IWMFW(4)

💖 IWMFW 💖

okay bestie, so this is the iwmfw page — short for Firmware Module for Intel Wireless driver, and yes it lives in the Kernel Interfaces Manual (section 4, if you're keeping score). it's giving "glorified bag of firmware blobs" and honestly? iconic.

✨ NAME ✨

iwmfw — Firmware Module for Intel Wireless driver 🧚

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

so you wanna compile this module straight into the kernel? slay. drop this line into your kernel configuration file:

device iwmfw

that one line pulls in firmware images for all iwm(4) devices, all of them, no crumbs left. but wait — if you're a pick-me and only want the firmware image for your network adapter, pick one of these instead:

device iwm3160fw
device iwm3168fw
device iwm7260fw
device iwm7265fw
device iwm8000Cfw
device iwm8265fw
device iwm9000fw
device iwm9260fw

orrrr, if you'd rather load the driver as a module at boot time (main character energy, honestly), put one of these lines in loader.conf(5):

iwm3160fw_load="YES"
iwm3168fw_load="YES"
iwm7260fw_load="YES"
iwm7265fw_load="YES"
iwm7265Dfw_load="YES"
iwm8000Cfw_load="YES"
iwm8265fw_load="YES"
iwm9000fw_load="YES"
iwm9260fw_load="YES"

👀 not me noticing the compile-in list has 8 entries and the loader list has 9 — iwm7265Dfw is only in the loader gang. we don't gatekeep, we just report. periodt.

✨ DESCRIPTION ✨

this module is literally the plug for firmware sets for the Intel Dual Band Wireless WiFi 3160, 3165, 3168, 7260, 7265, 8000, 8260, 8265, 9000 and 9260 series of IEEE 802.11n/11ac adapters. ten whole families, obsessed. 🦋

and the way you can use it is lowkey flexible:

• you can statically link it into the kernel, or
• you can load it as a module.

your call, bestie. both are valid. 💅

✨ SEE ALSO ✨

• iwm(4)
• firmware(9)

and that's the whole page, no filler, no fluff, every crumb accounted for 🌸

this lil masterpiece came from Debian, dated June 28, 2020 — so if you're reading it, bestie, know that it's a certified vintage. mwah. 💋