The AIC8800 is a cost-effective Wi-Fi 6 chipset that delivers high-speed wireless connectivity at an affordable price, making it a popular choice for budget-conscious builds that still want modern wireless. Because it isn't supported in the mainline Linux kernel, you install it as an out-of-tree module using DKMS (Dynamic Kernel Module Support), which automatically rebuilds the module whenever your kernel is updated.
Prerequisites
Make sure DKMS is installed. It handles automatic module rebuilds after kernel updates:
bash sudo apt-get install dkms Step-by-Step Installation Guide 1. Clone the AIC8800-DKMS repository
Clone the repository to your local machine:
bash git clone https://github.com/geniuskidkanyi/aic8800
Then move into the downloaded directory:
bash cd aic8800 2. Copy the source files to /usr/src/
Copy the source code into /usr/src/ so DKMS can track and manage the module:
bash sudo cp -r src /usr/src/aic8800-1.0.5
The 1.0.5 is the module version number — make sure it matches the version you intend to install.
- Copy the firmware blobs
The firmware blobs are required for the module to function. Copy them into the firmware directory:
bash sudo cp -r blobs/* /usr/lib/firmware/ 4. Install the module with DKMS
With the files in place, register and build the module through DKMS:
bash dkms install aic8800/1.0.5
This adds the AIC8800 module to DKMS so it's automatically managed across kernel upgrades.
- Load the driver
Load the newly installed module:
bash sudo modprobe aic8800_fdrv
This activates the module so the system recognizes the AIC8800 wireless chipset.
- Verify the installation
Check the DKMS module status to confirm it's built against your current kernel:
bash dkms status
Then confirm the driver is actually loaded:
bash lsmod | grep aic8800_fdrv
If it's loaded, this displays information about the running module.
- Reboot
Reboot so all changes take full effect:
bash sudo reboot
After the restart, the AIC8800 Wi-Fi driver should be fully integrated and working.