PeasyWiFi - a reliable WiFi connection manager

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gcmartin

#41 Post by gcmartin »

Hello @Rcrsn51

Questions
  • Have you brought this new facility to the attention of those on the Slacko thread as they progress thru the development phases?
  • Are you a member at WOOFCE for GIT?
Your effort, here, on this seems to offer advantages in w/l use and problem discovery.

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rcrsn51
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#42 Post by rcrsn51 »

Have you tested it yourself yet? A report would be nice.

Also, I have absolutely no idea what "w/l use and problem discovery." means.

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rcrsn51
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#43 Post by rcrsn51 »

Update: PeasyWiFi (hereafter known as PWF) v2.0 has two additions.

1. You can now, at your peril, use Auto with Encrypt. See the discussion here.

2. If you have an unsupported WiFi adapter, you probably need to do some kernel modprobing/blacklisting. If you don't want to bother using the Puppy BootManager, you can insert the commands directly into PWF. Go to /usr/local/peasywifi and open peasywifi in a text editor. At Line 5, add the required commands. For example, this would be a convenient place to invoke

Code: Select all

modprobe ndiswrapper

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greengeek
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#44 Post by greengeek »

Just used PWF 2.0 on an old version of Turbopup and it was successful at connecting. Didn't really expect this as it is a very old pup, so I'm pleased that it worked.

The only issue I had was that during the installation the installer said that peasywifi_tray was missing a dependency - libgio-2.0.so.0 which has the effect that nothing appears in the tray. No biggie - PWF is available through the menu and works fine.

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rcrsn51
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#45 Post by rcrsn51 »

Excellent. The tray tool was compiled in Wary 5.3, so it is backwards compatible a fair distance. You could also drag /usr/share/applications/peasywifi onto the desktop. That would be easier than launching it through the menu.

I am hoping that v2.1 will be FINAL for a while. There really isn't anything else to add or fix.

I am still trying to figure out the best way to kill off Frisbee. What at PITA.

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greengeek
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#46 Post by greengeek »

rcrsn51 wrote:I am still trying to figure out the best way to kill off Frisbee. What at PITA.
I suppose it will depend on how Frisbee got to be there in the first place. In my Slacko 5.3 installation it was not originally there and I added it as a .pet, so I was lucky enough to be able use the PPM to delete Frisbee.

Different story with other puppies where Frisbee is already grafted in. I do remember reading that in such instances you can sometimes install the same program from PPM (even though it is a part of the main puppy sfs) and then uninstall it and the original files disappear. I guess that might work sometimes...

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rcrsn51
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#47 Post by rcrsn51 »

I am going to upload another v2.1 package that contains a second, larger, icon. It will be more appropriate for running PWF off the desktop instead of the tray.

LateAdopter
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#48 Post by LateAdopter »

hello rcrsn51
I am still trying to figure out the best way to kill off Frisbee. What at PITA.
When I want to stop something running at startup, I just remove the execute permissions. That way I can always reenable it easily.

The only puppy, I have with frisbee running, is emsee saucy. I took away the execute permissions from /etc/init.d/frisbee, which is the script that runs frisbee at startup. Then it doesn't run.

I haven't tested PeasyWiFi because my PC is only 2" from the router connected by wire!

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rcrsn51
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#49 Post by rcrsn51 »

LateAdopter wrote:The only puppy, I have with frisbee running, is emsee saucy. I took away the execute permissions from /etc/init.d/frisbee, which is the script that runs frisbee at startup. Then it doesn't run.
Thanks. The one that is giving me trouble is PhatSlacko which has integrated Frisbee. Even your suggestion wasn't good enough. I eventually killed it, but now I don't know how I did it!

[Edit] See the new instructions on Page 1.

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rcrsn51
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#50 Post by rcrsn51 »

rcrsn51 wrote:I am going to upload another v2.1 package that contains a second, larger, icon. It will be more appropriate for running PWF off the desktop instead of the tray.
Done. This will be more convenient for users with small displays or poor eyesight, or for old Puppies where the tray icon does not work.

Drag /usr/share/applications/peasywifi onto the desktop.

Use Right-click > Edit Item to change the title.

gcmartin

#51 Post by gcmartin »

Hello @Rcrsn51

This is a nice dialogue package you offer. And, I can see good use, especially when there is a connection issue to address; setting w/l password, for example. In review of this, the only other idea that comes to mind is what you share, as follows:
rcrsn51 wrote:... you can insert the commands directly into PWF. Go to /usr/local/peasywifi and open peasywifi in a text editor. At Line 5, add the required commands. For example, this would be a convenient place to invoke ...
Might this be a tab option; or a sub-dialogue or button option for those problematic LAN adapters?

Since,we know so many members come from backgrounds of other distros/OSes, might the help button on 1st tab, ALSO be a button on all tabs for important information?

And, since this is a Puppy exclusive, would "PuppyWireless" or "PeasyWireless" or "PWireless" or "PWireMgr" be a more exemplary name for your offering?

Just some thoughts. If you find merit, run

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rcrsn51
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#52 Post by rcrsn51 »

I'm still waiting for a test report. Until you submit one, you have no right to be making suggestions. I would think that an IT professional like yourself would understand that concept.

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greengeek
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#53 Post by greengeek »

v 2.1 just tested on previously mentioned early Turbopup works fine. I like the "restart PWF" reminder that pops up when you click "config" - didn't notice that in prior versions.

The icon is ideal for the desktop.

Very good. Fait accompli.

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rcrsn51
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#54 Post by rcrsn51 »

greengeek wrote: Fait accompli.
My feeling too. Other than testing it in some different public WiFi spots, I can't think of anything else to add or change.

I appreciate the contributions of you, Marv and pfazer. And the twenty unknown community members who have faithfully downloaded each version. I would like to think that it has worked OK for them too.

FWIW, see the comment here. WiFi connection should not be so complicated that it breaks after a Puppy version change. And all three developers of the standard connection tools are long-gone.

Bill

gcmartin

#55 Post by gcmartin »

I'm still waiting for a test report.
No need for a report when findings are same as others already report. Could add a personal touch, though. :?

I continue to provide a report/posts, as I have in past, when something new (problems or issues) is found, or observation for author consideration :idea: .

Here to help

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rerwin
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#56 Post by rerwin »

rcrsn51 wrote:And all three developers of the standard connection tools are long-gone
Assuming you are including Jemimah as one of those developers, although she appears to be inactive, I consider myself responsible for frisbee beginning with the integrated version 1.0.

As part of the integration, I provide away to disable frisbee nondestructively. You may note that other network managers accessed via the connect wizard have no interference from frisbee. That is because the wizard issues the command:
frisbee_mode_disable
whenever the other network managers are started.

I have sent Bill a PM with suggestions for automating the disabling. Until he responds to that idea, anyone can stop frisbee's interference by simply issuing that command from a console. Frisbee will then stay disabled until the user uses it again, after which that command is needed before starting peasywifi again.
Richard

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rcrsn51
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#57 Post by rcrsn51 »

PWF v2.2 lets you install the Windows driver for your adapter using ndiswrapper.

[Edit] Note the change in v2.3. It now requests the xxx.inf file instead of the folder containing it.
Last edited by rcrsn51 on Fri 18 Jul 2014, 09:46, edited 1 time in total.

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#58 Post by rcrsn51 »

PWF v2.3 posted above.

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#59 Post by rcrsn51 »

PWF v2.4 is posted on the main page. It has added support for enterprise networks like eduroam.

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rcrsn51
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#60 Post by rcrsn51 »

There was a request for better PWF documentation. What follows is a step-by-step recipe along with some trouble-shooting suggestions. But first read the Updates on Page 1.

1. Launch PWF from its tray icon or from the Network menu.
a. Click Help and read the basic instructions.
b. PWF handles both WiFi and wired Ethernet connections. If your problem is with Ethernet, go here.

2. Click the I/F button.
a. If there is NO interface listed, Puppy does not have a working driver for your WiFi adapter. As a test, run

Code: Select all

lspci -nnk
dmesg | grep -i firmware
b. If the interface is wlan0, go to Step 4.
c. If the interface is something else, like eth1, continue to Step 3.

3. Click Config. This opens your PWF configuration file in a text editor.
a. Change the INTERFACE value to match your own.
b. Save the file.
c. Click Restart. This loads the new configuration.

4. Click Status.
a. Verify that a kernel module has been loaded.
b. Check for any RFkill blocking. If needed, run the command: rfkill unblock wifi
c. If your adapter is still blocked, locate the physical switch or key combination on your computer that enables WiFi.

5. PWF has two Scan buttons - on the Connect page and on the Profile page.
a. The first Scan button is for open networks like a library or coffee shop. No password is required to connect.
b. The second button is for protected networks like your home router. More setup is required. Continue to Step 6.

6. Open the Profile tab and click Scan.
a. If some access points are identified, your adapter is working. Go to Step 7.
b. If nothing is located after several tries, see the test in Step 2.

7. Create a profile for your home network. A profile is just a small text file that describes a WiFi connection.
a. Give the profile a descriptive name, like MyHomeNetwork
b. Enter the SSID as it was listed in the Scan output.
c. Enter the secret connection Passphrase for your WiFi router.
d. Select your router's security protocol. It will probably be WPA or WPA2. If you don't know, check using the Details button after a scan.
e. Click Make to create a profile. Use the Check button to see your collection of profiles.
f. Continue to Step 8.

Note: If your passphrase contains certain special characters like $ / \, PWF will fail to build the profile correctly. The easiest solution is to click Check, open the profile in a text editor and manually fix the "psk" line.

Update: PWF v3.8 has a new "scan_ssid" checkbox in the Profiles section. PWF profiles contain the standard line "scan_ssid=1". But a very few WiFi routers may want "scan_ssid=0" instead. By UNchecking this box, PWF will build the alternate version. Also, you may find that the "=0" setting is slightly faster to connect in general.

8. Restart PWF.
a. On the main Connect screen, pull down the Profiles list and select your network.
b. Click Connect. PWF will take about 20 seconds to connect. You should see a green Connected message.
c. Click Status and verify that you have received an IP address. Click Info for more detailed information.
d. Click Quit. Launch your web browser.

9. If you get a Connection Failed message, try these steps:
a. Click Disconnect and Connect again. Use the Abort button if necessary.
b. If it takes several tries to eventually get a connection, open the Config and increase the TRIES value.

10. If you still cannot connect, try the following:
a. Click Check and check the data in your profile. Have you set the passphrase and WPA/WPA2/WEP correctly?
b. Is your router out of range? Is there a different driver for your WiFi adapter that might work better?
c. Is some other connection manager running in the background? These are known to interfere with PWF.

11. Under rare conditions, you may get connected and receive an IP address, but your browser cannot find anything.
a. Type the command: ping 8.8.8.8
b. If you get a reply, you have a working connection to the Internet.
c. Go to the /etc folder and open the file resolv.conf.
d. Does it have a "nameserver" entry? If not, enter the line: nameserver 8.8.8.8
e. Save the file. Disconnect and reconnect.

12. Public WiFi sites often want to redirect your Internet traffic through their own servers. See the hint under Help concerning your browser's home page.

13. Some public WiFi sites are password-protected, but regularly change their passphrase. If you create a profile with the PSK value "always-ask", PWF will pop-up a password entry box whenever you connect.

--------------------------------------

PWF v2.5 can assign a static IP address to your WiFi adapter. This may be useful if you have trouble acquiring an address via DHCP. Watch for the bogus IP address 169.254.x.y.

a. Start PWF and click Config. Insert an available IP address from your network into the STATIC line. Leave the GATEWAY line blank.
b. Save and restart PWF.
c. Connect to a site and check with Status. It should show the static IP.
d. Check the file /etc/resolv.conf. It should show 8.8.8.8. This is the Google DNS nameserver. If you want a different public DNS, change the file resolv.conf.tail. Or you can assign the same nameserver that you use with DHCP.
e. PWF assumes that your router's gateway address is aaa.bbb.cc.1. But some routers use aaa.bbb.cc.254. In that case, change the GATEWAY setting in Config. You can check this with the "route" command.
f. To switch back to DHCP, erase the IP address in Config and reboot.

--------------------------

The Encryption feature is for people who object to their home Wifi passphrase being stored in plain text on their computers.

Create a profile as usual. Open the Encrypt tab. Select the profile. Enter a PIN. Click the Encrypt button. When you connect, there will be a pop-up box asking for the PIN.

--------------------------

You may want to have multiple WiFi configurations on your laptop, like an auto-connect static IP version for home use, and a manual-connect version for public wifi. Here's how to make a boot connection menu:

1. Make separate configuration files in /etc/pwf. Name them home.conf and public.conf.

2. Create the following peasywifi_auto script in /root/Startup:

Code: Select all

#!/bin/sh
Xdialog --ok-label Home --cancel-label Public --title " " --yesno "PeasyWiFi" 0 0
case $? in
  0) cp /etc/pwf/home.conf /etc/pwf/pwf.conf
     peasywifi home_profile
     ;;
  1) cp /etc/pwf/public.conf /etc/pwf/pwf.conf
     peasywifi
     ;;
esac
----------------------------------
Last edited by rcrsn51 on Wed 18 Mar 2020, 13:17, edited 41 times in total.

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