[pkg-wpa-devel] Question regarding the new config scheme

[Felix Homann]

On Friday 14 April 2006 17:54, Reinhard Tartler wrote:
> I think the init script itself does not get you anything. People that
> are complaining that it has gone are rather complaining that their
> setups which involve ifplugd (with or without guessnet) won't work with
> wpasupplicant controlled by ifupdown, and I havn't read any other
> argument so far.

No, that's not my intention. I really don't care much if or where an init 
script is packaged or if my setup can be rebuild within the new scheme. I 
just don't see any reason to break working setups on upgrade. The only reason 
I've heard so far is not to confuse new users. I don't think that's 
justification enough. (I'd *really* like to know if there are other reasons!)

A temporary solution for the upgrade problem would be very simple: Leave the 
script there until a better way for upgrades has been found.

The other issue I have with the new package is that the documentation somehow 
gives the impression that the new scheme is capable of doing what could be 
done with an init script setup. It is not and you know. 

This may be fixed in the documentation by clearly stating what can be done 
within the new scheme and what not.

> The init script was part of a solution, which doesn't belong
> to the 'core' package itself anyhow (imo).

That's right. While the script made life easier for people like me it indeed 
didn't belong there in the first place. Albeit, the new scheme is even more 
apart from what's delivered from upstream. 

> Let's do it properly, and create a new binary package which uses
> wpasupplicant as controlling daemon. It should communicate with the user
> via debconf, and ask him if and which interface he wants do have
> managed. It should also enable ifplugd [1] semi-automatically. It would
> be really great if it could also enable the user to create /e/n/i
> stanzas suitable for guessnet integration, I'd prefer it to be
> debconf-driven. This should really warrant a binary package of it's own,
> if not perhaps a small new debian native package.

Sure, something like that would be great. But it sounds a little to complex to 
implement in the near future, don't you think. As an intermediate step 
documentation on how to setup a wpa_supplicant/ifplugd/guessnet system should 
be added to wpasupplicant. (I might help in that, see below.)

> I think this would be really way more useful than the half hearted init
> script

After all, the init script does nothing more or less than simply starting 
wpa_supplicant as a daemon. That's what wpa_supplicant is designed to be (see 
the manpage). What's half hearted there?

> Felix and Joerg have been complaining again and again this week. 
> Perhaps one of the 2 is willing to step in and help crafting such a
> package? Perhaps at least the package description?

I'd gladly step in if we can agree on one point: Don't break working setups on 
upgrade unless it is *really, really* necessary!

At the moment I can't see you agree on that.

Kind regards,

Felix