This message means the kernel could not find regulatory.db when loading Wi-Fi regulatory rules. On Linux kernel 4.15 and newer, the usual fix is to install or update your distribution’s wireless-regdb package, then confirm the database and its signature are in the firmware search path. CRDA is normally not needed on these kernels.
What the error means
-2 is the missing-file error in this context: cfg80211 requested regulatory.db through the kernel firmware loader, but the file was not found. The related log lines may look like this:
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platform regulatory.0: Direct firmware load for regulatory.db failed with error -2cfg80211: failed to load regulatory.db
The regulatory database supplies country-specific Wi-Fi rules, including permitted frequencies and power limits. Its absence does not always prevent wireless from starting, but it can leave the system using a fallback regulatory domain rather than the intended country rules.
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Why this appeared after upgrading to Linux 4.15
Starting with Linux 4.15, cfg80211 can request the regulatory database directly as a firmware file. Linux Wireless documents that CRDA is no longer needed as of kernel v4.15; the kernel firmware request looks for the file in /lib/firmware.
This changed the expected file and loading path. Older CRDA-based setups used regulatory.bin, while the direct-loading path expects regulatory.db. Debian Bug #892229 records the resulting error after the 4.15 transition. Debian later fixed its packaging in wireless-regdb version 2019.06.03-1; that version number describes Debian’s fix, not a universal minimum for every distribution.
Install or update wireless-regdb
-
Identify your distribution and running kernel:
cat /etc/os-release
uname -r -
Refresh package metadata using your distribution’s package manager, then install or upgrade the package named
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Check whether the database and signature are present in the usual firmware directory:
find /lib/firmware -maxdepth 1 -name 'regulatory.db*' -lsThe signed database and its signature should be in the firmware search path. Linux Wireless describes this direct-loading location as
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-
Reboot to retry the load. Reloading the wireless stack can also work, but only do so if you know the correct module sequence for your hardware and system.
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Check the kernel log for the result:
journalctl -k | grep -E 'regulatory.db|cfg80211'
ArchWiki likewise notes that the kernel loads the database directly when wireless-regdb is installed, and may log cfg80211: failed to load regulatory.db when it is absent: ArchWiki: Respecting the regulatory domain.
If the error persists
-
Check the actual firmware path.
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Check the initramfs and file permissions. An initramfs may contain an older copy or omit the database, even if the installed system has the current package. Ensure the files can be read and rebuild the initramfs using your distribution’s documented procedure if needed.
-
Check package compatibility. Confirm the installed
wireless-regdbpackage supplies the filenames expected by the running kernel and distribution.The Tool Desk
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Separate regulatory data from device firmware. If the log also reports a missing device-specific file, such as an Intel
.ucodefile or a Broadcom firmware blob, that is a separate driver-firmware issue.regulatory.dbdoes not replace device firmware.Best Value
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-
Use a signed database from a trusted package. The wireless-regdb documentation explains that digital signatures are used to verify integrity and authorship. Do not download an unsigned database from an arbitrary site: wireless-regdb documentation.
Do you need CRDA?
For kernels 4.15 and newer, generally no: cfg80211 can load regulatory.db directly through the firmware loader. Older kernels may still use the CRDA and regulatory.bin flow, so the right remedy depends on the running kernel and the files supplied by the distribution. Installing the distribution’s matching wireless-regdb package is the normal fix for the direct-loading error.
Is it safe to ignore?
Sometimes Wi-Fi still works because the system has a compiled-in regulatory database or uses a world regulatory domain. Treat the warning as an unresolved configuration problem if wireless does not work, expected country-specific channels are unavailable, or regulatory behavior is incorrect. Do not disable regulatory controls just to silence the log: they enforce lawful frequency and transmit-power limits.
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