Where does the Network Wizard store its data?

[OldYogi]

The Network Wizard works fine only the first time I run it. It did when I loaded Alpha 6, and again when I loaded Alpha 7 (both running off of a frugal install on a pendrive). The second time, however, it says it connects, but SeaMonkey can't connect.

When run the first time, the Wizard scans and finds all of my neighbors' wireless SSID's, as well as mine. The second time it only finds mine! This sounds like a good thing, but since it never works the second time, this must be part of the problem.

I believe that the Wizard will connect properly if I delete all the old data, but I can't find the old data. I've deleted two relevant files: /var/lib/dhcpcd-eth1.info, and /var/run/dhcpcd-eth1.pid; but that doesn't solve the problem. Those files are generated by a script, /etc/dhcpcd.sh. I could disable the script, but there is some other info stored somewhere that needs to be deleted so the login runs clean.

Does anyone know where? Is this a bug that needs to be dealt with?

Thanks.

[rarsa]

It is "normal" that scanning sometimes finds some networks and sometimes it does not.

But answering your question.

There are several places depending on what kind of connection you have.

Check the following

/etc/<interface>wireless
/etc/<interface>mode

e.g. /etc/eth1wireless

The wireless profiles are saved in

/etc/WAG/profile-conf

If you are using WPA

/etc/wpa_supplicant.conf

I hope this helps

[Béèm]

I start from the assumption, that at the first successful configuration you saved the configuration when asked.

If so, go into the wizard again look for the configuration you saved and delete it.
Rescan again and configure as per your installation.

Be sure you save the profile first and then indicate use this profile before testing the network and asking for an ip via dhcp.

Once an ip obtained be sure to save the setup for next boot.

[OldYogi]

This was useful, but I still havn't solved the problem, nor have I located all the relevant files. I delete /var/lib/dhcpcd-eth1.info, and /var/run/dhcpcd-eth1.pid. By the way, the dhcpcd script is coded to remove the .pid file, and the comment in the script says the .pid file creates problems if it remains after a prior login. Anyway, I also deleted the info about my network connection that had been stored in /etc/WAG/profile-conf. Info is stored there, it seems, only if you tell the wizard to save a profile. I didn't because I'm trying to keep this as uncluttered as possible until I solve the problem.

Anyway, after deleting all those files I go back to connect again, and the only network the scan offers is mine, although there are several neighbors equally strong, and they all turned up the first time I logged in. Although I had deleted all those files, the system created a netscan.log, file in /tmp with all the detailed info about my network.

Somehow the wizard remembered the wireless I had connected to the first tiime. So I conclude there must be yet another file with a record of what I had connected to the last time, and that file isn't being cleaned out.

The bottom line is that although the wizard regularly reports that I am connected, I don't get a working connection. I have successfully connected to my wireless only twice -- once, the first time I tried to connect after first installing Puppy, and the second time the first time I tried to connect after installing Dingo Alpha 7. I conclude that after fresh installs some data isn't in the system that gets left there after a connection is established, and that leftover info interferes with subsequent attempts to connect.

Anyone know more about the inner workings of this? Thanks.

[urban soul]

In the network wizard press 'save' _before_ you press 'use this profile' und you are done IMHO. Rebuild your profile-config from pfix=ram and do not mess with it anymore.

[masinick]

Thanks for the information; this is useful.

[masinick]

It is "normal" that scanning sometimes finds some networks and sometimes it does not.

But answering your question.

There are several places depending on what kind of connection you have.

Check the following

/etc/<interface>wireless
/etc/<interface>mode

e.g. /etc/eth1wireless

The wireless profiles are saved in

/etc/WAG/profile-conf

If you are using WPA

/etc/wpa_supplicant.conf

I hope this helps

I have had real good success with Puppy in the past, especially on an aging Dell Dimension 4100 desktop system. Recently I acquired a Dell Latitude D600 laptop system in good working order with Intel Pro Wireless 2200 - the ipw2200. I have a Belkin Wireless G router and I have it set up to use WPA-PSK authentication. It looks like old versions of Puppy may have lacked this feature but new ones have it. The setup is not yet as clean and easy to configure as it is with some other systems. But given the information you have provided, perhaps if I just dig under the covers I can get it running smoothly until better tools become available.

Incidentally, I have found the command tool ceni to be as good at managing networks as anything I have used. Perhaps this would be a moderate sized tool small enough for inclusion into some version of Puppy - perhaps a custom edition for people who use multiple network configurations, including wireless setups.

Thanks for the information. I will see if I can apply it and achieve full success with my most recent setup.

[rarsa]

Do you know where to get ceni from?

Is it a sidux tool? or a generic tool?

[prehistoric]

I've also had a peculiar problem which made me wish the networking wizard had a button for starting over with a clean slate. After I get my laptop (also a D600) set up for one wireless site, going to a different one never connects. Both sites are open and the profile reflects this. The failure takes place after finding a live network, dhcp never succeeds. As best I can tell, (from watching lights,) it never even sends a request. After experiencing this problem, I noticed a message on shutdown about dhcpd, which had not been listed as a process. I believe this is a zombie which should have been killed when the previous connect failed. These do not show up with the GUI process tools. You need to run "ps -H -A" from the command line to find processes without parents which are not actually running. (See Barry's blog entry for "fuser fails..")

[PaulBx1]

I like wizards to tell me what they are doing. For example, the network wizard ought to announce what files it has modified or created. Or perhaps there should be a button "display files" that simply lists all the files in use by the wizard.

Otherwise you are stuck either asking folks in the forum as with this thread, or you have to dig through the code.

[prehistoric]

I also found /etc/dhcpc/ra0.info and cache and pid files. I think these are the culprits which keep looking for one wireless setup when I'm at another location. Simply delete those files and the next time dhcpd starts it should be free of bad memories. I'll check next time I move to the site that was giving me trouble and post the results.

[Béèm]

I like wizards to tell me what they are doing. For example, the network wizard ought to announce what files it has modified or created. Or perhaps there should be a button "display files" that simply lists all the files in use by the wizard.

Otherwise you are stuck either asking folks in the forum as with this thread, or you have to dig through the code.

I am in favor for the button, so it can be used only when needed.

[masinick]

Do you know where to get ceni from?

Is it a sidux tool? or a generic tool?

Back in November 2007, a number of people on the sidux forums were encouraging the author to make ceni more easily available. A simple, but powerful and functional script, ceni has never failed to activate any interfaces that I use and it works a lot faster than GUI based tools, plus it knows about the common networks that I use. Even other sidux developers were encouraging on the author of ceni and it now seems to be a part of sidux. Have not seen it elsewhere.

Only the MEPIS mnetwork tool and the Mandriva network tools do anywhere near as well as ceni, but even they seem to have more overhead. Ceni gets right to the network in question. If it can be activated, it get it.

I wonder if it could be acquired from the sidux administration tools? Perhaps a friendly inquiry to the right people would net results.

[urban soul]

@masinick: regarding dhcp problems can you give your puppy version ?

IMHO the network wizard can have a improved UI but basic functions are ok. Regarding debug output: debugging should not be the task a normal user. If you experience any problems - share your knowledge on the forum, it helps improving things.

Urban

[masinick]

@masinick: regarding dhcp problems can you give your puppy version ?
Urban

3.01, though I have other versions as well. Puppy 3.01 looked at if it ought to work but I had no luck. I use WPA-PSK and I have a text password that includes letters, numbers and a symbol. I can get at it with a Debian based system, a Mandriva system, PCLinuxOS and others, so it works with the system I am using. Is there any magic needed to get it to work with Puppy? I will try again and make sure it wasn't just the wireless router acting up.

[masinick]

@masinick: regarding dhcp problems can you give your puppy version ?
Urban

3.01, though I have other versions as well. Puppy 3.01 looked at if it ought to work but I had no luck. I use WPA-PSK and I have a text password that includes letters, numbers and a symbol. I can get at it with a Debian based system, a Mandriva system, PCLinuxOS and others, so it works with the system I am using. Is there any magic needed to get it to work with Puppy? I will try again and make sure it wasn't just the wireless router acting up.

I found that the network can SEE my wireless card. In fact, I am now on wirelessly. Here is the issue - I am not in on my authenticated connection. What is the sequence assuming I have a text key which includes letters, numbers, and a symbol? I got as far as using S: in front of the key, but apparently the symbol is tripping it up. Therefore, What do I use to escape the string so the right stuff gets passed through?

[prehistoric]

Here's a weird result I definitely did not expect.

I took my D600 laptop (with a mini-pci card using the rt2500 driver) to the site where I have been having trouble connecting. It failed to connect once again, even though the same laptop and card once worked perfectly there, before it was set up for my regular wireless site. So, this time I not only removed the files I knew about, I even removed the flash drive and the hard drive, booting off the original single-session CD. Same problem remains; 3.01 system can see a network when testing, but always fails to connect with dhcp. Sometimes blinky remains dark, sometimes it shows transmit stuck on. As far as the router is concerned, there don't appear to be any dhcp requests. This now looks like the BIOS is holding information about the previous wireless state. (And, using a USB wireless adapter still works.)

Can you see any flaws in this reasoning?

[urban soul]

What is the sequence [... ]

Should look something like:

Code: Select all

!/bin/sh

echo " ctrl_interface=/var/run/wpa_supplicant
ap_scan=1
update_config=1

network={
ssid="unknown"
psk=f841ba... ### hex
proto=WPA
key_mgmt=WPA-PSK
pairwise=TKIP
group=TKIP
} " > /tmp/AC
wpa_supplicant -i $INTERFACE -D $DRIVERNAME -c /tmp/AC -B
/usr/sbin/wpa_connect.sh $INTERFACE $DRIVERNAME

dhcpcd -k &> /dev/null 
rm /etc/dhcpc/dhcpcd-*.pid &> /dev/null
dhcpcd $INTERFACE 

I think dhcp is working fine in 3.01.
With my ralink USB dongle the Network wizard sucseeds, but many other poeple have trouble setting up WPA.

Urban