I’m sure that the device tab is greyed out because sys-net is running when you’re opening the settings. Turn it off first and then check if you can access it. If you are able to move things, make sure the ethernet/wifi controller is in “selected” then boot sys-net and test again.
Dear DVM,
as you can see here below unfortunatly the sys-net shutdown did not allow me to access the Devices tab in sys-net Qubes settings.
Devices tab stay unavailable at boot on sys-net Qubes settings even after a forced qvm-shutdown made in dom0 on the concerned sys-net.
Have a nice day.
does the following topic related to your issue:
https://forum.qubes-os.org/t/major-problem-with-qvm-pci-and-devices-in-general/8359/15 ?
the pci_0000 thing.
Is that your case too? If yes, does the workaround proposed works for you?
No about this issue. I just go there to see if I can find solutions or ways to filter what is going on on my Qubes…
Pci_0000 ? Did not see antthing about this on this post.
The lspci shows me the Realtek RTL8821CE and this is how I was then able to find infos on the forum to try finding solutions on my problem.
Now I am stopped at this position even if the rtl8821ce has been add with the dkms-install script then modprobe. And even if I added manually a connection to my SSID router in the NetworkManager thos last one still does not show a Enable WiFi item menu.
Sincerely thank you for your help.
from the reply of the link I posted:
After a quick looking into the source code 5, I found this problem was caused by a failure during a regex matching, which expects every PCI device identifier starts with pci_0000.
But if I run sudo virsh nodedev-list in dom0, I found some of my PCI device identifier starts with pci_10000. This can also be verified using lspci.
See the last three reply on the topic I posted.
Not saying this is your case, I’m asking if this is your case.
There is not so much post about disabled/grayed-out devices tab.
On another thing, your kernel is marked as provided by the qube.
Does it change something if you use the default one (6.1.x) ?
On another thing, your kernel is marked as provided by the qube.
Does it change something if you use the default one (6.1.x) ?
Another guy told me to set it as “provided by the qube” because I was not able to start sys-net when set with the last available kernel (here 5.15…).
I tried back now and still was not able to get sys-net started (see error in first line here in attached image). Then to be able to start sys-net and see the NetworkManager in the systray I have to keep the kernel as provided by the qube.
Here is the result of the pci comand line returns (see image).
Have a nice day.
So you got pci devices belonging to domain 0000 and others to domain 10000.
Did you read the latest post on the topic I posted?
To be more specific, this reply from @doc :
https://forum.qubes-os.org/t/major-problem-with-qvm-pci-and-devices-in-general/8359/16
This is the same issue as you (the disabled/grayed-out devices tab).
You got exactly the same 3 devices into domain 10000.
And you got one more, the SATA controller: this one could be related to your second HDD.
Unfortunately, with the proposed patch, the second HDD may not work.
I read it then :
-
I wil first try to test what is explained at the point 1. to 4.
-
adding the line in the pci.py will be easy but
-
I do not really know where must I put this adapted pci.py
-
and where must I restart the qubesd service ? Is it well in the dom0 (I guess) ?
I finish here with a “stupid” question but … if it is so “simple like this” (by simply adding a line in a python script) why it is not still updated on the new Qubes version ?
And a little remark : I said I still have the kernel 5.15… (and not yet the 6. …) because on the 4.1.2
downloaded image it is the default kernel until I could update it when I will have a wifi connection 
Thank you for you answer on the above questions (at point 3) and 4)). Have a nice day.
from the related github issue https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-issues/issues/8143:
The file is located here (in dom0):
/usr/lib/python3.8/site-packages/qubes/ext/pci.py
To restart qubesd, yes it’s in dom0 with the command:
service qubesd restart (a reboot works too).
Ha yes, indeed. I didn’t think about that, xd
But the kernel 6.x won’t change the grayed-out devices tab anyway.
There is no such thing as “stupid question”:
You don’t know what you don’t know. 
It’s still not implemented because it’s not a proper fix.
It’s a workaround that will ignore pci devices under domain that is not 0000
(ignored only for pci passthrough).
I think this sentence is wrong. As dom0 see it, it will probably work.
It’s just that you will not be able to passthrough the SATA controller (and probably not need to).
Hi,
》You don’t know what you don’t know.
You right; asking the question means you do not know and when you do not know means you probably does not have accreditations to know it then it is why you do not have to know
Well, pci.py successfully modified as expected (followed by a reboot) now Devices is (ungreyed) available on sys-net (and fedora template too).
RTL8821CE is well selected in the sys-net Devices but still does not display a “Enable WiFi” menu item in the NetworkManager.
Sys-net “Include in memory balancing” is disabled, Kernel is “provided by qube” and Virtualization Mode is HVM.
As previously said I manually created a connection to my SSID routeur but do not see if it works in the NetworkManager. The NetworkManager (red) icon stay crossed.
RTL8821CE should be supported from the linux kernel.
https://linux-hardware.org/?id=pci%3A10ec-c821-1a3b-3041
You got 5.15.94. You can try again by settings the kernel to this one instead of “provided by qube”.
(now that the device tab works, maybe that will work)
You can also try to update dom0, the default kernel is now 6.1.35.
If that still don’t work, you can try this driver: https://github.com/tomaspinho/rtl8821ce
(The maintenair of the repo say that the kernel driver for the 8821ce chip is broken)
Wich you already did and installed:
https://forum.qubes-os.org/t/how-to-enable-wifi-on-a-nitropc-realtek-rtl8821ce/4647
Let the kernel to the default one (5.15 or 6.1), if that doesn’t work, you can try with provide by qube.
Does your Network controller actually use the rtl8821ce driver you installed ?
you can find out with:
[user@dom0 ~]$ lspci -k
[... ]
3c:00.0 Network controller: ...
Subsystem: ...
Kernel driver in use: pciback
Kernel modules: iwlwifi
Your kernel driver in use and module should be 8821ce (the github driver) and not rtw88_8821ce (the linux kernel).
Maybe you didn’t activate the new driver after you installed it?
https://discussion.fedoraproject.org/t/fedora-37-cant-have-wifi-properly-working-realtek-8821ce/73583/6
To activate the driver.
sudo modprobe 8821ce
(you don’t need to remove the old one, just blacklist it)
and from the next reply of the above link:
That’s runtime configuration, but you likely also need persistent one:
sudo tee /etc/modprobe.d/rtl8821ce.conf << EOF > /dev/null
blacklist rtw88_8821ce
install rtw88_8821ce /bin/false
EOF
sudo tee /etc/modules-load.d/rtl8821ce.conf << EOF > /dev/null
8821ce
EOF
also from the github page: (he said the same as above: blacklist rtw88_8821ce)
https://github.com/tomaspinho/rtl8821ce#wi-fi-not-working-for-kernel–59
A lot of people seems to struggle with this network controller.
For record, here the keywords I used:
https://www.startpage.com/do/search?q=fedora+realtek+8821ce
https://www.startpage.com/do/search?q=rtl8821ce+vs+rtw8821ce
Notice that’s not Qubes specific.
But now we started, be free to ask if something went wrong.
Hi,
Of course trying with the kernel 5.15 (in place of the provided by qube one) was the first think I tried when I saw the Devices tab available.
But as I get back the error when sys-net tried to start after a reboot then I came back to the 5.15.
Here is the result of lscpi -k :
Processing: 20230801_152300.jpg…
I used the tomaspinho script (running this script on the fedora template (as recommanded) returned error even with sudo then I succefully ran the four lines it contains) and activated the 8821ce (in the fedora-template .
Uploading: 20230801_153341.jpg…
I can not blacklist anything because both .conf files does not exist in modprobe.d and modules-load.d in fedora template, sys-net or even dom0.
Then I will first now to see how to get the kernel modules set with 8821ce and not rtw8821ce as it is now (with the fact I can not blacklist it) :
Thank you for your really appreciated help.
You need to create these files with the command provided in my previous reply or manually.
modprobe will process any file with the extension .conf present in the directory.
The name of the file is up to you.
I think this must be done in the sys-net template.
It’s with sudo modprobe 8821ce but you must blacklist rtw88_8821ce so that the network controller use the 8821ce.
You can use lsmod | grep 8821 to check that the 8821ce module is loaded.
Check with lspci -k in sys-net if everything is good.
Hi,
I tried the blackikist comand then modprobe (even by going first in the modprobe.d folder because you said : " modprobe will process any file with the extension .conf present in the directory".
I tried tgis blacklist process in sys-net (and even on fedora template) after saw it did not changed anything.
Here is the dom0 lspci and lsmod command line result (in background) and in the red window the error returned from the modprobe command line done in sys-net.
The lspci -k just returned a (unique) line describing the RTL8821CE and the lsmod | grep 8821 did not return something.
Then I stay in the same situtation.
Except if you still have more idea, the only next step I could try is a dom0 update.
Thank you for your help.
The fact that lsmod | grep 8821 didn’t return anything, I guess the blacklist worked.
What are the kernel module and in use in sys-net ?
You don’t need to do that.
The service modprobe (don’t know the name) will process the .conf files, not the command modprobe.
sudo modprobe 8821ce say that it didn’t found the module.
lsmod say the same (or the output would not be empty).
So you didn’t install it or failed to do so !?
Try with “kernel provided by qube”.
Does lsmod see the module ?
Does the modprobe command still say not found?
You should try to make sudo ./dkms-install.sh works.
Be sure to be in the right directory: cd rtl8821ce/.
Make sure the script is executable as well: chmod +x dkms-install.sh
Try again the install in the sys-net template and add the module with modprobe.
(try with both 5.15 kernel first, and provided by qube if that doesn’t work).
I guess you use the default fedora template and not a minimal.
Just in case:
[user@disp9866 ~]$ sudo dnf install -y dkms make kernel-devel openssl bc
[...]
Complete!
[user@disp9866 ~]$ cd rtl8821ce/
[user@disp9866 rtl8821ce]$ sudo ./dkms-install.sh
About to run dkms install steps...
[...]
Finished running dkms install steps.
[user@disp9866 rtl8821ce]$ lsmod | grep 8821
[user@disp9866 rtl8821ce]$ ll /lib/modules/6.1.35-1.qubes.fc32.x86_64/extra/
total 4.0M
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 3.9M Aug 2 16:29 8821ce.ko
drwxr-xr-x. 2 root root 4.0K Jun 24 02:00 module/
-rw-r--r--. 1 root root 14K Jun 24 02:00 u2mfn.ko
-rw-r--r--. 1 root root 118K Jun 24 02:00 v4l2loopback.ko
[user@disp9866 rtl8821ce]$ sudo modprobe 8821ce
[user@disp9866 rtl8821ce]$ lsmod | grep 8821
8821ce 2027520 0
cfg80211 1150976 1 8821ce
I guess, because you git cloned in a disposable and then copied the content to the template,
some files have lost theirs permission.
Therefore, you need to make executable the script (chmod +x).
You can keep the default kernel (5.15).
Everything should works … it did for me. tested on minimal fedora template in a disposable vm.
If that doesn’t work, post the output of sudo ./dkms-install.sh.
By example, it told me that I needed openssl and bc.
Dear szz9pza,
Tomorrow I will look to your two last answer and try to see if it could progress.
Reading you in regard of disposable fedora template sounds that could be on fact my main leak of Qubes syructure knowledge.
It is the main problem I met : it is difficult for me to well understand where each command line must be done. Some guys said (where it sounds logical) it must be done in sys-net where others lets know that sometimes it must be done in the fedora template.
But perhaps did I personnaly misunderstood.
This is why I will take time tomorrow to see if I could reproduce what you explained in your last two answers here above.
Still thank you for your help and I apologize to take your time so many times.
Have a good day.
From your recent github issue:
https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-issues/issues/8472
Expert behaviour :
Please integrate RTL8821CE in the new rc3 and final 4.2 release. I really have to, and want because I like it so much, stay using qubesos.
As mentioned, it’s not a Qubes issue, the driver is in the kernel, but for some reason, it doesn’t work.
Not only in Qubes OS, others have the same issue with Linux distribution as well.
Also as suggest in this thread and here, if the default kernel doesn’t work (and it doesn’t), switch to to the ‘provide by qube’ kernel.
You don’t need to switch to PV mode.
To resume what you need to do:
- for
sys-net, selectprovided by qubekernel - shutdown your
sys-netqube (if running) - download the github repository in a disposable qube
- copy the content to your
sys-nettemplate - in the template, install the driver with
sudo ./dkms-install.sh
make sure the script is executable, if not usesudo chmod +x dkms-install.sh - in the template, blacklist the original kernel driver:
echo "blacklist rtw88_8821ce" | sudo tee -a /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf - shutdown your template
- start your
sys-netqube
It should works, it does for others.
I hope it will work for you too.
Hi,
please have a look to my last try (with 4.2 RC3) I made this afternoon.
As you will see I can not go further and the situation stay the same.
https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-issues/issues/8472
Sincerely thank you for your help.
Have a nice day.
Hum, I don’t really know.
I saw you can’t get a working smartphone tethering, it would have been so much easier. 
It’s an other issue, but, you need to have a sys-net & sys-usb merged.
i.e. The required Qubes OS packages and the usb controller attached to that sys-net-usb qube.
And also the option provide Network set to True.
packages (I think you already have them, just in case)
qubes-core-agent-passwordless-root (optional, can't hurt to avoid more trouble)
qubes-core-agent-networking
qubes-core-agent-network-manager
network-manager-applet
NetworkManager-wifi
qubes-usb-proxy
qubes-input-proxy-sender
There is some topic about it.
https://forum.qubes-os.org/search?q=tethering
For the wifi driver:
You could try to get a fedora-38 iso.
Install fedora on another computer.
Get the kernel version of your sys-net qube when ‘provided by qube’ kernel option is set. (uname -r)
Install the same kernel version on the other computer.
Build the rtl8821ce driver with dkms.
Get the module file. /lib/modules/<kernel_version>/extra/8821ce.ko
Copy that file into your sys-net qube.
Blacklist the original driver (rtw88_8821ce).
Activate the new driver (sudo modprobe 8821ce). (I don’t know if it’s needed, but I think yes).
See if your wireless works.
If it does, create a new sys-net-2 qube, and install the new driver in it with dmks.
Delete the old sys-net and use the new one.
Don’t know if that will work, but why not.