# [SOLVED] RTL8188cus Firmware fails to load?

## evlich

Hello --

I am wondering if anyone has successfully gotten this device working on gentoo:

```
# lsusb

Bus 001 Device 003: ID 0bda:8176 Realtek Semiconductor Corp. RTL8188CUS 802.11n WLAN

```

What I'm getting from dmesg is the following:

```
[   12.645579] rtl8192ce 0000:03:00.0: PCI INT A -> GSI 17 (level, low) -> IRQ 17

[   12.645595] rtl8192ce 0000:03:00.0: setting latency timer to 64

[   12.810607] Bluetooth: Generic Bluetooth USB driver ver 0.6

[   12.810655] btusb 1-1.4:1.0: usb_probe_interface

[   12.810664] btusb 1-1.4:1.0: usb_probe_interface - got id

[   12.810981] btusb 1-1.4:1.2: usb_probe_interface

[   12.810988] btusb 1-1.4:1.2: usb_probe_interface - got id

[   12.811027] btusb 1-1.4:1.3: usb_probe_interface

[   12.811033] btusb 1-1.4:1.3: usb_probe_interface - got id

[   12.811081] usbcore: registered new interface driver btusb

[   12.811118] usb 1-1.4: link qh1-0601/ffff880214bd5680 start 0 [1/2 us]

[   12.838802] rtl8192cu 1-1.2:1.0: usb_probe_interface

[   12.838813] rtl8192cu 1-1.2:1.0: usb_probe_interface - got id

[   12.846031] usb 1-1.6: link qh16-0001/ffff8802108a4680 start 3 [1/0 us]

[   12.846130] usb 1-1.6: unlink qh16-0001/ffff8802108a4680 start 3 [1/0 us]

[   12.917110] rtl8192cu: MAC address: 00:02:72:b5:b8:e1

[   12.917122] rtl8192cu: Board Type 0

[   12.925261] rtl8192cu:rtl92cu_init_sw_vars():<0-0> Failed to request firmware!

```

but my firmware directory seems to contain the right stuff:

```
 # ls /lib/firmware/rtlwifi/

Realtek-Firmware-License.txt  rtl8192cfw.bin  rtl8192cfwU.bin  rtl8192cfwU_B.bin  rtl8192defw.bin  rtl8192defw_12.bin  rtl8192sefw.bin  rtl8192sefw.old.bin

# ls /lib/firmware/RTL8192SU/

rtl8192sfw.bin

```

Does anyone have any ideas on how to solve this problem?

Thanks.Last edited by evlich on Sun Aug 19, 2012 10:58 pm; edited 1 time in total

----------

## NeddySeagoon

evlich,

Is the rtl8192cu driver built into the kernel or a loadable module ?

What shows up in dmesg if you modprobe -r it, then reload it?

----------

## evlich

That didn't seem to change anything:

```
concept ~ # lsmod 

Module                  Size  Used by

rfcomm                 34409  8 

bnep                   10498  2 

rtl8192cu              94050  0 

rtl8192ce              72932  0 

rtl8192c_common        56614  2 rtl8192cu,rtl8192ce

rtlwifi                91545  2 rtl8192cu,rtl8192ce

btusb                  11297  2 

concept ~ # modprobe -r rtl8192cu

concept ~ # lsmod

Module                  Size  Used by

rfcomm                 34409  8 

bnep                   10498  2 

rtl8192ce              72932  0 

rtl8192c_common        56614  1 rtl8192ce

rtlwifi                91545  1 rtl8192ce

btusb                  11297  2 

concept ~ # modprobe rtl8192cu

concept ~ # dmesg

...

[ 4446.608727] rtl8192cu 1-1.2:1.0: usb_probe_interface

[ 4446.608738] rtl8192cu 1-1.2:1.0: usb_probe_interface - got id

[ 4446.686097] rtl8192cu: MAC address: 00:02:72:b5:b8:e1

[ 4446.686109] rtl8192cu: Board Type 0

[ 4446.712201] rtl8192cu:rtl92cu_init_sw_vars():<0-0> Failed to request firmware!

[ 4446.712204] rtlwifi:rtl_usb_probe():<0-0> Can't init_sw_vars.

[ 4446.712349] usbcore: registered new interface driver rtl8192cu

```

I was thinking that this might be related to the fact that I have built-in wireless as well:

```
# lspci

03:00.0 Network controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8188CE 802.11b/g/n WiFi Adapter (rev 01)

```

The problem is that I think that that device is going bad since I lose my connection to networks all the time when I'm using it. Do I need to disable it in some way and if so, how would I do that?

Thanks.

----------

## NeddySeagoon

evlich,

you should just get two wireless interfaces if bith cards come up.

```
ifconfig -a
```

 will show that.

I wonder if

```
Failed to request firmware!
```

 means what it says. That the kernel didn't look.

Please put your kernel .config file onto a pastebin and post the link

---- edit ----

looking at drivers/net/wireless/rtlwifi/rtl8192cu/sw.c, which is where youe error text comes from, it has 

```
MODULE_FIRMWARE("rtlwifi/rtl8192cufw.bin");
```

and you don't seem to have that file.

Also the outout of lsusb for your wireless dongle woukld be good.

----------

## evlich

Thanks a bunch. emerging linux-firmware solved my problem.

----------

