Public SourceMage Discussion List

["David Brown" <dmlb2000 AT gmail.com>]

> Good stuff thanks!
>
> fyi I've found wpa_supplicant is a very good wifi roaming program.  It's
> intended purpose is as the suplicant end of various WPA implementations,
> but it also supports run-of-the-mill WEP, and unencrypted connections.

yeah I've tried wpa but the documentation doesn't get installed and
some of the options are obsolete (WIP file in devel wpa_supplicant).
I wanted something that always worked and could easily use other tools
(wireless-tools net-tools etc).   Also most other wireless connection
managers connect to any old open network if it can't find what's
specified in a config file, which is not what I wanted.  Also
wpa_supplicant has it's own drivers for specific cards, which I don't
understand why that's needed, wireless-tools and net-tools should be
all that's needed, but maybe that's just me.

> The configuration syntax is easy as can be. Each network block has
> an ESSID, and several optional configuration options that change how the
> card works. So:
>
> network={
>         ssid='screwOff'
>         scan_ssid=1
>         proto=WPA
>         key_mgmt=WPA-PSK
>         pairwise=TKIP
>         psk='notmyrealpassword'
> }
>
> is my office definition. With more than one network, the wpa_supplicant
> daemon just scans around for an essid that matches one of the configured
> netblocks, re-configures the card on the fly, and you're all set.  So in
> practice, I sleep my laptop at home, go to the office, wake it up, and
> wpa_supplicant recognizes that the home network is gone, and the work
> network is there, and reconfigures everything.

so does wpa_supplicant run some sort of daemon? I don't see an
initscript for the spell at all...

- David Brown