[solved] setting up wifi after minimal install of Sid

[Member stevesr0]

Hi, last year I did a minimal install of Sid. Originally, I used it as a CLI only install, connecting to the internet by ethernet. A few months ago, I added a “minimal” GUI based on Openbox.
Worked fine.

Last week, I decided to add wifi.

I haven’t yet been able to get it connecting. I think I am missing a package (or several…) that are required. My basic install does not include the antix control centre.

I installed ceni and today was able to get to a point where I think my network wifi password was accepted by wpa_supplicant. However, I haven’t been able to ping other computers on the network or to connect to internet sites.

Reviewing some of the threads here, I noticed mention of resolvconf and resolv.conf. Apparently, if ceni is installed and working, it uses a resolv.conf file located in the /etc/resolvconf/run/ directory (and works thru the addition of a symbolic link from that file to /etc/resolv.conf).

I suspect that at least I need to install a resolvconf package.

I have two questions:

(1) There are two resolvconf packages in the repository (resolvconf and openresolv). Is one recommended over the other for users of Antix?

(2) Is there a reference that describes all the essential packages required by wifi networking, that I look at?

Thanks.

stevesr0

• This topic was modified 1 year, 11 months ago by christophe. Reason: marked solved by poster's request

[Member Xecure]

Helpful

Up

0

::

stevesr0 wrote:

Hi, last year I did a minimal install of Sid

Which version, net or core?
If net, you need to install the firmwares for the wireless device, ceni, resolvconf (that package name), enable the resolvconf service and reboot.
If core, it should work out of the box.

antiX Live system enthusiast.
General Live Boot Parameters for antiX.

[Member stevesr0]

Helpful

Up

0

::

(Update to initial reply: After installing resolvconf, no cure. Comparing what I have in my two other laptops, the “afflicted” one doesn’t have a /run subdirectory in /etc. I have to scrutinize the differences to try to see what might fix it.)

Hi Xecure,

Thanks for reply. Neither resolvconf nor ceni were installed so I am pretty sure it was indeed a net install.

I saw that I was missing resolvconf and was going to install it when aptitude showed me openresolv. I checked and that program has been around since at least 2010.

Since both are offered in the repositories, I wondered whether there was an advantage of one over the other.

Lacking any responses I will go with the resolvconf package.

From what you (didn’t) say, I assume that I don’t have to configure the resolv.conf file manually; just install and reboot and start the service and it will generate a basic resolv.conf file?

I WILL have to set up a symbolic link from the newly generated /etc/resolvconf/run/resolv.conf file to /etc/resolv.conf (as mentioned in a number of threads about ceni or connman), yes?

My second question about whether there may be other packages I need, I will defer until I complete the steps you mentioned.

Thanks.

stevesr0

But, apparently, I have

• This reply was modified 1 year, 11 months ago by stevesr0.

[Member stevesr0]

Helpful

Up

0

::

Am posting this from the “afflicted” laptop running Sid, using WIFI!

What I had to do was add a nameserver to the /etc/resolv.conf.d/base file (which modified my resolv.conf files), and (IIRC) allow-hotplug wlan1 and iface wlan1 inet dhcp to /etc/network/interfaces.

I assume the messed up configuration was (at least in part) due to my failure to have resolvconf installed when I started to setup wifi.

So, this is solved WITH THE FOLLOWING CAVEATS:

a) I can’t use my internal wireless/bluetooth card (Intel 4965) because of a stream of error messages which interfere. I am going to post a separate thread about this.

b) The wifi USB dongle I am using seems to connect automagically after booting, after a delay. When I try to use ceni to launch the wifi, it just asks what I want to configure and doesn’t seem to “want” to just scan and select a network to connect to…Not clear if this is because this dongle is already configured and is in process of connecting?

Thanks for comments.

stevesr0

(P.S. I don’t see a way to mark this [SOLVED] – can a moderator do this, please?)

[Author]

Posts