Dennis HilkLinux diagnosticsDE

Driver & firmware fundamentals

Inspect firmware packaging on six distributions

Use read-only packaging checks for Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, Arch Linux, NixOS and Gentoo without guessing an installation fix.

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Debian

Debian separates firmware packages and archive components. Compare the requested payload with your configured release, rather than copying a package name from another distribution. apt-cache shows repository candidates and installed versions for the named examples; it changes nothing. The wildcard query lists installed firmware packages, not proof that every required file is available at early boot. AMD and Intel Wi-Fi names are examples for those families, not universal hardware prescriptions.

apt-cache policy firmware-amd-graphics firmware-iwlwifi
dpkg-query -W 'firmware-*'

Ubuntu

Ubuntu firmware packaging depends on the release and update pockets. The checked Noble package record is a concrete example, not a promise about all future Ubuntu packages. Inspect the installed and available package for your release. Some audio platforms use an additional signed SOF payload; the named package alone does not establish all controller requirements. Keep the running kernel version in the same local record.

apt-cache policy linux-firmware
dpkg-query -W linux-firmware

Fedora

Fedora provides linux-firmware and device-family subpackages. An installed package name is a packaging observation, distinct from a successful device firmware request. These RPM queries list installed firmware-related packages and kernel-core builds. Compare the running uname -r value; the newest installed kernel is not necessarily the booted kernel. Package ownership and file lists must be checked against the exact request.

rpm -qa '*firmware*'
rpm -q kernel-core

Arch Linux

Arch linux-firmware is a meta-package with vendor-focused dependencies. Record the actual installed subpackages; do not assume a meta-package itself contains the binary payload. Queries read the local package database. The second example needs ripgrep; without it, inspect pacman -Q manually. This page deliberately offers no partial-upgrade command. Match firmware changes to the documented supported system-update procedure.

pacman -Q linux-firmware
pacman -Q | rg '^linux-firmware'

NixOS

NixOS derives kernel modules and firmware from its declared system generation. Distinguish the running kernel, booted generation and newly activated configuration before diagnosing a missing module. The version and booted-system link are read-only context. Hardware firmware policy and extraFirmware belong to your actual module configuration; channels and flakes use different inspection workflows. Do not paste a foreign configuration or rebuild blindly from a catalog match.

nixos-version
readlink /run/booted-system

Gentoo

Gentoo firmware selection depends on the linux-firmware ebuild, licensing choices and kernel configuration. A built-in driver and a loadable module have different inspection paths. emerge --info reports configuration and can contain host information, so review it before sharing. It does not install anything. Compare the actual kernel build options and selected firmware payload; the availability of an ebuild does not prove its files are installed.

emerge --info
uname -r

References

Source review records a checked implementation or document, not a reproduced hardware test. Version-specific tables do not establish a minimum kernel or guaranteed operation.

Use the local identification tool