NetworkManager-0.7 can't make new wireless connection

[Matthew Saltzman]

On Fri, 2007-09-28 at 14:33 -0400, Matthew Saltzman wrote:
> On Fri, 2007-09-28 at 10:24 -0700, Tom London wrote:
> > On 9/28/07, Matthew Saltzman <mjs at clemson.edu> wrote:
> > > On Fri, 2007-09-28 at 06:34 -0400, Jesse Keating wrote:
> > > > On Fri, 28 Sep 2007 07:28:43 -0700
> > > > "Tom London" <selinux at gmail.com> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > Progress!
> > > > >
> > > > > This issue known?
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > The second connection attempt issue looks more like kernel iwl3945
> > > > issues.  Today's rawhide kernel may improve things.
> > >
> > > kernel-2.6.23-0.211.rc8.git2.fc8 does not solve my iwl3945 issue, which
> > > is that nm-applet pulldown menu shows all options related to wireless
> > > are grayed out.
> > >
> > > Also have NetworkManager*-0.7.0-0.3.svn2907.fc8 and
> > > wpa_supplicant-0.5.7-9.fc8.
> > >
> > Running kernel-2.6.23-0.213.rc8.git2.fc8 seems to work better for me:
> > nm-applet seems to work (except it still is initially displayed with
> > the red 'x'), I can select a WPA network and enter hex key generated
> > by wpa_passphrase, the right 'stuff' gets stored in my keyring, etc.
> 
> Got that one a few minutes ago, and it doesn't fix the issue for me.
> 
> > 
> > My Thinkpad X60 also has iwl3945, so I'm not sure what is different
> > (do your networks broadcast their SSIDs?)
> 
> No, the one I'm at now does not broadcast.
> 
> I'll take the machine home today and try with a broadcast SSID.

At home, I see my WPA-encrypted, broadcast-SSID router in the pull-down
menu.  When I select it, I get prompted for a password/passphrase with
no way to choose the encryption format.  The Connect button is grayed
out.  Entering my passphrase (or indeed, any string of any length) never
activates the connect button.

As an aside, the second time I pop up the password dialog box, it is a
tiny icon with no ability to see anything or change the size.  The only
way to restore the box to its full size is to restart nm-applet.

"Connect to other..." and "Create new..." are still grayed out.

> 
> > 
> > I can alternate between wired and wireless without issue.
> > 
> > Great progress!
> > 
> > One issue:  'Connect to other wireless network' and 'Create new
> > wireless network' menu items are grayed out.  I'm guessing that will
> > make it hard to connect to networks that don't broadcast  SSIDs.
> 
> Yes, this is exactly my issue.  The machine is unusable for me at work
> if this isn't functional.

I guess NetworkManager will work with unencrypted WAPs.  It may work
with WEP WAPs.  system-config-network works fine with WEP, but doesn't
support WPA.  Have not tried wpa_supplicant.  Does anyone know of a
step-by-step, quick-start HOWTO for wpa_supplicant?

> 
> 
> > 
> > tom
-- 
                Matthew Saltzman

Clemson University Math Sciences
mjs AT clemson DOT edu
http://www.math.clemson.edu/~mjs