Well, there aren't any GUIs available in Auditor, that's part of my consternation... What's missing is a simple, GUI-type way to easily connect to the AP's displayed, get an IP address from their DHCP (which most APs have built-in) and get on the internet in an easy, 1-2-3 type way. And so far, full-featured distros like Mandrake, Redhat, Knoppix, Auditor, Alinux etc. just don't offer that. I broke the Mandrake install when I tried to patch the drivers for monitor mode, and similar problems arose when monkeying around with the other distros I've tried.

The Win98 client program worked perfectly; surely there must be a Linux equivalent? I really don't want to go back to Winblows... even though I keep a 1.2GB Win98 partition active for when I can patch into a wired network with my Intel Pro/100 32bit pcmcia card...

Argh. I need help.

I just want to connect quickly and easily to the APs around...

Thanks.

Important point: Linux is not Windows. Expecting it to be so is a little like what Mark Twain said about teaching a pig to sing.

KWiFiManager, part of the KDE desktop, is the closest thing I've seen to what you're looking for. It will allow you to see and associate with visible APs. Association is only part of the puzzle, though. You need a network address. Most distros have a GUI for that, too.

For me, it's at least as easy to:
iwlist eth0 scan
iwconfig essid ap_name
dhcpcd eth0

Lastly, after using the ORiNOCO card in monitor mode, you need to take it out before connecting to a network. From the command line, 'cardctl reset' does it for me.

Honestly, if you want full point & click connectivity, and that's more important than some of the other things Linux provides for free, get an OEM copy of XP and save yourself some hair follicles (or, to be consistent with my original metaphor, stop annoying the pig).

Well, I need point-and-click connectivity, but I also need multi-user capability, and the reassurance of booting right into a login/password prompt, without the hassles of Windows virii/exploits/vulnerabilities/etc...

Any thoughts?

The first one might work fou you.

http://wlassistant.sourceforge.net/
http://sourceforge.net/projects/wlan-config
http://www.mobydik.it/

Okay, I got wlassistant to start up (under Mandrake), but my card 'doesn't support scanning'... How do I get the scan feature to work properly? Is there a patch or something for orinoco/orinoco_cs to enable scanning?

My determination in this matter is unwavering, but I'm starting to think that this just isn't going to work... But I refuse to give up!

Please, help me out here.

Thank you.

Try with "HostAP driver"!
visit hostap.epitest.fi

Well, I think I posted this in another thread, but with Mandrake 10.1, I was able to patch the drivers with the help of Morinoco (or something like that, it's been a while since I did it) and enabled the scanning functionality. Now wlassistant works perfectly!