AIC8800 Linux Driver

This project provides a Linux driver for the AIC8800 chipset, supporting both USB and SDIO interfaces.

Table of Contents

• Project Overview
• Features
• Kernel Compatibility
• Requirements
• Installation
  • Compiling the Driver
  • Installing the Driver
  • DKMS Installation (Recommended)
• Usage
• License

Project Overview

The AIC8800 Linux Driver supports the AIC8800 chipset for wireless communication, enabling functionality on devices using Linux-based operating systems. This driver is compatible with various kernel versions and can be used with different hardware configurations, such as USB or SDIO interfaces.

Kernel Compatibility

The driver has been tested and builds cleanly against kernels from the 3.x series through 7.1.x, including:

• Kernel 6.x (in_hardirq() / timer API changes)
• Kernel 7.1+ (cfg80211_ops callbacks such as add_key, add_station, get_station, etc. now take struct wireless_dev * instead of struct net_device *; struct ieee80211_mgmt action-frame union layout changed)

Version-specific differences are handled internally via LINUX_VERSION_CODE guards, so a single source tree supports all of the above without manual patching.

Features

• Support for USB interface
• FullMAC driver with 802.11ac capabilities
• WPA/WPA2 encryption
• MAC randomization support
• Power management features (DCDC_VRF mode)
• WPA3 compatibility (for kernels supporting it)
• MU-MIMO support (requires compatible firmware)
• Wireless extensions support
• USB combo Wi-Fi + Bluetooth devices (via aic_load_fw and CONFIG_USB_BT)

Requirements

To compile and install this driver, ensure the following dependencies are installed:

• Linux kernel headers and development files
• GCC or Clang/LLVM (auto-detected based on kernel build)
• Make
• Git (for cloning the repository)
• checkinstall (for creating DEB/RPM packages)

# Debian/Ubuntu/PikaOS example
sudo apt install linux-headers-$(uname -r) build-essential git checkinstall

# Fedora example
sudo dnf install kernel-devel kernel-headers gcc make git rpm-build

Note: The build system automatically detects which compiler (gcc or clang) was used to build your kernel and uses the same compiler for building the driver. This ensures compatibility.

Installation

Compiling the Driver

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone git@github.com:goecho/aic8800_linux_drvier.git
   cd aic8800-linux-driver

2. Compile the driver:

   make

   This will automatically detect whether your kernel was built with gcc or clang and use the appropriate compiler. The necessary kernel modules (aic8800_fdrv.ko and aic_load_fw.ko) will be generated.

   Manual compiler override (optional):

   If you need to override the auto-detection, you can manually specify the compiler:

   # Force clang
   make LLVM=1 LLVM_IAS=1 CC=clang
   
   # Force gcc
   make CC=gcc

Installing the Driver

3. Install the compiled driver:

   sudo make install

   This will:

   • Install the kernel modules
   • Copy firmware files to /lib/firmware/aic8800D80/
   • Install udev rules for USB mode switching
   • Configure auto-load on boot via /etc/modules-load.d/aic8800.conf

4. Load the driver (or reboot for automatic loading):

   sudo modprobe aic8800_fdrv

   For USB combo Wi-Fi + Bluetooth devices, also load:

   sudo modprobe aic_load_fw

   Note: After installation, the modules will automatically load on every boot. Manual loading is only needed for the first time before rebooting.

5. To verify the driver is loaded, run:

   lsmod | grep aic8800_fdrv

DKMS Installation (Recommended)

Installing via DKMS keeps the driver working automatically across kernel upgrades — it rebuilds and reinstalls the modules for every new kernel via apt hooks, instead of requiring a manual rebuild each time.

1. Ensure dkms is installed:

   sudo apt install dkms

2. Register and build the driver with DKMS:

   sudo bash scripts/dkms-setup.sh

   This syncs the source to /usr/src/aic8800-1.2.1, registers it with DKMS, and builds/installs the modules for your currently running kernel.

3. To (re)build for a specific installed kernel (e.g. after installing new kernel headers):

   sudo dkms build -m aic8800 -v 1.2.1 -k <kernel-version>
   sudo dkms install -m aic8800 -v 1.2.1 -k <kernel-version> --force

4. Verify the module status:

   dkms status

Package Installation (Recommended)

For easier installation and management, you can create distribution-specific packages. The build system automatically detects your compiler and includes auto-load configuration.

Debian/Ubuntu/PikaOS (DEB Package)

1. Create the DEB package:

   make deb

2. Install the package:

   sudo dpkg -i aic8800-driver_1.2.1-1_amd64.deb

   Note: If you encounter dependency warnings about linux-headers, you can safely ignore them with:

   sudo dpkg -i --force-depends aic8800-driver_1.2.1-1_amd64.deb

Fedora/RHEL/Rocky/AlmaLinux (RPM Package)

1. Create the RPM package:

   make rpm

2. Install the package:

   sudo rpm -i aic8800-driver-1.2.1-1.x86_64.rpm
   # or
   sudo dnf install aic8800-driver-1.2.1-1.x86_64.rpm

Arch Linux/Manjaro/EndeavourOS (PKG Package)

1. Create the Arch package:

   make arch

2. Install the package:

   sudo pacman -U aic8800-driver-1.2.1-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.zst

Auto-detect and Build for Your Distribution

make package

This will automatically detect your distribution and create the appropriate package type.

What Packages Include

All packages automatically:

• Install the kernel modules
• Copy firmware files
• Configure udev rules
• Set up auto-load on boot via /etc/modules-load.d/aic8800.conf
• Run depmod to update module dependencies
• Use the correct compiler (auto-detected)

Uninstalling the Driver

If you need to remove the driver:

# If installed from source
sudo make uninstall

# If installed from DEB package
sudo dpkg -r aic8800-driver

Usage

Once the driver is installed and loaded, the AIC8800 chipset will be automatically recognized by the Linux system. You can verify the wireless device is working by checking the network interfaces:

ip link

You can also manage the wireless device using standard Linux network management tools like iwconfig, ifconfig, or nmcli.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for more details.