Mepis OS center - i wanna make it user accessable. How might I do that?

lefty.crupps · 08-13-2005, 12:13 PM

Does anyone know how to make the MEPIS OS center run w/o needing to log in as root? I want to make it easier for friends to get in and start/stop the wireless card in the Network / Interfaces section.

Also, does that OS center run independently from the KWi-Fi Manager? I have had times when one is "on" and the other isn't, but it all seems to be controlled by MEPIS OS center and the KWi-Fi seems useless. Really, I'd prefer to let KWiFi handle it (if its equal in how well M/OS handles it), but...

archtoad6 · 08-15-2005, 02:15 PM

On the surface, what you want to do is a security hazard. What are the circumstances where these friends need "to get in and start/stop the wireless card"?

If it's really necessary, you may be able to write a script that uses sudo to allow this, but why?

lefty.crupps · 08-16-2005, 03:52 PM

the card goes down without warning and I have no real way to bring it up, that I know of, short of using the CLI or the M/OS center. My girlfriend does NOT have enough interest in Linux to start learning some CLI commands. So I figured the M/OS center was easier.

I know security and privacy are both big deals. But come on, not every system in the world has Lex Luthor after it.

archtoad6 · 08-17-2005, 07:45 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by archtoad6
What are the circumstances where these friends need "to get in and start/stop the wireless card"?

What I was trying to ask is if your gf is sharing the machine w/ you. If so, then write her a script & give her a desktop icon to start it. That should be even easier than teaching her the M. OS Center.

Of course we really should also be looking at why your card is going down w/o warning. Unfortunately, I know roughly 0 about wireless.

lefty.crupps · 08-18-2005, 10:06 AM

a script would be great. but I don't know squat about scripting (luckily someone posted one elsewhere that may work... but it needs to do stuff that I would assume needs root privledges, therefor she needs to enter a password every time?)

i know little about wireless too, except that I've never EVER really seen reliable wireless. Not sure if its my card (broadcom) or my router (linksys) but something always wants to die, under winblows too.

archtoad6 · 08-18-2005, 10:47 AM

1. I assume that the answer to my question about her sharing the box is "yes".

2. If you have access to a script that will do the job, point me to it & I will see about finding out how to add sudo to it to get around the root privilege problem w/o a password. (I assume you would trust her w/ the password, you just don't want to have her got through the hassle.)

2a. Alternatively, just post the actual sequence of console/terminal commands that work on your machine, & we can probably just embed them in a script.

It's probably time for me to start mastering sudo anyway.

lefty.crupps · 08-22-2005, 01:40 PM

heh. yes, we share it, and yes i trust her, its just a pain-in-the-hassle for her to enter it always. sorry about my lack of respect for your questions!

scripts are posts 2 & 3, here:
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...79#post1798679

not really sure about scripting, though, so I don't exactly know what to do with that text. I put it in a document, save it, and change the permissions to executable?

i don't know the commands that might work to restart the card or i would maybe try writing the script myself... it works upon boot, and then eventually doesn't (and then sometimes does again)

thanks archtoad6 for your help and time!

archtoad6 · 08-22-2005, 03:50 PM

So, it is reduced to 2 separate problems:[list=1][*]Make & test a script.[*]Put the script "in" a icon.[/list=1]

Let's solve #1 first, starting w/ getting a basic script to work.

Open KEdit, paste:

Code:

#!/bin/bash

# wireless_reload-1
# reloads ndiswrapper for wlan0 when needed
# based on a suggestion from shotwellj on linuxquestions.org:
# http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/
#                    showthread.php?postid=1798679#post1798679

ifconfig wlan0 down
rmmod ndiswrapper
modprobe ndiswrapper
ifconfig wlan0 up

echo ndiswrapper reloaded

& save as /usr/local/bin/wireless_reload-1.

Make it executable:

Code:

chmod 775 /usr/local/bin/wireless_reload-1

Check that it runs. I.E. Run wireless_reload-1 in terminal or in an Alt-F2 "Run Command" dialog.

If there is any trouble check your path for :/usr/local/bin:

Code:

set |grep ^P|grep ':/usr/local/bin:' && echo -e "\nPath OK"

Now wait for the next occurrence of the problem & see if the script works. We may need to try the more elaborate suggestion from post 3.

Once we know you have a working script, we will tackle making an icon to run it with.