The original reason to request this change was simple: to figure out
what type of interface we are looking at, since now some wireless
drivers can simultaneously create managed, p2p and ap interfaces.
Knowing that, from a simple front-end (let's even say a shell script)
we can decide what arguments to use with wpa_supplicant (or indeed if
we want to start it on this interface). wpa_supplicant, of course,
knows how to manipulate the device further using nl80211. I thought
it was a bit onerous to force userspace all the way through nl80211
just to get this trivial piece of information, but apparently this
doesn't seem to be the common point of view.
--
Paul
On Wed, Apr 17, 2013 at 11:43 PM, Marcel Holtmann wrote:
> Hi Nicolas,
>
Add a "wireless/nl80211_iftype" entry in the net device sysfs
file structure to indicate the mode of the wireless device so
it can be discovered easily from userspace.
>>>
>>> What's wrong with "iw dev", i.e. netlink/nl80211?
>>
>> "Do NOT screenscrape this tool, we don't consider its output stable."
>>
>> So if you are in a shell script, you're basically screwed.
>
> if you are in a shell script, you are screwed no matter what. So what is your
> point?
>
> Regards
>
> Marcel
>
>
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