This script simply pulls the specified driver version from the Realtek website and then installs it as DKMS module.
There are many repositories which provide already precompiled binaries for the Realtek 8125 driver.
There are also repositories which provide the driver as DKMS module, however, they are too bulky for such a simple task.
I wanted to have a solution which is easy to maintain and undertand.
The issue with the Realtek 8125 driver is that it is not included in the Linux kernel. So you have to compile it yourself. This is where DKMS comes into play. DKMS is a framework which allows you to automatically recompile kernel modules when a new kernel is installed. This script simply pulls the specified driver version from the Realtek website and then installs it as DKMS module.
Also, since it is written in bash, it should be pretty easy for anyone to understand/modify and verify that it is not doing anything malicious.
As of time of publishing this script, Proxmox VE 8 is running the Linux 6.5.11-7-pve (2023-12-05T09:44Z) kernel.
As you might have noticed, on the main website of Realtek, they mention that the driver is only compatible with kernels up to 6.4.
This is not an issue, as the driver is able to compile on newer kernels.
Here is the output of the ethtool command on my Proxmox VE 8 server:
Supported ports: [ TP MII ]
Supported link modes: 10baseT/Half 10baseT/Full
100baseT/Half 100baseT/Full
1000baseT/Full
2500baseT/Full
Supported pause frame use: Symmetric Receive-only
Supports auto-negotiation: Yes
Supported FEC modes: Not reported
Advertised link modes: 10baseT/Half 10baseT/Full
100baseT/Half 100baseT/Full
1000baseT/Full
2500baseT/Full
Advertised pause frame use: Symmetric Receive-only
Advertised auto-negotiation: Yes
Advertised FEC modes: Not reported
Link partner advertised link modes: 100baseT/Half 100baseT/Full
1000baseT/Full
2500baseT/Full
Link partner advertised pause frame use: Symmetric
Link partner advertised auto-negotiation: Yes
Link partner advertised FEC modes: Not reported
Speed: 2500Mb/s
Duplex: Full
Auto-negotiation: on
master-slave cfg: preferred slave
master-slave status: slave
Port: Twisted Pair
PHYAD: 0
Transceiver: external
MDI-X: Unknown
Supports Wake-on: pumbg
Wake-on: d
Link detected: yes
And output from modinfo (some lines removed for brevity):
filename: /lib/modules/6.5.11-7-pve/updates/dkms/r8125.ko
version: 9.012.03-NAPI
license: GPL
description: Realtek r8125 Ethernet controller driver
author: Realtek and the Linux r8125 crew <netdev@vger.kernel.org>
srcversion: 80AA932EEAEA9E2392B4B5E
alias: pci:v000010ECd00005000sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
alias: pci:v000010ECd00008126sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
alias: pci:v000010ECd00003000sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
alias: pci:v000010ECd00008162sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
alias: pci:v000010ECd00008125sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
depends:
retpoline: Y
name: r8125
vermagic: 6.5.11-7-pve SMP preempt mod_unload modversions
sig_id: PKCS#7
signer: DKMS module signing key