Understanding Linux Wireless Drivers for Ralink Chipsets（linuxralink）
Linux operating system supports many hardware devices with the help of drivers. A big range of hardware devices such as Wi-Fi adapters, USB 3G modems, and so on are powered by Linux-compatible drivers. Drivers are a critical piece of software for any device and Linux is no exception.
So, what about drivers for Ralink Chipsets in Linux? Ralink chipsets are one of the popular chipsets used in various wireless networking devices, such as Wi-Fi cards, USB network adapters, Bluetooth adapters and so on.
Generally, Linux OS supports two types of drivers for Ralink chipsets. The first type is the Linux kernel driver developed and maintained by Ralink themselves, and the other type is the open source driver developed and maintained by the open source community.
The Linux kernel driver developed by Ralink itself is rarely available as open source. The driver is distributed in a compiled Linux kernel module (called rt2x00.ko or rtx.ko). This driver works perfectly if the kernel version of the Linux OS is compatible with the driver version.
On the other hand, the open source Linux Wireless drivers for Ralink chipsets are mainly developed under the Wireless Tools for Linux project. The drivers are released under the GNU General Public License version 2 (GPLv2). The code for these drivers is available on GitHub, and it can be built and installed from the source code. All the tools required for building and installing these drivers from source code are freely available from the package manager of the Linux OS.
The Linux wireless drivers for Ralink chipsets provide support for the IEEE 802.11 wireless networking standard protocol and the Broadcom Wireless Extension (for Broadcom chipsets). The drivers come with support for the latest versions of various Linux distributions such as Ubuntu, Fedora, and Arch Linux.
To ensure the proper functioning of the Ralink chipsets, it is advisable for users to check and update the Linux wireless drivers regularly. The easiest way to do this is to use the driver update utility, which can be downloaded from the manufacturer’s site.
In conclusion, understanding Linux Wireless Drivers for Ralink Chipsets is essential for all Linux users. The first type of driver is supported by Ralink itself and is available in the form of Linux kernel module, while the second type of driver is developed and maintained by the Linux Wireless Tools for Linux project. Both the drivers come with different features and provide support for different Linux distributions. Therefore, regular updating is recommended to ensure the optimum functioning of the wireless devices with Ralink chipsets.
