On 2008-12-29, Miklos Vajna <[email protected]> wrote:
> I didn't know about this feature. Am I right about then - in case you
> just use WPA in both profile and you use the hook method, then you can
> avoid both the passwords and the essid in the netconfig profile?

Yes.

(Another thing I learnt the hard way -- first I wrote a script
to parse "iwlist scan" output and compare that with a list of wireless
network configurations, then, like netconfig, generate a wpa_supplicant
configuration, and call wpa_supplicant on it. Then I took the effort to read
wpa_supplicant.conf(5) (see in particular the last paragraph in OVERVIEW)...
duhh :/ )

> In that case I think a possible solution would be - on top of the
> "notice about automatic generation" patch:
>
> 1) in libfwnetconfig, handle the - for example - 'wpa_psk =3D config'
> value as a special one: that would tell the lib to start wpa_suppliciant
> but not set the essid nor touch the config
>
> 2) in netconfig: if the interface is detected as a wireless one, then
> before asking for essid, ask if the user wants to use an existing
> wpa_suppliciant.conf.
>
> a) if yes, then just set wpa_psk to config, and we're done. (no question
> for esddi/wep/wpa driver / wpa psk)
>
> b) if no - this would be a sane default, since unencrypted and wep
> networks are still commonly used - then just go along with the old
> behaviour.

Hmm, comparing your plan to my patch:

Both includes:

 - essid / wpa key management goes out of the scope of
   /etc/sysconfig/network

Your includes:

 - Overloads the semantics of the directive wpa_psk. While it's
   not likely that one would use "config" for the wpa key, it's
   still not too nice IMHO.

 - Makes changes to the dialogue interface, and in fact, makes
   it more difficult. Newbies won't understand that techie lingo
   about wpa_supplicant, they might be confused, or annoyed by
   having to hit enter one more time.

   (And just to nitpick: there is no "existing wpa_supplicant.conf" at
   install time ;) I say "nitpick" because the final wording can of course
   be chosen in a way which is also appropriate at install time.)

Neither implements:

 - Wrap the whole wpa_supplicant machinery so that users can really
   create common case configs via the dialogue UI / gui / profile
   tweaking, and they don't need to know what the heck wpa_supplicant
   is.

The "both" part was what you criticized about my patch. The "only yours"
part makes me prefer mine to yours. And what I'd think to be a real
improvement had to be put under the "neither" part...

> Both suggestions are in a "if you care to send a patch, that's the best,
> but with some time delay I can do it as well if you don't want to do
> it".

I have already sent the patch with the warning. But I won't implement your
proposal as long as I prefer my patch to it :)

Regards,
Csaba

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