automatically set up wlan interface + ask for password @ wpa

kalsan · 2013-12-14 09:05:49

Hello everyone,
I am using NetworkManager on XFCE (login on console, then startx). I'm having 2 issues to which I cannot find an answer in the wiki(s):
- Every time I reboot the computer, I have to type sudo ip set wlo1 up and enter my password before I am able to use my wifi card. How can I let Arch do that for me even before I log in?
- When I try to connect to a new WPA2-protected network (let's call it mynet), using the notification, nothing happens. I need to start "Network connections", then there is already an entry for mynet. I need to click "edit", go to the security tab and enter the WPA2 key. Then I have to go again to the network notification, and this time, when clicking on mynet, it connects. How do I get NetworkManager to prompt a window asking me for the password whenever one is required?
Thanks in advance,
Kalsan

wolfdogg · 2013-12-15 23:06:31

whenever i have problems like this that seem to go against all logic, i normally uninstall all network config binaries that i have tried in the past, to ensure they arent conflicting, reboot of course, then revert back to the network wiki and set up whatever seems to be the latest of coolest. recently i set up netctl on my system and its working great. for wireless i use wicd, it seems to be pretty robust.

kalsan · 2013-12-18 19:27:10

Thank you wolfdogg for your reply. When I do that, will I risk to lose my internet connectivity? Because I only have wifi to connect to and it would be stupid to lock myself out of the internet (unable to reinstall the package...)
Also, when you say "network binaries", do you mean pacman -Rs dhcpd wifimenu etc?
Unfortunately, wicd is not the right solution for me because it doesn't group the wi-fis with the same name. As a result of that, I detect dozends of wireless access points at my university, and it never know to which of them it should connect (PEOP Password only saved for one unique AP).

kalsan · 2013-12-20 15:58:25

The thing is, I'm afraid to lock myself out...

Last edited by kalsan (2013-12-20 16:16:12)

kalsan · 2013-12-21 10:36:31

Oof, I did dare it and it worked. So now the problem with the interface down is resolved.
However, I still have to reconfigure password protected networks, as described in point 2 in the root post.
How can I fix that?

wolfdogg · 2014-01-03 20:26:58

well, i was going to mention that yes, your connection will go down, its best to leave all needed wiki pages open while you do this, or copy them to a doc file for reboot. glad to hear you got the first part worked out. so it looks like you chose the same network installation method, and landed back into the same boat? well, that makes sense, sorry for putting you through that, i suspected you would work your way back through the wiki choosing a better path for this. are you going the "Manual" route? if so, are you using WPA Supplicant for storing your credentials? https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/WPA_Supplicant

you are using a Desktop Environ right? if so, then using WICD you can just preselect the wireless devices you want to auto connect to, and configure them each, and set them to autoconnect. each time it sees any of the ones you have pre selected it will connect to them auto.

hope that helps.

kalsan · 2014-01-05 13:44:30

OMG... all I want is a working and easy-to-use wlan interface. But the more I'm reading my way through the pages, the more questions I get. So here's a small summary of my current situation:
-> I do have wpa_supplicant installed. However, it's set on the default configuration. Also, there's no file /var/run/wpa_supplicant even if top sees the process of running wpa_supplicant. wpa_cli and wpa_gui do not work.
-> I have no idea what you mean with "Manual" route. I did what you described above: system disable [network services I knew of], then uninstall them all, and finally reinstall just networkmanager.
-> Sounds dumb: I have no clue where my network credentials are stored. I enter them into networkmanager's "edit connections" window.
-> Currently I don't have netctl installed.
-> As described in post #3, I want to avoid WICD.
-> You're right, I'm using XFCE.
-> Current problems with networkmanager: "Forgets" PPPoE passwords, and does not ask for any new or "forgotten" password, meaning that I have to go to the networkmanager's "edit connections" window to enter them.
-> Current problem with wpa_supplicant: There is no /var/run/wpa_supplicant and therefore cli and gui don't work.
So do I need wpa_supplicant to run networkmanager? Or should I perhaps uninstall either of them and use the other one?
Cheers,
Kalsan

Last edited by kalsan (2014-01-05 13:58:59)

Trilby · 2014-01-05 14:51:42

kalsan wrote:

-> I have no idea what you mean with "Manual" route. I did what you described above: system disable [network services I knew of], then uninstall them all, and finally reinstall just networkmanager.

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Wi … nual_setup

I encourage everyone who uses wireless to become familiar with these steps. The points you list are the very reason I don't use any of the major network services. They are ridiculously complex to allow for any sort of set up. But if you have a simple set up they just make it way too complex and they make it harder for you to know what is actually happening.

For a while I used a simple bash script to do handle my wifi. Now I've rewritten it in C. It's all automatic, it does exactly what I want, and I know exactly what it is doing. I'm not suggesting you use my tool: it's mine. You should learn about your own system by following the wiki section linked above.

kalsan · 2014-01-05 19:36:43

Thanks Trilby for your reply. Manual setup is a great way to get things running if there's trouble with the managers. I'll use it as a powerful fallback method and I'll definitively learn to use it so that I have a "plan B".
However, in my current situation, I also need a solution on this laptop that makes it possible to connect to new networks with 2 clicks and a password prompt. It's a long story why I need it that way, but please assume it to be a fact, there are good reasons and not just lazyness. Due to that situation, I am forced to make networkmanager work the way it does on other systems (like on Ubuntu or Fedora).
Anyway, your tip was very helpful for my personal knowledge. Now, I need to get poor networkmanager to work smoothly.

kalsan · 2014-01-14 12:04:34

Update: I installed gnome-keyring an now it asks for the password every time.

Arch Linux

#1 2013-12-14 09:05:49

automatically set up wlan interface + ask for password @ wpa

#2 2013-12-15 23:06:31

Re: automatically set up wlan interface + ask for password @ wpa

#3 2013-12-18 19:27:10

Re: automatically set up wlan interface + ask for password @ wpa

#4 2013-12-20 15:58:25

Re: automatically set up wlan interface + ask for password @ wpa

#5 2013-12-21 10:36:31

Re: automatically set up wlan interface + ask for password @ wpa

#6 2014-01-03 20:26:58

Re: automatically set up wlan interface + ask for password @ wpa

#7 2014-01-05 13:44:30

Re: automatically set up wlan interface + ask for password @ wpa

#8 2014-01-05 14:51:42

Re: automatically set up wlan interface + ask for password @ wpa

#9 2014-01-05 19:36:43

Re: automatically set up wlan interface + ask for password @ wpa

#10 2014-01-14 12:04:34

Re: automatically set up wlan interface + ask for password @ wpa

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