Adding an updated *bsd driver for Realtek WIFI possible?

Development OS
#1

So I’m getting fairly desperate to get Wifi running on my HP slaptop and apart from the lack of network connectivity it runs like a dream. The framebuffer works great at native resolution, sound works great, the battery life is superb and it’s wicked fast for any task I throw at it. Given how well software in general, web browsers in particular, runs I’m not far off making Haiku my daily driver. The only stumbling block is the lack of networking and as the USB controller only works well on one of two ports here and that port’s needed to run a mouse I’m stuck with getting the internal card working.

Since the current driver for Realtek wifi is a port of the FreeBSD driver for it I’m hoping it’ll be a fairly trivial task getting an updated version of that driver running. How much tweaking is required to the code to get it running? Are we talking umpteen lines of glue or is the compat layer separate enough from the BSD code that it’s more of a “Chuck code in this directory, do a compile and it ought to run”?

#2

You need to create a ticket in the bug tracker. To do this, the developers need more information about the included wifi card

#3

Not sure how it’s a bug when it’s a question of how the compatibility layer works and a general inquiry of the effort needed. Figured I’d avoid cluttering the tracker with (to my eyes) inconsequential questions. But fair enough, I’ll put it on there once I get the time to mess with trac, I’ve been uncomfortable with trac in general and Haiku’s trac since about 2008 when I first encountered it. :smiley:

#4

There are drivers, but you can only find out whether this one has to be added here, or whether the driver doesn’t work for you if you have more system information, hence the tracker.

Many developers are not even active in the forum.

#5

Would be nice to know, what could be enhenched to make TRAC better!

Is it the GUI?

What do you think is not pleasant to use?

#6

Report system or program error

#7

“this driver should be updated” is a valid ticket :), or that your card doesnt work. In any case developers are more likely to read it on the bug tracker (though in this case @waddlesplash can likely answer your questions about the compat layer)

#8

Yeah, but last time I even glanced at the system it was buggy, required verification that wouldn’t work and I gave up halfway through when filing a bug report took more than half an hour of work.

#9

It should work? I can check if your registration fails, but the question about which OS has to be answered correctly :slight_smile:

#10

It’s just buggy and cumbersome. There’s few, if any, simple way to track changes and updates.

I’m well aware that it might be a personal preference but in my experience it’s never worked well for my work flow like system such as github has worked.

#11

Fair enough, the topic was a little ambiguous. But the post itself I felt was a little less suited for the tracker.

#12

We use trac only for tickets, for code review we use gerrit (https://review.haiku-os.org)

#13

Thanks for the tip, I’d forgotten about that. I honestly want to the get more into the inner workings of the development more than waddlesplash’s activity reports and the occasional testing of dailies. Right now I’m stuck halfway across the planet from my wife and son so I figure this is as good as time as any. :joy:

1 Like
#14

What driver does it need? If it’s rtw88, note that this is a Linux driver ported to FreeBSD via the linuxkpi compatibility layer, and cannot be supported on Haiku.