Network Manager's strange relationship with wpa_supplicant?

PTrenholme · 03-16-2010, 05:10 PM

Ah! use install airo /sbin/modprobe wpa_enabled The problem is that airo.c is the source code file, not the compiled and linked kernel object code file. Since the .ko is assumed by modprobe, you've asked that program to locate and install airo.c.ko from the /lib/modules/`uname -r`/ directory tree, and, since that file doesn't exist, nothing happens.

You did, I hope, verify that airo.ko was in the /lib/modules/`uname -r`/kernel/net/wireless/ directory.

BorisTheSpider · 03-17-2010, 09:03 AM

Well, a few things.

First, I edited the airo.conf file to get rid of the ".c" after airo, restarted the computer, and the wireless card was not even detected. There is no mention of it in dmesg.

Second, there is no airo.ko file in the /lib/modules/2.6.32.9-70.fc12.i686.PAE/kernel/net/wireless/ directory. I thought I made a mistake.

When you went through the motions of of installing the new airo driver on your computer, you asked me to

Code:

cp -b airo.ko /lib/modules/[kernel version]/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/airo

.

In your last message, you asked me to be sure the airo.ko file is within the /lib/modules/[kernel version]/kernel/drivers/net/wireless directory. No airo subdirectory this time?

Now, here's the crazy part. Since there is no airo subdirectory in the wireless directory, I decided to rerun the

Code:

cp -b airo.ko /lib/modules/2.6.32.9-70.fc12.i686.PAE/kernel/drivers/net/wireless

I first looked in Nautilus to see if the file was there. I could not find it there, and it shouldn't matter that I have the "Show Hidden Files" checkbox checked, since I don't think Linux would regard the airo.ko file as a hidden file.

I ran the cp command, and Linux warned me

Code:

cp: overwrite `/lib/modules/2.6.32.9-70.fc12.i686.PAE/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/airo.ko'?

What the heck? The file isn't there, so why is Linux asking me if I wish to overwrite?

The only files in that directory are:

Code:

cfg80211.ko
lib80211.ko
lib80211_crypt_ccmp.ko
lib80211_crypt_tkip.ko
lib80211_crypt_wep.ko

In a last ditch effort to dot all my "I"s and cross my "T"s, I reran all the commands to install the new airo driver, along with the corrections and given outputs:

Code:

[root@BorisTheSpider airo-wpa]# modprobe -r airo
WARNING: Deprecated config file /etc/modprobe.conf, all config files belong into /etc/modprobe.d/.
[root@BorisTheSpider airo-wpa]# cp -b airo.ko /lib/modules/2.6.32.9-67.fc12.i686.PAE/kernel/drivers/net/wireless
cp: overwrite `/lib/modules/2.6.32.9-67.fc12.i686.PAE/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/airo.ko'? y
[root@BorisTheSpider airo-wpa]# depmod
[root@BorisTheSpider airo-wpa]# modprobe airo wpa_enabled=1
WARNING: Deprecated config file /etc/modprobe.conf, all config files belong into /etc/modprobe.d/.
WARNING: Deprecated config file /etc/modprobe.conf, all config files belong into /etc/modprobe.d/.
FATAL: Module wpa_enabled not found.
FATAL: Error running install command for airo

I remember that there were some wpa_supplicant files that came with the new driver package. I don't mean to seem daft, but do these files have to be like 'modprobed' in to work for me?

PTrenholme · 03-17-2010, 02:48 PM

Now that's strange. The modprobe command seems to have tried to load a module named wpa_enabled=1 instead of the airo driver reading that as a parameter.

Go to the directory where you created the airo.ko file and run this command: strings airo.ko | grep wpa_enabled. You should get this:

Code:

$ strings airo.ko | grep wpa_enabled
wpa_enabled
parm=wpa_enabled:If non-zero, the driver can use WPA but Open and WEP mode won't be possible
parmtype=wpa_enabled:int

If that looks correct, do a locate airo.ko to see where the airo.ko file(s) are found in your system. (You may need to do a sudo updatedb [which can take a while to run] before locate will work for you.) On my system, I get this:

Code:

$ locate airo.ko
/home/Peter/tmp/airo-wpa/.airo.ko.cmd
/home/Peter/tmp/airo-wpa/airo.ko
/lib/modules/2.6.32.8-58.fc12.x86_64/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/airo.ko
/lib/modules/2.6.32.9-67.fc12.x86_64/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/airo.ko
/lib/modules/2.6.32.9-70.fc12.x86_64/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/airo.ko

(Note that the airo.ko files in /lib/modules/... are system installed older version, and - in your case - they must be replaced by the airo.ko file you created before WPA will work.)

Oh, you should note the wpa_enabled parameter description:

Code:

MODULE_PARM_DESC(wpa_enabled, "If non-zero, the driver can use WPA \
but Open and WEP mode won't be possible");

I think that this may be a mistake on the developer's part, since WPA can be configured (in the wpa_supplicant.conf file) to look for open or WEP protected access points. (But, of course, I'm not sure, and the airo driver may not use wap_supplicant. [In fact, I just checked, and the airo driver does not appear to use the wpa_supplicant.])

Anyhow, after you've verified that the version with the wpa_enabled parameter is in the correct directory, run the modprobe -r airo, depmod, modprobe airo wpa_enabled=1 sequence of commands again. Let us know what happened.

Note that you will need to re-build the driver - and remove the older driver installed with the kernel - for any new kernel version you install.

BorisTheSpider · 03-19-2010, 08:40 PM

Dear PTrenholme,

Something terrible has happened, but first; a bit of history.

I'm not usually quite this thick-headed, but I bought yet another motherboard from ebay. This is my third attempt to get a working m-board from ebay, and this last one didn't work either.

On each occasion, I was able to reinstall my original board and continue my work, except for this time. Now my original board does not work either.

I bought a Lenovo T61p from someone nearby through craigslist. I'm on it now writing to you.

All this means that the project I was so desperate to see through to the end is now halted by a non-functioning m-board.

Please accept my thanks to you for all your help. I really think that we were close to a solution. It may still be possible that someone who has this card may benefit from our research.

Thank you,

BorisTheSpider

tenwiseman · 06-26-2010, 05:26 PM

Hi,

I've been following this thread trying to compile this WPA driver, and - good news - I've been successful!

For some reason, I'm not able to post URLs to this board, but googling the following should find the post on several other boards.

"Cisco Aironet 350 with airo-wpa driver and Network Manager"

cheers