Storing wireless configuration in Slackware

v3gard · 09-22-2007, 02:29 PM

Hi all,
I just switched OS from Fedora Core 6 to Slackware 12. One of the first things I had problems with were configuring my wireless network card, but as you can see I have fixed the problem.

My only problem is that every time I boot the computer, I have to follow each step in the First-time-config on madwifi.org to make it work again, and sometimes I have to do this 2-3 times before I get it working. Sure, I know I'm not that familiar with Linux yet, and my noobieness is probably one of the reasons of why it is not working - but I wondered if there were a way to store the current config, so that It'll configure itself automatically the next time I boot the system?

Using Fedora, this was no problem at all but then I used a graphical interface to do it all, but now I want to learn how to do it using the console alone..

I'd appreciate any help, but please be detailed in your answers, as I'm not that familiar with Linux in console-mode.

Thanks.

bmarx · 09-22-2007, 03:07 PM

I also use the madwifi drivers for my wireless card on slackware. What are you doing when you first start up to get the card working, i.e. where are you starting from on that firsttimehowto on madwifi.org? Based on you description, it sounds like you want to edit /etc/rc.d/rc.inet1.conf

v3gard · 09-22-2007, 03:39 PM

I use this howto on MadWifi, and I do all the steps from the beginning except compiling and installing the drivers.

Usually I do the follwing commands in this order:

Code:

ifconfig ath0 down
ifconfig wifi0 down
modprobe ath_pci
iwconfig //just to check that it looks the same as on the howto
ifconfig ath0 up
modprobe wlan_scan_sta
iwlist ath0 scan //so that i'm sure that the AP is up and running
iwconfig ath0 key <mykey>
iwpriv ath0 authmode 1
iwconfig ath0 essid "<ssid of AP>

However, when I run dhclient afterwards, I usually don't recieve an IP-address, and I have to fiddle around with kwifimanager (havn't installed dropline gnome yet) and when I've done that for 5-10 minutes I finally get an answer from the AP's dhcp-server.

I have read the wireless-networking part of the slackbook, but it referred to the rc.wireless.conf instead of the rc.inet1.. Which one should I use?

Thanks for replying

bmarx · 09-22-2007, 05:11 PM

Never used the rc.wireless.conf to set my wireless settings, but that should work fine. It looks like rc.inet1 calls rc.wireless, which reads the configuration from rc.wireless.conf, although, it looks like rc.wireless gives precedence to rc.inet1.conf when setting up the interface.

This page has some good info http://madwifi.org/wiki/UserDocs/Distro/Slackware

you could also try putting those commands in rc.local and have that execute when the computer boots.

perry · 09-27-2007, 08:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by v3gard

I use this howto on MadWifi, and I do all the steps from the beginning except compiling and installing the drivers.

Usually I do the follwing commands in this order:

Code:

ifconfig ath0 down
ifconfig wifi0 down
modprobe ath_pci
iwconfig //just to check that it looks the same as on the howto
ifconfig ath0 up
modprobe wlan_scan_sta
iwlist ath0 scan //so that i'm sure that the AP is up and running
iwconfig ath0 key <mykey>
iwpriv ath0 authmode 1
iwconfig ath0 essid "<ssid of AP>

However, when I run dhclient afterwards, I usually don't recieve an IP-address, and I have to fiddle around with kwifimanager (havn't installed dropline gnome yet) and when I've done that for 5-10 minutes I finally get an answer from the AP's dhcp-server.

I have read the wireless-networking part of the slackbook, but it referred to the rc.wireless.conf instead of the rc.inet1.. Which one should I use?

Thanks for replying

well, to get it working is a feat in it of itself.

instead of dhclient, there's dhcpcd and i use that without any problems. have a look at my thread, it might give you some ideas on how to improve your situation

- perry

v3gard · 09-29-2007, 08:43 AM

I tried method A in your thread perry, but neither that seemed to do the trick.
However, in KDE there is a wireless-configuration shell (kcmshell 'kcmwifi') that includes an "Activate"-button. When I first run my previously mentioned script, and then click this button - I get a reply from the DHCP-server when I run dhclient ath0 or dhcpcd ath0.
It kind of annoys me that I have to enter a GUI and press this button in order to make the wlan work, because I simply can't figure out which commands this button executes.
If you have a solution to the problem, besides reading through the entire sourcecode for KDE, I'd appreciate it