[pkg-wpa-devel] Bug#513194: wpasupplicant: Please document wpa-* interface

[Erik Saule]

Package: wpasupplicant
Version: 0.6.10-2.1
Severity: normal


The wpa-* interface are still not documented in squeeze. I spent weeks
trying to provide a good configuration using wpa_supplicant manually
when I found by mistake the information online.

The existence of wpa-* interface are mentionned NOWHERE where we might
find some relevant information, despite I looked in many places:
ifconfig(8), ifup(8), interfaces(5), wpa_supplicant(8),
wpa_supplicant.conf(5) (which only provide exemples and no actuall
manual) or wireless(7).

The only place where we might find some information is in
wireless(8). I quote: "In Debian 3.0 (and later) you can configure
wireless LAN networking devices using the network configuration tool
ifupdown(8)."

However, there is no such thing as ifupdown(8) according to a search
in all stable packages [1]. The only place where we find some exemple
(and no actual documentation) is wpa_action(8), which is referenced
nowhere. How are we supposed to find this very useful feature of
wpa_supplicant?

I would suggest to have a fully featured documentation for
wpa_supplicant. At least, I believe wpa_supplicant man page should
explain it can be used transparently by /etc/network/interfaces and
point to wpa_action.

I can even write it if you do not have time to (but I am not so
knowledgeable about it).

[1] http://packages.debian.org/search?searchon=contents&keywords=ifupdown&mode=filename&suite=stable&arch=any

-- System Information:
Debian Release: 6.0.1
  APT prefers stable
  APT policy: (500, 'stable')
Architecture: amd64 (x86_64)

Kernel: Linux 2.6.32-5-amd64 (SMP w/2 CPU cores)
Locale: LANG=en_US.UTF-8, LC_CTYPE=en_US.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8)
Shell: /bin/sh linked to /bin/dash

Versions of packages wpasupplicant depends on:
ii  adduser                 3.112+nmu2       add and remove users and groups
ii  libc6                   2.11.2-10        Embedded GNU C Library: Shared lib
ii  libdbus-1-3             1.2.24-4         simple interprocess messaging syst
ii  libnl1                  1.1-6            library for dealing with netlink s
ii  libpcsclite1            1.5.5-4          Middleware to access a smart card 
ii  libreadline6            6.1-3            GNU readline and history libraries
ii  libssl0.9.8             0.9.8o-4squeeze1 SSL shared libraries
ii  lsb-base                3.2-23.2squeeze1 Linux Standard Base 3.2 init scrip

wpasupplicant recommends no packages.

Versions of packages wpasupplicant suggests:
pn  libengine-pkcs11-openssl      <none>     (no description available)
ii  wpagui                        0.6.10-2.1 graphical user interface for wpa_s

-- no debconf information