2.6.22: new wireless stack ramifications

somedrew · 2007-07-07 07:33:37

Allo,
Just wondering what may be in store for wireless drivers with the new stack in 2.6.22.... I've read that a lot of the current drivers won't work with it, but that they should be ported over soon.
Specifically, I'm currently using the ipw3945 driver. Does this mean I'll need to switch to the iwlwifi drivers if I make the move to 2.6.22 (iwlwifi seems to be supported in the new stack, but hasn't made it into mainline AFAIK for .22)?

baze · 2007-07-07 08:39:58

the ipw3945 driver works fine with 2.6.22. it just doesn't use the new mac80211 subsystem. the iwlwifi driver is still pretty buggy and i wouldn't use it in everyday use yet. i tried it several times and i keep on testing every new release, but sometimes the wlan device just dies and can't be resurrected by unloading and reloading the module, the led on my thinkpad doesn't work yet with iwlwifi and such things.

just keep on using the ipw3945 for now. you don't have to switch drivers if you don't want to.

somedrew · 2007-07-09 06:50:37

thanks for info!

tyr0 · 2007-07-09 07:31:43

2.6.22 was released last night and the same fear came into my mind. I am using the rt2570 driver from serialmonkey. They hardly improve this driver and I am apprehensive of switching to the rt2x00 driver. Do you think rt2570 will be compatible to the new wireless stack?

chicha · 2007-07-09 08:45:51

Hello all

I have the same fear as you guys.
Refering to this article : Linux Kernel Newbies its seems that the new stack is backward compatible with the old one :

The new interface uses a netlink-based interface, suited for the needs of desktop-based configuration interfaces, but retaining at the same time userspace compatibility with the old interface.

Am I wrong ?
Is there any kernel specialist who could give more info ?

Cheers,
Chicha.

brain0 · 2007-07-09 09:35:20

tyr0 wrote:

2.6.22 was released last night and the same fear came into my mind. I am using the rt2570 driver from serialmonkey. They hardly improve this driver and I am apprehensive of switching to the rt2x00 driver. Do you think rt2570 will be compatible to the new wireless stack?

The rt2570 driver has nothing to do with the new stack at all. Other than that, it is a piece of crap, like all the legacy ralink drivers.

2.6.22 brings us the advantage that rt2x00 works again on our kernel. I am using rt2500pci and it works okay so far. You should try the new driver as well, it will be updated again along with the 2.6.22 update.

somedrew · 2007-07-10 03:55:30

Just a small note:
I compiled 2.6.22 with both the new and old stacks as modules and couldn't get my ipw3945 working. Removing the new stack from my config solved the problem. By the time .23 hits, hopefully most people will be able to take advantages of the new stack after the drivers have been ported for most cards.

brain0 · 2007-07-10 07:56:42

ipw3945 works with our latest kernel26 package from testing. No idea what you did wrong.

somedrew · 2007-07-10 12:43:25

brain0 wrote:

ipw3945 works with our latest kernel26 package from testing. No idea what you did wrong.

I'll check out the .config to see what was different. Thanks.

.:B:. · 2007-07-10 15:42:13

chicha wrote:

Hello all
I have the same fear as you guys.
Refering to this article : Linux Kernel Newbies its seems that the new stack is backward compatible with the old one :
The new interface uses a netlink-based interface, suited for the needs of desktop-based configuration interfaces, but retaining at the same time userspace compatibility with the old interface.
Am I wrong ?
Is there any kernel specialist who could give more info ?
Cheers,
Chicha.

No, this does not mean the stack is compatible. If it was backward compatible, how would you be able to use a new API, and why would you need to rewrite drivers?

Mutually exclusive.

mcover · 2007-07-13 07:21:42

New Wireless Stack is great news, but what does that mean for the end-user?

I mean, the way I configure my wireless is still the same? (iwconfig etc) - what about wpa? wpa_supplicant still needed?

Thanks.

brain0 · 2007-07-13 07:32:24

mcover wrote:

New Wireless Stack is great news, but what does that mean for the end-user?

More full-featured drivers soon, less pseudo-drivers which only support a subset of the wireless features needed.

I mean, the way I configure my wireless is still the same? (iwconfig etc)

Right now, yes. There is however a new wireless configuration interface which could allow the wireless-tools authors to improve iwconfig and such considerably.

- what about wpa? wpa_supplicant still needed?

Of course. Implementing all WPA features in the driver/stack is stupid, it is way too complicated to be executed in kernel-space. Ralink has done that for their drivers, with the result that the drivers are big/bloated and only WPA-PSK mode is supported (no WPA2, no EAP), which makes their drivers useless for many people.

Arch Linux

#1 2007-07-07 07:33:37

2.6.22: new wireless stack ramifications

#2 2007-07-07 08:39:58

Re: 2.6.22: new wireless stack ramifications

#3 2007-07-09 06:50:37

Re: 2.6.22: new wireless stack ramifications

#4 2007-07-09 07:31:43

Re: 2.6.22: new wireless stack ramifications

#5 2007-07-09 08:45:51

Re: 2.6.22: new wireless stack ramifications

#6 2007-07-09 09:35:20

Re: 2.6.22: new wireless stack ramifications

#7 2007-07-10 03:55:30

Re: 2.6.22: new wireless stack ramifications

#8 2007-07-10 07:56:42

Re: 2.6.22: new wireless stack ramifications

#9 2007-07-10 12:43:25

Re: 2.6.22: new wireless stack ramifications

#10 2007-07-10 15:42:13

Re: 2.6.22: new wireless stack ramifications

#11 2007-07-13 07:21:42

Re: 2.6.22: new wireless stack ramifications

#12 2007-07-13 07:32:24

Re: 2.6.22: new wireless stack ramifications

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