveFile/Folder. If you want to operate without using a SaveFile/Folder, mount the fdrv_fossapup64_9.5.sfs, copy its files to a folder named fdrv_fossapup64, copy the files ozsouth provided into that folder, Right-Click it and select dir2sfs. A new fdrv_fossapup64.sfs will be created which you substitute for the original. Make sure the new SFS has the "_9.5" identification. If you do the above running fossapup64 it will.

By the way, problems with your built-in wifi adapter were discussed on a couple of 'Ubuntu 20.04' threads. Not just the need for firmware but also slow and spotty connections even when the proper firmware was present. The solution found here, https://community.intel.com/t5/Wireless ... 583/page/2 --"Set the authentication type as 'WPA2-PSK' and Encryption 'AES'"-- may not always be available. [And frankly, I doubt that 'solution' had anything to do with the problem reported. Attempting to use the wrong encryption key would result in No connection, not spotting connection.] Another post --can't find it again-- indicated that Ubuntu was 'working on' the problem.
Anyway, when you can run Menu>Setup>Quickpet to obtain any bugfixes Ubuntu actually provided. And, of course, the NANO WIFI as Mike suggested will avoid these problems.

[BologneChe]

@wdx12

Try EasyOS Dunfell 3.4.7.