How to Install Drivers for a Generic USB WiFi Adapter on Linux
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| Zebronics Zeb USB150WF1 WiFi USB Mini Adapter |
Finding the right driver for a generic USB WiFi adapter(Zebronics Zeb USB150WF1 WiFi USB Mini Adapter) can be a real headache, especially when the included drivers are outdated and no longer work with modern Linux distributions. But don't worry, I recently went through this and found a solution that works! This guide will walk you through the steps to get your adapter up and running.
Step 1: Identify Your WiFi Adapter's Chipset
The first thing we need to do is figure out exactly what chipset our adapter is using. We can do this with the lsusb command, which lists all USB devices connected to your system.
lsusb
The output will look something like this:
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub
Bus 001 Device 003: ID 062a:4101 MosArt Semiconductor Corp. Wireless Keyboard/Mouse
Bus 001 Device 002: ID 0bda:f179 Realtek Semiconductor Corp. 802.11n
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Look for a line that mentions "Realtek," "Ralink," or another chipset manufacturer. In my case, the relevant line was Bus 001 Device 002: ID 0bda:f179 Realtek Semiconductor Corp. 802.11n.
A quick search for the ID 0bda:f179 revealed that this adapter uses the Realtek RTL8188FTV chipset, which is supported by the rtl8188fu driver.
Step 2: Install Necessary Dependencies
Before we can build and install the driver, we need to install a few essential packages. These include build tools and the kernel headers for your specific Linux version
sudo apt-get install build-essential git dkms linux-headers-$(uname -r)
build-essential: Provides the tools needed to compile software.git: We'll use this to clone the driver repository.dkms: A framework that allows kernel modules to be automatically rebuilt when a new kernel is installed.linux-headers-$(uname -r): The header files for your currently running kernel, which are necessary for building kernel modules.
Step 3: Clone and Install the Driver
Now we're ready to get the driver. We'll clone the rtl8188fu driver repository from GitHub and then use DKMS to build and install it.
First, clone the repository:
git clone https://github.com/kelebek333/rtl8188fu Next, add the driver to DKMS, build it, and then install it. DKMS handles the process of compiling the driver and adding it to your system.
sudo dkms add ./rtl8188fusudo dkms build rtl8188fu/1.0
sudo dkms install rtl8188fu/1.0
Step 4: Finalize the Installation
The final step is to copy the necessary firmware files to the correct location. This step is crucial for the adapter to function properly.
sudo cp rtl8188fu/firmware/rtlwifi/rtl8188fufw.bin /lib/firmware/rtlwifi/ That's it! After a quick reboot, your system should automatically detect the WiFi adapter, and you'll be able to connect to wireless networks through your network manager. Enjoy your working WiFi! 🥳
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