This driver is a mod of the in-tree driver r8169, incorporating (mainly) all patch fixes from Linux kernel 6.5. Since it's distributed in DKMS way, the driver will survive even after a kernel upgrade.
This RealTek network card may become completely inaccessible due to ASPM-related issues, leading to the following behavior:
1. Random RealTek network card timeout (no internet at all)
NETDEV WATCHDOG: eno1 (r8169): transmit queue 0 timed out
and a WATCHDOG warning (tl;dr)
WARNING: CPU: 4 PID: 0 at net/sched/sch_generic.c:525 dev_watchdog+0x21f/0x230
Modules linked in: rfcomm xt_conntrack nft_chain_nat xt_MASQUERADE nf_nat nf_conntrack_netlink nf_conntrack nf_defrag_ipv6 nf_defrag_ipv4 xfrm_user xfrm_algo xt_addrtype nft_compat nf_tables nfnetlink br_netfilter bridge stp llc ccm nvidia_uvm(POE) overlay cmac algif_hash algif_skcipher af_alg bnep snd_hda_codec_realtek snd_hda_codec_generic ledtrig_audio zram intel_tcc_cooling x86_pkg_temp_thermal intel_powerclamp coretemp kvm_intel nvidia_drm(POE) nvidia_modeset(POE) snd_sof_pci_intel_cnl kvm irqbypass snd_sof_intel_hda_common crct10dif_pclmul polyval_clmulni polyval_generic soundwire_intel ghash_clmulni_intel sha512_ssse3 soundwire_generic_allocation aesni_intel crypto_simd cryptd soundwire_cadence snd_sof_intel_hda rapl nvidia(POE) binfmt_misc snd_sof_pci snd_sof_xtensa_dsp snd_sof snd_sof_utils rtw88_8822be snd_soc_hdac_hda rtw88_8822b snd_hda_ext_core rtw88_pci snd_soc_acpi_intel_match snd_soc_acpi rtw88_core soundwire_bus mei_pxp mei_hdcp intel_rapl_msr nls_iso8859_1
intel_cstate snd_soc_core i915 snd_hda_codec_hdmi snd_compress ac97_bus mac80211 snd_pcm_dmaengine hp_wmi sparse_keymap platform_profile serio_raw intel_wmi_thunderbolt cmdlinepart wmi_bmof uvcvideo snd_hda_intel spi_nor videobuf2_vmalloc snd_intel_dspcfg snd_seq_midi videobuf2_memops snd_intel_sdw_acpi mtd videobuf2_v4l2 drm_buddy cfg80211 snd_seq_midi_event snd_hda_codec btusb ttm snd_rawmidi libarc4 videodev btrtl snd_hda_core ee1004 drm_display_helper input_leds snd_hwdep btbcm btintel snd_seq videobuf2_common btmtk cec snd_seq_device snd_pcm mc joydev snd_timer bluetooth processor_thermal_device_pci_legacy rc_core processor_thermal_device ecdh_generic snd hid_multitouch ecc processor_thermal_rfim mei_me mei processor_thermal_mbox drm_kms_helper processor_thermal_rapl ucsi_acpi i2c_algo_bit soundcore intel_rapl_common syscopyarea typec_ucsi sysfillrect sysimgblt int3403_thermal intel_soc_dts_iosf typec intel_pch_thermal int340x_thermal_zone int3400_thermal mac_hid
acpi_thermal_rel hp_accel acpi_tad acpi_pad wireless_hotkey lis3lv02d sch_fq_codel msr parport_pc ppdev lp parport ramoops drm reed_solomon pstore_blk pstore_zone efi_pstore ip_tables x_tables autofs4 btrfs blake2b_generic xor raid6_pq libcrc32c hid_lenovo usbhid uas usb_storage hid_generic nvme i2c_i801 spi_intel_pci alcor crc32_pclmul i2c_smbus spi_intel r8169 intel_lpss_pci nvme_core ahci alcor_pci realtek intel_lpss nvme_common xhci_pci libahci idma64 xhci_pci_renesas i2c_hid_acpi i2c_hid hid video wmi pinctrl_cannonlake
CPU: 4 PID: 0 Comm: swapper/4 Tainted: P OE 6.2.0-26-generic #26~22.04.1-Ubuntu
Hardware name: HP HP Pavilion Gaming Laptop 15-dk0xxx/85FC, BIOS F.33 07/16/2020
RIP: 0010:dev_watchdog+0x21f/0x230
Code: 00 e9 31 ff ff ff 4c 89 e7 c6 05 f5 a9 78 01 01 e8 c6 ff f7 ff 44 89 f1 4c 89 e6 48 c7 c7 08 30 a4 9e 48 89 c2 e8 31 0b 2c ff <0f> 0b e9 22 ff ff ff 66 2e 0f 1f 84 00 00 00 00 00 90 90 90 90 90
RSP: 0018:ffffb663c024ce70 EFLAGS: 00010246
RAX: 0000000000000000 RBX: ffff9788d4e344c8 RCX: 0000000000000000
RDX: 0000000000000000 RSI: 0000000000000000 RDI: 0000000000000000
RBP: ffffb663c024ce98 R08: 0000000000000000 R09: 0000000000000000
R10: 0000000000000000 R11: 0000000000000000 R12: ffff9788d4e34000
R13: ffff9788d4e3441c R14: 0000000000000000 R15: 0000000000000000
FS: 0000000000000000(0000) GS:ffff978a36500000(0000) knlGS:0000000000000000
CS: 0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 0000000080050033
CR2: 00007fff88cae828 CR3: 000000021c810003 CR4: 00000000003706e0
Call Trace:
<IRQ>
? __pfx_dev_watchdog+0x10/0x10
call_timer_fn+0x29/0x160
? __pfx_dev_watchdog+0x10/0x10
__run_timers.part.0+0x1fb/0x2b0
? ktime_get+0x43/0xc0
? __pfx_tick_sched_timer+0x10/0x10
? lapic_next_deadline+0x2c/0x50
? clockevents_program_event+0xb2/0x140
run_timer_softirq+0x2a/0x60
__do_softirq+0xda/0x330
? hrtimer_interrupt+0x12b/0x250
__irq_exit_rcu+0xa2/0xd0
irq_exit_rcu+0xe/0x20
sysvec_apic_timer_interrupt+0x96/0xb0
</IRQ>
<TASK>
asm_sysvec_apic_timer_interrupt+0x1b/0x20
RIP: 0010:cpuidle_enter_state+0xde/0x6f0
Code: a6 31 62 e8 b4 5f 45 ff 8b 53 04 49 89 c7 0f 1f 44 00 00 31 ff e8 72 3e 44 ff 80 7d d0 00 0f 85 e8 00 00 00 fb 0f 1f 44 00 00 <45> 85 f6 0f 88 0f 02 00 00 4d 63 ee 49 83 fd 09 0f 87 c4 04 00 00
RSP: 0018:ffffb663c015fe28 EFLAGS: 00000246
RAX: 0000000000000000 RBX: ffffd663bfd00000 RCX: 0000000000000000
RDX: 0000000000000004 RSI: 0000000000000000 RDI: 0000000000000000
RBP: ffffb663c015fe78 R08: 0000000000000000 R09: 0000000000000000
R10: 0000000000000000 R11: 0000000000000000 R12: ffffffff9f4c22c0
R13: 0000000000000008 R14: 0000000000000008 R15: 00000037353ef2ee
? cpuidle_enter_state+0xce/0x6f0
cpuidle_enter+0x2e/0x50
cpuidle_idle_call+0x14f/0x1e0
do_idle+0x82/0x110
cpu_startup_entry+0x20/0x30
start_secondary+0x122/0x160
secondary_startup_64_no_verify+0xe5/0xeb
</TASK>
2. Automatic attempt to reach the RealTek card fails and the r8169 driver hangs forever
r8169 0000:03:00.0 eno1: rtl_chipcmd_cond == 1 (loop: 100, delay: 100).
r8169 0000:03:00.0 eno1: rtl_ephyar_cond == 1 (loop: 100, delay: 10).
r8169 0000:03:00.0 eno1: rtl_ephyar_cond == 1 (loop: 100, delay: 10).
r8169 0000:03:00.0 eno1: rtl_ephyar_cond == 1 (loop: 100, delay: 10).
r8169 0000:03:00.0 eno1: rtl_ephyar_cond == 1 (loop: 100, delay: 10).
r8169 0000:03:00.0 eno1: rtl_ephyar_cond == 1 (loop: 100, delay: 10).
r8169 0000:03:00.0 eno1: rtl_ephyar_cond == 1 (loop: 100, delay: 10).
r8169 0000:03:00.0 eno1: rtl_eriar_cond == 1 (loop: 100, delay: 100).
r8169 0000:03:00.0 eno1: rtl_eriar_cond == 1 (loop: 100, delay: 100).
r8169 0000:03:00.0 eno1: rtl_eriar_cond == 1 (loop: 100, delay: 100).
[...]
3. Manual intervention via rmmod/modprobe r8169 fails to bring back this RealTek network card
r8169 0000:03:00.0: Unable to change power state from D3cold to D0, device inaccessible
r8169 0000:03:00.0: Mem-Wr-Inval unavailable
r8169 0000:03:00.0: unknown chip XID fcf, contact r8169 maintainers (see MAINTAINERS file)
Eventually a system reboot is required to fix the RealTek network card deadlock.
Linux kernel 5.19.x — 6.2.x
* Kernel source or headers are required to compile this module *
Download the latest Debian package from the Releases section on the Github repository.
Use dpkg -i to install the .deb package, for example:
sudo dpkg -i realtek-r8169mod-dkms_1.0-0_all.debIf dependency error occurs, try to fix that with apt command.
sudo apt install --fix-brokenNote: installation of the realtek-r8169mod-dkms package will replace the in-tree r8169 module with the out-of-tree r8169mod module. To re-enable r8169, the realtek-r8169mod-dkms package must be purged.
After installing the DKMS package, you may not be able to use the r8169mod module on the fly. This because the r8169 is an in-tree module and will be loaded priority to the out-of-tree r8169mod module, so that it prevents working of the r8169mod module.
Check if the r8169 module loaded currently.
lsmod | grep -i r8169If there is a result, maybe the r8169mod module wasn't loaded properly. You can check out modules currently in use via lspci -k or dmesg too.
To prevent r8169 from loading and switch to the r8169mod module explicitly, check out the blacklist section in the /etc/modprobe.d/realtek-r8169mod-dkms.conf file that was installed with the DKMS package.
To apply the new blacklist to your kernel, update your initramfs via
sudo update-initramfs -uFinally, reboot to take effect.
You can build yourself this after installing some dependencies including dkms.
sudo apt install devscripts debmake debhelper build-essential dkmsdpkg-buildpackage -b -rfakeroot -us -uc