linux-drivers/
drivers/media/usb/dvb-usb-v2

USB DVB-T/S/C TV tuner sticks (dvb-usb-v2 framework)

Drivers for inexpensive USB digital TV and satellite tuner sticks built around bridge chips like Realtek RTL2831U/RTL2832U, Afatech AF9015/AF9035, Alcor AU6610, EC168, MaxLinear MxL111SF, and various DVBSky devices. Sold from the late 2000s onward for over-the-air digital TV; the RTL2832U variants also underpin the popular RTL-SDR software-defined radio scene.

keep-annotate conf=0.79 last_sold=2025 deploy=low replacement=none subsystem=media category=media-camera-tv
79%

recommendation

Worth keeping but flagging as legacy: most chips here are aging consumer TV sticks, but the RTL2832U family is still sold new in 2025 (notably as RTL-SDR Blog dongles) and the code still receives upstream fixes as recently as September 2024. Removing it would break a live, if niche, user base, so annotating it as a legacy mixed-vendor subtree is the right call rather than deprecation.

repository signals

40 files
20,145 source lines
33 commits, 5y
+223 / −112 lines added / removed, 5y
21 authors, 5y
monthly commits · 2021-04-21 → 2026-04-21 · 33 total · active in 17/61 months
2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2021-04: 0 commits · +0 −0 2021-05: 2 commits · +3 −9 2021-06: 6 commits · +42 −14 2021-07: 0 commits · +0 −0 2021-08: 1 commit · +14 −2 2021-09: 0 commits · +0 −0 2021-10: 0 commits · +0 −0 2021-11: 1 commit · +3 −0 2021-12: 0 commits · +0 −0 2022-01: 0 commits · +0 −0 2022-02: 0 commits · +0 −0 2022-03: 2 commits · +19 −15 2022-04: 0 commits · +0 −0 2022-05: 0 commits · +0 −0 2022-06: 0 commits · +0 −0 2022-07: 0 commits · +0 −0 2022-08: 1 commit · +1 −1 2022-09: 0 commits · +0 −0 2022-10: 0 commits · +0 −0 2022-11: 0 commits · +0 −0 2022-12: 0 commits · +0 −0 2023-01: 1 commit · +2 −2 2023-02: 0 commits · +0 −0 2023-03: 4 commits · +31 −2 2023-04: 0 commits · +0 −0 2023-05: 2 commits · +28 −8 2023-06: 0 commits · +0 −0 2023-07: 4 commits · +15 −6 2023-08: 0 commits · +0 −0 2023-09: 0 commits · +0 −0 2023-10: 1 commit · +9 −4 2023-11: 0 commits · +0 −0 2023-12: 0 commits · +0 −0 2024-01: 0 commits · +0 −0 2024-02: 1 commit · +2 −2 2024-03: 0 commits · +0 −0 2024-04: 0 commits · +0 −0 2024-05: 1 commit · +11 −1 2024-06: 0 commits · +0 −0 2024-07: 0 commits · +0 −0 2024-08: 0 commits · +0 −0 2024-09: 2 commits · +25 −19 2024-10: 1 commit · +4 −13 2024-11: 0 commits · +0 −0 2024-12: 0 commits · +0 −0 2025-01: 0 commits · +0 −0 2025-02: 0 commits · +0 −0 2025-03: 0 commits · +0 −0 2025-04: 0 commits · +0 −0 2025-05: 0 commits · +0 −0 2025-06: 0 commits · +0 −0 2025-07: 0 commits · +0 −0 2025-08: 0 commits · +0 −0 2025-09: 0 commits · +0 −0 2025-10: 1 commit · +6 −6 2025-11: 0 commits · +0 −0 2025-12: 0 commits · +0 −0 2026-01: 0 commits · +0 −0 2026-02: 2 commits · +8 −8 2026-03: 0 commits · +0 −0 2026-04: 0 commits · +0 −0

sources

  1. lore.kernel.org

    `rtl28xxu.c` in this directory still received upstream changes in September 2024, so the directory is not abandoned.

  2. rtl-sdr.com

    RTL2832U-based USB dongles were still being sold new in 2025, indicating at least part of this driver's hardware family remains commercially available.

  3. git.kernel.org

    The directory includes support for Realtek RTL2831U/RTL2832U reference designs and related consumer USB TV/SDR sticks, showing the subtree covers a broad mixed family rather than one obsolete device.

codex reasoning notes (technical)

Lore evidence first: `lore_activity(file=drivers/media/usb/dvb-usb-v2/rtl28xxu.c)` showed 32 hits in the last 5y, including a 2024 linux-media patch; a removal/deprecation `lore_regex` check timed out and produced no evidence of an active removal series. Deployment evidence: web search found a 2025 RTL-SDR Blog RTL2832U product page showing new hardware sales. The kernel.org tree URL is canonical recall, used to anchor which chip families live in this directory. Conclusion: this is mostly legacy/niche USB DVB hardware, but at least RTL28xxU remains sold and upstream still touches the code, so deprecation/removal would be premature; annotate as legacy instead of removing.