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nightmorph 10/05/24 20:36:52 |
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Modified: hb-net-wireless.xml |
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Log: |
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Redo the wireless handbook. Wifi on linux has come a long way in the last ten years. I recommended graphical clients as the easiest, fastest way to join wifi networks *before* trying command line tools like wpa_supplicant and wireless-tools. Bug 320567. |
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Revision Changes Path |
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1.17 xml/htdocs/doc/en/handbook/hb-net-wireless.xml |
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|
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file : http://sources.gentoo.org/viewvc.cgi/gentoo/xml/htdocs/doc/en/handbook/hb-net-wireless.xml?rev=1.17&view=markup |
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plain: http://sources.gentoo.org/viewvc.cgi/gentoo/xml/htdocs/doc/en/handbook/hb-net-wireless.xml?rev=1.17&content-type=text/plain |
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diff : http://sources.gentoo.org/viewvc.cgi/gentoo/xml/htdocs/doc/en/handbook/hb-net-wireless.xml?r1=1.16&r2=1.17 |
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Index: hb-net-wireless.xml |
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=================================================================== |
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RCS file: /var/cvsroot/gentoo/xml/htdocs/doc/en/handbook/hb-net-wireless.xml,v |
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retrieving revision 1.16 |
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retrieving revision 1.17 |
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diff -u -r1.16 -r1.17 |
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--- hb-net-wireless.xml 15 Apr 2009 07:28:50 -0000 1.16 |
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+++ hb-net-wireless.xml 24 May 2010 20:36:52 -0000 1.17 |
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@@ -4,38 +4,69 @@ |
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<!-- The content of this document is licensed under the CC-BY-SA license --> |
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<!-- See http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5 --> |
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|
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-<!-- $Header: /var/cvsroot/gentoo/xml/htdocs/doc/en/handbook/hb-net-wireless.xml,v 1.16 2009/04/15 07:28:50 nightmorph Exp $ --> |
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+<!-- $Header: /var/cvsroot/gentoo/xml/htdocs/doc/en/handbook/hb-net-wireless.xml,v 1.17 2010/05/24 20:36:52 nightmorph Exp $ --> |
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|
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<sections> |
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|
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<abstract> |
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-Wireless isn't straightforward. Hopefully we'll get you working! |
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+Wireless configuration can be tricky. Hopefully we'll get you working! |
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</abstract> |
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|
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-<version>8.1</version> |
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-<date>2009-04-15</date> |
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+<version>9.0</version> |
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+<date>2010-05-24</date> |
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|
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<section> |
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<title>Introduction</title> |
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<body> |
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|
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<p> |
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-Currently we support wireless setup either by <c>wireless-tools</c> or |
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-<c>wpa_supplicant</c>. The important thing to remember is that you configure for |
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-wireless networks on a global basis and not an interface basis. |
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+Wireless networking on Linux is usually pretty straightforward. There are two |
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+ways of configuring wifi: graphical clients, or the command line. |
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</p> |
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|
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<p> |
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-<c>wpa_supplicant</c> is the best choice, but it does not support all drivers. |
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-For a list of supported drivers, <uri |
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+The <e>easiest</e> way is to use a graphical client once you've installed a <uri |
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+link="/doc/en/?catid=desktop">desktop environment</uri>. Most graphical clients, |
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+such as <uri link="http://wicd.sourceforge.net">wicd</uri> and <uri |
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+link="http://www.gnome.org/projects/NetworkManager">NetworkManager</uri>, are |
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+pretty self-explanatory. They offer a handy point-and-click interface that gets |
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+you on a network in just a few seconds. |
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+</p> |
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+ |
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+<note> |
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+<c>wicd</c> offers a command line utility <e>in addition</e> to the main |
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+graphical interface. You can get it by emerging <c>wicd</c> with the |
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+<c>ncurses</c> USE flag set. This <c>wicd-curses</c> utility is particularly |
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+useful for folks who don't use a gtk-based desktop environment, but still want |
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+an easy command line tool that doesn't require hand-editing configuration |
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+files. |
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+</note> |
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+ |
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+<p> |
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+However, if you don't want to use a graphical client, then you can configure |
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+wifi on the command line by editing a few configuration files. This takes a bit |
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+more time to setup, but it also requires the fewest packages to download and |
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+install. Since the graphical clients are mostly self-explanatory (with helpful |
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+screenshots at their homepages), we'll focus on the command line alternatives. |
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+</p> |
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+ |
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+<p> |
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+You can setup wireless networking on the command line by installing |
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+<c>wireless-tools</c> or <c>wpa_supplicant</c>. The important thing to remember |
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+is that you configure wireless networks on a global basis and not an interface |
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+basis. |
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+</p> |
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+ |
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+<p> |
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+<c>wpa_supplicant</c> is the best choice. For a list of supported drivers, <uri |
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link="http://hostap.epitest.fi/wpa_supplicant">read the wpa_supplicant |
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-site</uri>. Also, <c>wpa_supplicant</c> can currently only connect to SSIDs |
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-that you have configured. |
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+site</uri>. |
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</p> |
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|
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<p> |
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<c>wireless-tools</c> supports nearly all cards and drivers, but it cannot |
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-connect to WPA only Access Points. |
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+connect to WPA-only Access Points. If your networks only offer WEP encryption or |
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+are completely open, you may prefer the simplicity of <c>wireless-tools</c>. |
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</p> |
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|
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<warn> |
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@@ -54,8 +85,7 @@ |
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|
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<p> |
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<uri link="http://hostap.epitest.fi/wpa_supplicant">WPA Supplicant</uri> is a |
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-package that allows you to connect to WPA enabled access points. Its setup is |
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-fairly fluid as it is still in beta - however it works fine for the most part. |
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+package that allows you to connect to WPA enabled access points.. |
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</p> |
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|
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<pre caption="Install wpa_supplicant"> |
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@@ -67,6 +97,13 @@ |
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<c>wpa_supplicant</c> to work. |
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</impo> |
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|
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+<note> |
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+Depending on your USE flags, <c>wpa_supplicant</c> can install a graphical |
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+interface written in Qt4, which will integrate nicely with KDE. To get it, run |
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+<c>echo "net-wireless/wpa_supplicant qt4" >> /etc/portage/package.use</c> as |
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+root before emerging <c>wpa_supplicant</c>. |
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+</note> |
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+ |
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<p> |
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Now we have to configure <path>/etc/conf.d/net</path> to so that we prefer |
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<c>wpa_supplicant</c> over <c>wireless-tools</c> (if both are installed, |
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@@ -98,7 +135,7 @@ |
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which ships with <c>wpa_supplicant</c>. |
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</p> |
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|
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-<pre caption="an example /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf"> |
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+<pre caption="An example /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf"> |
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<comment># The below line not be changed otherwise we refuse to work</comment> |
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ctrl_interface=/var/run/wpa_supplicant |
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