Does the ARC International Marvell 88W8388 802.11a/b/g WLAN work on Linux?
Driver available. Kernel ID match for
libertas_tf_usb, usb8xxx — Linux 3.0 or earlier. The driver-family needs firmware not in linux-firmware; check which files your device requires.Technical details
| Device category | Wi-Fi adapter |
|---|---|
| Bus | USB |
| Device IDs | 05a3:8388 |
| Kernel driver | libertas_tf_usb, usb8xxx |
| In kernel since | Linux 3.0 or earlier |
Firmware requirement
The driver-family needs firmware not in linux-firmware; check which files your device requires. This is a driver-family list, not a per-device requirement. Optional features and other chips may use different files. Presence is checked against linux-firmware WHENCE File and Link records, including patterns.
| Firmware | Manifest check |
|---|---|
lbtf_usb.bin | Listed in WHENCE |
libertas/gspi8385.bin | Not listed in WHENCE — external firmware may be needed |
libertas/gspi8385_helper.bin | Not listed in WHENCE — external firmware may be needed |
libertas/gspi8385_hlp.bin | Not listed in WHENCE — external firmware may be needed |
libertas/gspi8686.bin | Not listed in WHENCE — external firmware may be needed |
libertas/gspi8686_hlp.bin | Not listed in WHENCE — external firmware may be needed |
libertas/gspi8686_v9.bin | Listed in WHENCE |
libertas/gspi8686_v9_helper.bin | Listed in WHENCE |
libertas/gspi8688.bin | Listed in WHENCE |
libertas/gspi8688_helper.bin | Listed in WHENCE |
libertas/sd8385.bin | Listed in WHENCE |
libertas/sd8385_helper.bin | Listed in WHENCE |
libertas/sd8686_v8.bin | Listed in WHENCE |
libertas/sd8686_v8_helper.bin | Listed in WHENCE |
libertas/sd8686_v9.bin | Listed in WHENCE |
libertas/sd8686_v9_helper.bin | Listed in WHENCE |
libertas/sd8688.bin | Listed in WHENCE |
libertas/sd8688_helper.bin | Listed in WHENCE |
libertas/usb8388.bin | Not listed in WHENCE — external firmware may be needed |
libertas/usb8388_v5.bin | Listed in WHENCE |
libertas/usb8388_v9.bin | Listed in WHENCE |
libertas/usb8682.bin | Listed in WHENCE |
sd8385.bin | Not listed in WHENCE — external firmware may be needed |
sd8385_helper.bin | Not listed in WHENCE — external firmware may be needed |
sd8686.bin | Not listed in WHENCE — external firmware may be needed |
sd8686_helper.bin | Not listed in WHENCE — external firmware may be needed |
sd8688.bin | Not listed in WHENCE — external firmware may be needed |
sd8688_helper.bin | Not listed in WHENCE — external firmware may be needed |
usb8388.bin | Not listed in WHENCE — external firmware may be needed |
Firmware packaging varies by distribution; consult Debian firmware guidance or Arch network setup guidance. A missing manifest entry does not mean the device is unsupported.
Which distros work?
| Distro | Kernel | Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Arch Linux | ✅ 7.2 | Kernel ID match available; driver-family needs firmware not in linux-firmware; check device requirements |
| Fedora 44 | ✅ 7.2 | Kernel ID match available; driver-family needs firmware not in linux-firmware; check device requirements |
| Fedora 43 | ✅ 7.2 | Kernel ID match available; driver-family needs firmware not in linux-firmware; check device requirements |
| openSUSE Tumbleweed | ✅ 7.2 | Kernel ID match available; driver-family needs firmware not in linux-firmware; check device requirements |
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | ✅ 7.0 | Kernel ID match available; driver-family needs firmware not in linux-firmware; check device requirements |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | ✅ 6.8 | Kernel ID match available; driver-family needs firmware not in linux-firmware; check device requirements |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | ✅ 5.15 | Kernel ID match available; driver-family needs firmware not in linux-firmware; check device requirements |
| Debian 13 | ✅ 6.12 | Kernel ID match available; driver-family needs firmware not in linux-firmware; check device requirements |
| Debian 12 | ✅ 6.1 | Kernel ID match available; driver-family needs firmware not in linux-firmware; check device requirements |
Is this my device?
Run lsusb and look for 05a3:8388. Paste IDs into the home lookup.
Sources
- drivers/net/wireless/marvell/libertas/if_sdio.c
- drivers/net/wireless/marvell/libertas/if_spi.c
- drivers/net/wireless/marvell/libertas/if_usb.c
- drivers/net/wireless/marvell/libertas_tf/if_usb.c
Listed ID matches are not hands-on tests of speed, Bluetooth version, or every device feature. See how this works and more Wi-Fi adapters.