linux-drivers/
drivers/net/ethernet/realtek

Realtek RTL8139, RTL8169, and RTL8125 PCI/PCIe Ethernet controllers

Realtek's long-running line of low-cost PCI and PCIe Ethernet chips, ranging from the ubiquitous 100 Mbps RTL8139 of the late 1990s through the RTL8168/8169 gigabit family to today's 2.5 Gbps RTL8125 and the newer RTASE-class RTL9054/9068/907x and RTL8127 controllers. These NICs are built into a huge fraction of consumer motherboards, mini-PCs, and add-in cards still sold new in 2025.

keep conf=0.96 deploy=high replacement=none subsystem=net category=networking-ethernet
96%

recommendation

It should stay in the kernel because the hardware is everywhere, still being shipped on new motherboards and 2.5 GbE add-in cards, and the code is under active development. Realtek engineers were still posting feature patches in 2026, including ethtool additions and MSI-X support for the newer RTL8127, and Linux-Hardware data shows large numbers of deployed systems relying on r8169 for the RTL8125. Removal is not on anyone's roadmap.

repository signals

13 files
15,350 source lines
238 commits, 5y
+5,381 / −3,140 lines added / removed, 5y
39 authors, 5y
monthly commits · 2021-04-21 → 2026-04-21 · 238 total · active in 53/61 months
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sources

  1. lore.kernel.org

    As of 2026-04-22, upstream netdev still carries new feature work for r8169 ('add support for ethtool'), indicating active maintenance rather than retirement.

  2. lore.kernel.org

    A 2026-04-20 RFC patch enables MSI-X for RTL8127 in r8169, showing the driver is still being extended for newer Realtek silicon.

  3. store.10gtek.com

    Retail hardware using the Realtek RTL8125BG controller was still offered for sale, supporting the conclusion that this family remains commercially current.

  4. linux-hardware.org

    Linux-Hardware reports many deployed systems with RTL8125 and maps support to drivers/net/ethernet/realtek/r8169_main.c, evidencing ongoing real-world deployment.

codex reasoning notes (technical)

Local tree inspection via shell (`rg`, `ls`, `sed`) showed this directory contains live NIC drivers `8139cp`, `8139too`, `r8169`, and `rtase`; Kconfig explicitly lists RTL8125 and newer RTASE parts, so this is not legacy-only. Lore evidence came from `lore_file_timeline` on `drivers/net/ethernet/realtek/r8169_main.c`, which returned fresh 2026 feature patches and no removal pattern; a `lore_regex` removal probe timed out, and fallback `lei` was blocked by sandbox socket permissions. Web evidence was obtained via `web.search_query`, which surfaced current RTL8125 retail listings and Linux-Hardware deployment pages. Because the directory still supports currently sold controllers and sees active upstream feature development, the correct outcome is keep, not deprecate/remove.