[pkg-wpa-devel] Bug#474579: wpasupplicant: wpa interface extensions incompatible with wireless-tools interface extensions

[Chadinater]

Subject: wpasupplicant: wpa interface extensions incompatible with wireless-tools interface extensions
Package: wpasupplicant
Version: 0.6.3-1
Severity: normal

Many upgrades ago, I discovered that calling wpa_supplicant either
manually or using the wpa-* extensions in an /etc/network/interfaces
stanza fails to connect my madwifi card to my madwifi wpa-eap hostapd+
freeradius access point.

The problem relates to the presence of wireless_* interfaces extensions
from the wireless-tool package.  In particular, extensions that 
explicitedly identify my ap; namely, wireless_channel, wireless_essid
wireless_ap.  

For example, this stanza will not connect me to my ap.
iface ath0 inet dhcp
   wireless_mode Managed
   wireless_channel 1
   wireless_essid home_wpa
   wireless_ap 0d:0f:cb:b1:bd:eb
   wpa-driver madwifi
   wpa_conf /etc/wpa_wpasupplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf

If I disable all wireless-* lines, I can connect.

Additionally, this stanza and process works...
iface ath0 inet dhcp
   wireless_mode Managed
   wireless_ap any

If I issue the following commands, in this order, I can
get the connection.
1) ifup ath0
2) iwconfig ath0 ap 0d:0f:cb:b1:bd:eb ap home_wpa
3) /sbin/wpa_supplicant -D madwifi -i ath0 -c
/etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant

So wpa_supplicant and wireless tools (iwconfig, etc) are
compatible outside of interface stanza, but not in a stanza.
Why would they be mutually exclusively inside a stanza, but
not outside.

Debian's wpa_supplicant's documentation does not mention 
this incompatiblity, although it seems to be implied.  Maybe
the documentation should make it more explicit?  Or maybe
wireless-* extensions and wpa-* extensions should get along
because the intention of both is to identify and connect to
an access point?


-- System Information:
Debian Release: lenny/sid
  APT prefers unstable
  APT policy: (500, 'unstable')
Architecture: i386 (i686)

Kernel: Linux 2.6.23.1custom (PREEMPT)
Locale: LANG=C, LC_CTYPE=C (charmap=ANSI_X3.4-1968)
Shell: /bin/sh linked to /bin/bash

Versions of packages wpasupplicant depends on:
ii  adduser                       3.107      add and remove users and groups
ii  libc6                         2.7-10     GNU C Library: Shared libraries
ii  libdbus-1-3                   1.1.20-1   simple interprocess messaging syst
ii  libpcsclite1                  1.4.99-2   Middleware to access a smart card 
ii  libreadline5                  5.2-3      GNU readline and history libraries
ii  libssl0.9.8                   0.9.8g-8   SSL shared libraries
ii  lsb-base                      3.2-6      Linux Standard Base 3.2 init scrip

wpasupplicant recommends no packages.

-- no debconf information




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