I don't understand what's wrong with 8821au.ko.xz?

Ask Fedora
,
1 
OS: Fedora Linux 41 x86_64
Kernel: Linux 6.11.11-300.fc41.x86_64
DE: LXQt

UEFI Secure Boot = OFF

$ rpm -qa kernel-core*
kernel-core-6.11.8-300.fc41.x86_64
kernel-core-6.11.10-300.fc41.x86_64
kernel-core-6.11.11-300.fc41.x86_64


$ lsusb
Bus 002 Device 003: ID 2357:011e TP-Link AC600 wireless Realtek RTL8811AU [Archer T2U Nano]


$ sudo dnf repolist
repo id                                                    repo name                                                                
copr:copr.fedorainfracloud.org:sunwire:dkms-8821au         Copr repo for dkms-8821au owned by sunwire    


$ sudo find /lib/modules -name 8821au.ko.xz
/lib/modules/6.11.5-200.fc40.x86_64/extra/8821au.ko.xz
/lib/modules/6.11.5-300.fc41.x86_64/extra/8821au.ko.xz
/lib/modules/6.11.6-300.fc41.x86_64/extra/8821au.ko.xz
/lib/modules/6.11.8-300.fc41.x86_64/extra/8821au.ko.xz
/lib/modules/6.11.10-300.fc41.x86_64/extra/8821au.ko.xz
/lib/modules/6.11.11-300.fc41.x86_64/extra/8821au.ko.xz

I installed the kernel module back in the Fedora 40 era.
The wifi works well,
I know “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” but…

Every time I update the kernel I see this:

[16/23] Removing kmod-VirtualBox-6.11.7-300.fc41.x86_64-0:7.1.4-1.fc41 100% [==================] |   2.0   B/s |   5.0   B | -00m00s
>>> Running post-uninstall scriptlet: kmod-VirtualBox-6.11.7-300.fc41.x86_64-0:7.1.4-1.fc41.x86_64
>>> Finished post-uninstall scriptlet: kmod-VirtualBox-6.11.7-300.fc41.x86_64-0:7.1.4-1.fc41.x86_64
>>> Scriptlet output:
>>> depmod: WARNING: /lib/modules/6.11.7-300.fc41.x86_64/extra/8821au.ko.xz needs unknown symbol cfg80211_del_sta_sinfo
>>> depmod: WARNING: /lib/modules/6.11.7-300.fc41.x86_64/extra/8821au.ko.xz needs unknown symbol ieee80211_freq_khz_to_channel
>>> depmod: WARNING: /lib/modules/6.11.7-300.fc41.x86_64/extra/8821au.ko.xz needs unknown symbol cfg80211_vendor_cmd_reply
>>> depmod: WARNING: /lib/modules/6.11.7-300.fc41.x86_64/extra/8821au.ko.xz needs unknown symbol ieee80211_radiotap_iterator_init
>>> depmod: WARNING: /lib/modules/6.11.7-300.fc41.x86_64/extra/8821au.ko.xz needs unknown symbol cfg80211_ibss_joined
>>> depmod: WARNING: /lib/modules/6.11.7-300.fc41.x86_64/extra/8821au.ko.xz needs unknown symbol __cfg80211_get_bss

[16/23] Removing kmod-VirtualBox-6.11.7-300.fc41.x86_64-0:7.1.4-1.fc41.x86_64               100% |   1.0   B/s |   5.0   B |  00m03s
>>> Running post-uninstall scriptlet: kmod-VirtualBox-6.11.7-300.fc41.x86_64-0:7.1.4-1.fc41.x86_64eee80211_get_channel_khz
>>> Finished post-uninstall scriptlet: kmod-VirtualBox-6.11.7-300.fc41.x86_64-0:7.1.4-1.fc41.x86_64g80211_ready_on_channel
>>> Scriptlet output:/lib/modules/6.11.7-300.fc41.x86_64/extra/8821au.ko.xz needs unknown symbol cfg80211_inform_bss_frame_data
>>> depmod: WARNING: /lib/modules/6.11.7-300.fc41.x86_64/extra/8821au.ko.xz needs unknown symbol cfg80211_del_sta_sinfo
>>> depmod: WARNING: /lib/modules/6.11.7-300.fc41.x86_64/extra/8821au.ko.xz needs unknown symbol ieee80211_freq_khz_to_channel
>>> depmod: WARNING: /lib/modules/6.11.7-300.fc41.x86_64/extra/8821au.ko.xz needs unknown symbol cfg80211_vendor_cmd_reply
---8<---
>>> depmod: WARNING: /lib/modules/6.11.7-300.fc41.x86_64/extra/8821au.ko.xz needs unknown symbol cfg80211_ch_switch_started_notify
>>> depmod: WARNING: /lib/modules/6.11.7-300.fc41.x86_64/extra/8821au.ko.xz needs unknown symbol __cfg80211_alloc_event_skb
>>> 
[17/23] Removing kernel-modules-core-0:6.11.7-300.fc41.x86_64                               100% |   2.7 KiB/s |   3.1 KiB |  00m01s
>>> Running pre-uninstall scriptlet: kernel-core-0:6.11.7-300.fc41.x86_64
>>> Finished pre-uninstall scriptlet: kernel-core-0:6.11.7-300.fc41.x86_64
>>> Scriptlet output:
>>> 
>>> Error! 8821au/5.12.5.2-2.git20240330.fc39 is broken!
>>> Missing the source directory or the symbolic link pointing to it.
>>> Manual intervention is required!
>>> 
>>> Error! 8821au/5.12.5.2-2.git20240615.fc40 is broken!
>>> Missing the source directory or the symbolic link pointing to it.
>>> Manual intervention is required!
>>> 
>>> Module 8821au/5.12.5.2-2.git20240615.fc41 for kernel 6.11.7-300.fc41.x86_64 (x86_64):
>>> Before uninstall, this module version was ACTIVE on this kernel.
>>> Deleting /lib/modules/6.11.7-300.fc41.x86_64/extra/8821au.ko.xz
>>> Running depmod... done.
>>> 
[18/23] Removing kernel-core-0:6.11.7-300.fc41.x86_64                                       100% | 144.0   B/s |  17.0   B |  00m00s
[19/23] Removing python3-boto3-0:1.35.72-1.fc41.noarch                                      100% |  13.0 KiB/s | 187.0   B |  00m00s
[20/23] Removing python3-botocore-0:1.35.72-1.fc41.noarch                                   100% |  55.4 KiB/s |   2.8 KiB |  00m00s
[21/23] Removing kernel-devel-0:6.11.7-300.fc41.x86_64                                      100% |  21.0 KiB/s |  22.8 KiB |  00m01s
[22/23] Removing kernel-devel-matched-0:6.11.10-300.fc41.x86_64                             100% |   8.9 KiB/s | 100.0   B |  00m00s
[23/23] Removing alsa-sof-firmware-0:2024.09.1-1.fc41.noarch                                100% |   2.0   B/s | 475.0   B |  03m11s
>>> Running post-transaction scriptlet: kernel-core-0:6.11.11-300.fc41.x86_64
>>> Finished post-transaction scriptlet: kernel-core-0:6.11.11-300.fc41.x86_64
>>> Scriptlet output:
>>> 
>>> Error! 8821au/5.12.5.2-2.git20240330.fc39 is broken! Missing the source directory or the symbolic link pointing to it.
>>> Manual intervention is required!
>>> 
>>> Error! 8821au/5.12.5.2-2.git20240615.fc40 is broken! Missing the source directory or the symbolic link pointing to it.
>>> Manual intervention is required!
>>> 
>>> Sign command: /lib/modules/6.11.11-300.fc41.x86_64/build/scripts/sign-file
>>> Signing key: /var/lib/dkms/mok.key
>>> Public certificate (MOK): /var/lib/dkms/mok.pub
>>> 
>>> Cleaning build area... done.
>>> Building module(s)..................................... done.
>>> Signing module /var/lib/dkms/8821au/5.12.5.2-2.git20240615.fc41/build/8821au.ko
>>> Cleaning build area... done.
>>> 
>>> Installing /lib/modules/6.11.11-300.fc41.x86_64/extra/8821au.ko.xz
>>> Running depmod..... done.
>>> Autoinstall on 6.11.11-300.fc41.x86_64 succeeded for module(s) 8821au.
>>> 
Complete!

Q:
Something needs to be done or “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”?

Thanx

2

The code has not been updated to match changes in the kernal APIs.
Ask the maintainer if they can fix it.

3

Quoting a project to provide an in-kernel driver:

The driver is available for testing at the following repo:

GitHub - lwfinger/rtw88: A backport of the Realtek Wifi 5 drivers from the wireless-next repo.

and:

Status report:

The driver went into Linux kernel 6.13 during the week of 11-21-2024.

4

Using the driver from copr is no longer need now it is part of the upstream kernel.

5

Do you mean that it will be enough

sudo dnf remove dkms-8821au

sudo dnf copr disable sunwire/dkms-8821au

and reboot?

BTW, how do you find out if there is a module 8821au in the my
uname -r
6.11.11-300.fc41.x86_64
?

6

You should looking for the current rtw88 module. At present you need to build it yourself for 6.11 kernels. Since this is new, there may be issues specific to a particular USB device that uses the 8821AU chipset, so you need to try it for yourself.