Supported distributions
Recent Linux kernels include their own drivers for most of our adapters, so they work out of the box in the distributions that have them. We suggest that you use the in-kernel drivers and that you only run our installer if you encounter any issues.
In-kernel drivers
The in-kernel drivers (modules) and the adapters they support are listed in the following table:
| Driver | Adapter | Since Linux kernel version |
|---|---|---|
| rtw88_8812au | Old AC1Lv1, AC3Lv1, before 2019 | 6.13 (2025-01-19) |
| rtw88_8822bu | New AC1Lv2, AC3Lv2 | 6.2 (2023-02-19) |
| rtw88_8821cu | AC5L | 6.2 (2023-02-19) |
| rtw89_8852bu | AX1L, AX4L | 6.17 (2025-09-28) |
| rtw89_8852cu | AX8L | 6.18 (end of 2025) |
| mt7921au | AX9L | 5.18 (2022-05-22) |
| r8169 | P1L | 5.9 (2020-10-11) |
| - | AX5L, AX7L, AX7PL | No in-kernel driver yet |
To see your kernel version, open a terminal and run the following command:
uname -r
Note that on Debian, you might have to install the related firmware packages and reboot for the drivers to work:
sudo apt install --yes firmware-realtek firmware-mediatek
Our drivers
Hundreds of Linux distributions exist so it’s impossible to list or support all of them. Our driver release process is as follows:
💡 Every time a new official Ubuntu, Debian or Raspberry Pi OS version is released, we make sure that we have already uploaded a compatible driver in our repository.
This means that we support all official Ubuntu, Debian and Raspberry Pi OS versions, including all their derivatives as long as they use the same kernel and are not immutable.
But this also means that we cannot support distributions that frequently have a newer kernel than Ubuntu, such as ArchLinux or PoP!_OS, or distributions that have a modified kernel, such as Kali Linux or Armbian. For these distributions, consider using using one of our adapters that have in-kernel drivers.
A non-exhaustive list of distributions that our drivers support is
- All official Ubuntu flavors and their derivatives with the same kernel, such as Bodhi Linux, Edubuntu, Elementary OS, Feren OS, Freespire, KDE neon, Kubuntu, Linux Lite, Linux Mint, LinuxFX, LXLE, Lubuntu, Netrunner, Nitrux, Peppermint OS, Trisquel, Ubuntu Budgie, Ubuntu Cinnamon, Ubuntu Kylin, Ubuntu MATE, Ubuntu Studio, Ubuntu Unity, Voyager, Xubuntu, Zorin OS.
- All official Debian blends and their derivatives with the same kernel, such as Devuan, MX Linux, Parrot OS, PureOS, Q4OS, SparkyLinux, Ultimate Edition.
- Raspberry Pi OS and its derivatives with the same kernel.
A non-exhaustive list of distributions that our drivers do NOT support is
ALT Linux, antiX Linux, Arch Linux, Arco Linux, Armbian, Artix Linux, Bluestar Linux, CentOS Linux, CentOS Stream, Clear Linux, deepin, EndeavourOS, Endless OS, Fedora Workstation, Garuda Linux, Gecko Linux, Gentoo Linux, Guix, KaOS Linux, Kali Linux, Kodachi, LibreELEC, Linux CNC, Mageia, Manjaro Linux, Oracle Linux, OpenMandriva, openSUSE Leap, openSUSE Tumbleweed, PCLinuxOS, Pop! OS, Puppy Linux, Reborn OS, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Scientific Linux, Slackware, Solus, Tails, Tiny Core Linux, Ubuntu Core, Void Linux, Windows Subsystem for Linux
For the distributions that our drivers do not support, consider using one of our adapters that have in-kernel drivers.
📝 Note that if your distribution or architecture is unsupported and you didn’t notice it when you purchased our adapter, you may return the adapter back to Amazon for a refund, as it comes with two years of warranty.