Re: wpa_supplicant cli works, but NM insists "wireless is disabled"

[Dan Williams <dcbw redhat com>]

On Tue, 2008-09-30 at 06:30 -0400, Andrew wrote:
> >On Mon, 2008-09-29 at 18:44 -0400, Andrew wrote:
> >> >>On Sun, 2008-09-28 at 19:21 -0400, Andrew wrote:
> >> >>> Hello, 
> >> >>> 
> >> >>> I have appealed to the Fedora Forum, but no one seems to have a clue 
> >> >there.
> >> >>> 
> >> >>> Here is the thread:
> >> >>> http://forums.fedoraforum.org/showthread.php?t=199562
> >> >>> 
> >> >>> (A quick synopsis of the thread:
> >> >>> 
> >> >>> I've activated/deactivated everything i could think of, related to 
> >> >>NetworkManager; yet, everything wireless is grayed out in the applet.
> >> >>> 
> >> >>> But wpa_supplicant (cli) works! 
> >> >>> 
> >> >>> Additional info (beyond above thread):
> >> >>> 
> >> >>> I compiled the latest NetworkManager svn; still same grayed out 
> >behavior.
> >> >>> 
> >> >>> )
> >> >>> 
> >> >>> I tried looking in the source and tracing the calls to and from  
> >> >>nm_client_wireless_get_enabled (if that's even a function) but, ignorant 
> >of 
> >> >C, 
> >> >>didn't get far.
> >> >>> 
> >> >>> Please help!
> >> >>
> >> >>Does NM think wireless is disabled because a HAL killswitch is reporting
> >> >
> >> >Don't know enough about HAL to answer the above.  (Where would i look?)
> >> >
> >> >>that it's off?  Could you post some logs from /var/log/messages from
> >> >>when NM starts up?  
> >> >
> >> >please see attachment.  (i've X'ed out some addresses (xxxx:xxxx:....)
> >> 
> >> 
> >> ooops.  The list strips attachment.  Here is a web link to the same 
> >/var/log/messages chunk:
> >> 
> >>      http://www.flight.us/bugs/var_messages_nm_chunk.txt
> >
> >What's the output of:
> >
> >dellWirelessCtl
> 
> Here it is: http://www.flight.us/bugs/dellWirelessCtl.txt
> 
> OK, it appears that the "problem"(?) /does/ originate in the BIOS (I did present this hypothesis at the Fedora forum, but no one took that path, which now seems correct)

Yeah, if dellWirelessCtl says the WLAN is disabled, then that's what the
BIOS thinks.  The best thing I think you could do is file a bug against
'libsmbios' package in Fedora bugzilla and the Dell guys will try to
help you debug.

Dan

> For a quick & dirty fix: any way to force the disabled/enabled switch in the NM source?  Again, i tried to find this in the source and failed.  Where is it?
> 
> I wonder if this can be considered a bug or glitch -- my situation apparently presents a need for NM to be more user-configurable here.
> 
> Thanks.
> 
> >HAL found a killswitch and NM is honoring the setting of that killswitch
> >apparently.
> >
> >Dan
> >
> >> 
> >> 
> >> >NM keeps saying "wlan1: link is not ready"
> >> >
> >> >Yet, I can do "iwconfig" and "iwlist" with NO problem whatsoever, with good 
> >
> >> >results.  Plus, as i said earlier (this seems VERY significant), i can 
> >connect 
> >> >with wpa_supplicant no prob (all the while NM is saying "wireless is 
> >> >disabled"!)
> >> >
> >> >>It could also be that you've disabled the device in
> >> >>system-config-network, in which case the menu will say the device is
> >> >>"unmanaged".
> >> >
> >> >I have played with system-config-network every which way, before. "wlan1" 
> >(and 
> >> >"wlan0") are both assigned to NM, ("Controlled by NM" is checked). (wlan0 
> >> >versus wlan1 is created depending on which atheros card i insert -- i have 
> >two 
> >> >at my disposal)
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >>
> >> >>dan