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What the error means
In this message, error -2 indicates that the requested file was not found. The kernel’s cfg80211 wireless subsystem asked the firmware loader for regulatory.db but could not locate it. The related log line may read cfg80211: failed to load regulatory.db.
The database supplies country-specific Wi-Fi regulatory rules, including permitted frequencies and power limits. The warning does not necessarily prevent Wi-Fi from starting: a system may fall back to a compiled-in database or a world regulatory domain. But missing or incorrect country rules can affect which channels are available and how wireless devices operate.
Why this appeared after upgrading to Linux 4.15
Linux 4.15 changed how the kernel obtains the regulatory database. Previously, the common flow used CRDA and a regulatory.bin file. Starting with kernel v4.15, cfg80211 can request regulatory.db directly through the kernel firmware loader, which looks in /lib/firmware. The change is documented by Linux Wireless.
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That change exposed a packaging mismatch on some systems: the kernel requested regulatory.db, while the installed wireless-regdb package still supplied the older CRDA-oriented file. Debian Bug #892229 documented the sequence and was fixed in Debian’s wireless-regdb version 2019.06.03-1 in 2019. The relevant report is Debian Bug #892229.
Install or update wireless-regdb
-
Identify your distribution and running kernel:
cat /etc/os-release uname -r -
Use your distribution’s package manager to refresh package metadata and install or upgrade the package named
wireless-regdb. Package-manager commands differ by distribution, so consult its documentation if you are unsure of the correct command. -
Check whether the database and signature are present in the usual firmware directory:
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find /lib/firmware -maxdepth 1 -name 'regulatory.db*' -lsYou should see the database and its signature in the firmware search path. Linux Wireless documents the direct-loading path in its CRDA documentation.
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Reboot to ensure the wireless stack can load the updated files. Reloading wireless modules may also work, but only do so if you know the appropriate module sequence for your system.
-
Check the kernel log for the load result:
journalctl -k | grep -E 'regulatory.db|cfg80211'
ArchWiki also notes that the kernel loads the database directly when wireless-regdb is installed, and may log a failure when it is absent: ArchWiki: Wireless network configuration.
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Do you need CRDA?
Usually not if you are running Linux 4.15 or newer. The kernel’s direct firmware-loading support made CRDA unnecessary for the normal regulatory-database loading path. If you are running an older kernel or a distribution with customized wireless packaging, follow that distribution’s instructions rather than installing CRDA as a generic fix.
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-
Check the actual firmware path. Embedded systems and custom kernels may use a firmware directory other than
/lib/firmware. Confirm the path configured for the running kernel and, if applicable, the initramfs.Recommended Free Tools
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Check the initramfs and file permissions. An initramfs may contain an older copy or no copy of the database, and files must be readable by the firmware loader.
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-
Confirm package compatibility. Make sure the installed
wireless-regdbpackage provides the file names expected by the running kernel and distribution. -
Separate regulatory database errors from device firmware errors. A log that also names a device-specific file, such as an Intel
.ucodefile or a Broadcom firmware blob, points to a separate driver-firmware issue.regulatory.dbdoes not replace that firmware. -
Keep the signed database. Do not download an unsigned database from an arbitrary site. The wireless-regdb documentation explains that signatures support integrity and authorship verification: Linux Wireless: wireless-regdb.
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When does the error matter?
If Wi-Fi works, the message may be a warning rather than a complete wireless failure. Investigate it as a functional problem if wireless is unavailable, expected country-specific channels are missing, or regulatory behavior appears incorrect. Regulatory rules enforce legal frequency and transmit-power limits, so disabling the regulatory mechanism is not a safe way to silence the warning.
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