[pkg-wpa-devel] Bug#610931: Bug#610931: Please build wpasupplicant-udeb

[Stefan Lippers-Hollmann]

Hi

Just a few quick comments, before I look at it in depth.

On Monday 24 January 2011, Matthew Palmer wrote:
> Package: src:wpasupplicant
> Version: 0.6.10-2.1
> Severity: wishlist
> Tags: patch
> 
> It is planned that the next release of Debian Installer will include WPA

I hope this refers to the wheezy release cycle, as it doesn't appear to
be possible in a responsible way for squeeze anymore.

> support, a long overdue feature.  To make this work, however, we need a udeb
> of wpasupplicant that can be built-in to the installer to configure/use WPA.
[...]

diff -urN wpasupplicant-0.6.10.orig/debian/config/udeb wpasupplicant-0.6.10/debian/config/udeb
[...]
+CONFIG_DRIVER_WEXT=y

Given that wext is deprecated, it would imho make more sense to use
CONFIG_DRIVER_NL80211=y instead, maybe even to leave wext disabled. 
With the notable exception of ipw2100/ ipw2200, all other linux wlan
drivers weren't produced in large volumes or don't support wpa2 to
begin with; for new ones (this covers all mac80211 based ones) nl80211
support is mandatory and there are some initial efforts to add nl80211
to ipw2x00. This also avoids the need for deprecated wireless-tools in
favour of iw/ crda (which is required for ch11-14 anyways) - or being 
able to use libnl for all configuration in netcfg.

diff -urN wpasupplicant-0.6.10.orig/debian/control wpasupplicant-0.6.10/debian/control
[...]
+Architecture: linux-any

wpasupplicant is needed, and compatible with-, kFreeBSD as well, at 
this moment kFreeBSD doesn't support wlan for unrelated reasons
(ifconfig not being able to configure wlan interfaces, besides the open
firmware issues, while firmwares are required for most chipsets). So
ignoring hurd, it should be "any" or at least "linux-any kfreebsd-any".

diff -urN wpasupplicant-0.6.10.orig/debian/rules wpasupplicant-0.6.10/debian/rules
[...]
+UDEB_CFLAGS = -Wall -g -O3

-O3, not -Os?
and yes, the build targets need a little refactoring for the udeb as 
well.

Has there been any solution for the netcfg integration already, see 
<201011041811.11753.kel at otaku42.de> [1], referring to the originally 
proposed introduction of embedded source copies of wpasuppliant's 
wpa_ctrl.[hc] into netcfg. Please also keep in mind that crda/ 
wireless-regdb is required for accessing channels 11-13/14 on modern
drivers.

Kel is VAC over the next few days, we'll discuss and hope to apply this
for trunk (0.7.x/ 0.8-branch) as soon as possible.

Regards
	Stefan Lippers-Hollmann

[1]	http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel/2010/11/msg00079.html
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: application/pgp-signature
Size: 198 bytes
Desc: This is a digitally signed message part.
URL: <http://lists.alioth.debian.org/pipermail/pkg-wpa-devel/attachments/20110124/9bd172e2/attachment.pgp>