How to fix iwlwifi firmware error "no suitable firmware found!" in Linux in Thinkpad E480 Fedora 37

E480_Fedora_37_iwlwifi.md

How to Fix iwlwifi Firmware Error "no suitable firmware found!" in ThinkPad E480 Fedora 37

If you encounter the "no suitable firmware found" error for iwlwifi in Fedora Linux on a ThinkPad E480, you can follow the steps below to fix it.

Prerequisites

Before proceeding with the steps, make sure you have the following:

• A ThinkPad E480 running Fedora 37
• An internet connection
• A terminal application
• Tested only in Fedora 37 with Gnome 43

Disclaimer

Performing the steps in this guide may involve modifying critical system files and settings, which can potentially lead to data loss or system corruption. The steps provided in this guide are intended for educational purposes only, and are to be used at your own risk. The author of this guide is not responsible for any damages that may occur as a result of following the instructions provided in this guide.

Steps

1. Open a terminal and run the following command to watch the kernel logs in real-time:

   sudo journalctl -f | grep iwlwifi

2. Open a new terminal and run the following command to remove and reinsert the iwlwifi module:

   sudo modprobe -r iwlwifi && sudo modprobe iwlwifi

3. If you encounter the following error message in the kernel logs:

   Feb 21 11:37:17 E480 kernel: iwlwifi 0000:05:00.0: no suitable firmware found!
   Feb 21 11:37:17 E480 kernel: iwlwifi 0000:05:00.0: minimum version required: iwlwifi-7265D-22
   Feb 21 11:37:17 E480 kernel: iwlwifi 0000:05:00.0: maximum version supported: iwlwifi-7265D-29
   Feb 21 11:37:17 E480 kernel: iwlwifi 0000:05:00.0: check git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/firmware/linux-firmware.git
   

You will need to download and install the missing firmware. You can follow the steps below to do so:

a. Clone the linux-firmware repository:

git clone git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/firmware/linux-firmware.git

b. Locate the missing firmware file. In the example above, the required firmware is iwlwifi-7265D-29.ucode.

c. Copy the firmware file to the /lib/firmware directory:

sudo cp iwlwifi-7265D-29.ucode /lib/firmware/

d. Reload the iwlwifi module using the following command:

sudo modprobe -r iwlwifi && sudo modprobe iwlwifi

Conclusion

After completing the above steps, your iwlwifi firmware error should be fixed.