You, my friend, have entered driver hell.
# Remove any old conflicting drivers sudo modprobe -r r8188eu rtl8xxxu sudo apt install git dkms build-essential Clone the good driver git clone https://github.com/aircrack-ng/rtl8188eus cd rtl8188eus Build and install via DKMS (survives kernel updates) sudo ./dkms-install.sh knet usb wifi driver
Note the ( 0bda:8179 ). That is your golden ticket. Step 2: The Easy Way (rtl8xxxu) If you are running Kernel 4.15 or newer (Ubuntu 18.04+, Fedora 28+, Debian 10+), the native driver rtl8xxxu might work. Try it first: You, my friend, have entered driver hell
Realtek provides out-of-tree drivers, but they are notoriously brittle. They break every time you update your kernel. The good news? The open-source community has built better alternatives. Run this command before you plug the adapter in, then again after: Step 2: The Easy Way (rtl8xxxu) If you are running Kernel 4
sudo dnf install git dkms kernel-devel # Same git clone + dkms-install.sh as above After a reboot, your KNET adapter should show up as a standard wireless interface. Here’s where KNET shines—the RTL8188EUS is a legendary chip for WiFi auditing because it supports monitor mode and packet injection if you use the right driver.
lsusb Look for the new line. You'll likely see something like: Bus 001 Device 003: ID 0bda:8179 Realtek Semiconductor Corp. RTL8188EUS 802.11n Wireless Network Adapter
For Fedora/RHEL: