Build process does not match instructions, built modules have unknown symbols

[TheOneWhoseUsernameWasTaken]

I was trying to use this module for my Logilink WL0238 USB adapter (see aircrack-ng/rtl8812au#721).

According to the README, and ignoring the firmware for a moment, I'm supposed to do:

make
insmod rtw.ko
insmod rtwusb.ko

The result of that process is:

# LC_ALL=C make
make -C /lib/modules/5.4.51-v7l+/build M=/root/rtw88-usb-development-chipset-rtl8822cu
make[1]: Entering directory '/usr/src/linux-headers-5.4.51-v7l+'
  AR      /root/rtw88-usb-development-chipset-rtl8822cu/built-in.a
  CC [M]  /root/rtw88-usb-development-chipset-rtl8822cu/main.o
  CC [M]  /root/rtw88-usb-development-chipset-rtl8822cu/mac80211.o
  CC [M]  /root/rtw88-usb-development-chipset-rtl8822cu/util.o
  CC [M]  /root/rtw88-usb-development-chipset-rtl8822cu/debug.o
  CC [M]  /root/rtw88-usb-development-chipset-rtl8822cu/tx.o
  CC [M]  /root/rtw88-usb-development-chipset-rtl8822cu/rx.o
  CC [M]  /root/rtw88-usb-development-chipset-rtl8822cu/mac.o
  CC [M]  /root/rtw88-usb-development-chipset-rtl8822cu/phy.o
  CC [M]  /root/rtw88-usb-development-chipset-rtl8822cu/coex.o
  CC [M]  /root/rtw88-usb-development-chipset-rtl8822cu/efuse.o
  CC [M]  /root/rtw88-usb-development-chipset-rtl8822cu/fw.o
  CC [M]  /root/rtw88-usb-development-chipset-rtl8822cu/ps.o
  CC [M]  /root/rtw88-usb-development-chipset-rtl8822cu/sec.o
  CC [M]  /root/rtw88-usb-development-chipset-rtl8822cu/bf.o
  CC [M]  /root/rtw88-usb-development-chipset-rtl8822cu/wow.o
  CC [M]  /root/rtw88-usb-development-chipset-rtl8822cu/regd.o
  LD [M]  /root/rtw88-usb-development-chipset-rtl8822cu/rtw88_core.o
  CC [M]  /root/rtw88-usb-development-chipset-rtl8822cu/rtw8822b.o
  CC [M]  /root/rtw88-usb-development-chipset-rtl8822cu/rtw8822b_table.o
  LD [M]  /root/rtw88-usb-development-chipset-rtl8822cu/rtw88_8822b.o
  CC [M]  /root/rtw88-usb-development-chipset-rtl8822cu/rtw8822be.o
  LD [M]  /root/rtw88-usb-development-chipset-rtl8822cu/rtw88_8822be.o
  CC [M]  /root/rtw88-usb-development-chipset-rtl8822cu/rtw8822bu.o
  LD [M]  /root/rtw88-usb-development-chipset-rtl8822cu/rtw88_8822bu.o
  CC [M]  /root/rtw88-usb-development-chipset-rtl8822cu/rtw8822c.o
  CC [M]  /root/rtw88-usb-development-chipset-rtl8822cu/rtw8822c_table.o
  LD [M]  /root/rtw88-usb-development-chipset-rtl8822cu/rtw88_8822c.o
  CC [M]  /root/rtw88-usb-development-chipset-rtl8822cu/rtw8822ce.o
  LD [M]  /root/rtw88-usb-development-chipset-rtl8822cu/rtw88_8822ce.o
  CC [M]  /root/rtw88-usb-development-chipset-rtl8822cu/rtw8822cu.o
  LD [M]  /root/rtw88-usb-development-chipset-rtl8822cu/rtw88_8822cu.o
  CC [M]  /root/rtw88-usb-development-chipset-rtl8822cu/rtw8723d.o
  CC [M]  /root/rtw88-usb-development-chipset-rtl8822cu/rtw8723d_table.o
  LD [M]  /root/rtw88-usb-development-chipset-rtl8822cu/rtw88_8723d.o
  CC [M]  /root/rtw88-usb-development-chipset-rtl8822cu/rtw8723de.o
  LD [M]  /root/rtw88-usb-development-chipset-rtl8822cu/rtw88_8723de.o
  CC [M]  /root/rtw88-usb-development-chipset-rtl8822cu/pci.o
  LD [M]  /root/rtw88-usb-development-chipset-rtl8822cu/rtw88_pci.o
  CC [M]  /root/rtw88-usb-development-chipset-rtl8822cu/usb.o
  LD [M]  /root/rtw88-usb-development-chipset-rtl8822cu/rtw88_usb.o
  Building modules, stage 2.
  MODPOST 11 modules
  CC [M]  /root/rtw88-usb-development-chipset-rtl8822cu/rtw88_8723d.mod.o
  LD [M]  /root/rtw88-usb-development-chipset-rtl8822cu/rtw88_8723d.ko
  CC [M]  /root/rtw88-usb-development-chipset-rtl8822cu/rtw88_8723de.mod.o
  LD [M]  /root/rtw88-usb-development-chipset-rtl8822cu/rtw88_8723de.ko
  CC [M]  /root/rtw88-usb-development-chipset-rtl8822cu/rtw88_8822b.mod.o
  LD [M]  /root/rtw88-usb-development-chipset-rtl8822cu/rtw88_8822b.ko
  CC [M]  /root/rtw88-usb-development-chipset-rtl8822cu/rtw88_8822be.mod.o
  LD [M]  /root/rtw88-usb-development-chipset-rtl8822cu/rtw88_8822be.ko
  CC [M]  /root/rtw88-usb-development-chipset-rtl8822cu/rtw88_8822bu.mod.o
  LD [M]  /root/rtw88-usb-development-chipset-rtl8822cu/rtw88_8822bu.ko
  CC [M]  /root/rtw88-usb-development-chipset-rtl8822cu/rtw88_8822c.mod.o
  LD [M]  /root/rtw88-usb-development-chipset-rtl8822cu/rtw88_8822c.ko
  CC [M]  /root/rtw88-usb-development-chipset-rtl8822cu/rtw88_8822ce.mod.o
  LD [M]  /root/rtw88-usb-development-chipset-rtl8822cu/rtw88_8822ce.ko
  CC [M]  /root/rtw88-usb-development-chipset-rtl8822cu/rtw88_8822cu.mod.o
  LD [M]  /root/rtw88-usb-development-chipset-rtl8822cu/rtw88_8822cu.ko
  CC [M]  /root/rtw88-usb-development-chipset-rtl8822cu/rtw88_core.mod.o
  LD [M]  /root/rtw88-usb-development-chipset-rtl8822cu/rtw88_core.ko
  CC [M]  /root/rtw88-usb-development-chipset-rtl8822cu/rtw88_pci.mod.o
  LD [M]  /root/rtw88-usb-development-chipset-rtl8822cu/rtw88_pci.ko
  CC [M]  /root/rtw88-usb-development-chipset-rtl8822cu/rtw88_usb.mod.o
  LD [M]  /root/rtw88-usb-development-chipset-rtl8822cu/rtw88_usb.ko
make[1]: Leaving directory '/usr/src/linux-headers-5.4.51-v7l+'

As you can see, no rtw.ko or rtwusb.ko are ever built. And sure enough:

# insmod rtw88.ko
insmod: ERROR: could not load module rtw88.ko: No such file or directory
# insmod rtw88usb.ko
insmod: ERROR: could not load module rtw88usb.ko: No such file or directory

There are other modules (e.g. rtw88_usb.ko, rtw88_8822cu.ko, rtw88_core.ko, etc.). But trying to load them leads to the dreaded "unknown symbols in module" error:

# find -iname '*.ko'
./rtw88_8822be.ko
./rtw88_8822bu.ko
./rtw88_8822c.ko
./rtw88_core.ko
./rtw88_8822cu.ko
./rtw88_8822b.ko
./rtw88_8723d.ko
./rtw88_pci.ko
./rtw88_8723de.ko
./rtw88_usb.ko
./rtw88_8822ce.ko

# insmod rtw88_core.ko
insmod: ERROR: could not insert module rtw88_core.ko: Unknown symbol in module

# dmesg | grep rtw88_core
[ 1388.927009] rtw88_core: Unknown symbol ieee80211_start_tx_ba_cb_irqsafe (err -2)
[ 1388.927073] rtw88_core: Unknown symbol ieee80211_txq_get_depth (err -2)
[ 1388.927195] rtw88_core: Unknown symbol ieee80211_probereq_get (err -2)
[ 1388.927249] rtw88_core: Unknown symbol ieee80211_iterate_stations_atomic (err -2)
[ 1388.927293] rtw88_core: Unknown symbol ieee80211_start_tx_ba_session (err -2)
[ 1388.927377] rtw88_core: Unknown symbol ieee80211_nullfunc_get (err -2)
[ 1388.927429] rtw88_core: Unknown symbol ieee80211_pspoll_get (err -2)
[ 1388.927481] rtw88_core: Unknown symbol ieee80211_register_hw (err -2)
[ 1388.927572] rtw88_core: Unknown symbol ieee80211_find_sta (err -2)
[ 1388.927616] rtw88_core: Unknown symbol ieee80211_iter_keys (err -2)
[ 1388.927673] rtw88_core: Unknown symbol ieee80211_tx_status_irqsafe (err -2)
[ 1388.927757] rtw88_core: Unknown symbol ieee80211_stop_tx_ba_cb_irqsafe (err -2)
[ 1388.927813] rtw88_core: Unknown symbol wiphy_to_ieee80211_hw (err -2)
[ 1388.927863] rtw88_core: Unknown symbol ieee80211_queue_delayed_work (err -2)
[ 1388.927906] rtw88_core: Unknown symbol ieee80211_proberesp_get (err -2)
[ 1388.927993] rtw88_core: Unknown symbol ieee80211_find_sta_by_ifaddr (err -2)
[ 1388.928075] rtw88_core: Unknown symbol ieee80211_free_txskb (err -2)
[ 1388.928146] rtw88_core: Unknown symbol ieee80211_tx_dequeue (err -2)
[ 1388.928270] rtw88_core: Unknown symbol ieee80211_iterate_active_interfaces_atomic (err -2)
[ 1388.928342] rtw88_core: Unknown symbol ieee80211_unregister_hw (err -2)
[ 1388.928412] rtw88_core: Unknown symbol ieee80211_beacon_get_tim (err -2)
[ 1388.928478] rtw88_core: Unknown symbol ieee80211_queue_work (err -2)

# insmod rtw88_usb.ko
insmod: ERROR: could not insert module rtw88_usb.ko: Unknown symbol in module

# dmesg | grep rtw88_usb
[ 1774.897279] rtw88_usb: Unknown symbol rtw_tx_report_enqueue (err -2)
[ 1774.897394] rtw88_usb: Unknown symbol ieee80211_free_hw (err -2)
[ 1774.897464] rtw88_usb: Unknown symbol ieee80211_tx_status_irqsafe (err -2)
[ 1774.897540] rtw88_usb: Unknown symbol rtw_chip_info_setup (err -2)
[ 1774.897590] rtw88_usb: Unknown symbol rtw_unregister_hw (err -2)
[ 1774.897640] rtw88_usb: Unknown symbol rtw_tx_fill_tx_desc (err -2)
[ 1774.897694] rtw88_usb: Unknown symbol rtw_core_init (err -2)
[ 1774.897740] rtw88_usb: Unknown symbol ieee80211_alloc_hw_nm (err -2)
[ 1774.897796] rtw88_usb: Unknown symbol rtw_register_hw (err -2)
[ 1774.897859] rtw88_usb: Unknown symbol rtw_core_deinit (err -2)
[ 1774.897899] rtw88_usb: Unknown symbol rtw_ops (err -2)
[ 1774.897943] rtw88_usb: Unknown symbol rtw_fw_c2h_cmd_rx_irqsafe (err -2)
[ 1774.897988] rtw88_usb: Unknown symbol ieee80211_rx_irqsafe (err -2)

# insmod rtw88_8822cu.ko
insmod: ERROR: could not insert module rtw88_8822cu.ko: Unknown symbol in module

# dmesg | grep rtw88_8822cu
[ 1827.473718] rtw88_8822cu: Unknown symbol rtw_usb_disconnect (err -2)
[ 1827.473779] rtw88_8822cu: Unknown symbol rtw8822c_hw_spec (err -2)
[ 1827.473834] rtw88_8822cu: Unknown symbol rtw_usb_probe (err -2)

[ulli-kroll]

For README.md
This is the old one form @neojou
I will do rewrite ...
most things are changed due a logical change in upstream
they split the hardware specific driver to

• hardware specific core driver without binding, i.e rtw8822c.c
• and specific bindings for PCI and possible USB.

modprobe mac80211
insmod rtw88_core.ko 
insmod rtw88_usb.ko 
insmod rtw88_8822b.ko
insmod rtw88_8822bu.ko
insmod rtw88_8822c.ko
insmod rtw88_8822cu.ko

The mac80211 module is needed for nl80211/cfg80211 the newer better API
i.e. with
modinfo rtw88-core
will tell you the dependencies.

DONT MIX rtw88* in upstream linux with the driver(s) here
This will not work.
I should also add this to the README.md

Also I might should automate this via make ...
because this code is bleeding edge

As a side note.
if possible don't run the compiler as root

[lassade]

I had problems with kernel 5.13.19, I had to downgraded to my previous installation 5.13.12 which works fine.