[Bug]: [Regression] systemd 259.3-1 fails to initialize Realtek RTL8812AE Wi-Fi interface (wlan0 missing)

[swkasmire]

Kernel

Linux 6.19.5-3-cachyos (x86_64)

Desktop Environment / Window Manager

Other (specify in additional context)

CPU

Intel Core i7-7820X

GPU / Driver

NVidia GeForce GTX 1080 (NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080/PCIe/SSE2)

Description

1. Description

After upgrading the systemd package suite from version 259.2-1 to 259.3-1, the wireless network interface completely disappears from the network stack. The systemd-udevd service appears to silently ignore the Wi-Fi chipset during the boot process. No interface is created, and filtering the systemd-udevd journal for "wlan", "wifi", or "net" yields absolutely no output.

Downgrading the systemd packages back to version 259.2-1 and rebooting immediately restores the hardware initialization and the wireless interface.

Steps to Reproduce

3. Steps to Reproduce

1. Upgrade systemd, systemd-libs, systemd-resolvconf, systemd-sysvcompat, and lib32-systemd to version 259.3-1.
2. Reboot the system.
3. Run ip link or check network interfaces; observe that only the loopback (lo) and wired Ethernet (enp0s31f6) interfaces are present.
4. Note the complete absence of the wlan0 interface.

4. Workaround

Downgrading the systemd stack to 259.2-1 using the local pacman cache completely resolves the issue.

Expected Behavior

After upgrading to systemd 259.3-1 and rebooting, systemd-udevd should detect the Realtek RTL8812AE Wi-Fi controller, properly bind it to the rtl8821ae driver, and create the wireless network interface (e.g., wlan0) so the system can connect to wireless networks.

Actual Behavior

The kernel successfully enumerates the physical PCI device (pci 0000:04:00.0: [10ec:8812]), but systemd-udevd fails to load the associated rtl8821ae kernel module. Because the driver never loads, the wireless interface (wlan0) is never created, leaving the system with only the loopback (lo) and wired Ethernet (enp0s31f6) interfaces. Filtering the systemd-udevd journal for "wlan", "wifi", or "net" yields absolutely no output.

Logs / Error Messages

https://paste.cachyos.org/p/1371063

Additional Context

2. System Information

• Operating System: CachyOS - Arch Linux
• Kernel: Linux 6.19.5-3-cachyos (x86_64)
• Motherboard: ASUSTeK TUF X299 MARK 2
• CPU: Intel Core i7-7820X
• [cite_start]Failing Hardware: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8812AE 802.11ac PCIe Wireless Network Adapter [10ec:8812] (rev 01) [cite: 227]
• [cite_start]Kernel Driver in Use: rtl8821ae [cite: 227]

5. Hardware Diagnostics (from working state 259.2-1)

Output of lspci -nnk | grep -iA 3 net:

[cite_start]00:1f.6 Ethernet controller [0200]: Intel Corporation Ethernet Connection (2) I219-V [8086:15b8] [cite: 227]
	Subsystem: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. Device [1043:8672] [cite: 227]
	Kernel driver in use: e1000e [cite: 227]
	Kernel modules: e1000e [cite: 227]
--
04:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8812AE 802.11ac PCIe Wireless Network Adapter [10ec:8812] (rev 01) [cite: 227]
	Subsystem: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. Device [10ec:0812] [cite: 227]
	Kernel driver required: rtl8821ae [cite: 227]
	Kernel modules: rtl8821ae [cite: 227]


Output of udevadm info -a -p /sys/class/net/wlan0:
looking at device '/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1c.2/0000:04:00.0/net/wlan0': [cite: 219]
    KERNEL=="wlan0" [cite: 219]
    SUBSYSTEM=="net" [cite: 219]
    DRIVER=="" [cite: 219]
    ATTR{addr_assign_type}=="3" [cite: 219]
    ATTR{addr_len}=="6" [cite: 219]
    ATTR{address}=="08:10:70:45:02:d7" [cite: 219]
    ATTR{broadcast}=="ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff" [cite: 219]
    ATTR{carrier}=="1" [cite: 219]
    ATTR{carrier_changes}=="2" [cite: 219]
    ATTR{carrier_down_count}=="1" [cite: 219]
    ATTR{carrier_up_count}=="1" [cite: 219]
    ATTR{dev_id}=="0x0" [cite: 219]
    ATTR{dev_port}=="0" [cite: 219]
    ATTR{dormant}=="0" [cite: 219]
    ATTR{flags}=="0x1003" [cite: 219]
    ATTR{gro_flush_timeout}=="0" [cite: 219]
    ATTR{ifalias}=="" [cite: 219]
    ATTR{ifindex}=="2" [cite: 219]
    ATTR{iflink}=="2" [cite: 219]
    ATTR{link_mode}=="1" [cite: 219]
    ATTR{mtu}=="1500" [cite: 219]
    ATTR{name_assign_type}=="1" [cite: 219]
    ATTR{napi_defer_hard_irqs}=="0" [cite: 219]
    ATTR{netdev_group}=="0" [cite: 219]
    ATTR{operstate}=="up" [cite: 220]

  looking at parent device '/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1c.2/0000:04:00.0': [cite: 221]
    KERNELS=="0000:04:00.0" [cite: 221]
    SUBSYSTEMS=="pci" [cite: 221]
    DRIVERS=="rtl8821ae" [cite: 221]
    ATTRS{class}=="0x028000" [cite: 222]
    ATTRS{device}=="0x8812" [cite: 222]
    ATTRS{irq}=="81" [cite: 222]
    ATTRS{vendor}=="0x10ec" [cite: 223]

[ptr1337]

Think the best would be reporting upstream here. We dont modifiy systemd :)