Wpa_supplicant mystery

[Bill Davidsen]

Dennis Gilmore wrote:
> On Saturday 10 May 2008, Adalbert Prokop wrote:
>> Timothy Murphy wrote on Saturday 10 May 2008:
>>
>> Hello!
>>
>>>>> If in fact wpa_supplicant is a necessary part of NetworkManager
>>>>> even if one is not using WPA,
>>>>> would it not make more sense to change its name?
>>>> NetworkManager uses wpa_supplicant to do network security this way it
>>>> doesnt
>>>> need to reinvent the wheel.  it is the same on all distros.
>>> What is the same on all distros?
>>> Wpa_supplicant? NetworkManager?
>>> NetworkManager using wpa_supplicant?
>>>
>>> If in fact a program called wpa_supplicant is run
>>> in order to establish WiFi security
>>> even if WPA is not being used,
>> wpa_supplicant can also setup WEP encryption, static or based on RADIUS
>> authentication. AFAIK NetworkManager uses wpa_supplicant as the only
>> backend to WiFi security. It surely has its advantages, because this way
>> you have only to deal with *one* helper problem.
>>
>> I don't know if NM needs wpa_supplicant on unencrypted connections.
>>
>> Besides, NM is OK if you have rather simple network environment, e.g. only
>> one WLAN card and one LAN card, you use only static WPA or WEP keys, you
>> have a DHCP server, and so on, and so on...
>>
>> Each time the setup is more complex (no LAN DHCP, two WLAN cards or WPA +
>> PEAP/MSCHAPv2) my experience tells me that it simply can't do it. (V0.6.7
>> on Ubuntu.) The non-existent documentation does not help either.
> 
> That NM is ancient,  Fedora-8's and 9's are much more flexible,  they support 
> multiple devices.  including mobile broadband devices,  many more security 
> options.
> 
Documentation? NM has been around since FC6, and people seem to keep 
saying that the documentation is being worked on. At least on FC9beta it 
really didn't work, ignored the hardwire, and brought the WiFi up on a 
random open AP. I live between an apartment building and a college, 
there are enough open APs available to choose.

-- 
Bill Davidsen <davidsen at tmr.com>
   "We have more to fear from the bungling of the incompetent than from
the machinations of the wicked."  - from Slashdot