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I have computers with Intel and Realtek Ethernet cards, and I keep forgetting to install the linux-firmware packages when I put Debian on them. I can see messages in syslog telling me that the firmware for the card could not be found, but, surprisingly, I can access the network just fine.

Why is this? I was under the impression that firmware was necessary for normal operation of any device. Could I run into more problems with the firmware than without? I've been having some issues with random disconnects with a Broadcom Ethernet card (using the tg3 driver) and I read a post about issues caused by buggy firmware.

coletom
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    If may be of use to actually post the messages you are seeing. All devices that require firmware, such as network cards, will come with firmware pre-installed from the factory (they wouldn't work otherwise). For many devices it is possible to upgrade the firmware - either to fix an issue, add a feature, or just to keep it up to date. – USD Matt Dec 19 '13 at 12:43
  • The following web page might help you explaining what are those firmwares and how to check if they are loaded, etc. https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Kernel/Firmware – Huygens Dec 19 '13 at 14:42

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The linux-firmware packages are included to ensure the firmware matches what the kernel drivers expect. The factory flashed firmware should still allow you to use the hardware, due to backward compatibility. However, the new firmware might have added new counters that the kernel is expecting or improved packet handling routines.

With every new firmware release, it can fix issues or introduce new problems. You won't know until you try it and most vendors expect their customers to be part of their Quality Assurance program...or so it seems.

skohrs
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