Install

One line on Kali, Parrot, Debian or Ubuntu. The installer pulls the build prerequisites, the Qt runtime libraries the GUI needs, creates an isolated virtualenv and drops an airdriver launcher on your PATH.

# one-liner
curl -fsSL https://github.com/at0m-b0mb/AirDriver/raw/main/install.sh | sudo bash

# or from a clone
git clone https://github.com/at0m-b0mb/AirDriver.git && cd AirDriver
sudo ./install.sh

# then
airdriver              # GUI
airdriver scan         # CLI: what's plugged in?
sudo airdriver install # plan + install a driver

How driver selection works

AirDriver prefers the in-kernel driver whenever your kernel is new enough, because the fastest DKMS build is the one that never runs. Everything after the install matters just as much: a loaded module is not a working adapter until the radio is unblocked and the interface is up.

flowchart TD
    A([Plug in the adapter]) --> B["Enumerate USB + PCI<br/>straight from sysfs"]
    B --> C{"VID:PID in the<br/>chipset database?"}
    C -->|no| Z["airdriver contribute —<br/>a pre-filled report,<br/>so the database learns it"]
    C -->|yes| D{"In-kernel driver,<br/>and a new enough kernel?"}

    D -->|yes| K["Load it — no build at all"]
    D -->|no| P{"Best feasible method,<br/>in priority order"}

    P -->|"apt · online + Debian"| APT["Install the distro<br/>DKMS package"]
    P -->|"dkms_git · online"| GIT["Compile the<br/>maintainer's driver"]
    P -->|"offline · bundle present"| OFF["Compile the<br/>bundled source"]
    P -->|none feasible| NONE["Say so plainly —<br/>and why each option failed"]
    APT -.->|"missing, or lagging<br/>behind your kernel"| GIT

    K --> X
    APT --> X
    GIT --> X
    OFF --> X
    X["Blacklist conflicts · depmod · modprobe<br/>rfkill unblock · ip link up · nmcli radio on"]

    X --> V{"Verify — built?<br/>loaded? interface bound?"}
    V -->|yes| OK([Working adapter])
    V -->|no| BAD["The honest verdict, and the exact fix:<br/>rfkill-blocked · Secure Boot ·<br/>built-but-not-loaded · no interface"]

    classDef good fill:#1f9e72,stroke:#0f5f45,color:#ffffff
    classDef work fill:#38bdf8,stroke:#0b6a94,color:#04212e
    classDef warn fill:#f5a623,stroke:#8a5a05,color:#2b1a00
    class A,K,OK good
    class B,X,APT,GIT,OFF work
    class Z,BAD,NONE warn

Chipset database

Every chipset AirDriver recognises, with honest monitor-mode and injection flags — search by chipset, vendor, adapter model, or a raw vid:pid. Click a row for the full ID list and notes. Useful before you buy, not just after.

Where the capability flags come from

Monitor mode and injection are the whole reason to pick one adapter over another, so those flags are read out of the kernel's own source rather than asserted from reputation.

Command line

The core and CLI are pure standard library, so everything works over SSH on a headless box with nothing installed.

airdriver scan              # detected adapters + chipset match
airdriver doctor            # headers, DKMS, Secure Boot, build tools
airdriver info 0bda:8812    # everything known about a chipset
airdriver install --dry-run # preview the exact plan, change nothing
airdriver verify            # is it really installed, loaded and bound?
airdriver diagnose          # one shareable block for a help thread

# the lifecycle around an install
airdriver status            # what's installed, built for this kernel?
sudo airdriver rebuild      # after a kernel upgrade broke Wi-Fi
sudo airdriver sign         # sign modules so Secure Boot loads them
sudo airdriver modeswitch   # kick a "driver CD-ROM" dongle into Wi-Fi mode
airdriver recommend         # which adapter should I actually buy?
airdriver contribute        # report an unknown adapter

Troubleshooting