https://wiki.archlinux.org/api.php?action=feedcontributions&user=Raincrossbow&feedformat=atomArchWiki - User contributions [en]2024-03-19T01:05:22ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.41.0https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php?title=Compiz&diff=126599Compiz2011-01-02T10:15:16Z<p>Raincrossbow: /* Install from [community] */</p>
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{{i18n|Compiz}}<br />
<br />
Compiz is a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compositing_window_manager compositing window manager]. It provides its own window manager, so it cannot be used simultaneously with other window managers such as [[Openbox]], [[Fluxbox]], [[Enlightenment]] - users who want to keep their current window managers and add some effects to it may wish to try [[Xcompmgr]] instead.<br />
<br />
Compiz is the core of the project Compiz-Fusion, which worked on adding many functions/plugins to the WM and now is being merged again. Both projects are active and undergoing constant development. For more information, refer to the article, [http://wiki.compiz-fusion.org/CompizFusionVsCompiz Compiz Fus/ion vs. Compiz].<br />
<br />
== Installation ==<br />
Basic installation can be done using the [community] repo.<br />
<br />
=== Install from [community] ===<br />
Make sure the [community] repository is enabled in {{filename|/etc/pacman.conf}}.<br />
<br />
If you want to install the entire compiz-fusion group, give The command<br />
# pacman -S compiz-fusion<br />
which will install EVERYTHING, but chances are you only want compiz for either Gnome or KDE, not both, so...<br />
<br />
Run this if you want only the gtk-based packages (for Gnome) installed:<br />
# pacman -S compiz-fusion-gtk<br />
Or this if you want only kde-based packages (for K Desktop Environment) installed:<br />
# pacman -S compiz-fusion-kde <br />
<br />
Users who wish to select the packages individually may consult the following list:<br />
<br />
{{Box Note| For other desktop environments, please see the section on setting up Compiz as a standalone window manger [[Compiz#As_a_Standalone_Window_Manager|below]].}}<br />
<br />
=== List of packages by group ===<br />
;Entire compiz-fusion group (compiz-fusion):<br />
:ccsm, compiz-core, compiz-fusion-plugins-extra, compiz-fusion-plugins-main, compizconfig-backend-gconf, compizconfig-backend-kconfig, emerald, emerald-themes, fusion-icon<br />
<br />
;KDE compiz-fusion group (compiz-fusion-kde):<br />
:ccsm, compiz-fusion-plugins-extra, compiz-fusion-plugins-main, compizconfig-backend-kconfig, emerald, emerald-themes, fusion-icon<br />
<br />
;GTK (Gnome) compiz-fusion group (compiz-fusion-gtk):<br />
:ccsm, compiz-fusion-plugins-extra, compiz-fusion-plugins-main, compizconfig-backend-gconf, emerald, emerald-themes, fusion-icon<br />
<br />
;Groupless:<br />
:compiz-decorator-gtk, compiz-decorator-kde, compiz-manager<br />
<br />
*ccsm or "CompizConfig settings manager" is the GUI application that lets you configure all of Compiz's plugins. <br />
*[[Emerald]] is compiz's own window decorator with few dependencies. (Note: Works but is buggy and no longer maintained)<br />
*fusion-icon offers a tray icon and a nice way to start compiz, start ccsm and change the WM / Window Decorator.<br />
*compiz-manager is said to bring better session managing capabilities (needs confirmation!).<br />
*compiz-decorator-gtk and compiz-decorator-kde are alternatives to emerald and uses your desktop environment's configuration backends and looks.<br />
<br />
;'Unsupported' Plugins:<br />
:compiz-fusion-plugins-unsupport is available from the [http://aur.archlinux.org/packages.php?ID=14255 AUR]. It is versioned 0.8.4 but works fine with 0.8.6. It includes the 'Tile' plugin.<br />
<br />
=== Configuration ===<br />
{{Box RED|Activate important plugins!|<br />
: Before you do anything else, you will want to activate a few plugins that provide basic window manager behavior or else you will have no ability to drag, scale or close any windows as soon as compiz is activated. Among those plugins are "Window Decoration" under Effects and "Move Window" & "Resize Window" under Window Management. Ccsm may be used to achieve this. <br />
:Launch CompizConfig Settings Manager:<br />
: <pre>$ ccsm</pre><br />
: Simply put check marks next to those plugins to activate them.<br />
: Note: The Window Decoration plugin controls the frames around the windows. To use it make sure you have a window decorator installed. Depending on what packages you have downloaded you can choose among several window decorators. The most common ones are Emerald, kde-window-decorator, and gtk-window-decorator. The emerald decorator has the advantage that it fits better to compiz's screen handling and offers transparency effects.To set your default window decorator type the following command string in the "Window Decoration" plugin's settings under the field "Command".<br />
; To set emerald as your default window-decorator type:<br />
: <pre>emerald --replace</pre><br />
; To set the kde-window-decorator as an alternative to Emerald type:<br />
:<pre>kde-window-decorator --replace</pre><br />
; To set the compiz-decorator-gtk as an alternative to Emerald type:<br />
:<pre>gtk-window-decorator --replace</pre>}}<br />
; Compatibility<br />
: The [http://forlong.blogage.de/entries/pages/Compiz-Check compiz-check] script runs several compiz-related tests and can help discovering setup and hardware issues. It is available from the [http://aur.archlinux.org/packages.php?ID=17163 aur].{{Box Note| compiz-check is at the moment unmaintained and out-of-date, it shows partly wrong results.}}<br />
<br />
== Starting Compiz Fusion ==<br />
<br />
=== Manually (with "fusion-icon") ===<br />
<br />
Launch the Compiz Fusion tray icon:<br />
$ fusion-icon<br />
<br />
'''Note:''' If it fails (almost never), you may try it with dbus-launch:<br />
$ dbus-launch "fusion-icon"<br />
<br />
Right click on the icon in the panel and go to 'select window manager'. Choose "Compiz" if it isn't selected already, and you should be set.<br />
<br />
If this fails you can start compiz-fusion by using the following additional command to replace your default window decorator with Compiz's window decorator (Emerald):<br />
$ emerald --replace<br />
<br />
'''Again, note:''' If you want to use compiz window decorations make sure you have the "Window Decoration" plugin marked in the compiz settings through ccsm.<br />
<br />
=== Manually (without "fusion-icon") ===<br />
<br />
Launch Compiz with the following command (which replaces your current window manager):<br />
$ compiz --replace ccp &<br />
<br />
A quick overview over common compiz command-line options:<br />
*--indirect-rendering: use indirect-rendering (AIGLX)<br />
*--loose-binding: can help performance issues (nVidia?)<br />
*--replace: replace current window-manager<br />
*--keep-window-hints: keep the gnome window-manager gconf-settings for available viewports, ...<br />
*--sm-disable: disable session-management<br />
*ccp: the "ccp" command loads the loads the last configured settings from ccsm (CompizConfig Settings Manager) otherwise Compiz will load with no settings and you won't be able to do anything with your windows like dragging, maximizing/minimizing, or moving.<br />
<br />
<!-- We need some more consistency with the autostart guides. The KDE version suggests starting compiz directly while the GNOME version tells you to use fusion-icon. --><br />
<br />
=== KDE ===<br />
<br />
==== Autostart (with "fusion-icon") ====<br />
Add a symbolic link, that points to the fusion-icon executable, in your KDE Autostart directory (generally located in {{filename|~/.kde/Autostart}}):<br />
$ ln -s /usr/bin/fusion-icon ~/.kde/Autostart/fusion-icon<br />
<br />
Next time KDE is started, it will load fusion-icon automatically.<br />
{{Box Note| This method can also be slower due to the fact that KDE will first load the default window manager (KWin), then will launch fusion-icon which will load the Compiz window manager to replace KWin. Essentially, it will take the amount of time that it takes to load two window managers to get Compiz loaded. Read ahead to see other methods.}}<br />
<br />
==== Autostart (without "fusion-icon") ====<br />
<br />
===== Method 1 - Autostart Link =====<br />
<br />
{{Box Note|DO NOT create compiz.desktop if you intend to install compiz-decorator-gtk; it will create a file conflict.}}<br />
<br />
* You can ensure that Compiz Fusion will always start at login by appending a desktop entry to the KDE Autostart directory. If it doesn't already exist (it should), create the file {{filename|~/.kde/Autostart/compiz.desktop}} with the following contents:<br />
<br />
[Desktop Entry]<br />
Type=Application<br />
Encoding=UTF-8<br />
Name=Compiz<br />
Exec=/usr/bin/compiz ccp --replace<br />
NoDisplay=true<br />
# name of loadable control center module<br />
X-GNOME-WMSettingsModule=compiz<br />
# autostart phase<br />
X-GNOME-Autostart-Phase=WindowManager<br />
X-GNOME-Provides=windowmanager<br />
# name we put on the WM spec check window<br />
X-GNOME-WMName=Compiz<br />
# back compat only<br />
X-GnomeWMSettingsLibrary=compiz<br />
<br />
{{Box Note| If {{filename|compiz.desktop}} already exists, you may have to add "--replace" and/or "ccp" to the Exec variable. Without "--replace", Compiz won't load since it will detect another window manager already loaded. Without "ccp", Compiz will not load any of the settings and plugins that you have enabled through CompizConfig Settings Manager (ccsm) and you won't be able to manipulate any of your windows.}}<br />
{{Box Note| This method can also be slower due to the fact that KDE will first load the default window manager (KWin), then will launch fusion-icon which will load the Compiz window manager to replace KWin. Essentially, it will take the amount of time that it takes to load two window managers to get Compiz loaded. The next method eliminates this problem.}}<br />
<br />
* If you want to use the optional <tt>fusion-icon</tt> application, launch ''fusion-icon''. If you log out normally with ''fusion-icon'' running, KDE should restore your session and launch ''fusion-icon'' the next time you log in if this setting is enabled. If it doesn't appear to be working, ensure you have the following line in {{filename|~/.kde/share/config/ksmserverrc}}:<br />
<br />
loginMode=restorePreviousLogout<br />
{{Box Note| This is a KDE specific setting that will allow you to restore other apps next time you log in, not just fusion-icon.}}<br />
<br />
===== Method 2 - export KDEWM (Preferred Method) =====<br />
<br />
{{Box Note| Using this method will load Compiz-Fusion as the default window manager instead of KWin from the start. This method is faster than automatically loading Compiz-Fusion with either of the two previous methods because it avoids loading KDE's default window manager (KWin) first. This method also prevents that annoying black screen flicker you might see using other methods (when kwin switches to Compiz on KDE's desktop loading screens).}}<br />
<br />
As root you must create a short script by doing the following in your terminal. This will allow you to load compiz with the switches because doing it directly via <code>export KDEWM="compiz --replace ccp --sm-disable"</code> doesn't seem to work.<br />
$ echo "compiz --replace ccp --sm-disable &" > /usr/bin/compiz-fusion<br />
<br />
{{Box Note| If this line doesn't work, make sure the "fusion-icon" package is installed and then use this line instead:<br />
$ echo "fusion-icon &" > /usr/bin/compiz-fusion<br />
Be sure to complete the whole method before trying this substitute.}}<br />
<br />
Ensure that {{filename|/usr/bin/compiz-fusion}} has executable (+x) permissions.<br />
$ chmod a+x /usr/bin/compiz-fusion<br />
<br />
Choose one of the following:<br />
<br />
:1) Compiz for your user only --> Edit the file {{filename|~/.kde4/env/compiz.sh}} and add the following line so KDE will load compiz (via the script you just created) instead of loading KWin.<br />
: <pre>KDEWM="compiz-fusion"</pre><br />
<br />
:2) Compiz system wide --> Edit the file {{filename|/usr/env/compiz.sh}} and add the following line so KDE will load compiz (via the script you just created) instead of loading KWin.<br />
: <pre>KDEWM="compiz-fusion"</pre><br />
<br />
{{Box Note| If the above method shall not work for any reason, try the replacement mentioned above.}}<br />
{{Box Note| If that still doesn't work, yet another alternate way to accomplish the above method is to include the line<br />
<pre>export KDEWM="compiz-fusion"</pre><br />
in your user's {{filename|~/.bashrc}} file.}}<br />
{{Box Note| If you optionally use the {{filename|/usr/local/bin}} directory it may not work. In that case you should export the script including the whole path:<br />
<pre>export KDEWM="/usr/local/bin/compiz-fusion"</pre>}}<br />
<br />
===== Method 3 - Use KDE 4 System Settings =====<br />
<br />
Go to System Settings --> Default Applications --> Window Manager --> Use a different window manager<br />
<br />
If you need to run compiz with custom options select "Compiz custom" (when you run fusion-icon from a terminal you can see the command line with which compiz was started).<br />
Create a file called "compiz-kde-launcher" in your /usr/bin directory. Then make the file executable: "chmod +x /usr/bin/compiz-kde-launcher".<br />
Here is an example for compiz-kde-launcher:<br />
#!/bin/bash<br />
LIBGL_ALWAYS_INDIRECT=1<br />
compiz --replace ccp &<br />
wait<br />
<br />
=== GNOME ===<br />
<br />
==== Autostart (without "fusion-icon") (Preferred Method) ====<br />
This Method makes use of the [http://standards.freedesktop.org/desktop-entry-spec/latest/ Desktop Entry Specification] to specify a Compiz Desktop Entry and of the GConf default windowmanager setting. Thanks to the Desktop Entry you should be able to select Compiz as a windowmanager out of GDM.<br />
<br />
'''1)''' If it doesn't already exist (it should), create the file {{filename|/usr/share/applications/compiz.desktop}} containing the following:<br />
<br />
[Desktop Entry]<br />
Type=Application<br />
Encoding=UTF-8<br />
Name=Compiz<br />
Exec=/usr/bin/compiz ccp #Make sure ccp is included so that Compiz loads your previous settings.<br />
NoDisplay=true<br />
# name of loadable control center module<br />
X-GNOME-WMSettingsModule=compiz<br />
# autostart phase<br />
##-> the folloing line cause gnome-session warning and slow startup, so try not to enable this<br />
# X-GNOME-Autostart-Phase=WindowManager <br />
X-GNOME-Provides=windowmanager<br />
# name we put on the WM spec check window<br />
X-GNOME-WMName=Compiz<br />
# back compat only<br />
X-GnomeWMSettingsLibrary=compiz<br />
<br />
{{Box Note| If {{filename|compiz.desktop}} already exists, you must make sure that the "ccp" is included in the Exec variable. Having "ccp" included simply tells Compiz to load your previous settings, otherwise you won't have any functionality.}}<br />
<br />
If the above doesn't work (in most cases it does), for example if you notice some issues with windows refreshing or low performance, try:<br />
<br />
<pre>Exec=/usr/bin/compiz ccp --indirect-rendering</pre><br />
<br />
or<br />
<br />
<pre>Exec=/usr/bin/compiz --replace --sm-disable --ignore-desktop-hints ccp --indirect-rendering</pre><br />
<br />
Instead of<br />
<br />
<pre>Exec=/usr/bin/compiz ccp</pre><br />
<br />
Some Users noticed a "lag" of 4-10 seconds when loging in from a login manager. The solution is to change the command to:<br />
<pre>Exec=bash -c 'compiz ccp decoration --sm-client-id $DESKTOP_AUTOSTART_ID'</pre><br />
as noted [http://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?pid=655237#p655237 in the forum]. You can also add the extra parameters as described above if needed.<br />
<br />
'''2)''' Set some GConf parameters using the gconftool-2 command in a terminal window or do it visually with Configuration Editor (gconf-editor). The following outlines using the command line method, but you can also see which keys to change using gconf-editor:<br />
<br />
<br />
{{Box Note| Since those parameters apply to a given user, you '''must''' logout from the root account and log in as that other user before proceeding with the next steps. GConf will fail, if called from a root account.}}<br />
<br />
gconftool-2 --set -t string /desktop/gnome/session/required_components/windowmanager compiz<br />
<br />
The following are optional and in most cases not necessary (the respective keys are deprecated since GNOME 2.12). But iny any case, if the above didn't succeed the next two statements are still valid and should be tried.<br />
<br />
gconftool-2 --set -t string /desktop/gnome/applications/window_manager/current /usr/bin/compiz<br />
gconftool-2 --set -t string /desktop/gnome/applications/window_manager/default /usr/bin/compiz<br />
<br />
==== Autostart (without "fusion-icon", Gnome prior to 2.24) ====<br />
<br />
This is a way that works if you use GDM (and I'd assume KDM too).<br />
<br />
Make a file called /usr/local/bin/compiz-start-boot with the contents:<br />
#!/bin/bash<br />
export WINDOW_MANAGER="compiz ccp"<br />
exec gnome-session<br />
<br />
and make it executable (<code>chmod +x /usr/local/bin/compiz-start-boot</code>). Next create the file {{filename|/etc/X11/sessions/Compiz.desktop}} containing the following:<br />
[Desktop Entry]<br />
Version=1.0<br />
Encoding=UTF-8<br />
Name=Compiz on GNOME<br />
Exec=/usr/local/bin/compiz-start-boot<br />
Icon=<br />
Type=Application<br />
<br />
Select Compiz on Gnome as your session and you're good to go.<br />
<br />
==== Autostart (with "fusion-icon") ====<br />
<br />
To start Compiz fusion automatically when starting a session go to System > Preferences > Startup Applications. In the Startup Programs tab, click the Add button.<br />
<br />
You will now see the Add Startup Program dialogue. Fill it in as follows.<br />
<br />
<br />
Name:<br />
Compiz Fusion<br />
Command:<br />
fusion-icon<br />
Comment: (Put anything you like or leave blank.)<br />
<br />
{{Box Note| You can also use "compiz --replace ccp" instead of "fusion-icon" to load compiz but there will be no fusion-icon.<br />
<br />
The ccp value will tell compiz to load your previous Compiz settings as configured with CompizConfig Settings Manager (ccsm).}}<br />
<br />
<br />
When you're done hit the Add button. You should now see your startup program in the list in the Startup Programs tab. It must be checked to be enabled. You can uncheck it to disable Compiz on startup and switch back to Metacity.<br />
<br />
You may also need to use the gconftool-2 command in a terminal window to set the following parameter, otherwise fusion-icon might not load the windows decorator.<br />
gconftool-2 --type bool --set /apps/metacity/general/compositing_manager false<br />
<br />
{{Box Note| This method will be slower due to the fact that Gnome will first load the default window manager (Metacity), then will launch fusion-icon which will load the Compiz window manager to replace Metacity. Essentially, it will take the amount of time that it takes to load two window manangers to get Compiz loaded. The first method is preferred and eliminates this issue.}}<br />
<br />
=== XFCE ===<br />
<br />
==== Xfce autostart (without "fusion-icon") ====<br />
<br />
This method will start Compiz directly through the XFCE session manager without loading Xfwm.<br />
<br />
Please note the change to xml config files in XFCE newer than 4.2<br />
<br />
<br />
To install the session manager, run this command as root:<br />
# pacman -S xfce4-session<br />
<br />
<br />
Now we have to configure the default/failsafe session of XFCE.<br />
<br />
<br />
Edit the following file <br />
# nano ~/.config/xfce4/xfconf/xfce-perchannel-xml/xfce4-session.xml<br />
<br />
Or to make the change for all XFCE users (root access required)<br />
# nano /etc/xdg/xfce4/xfconf/xfce-perchannel-xml/xfce4-session.xml<br />
<br />
<br />
Replace the xfwm startup command,<br />
<br />
<property name="Client0_Command" type="array"><br />
<value type="string" value="xfwm4"/><br />
</property><br />
<br />
with the following:<br />
<br />
<property name="Client0_Command" type="array"><br />
<value type="string" value="compiz"/><br />
<value type="string" value="ccp"/><br />
</property><br />
<br />
{{Box Note| the ccp value will tell compiz to load your previous Compiz settings as configured with CompizConfig Settings Manager (ccsm).}}<br />
<br />
<br />
To prevent the default session from being overwritten you may also add this:<br />
<br />
<property name="general" type="empty"><br />
...<br />
...<br />
<property name="SaveOnExit" type="bool" value="false"/><br />
</property><br />
<br />
<br />
To remove the existing sessions, run:<br />
rm -r ~/.cache/sessions<br />
<br />
==== Xfce autostart (with "fusion-icon") ====<br />
=====Method 1:=====<br />
<br />
This will load Xfwm first then replace it with Compiz.<br />
<br />
Open the XFCE Settings Manager & then Sessions & Startup. Click the Application Autostart tab.<br />
<br />
Add<br />
(Name:) Compiz Fusion<br />
<br />
(Command:) fusion-icon<br />
<br />
{{Box Note| You can also use "compiz --replace ccp" instead of "fusion-icon" to load compiz but there will be no fusion-icon.<br />
<br />
The ccp value will tell compiz to load your previous Compiz settings as configured with CompizConfig Settings Manager (ccsm).}}<br />
<br />
{{Box Note| This method is the least preferred since it loads both window managers. All the other XFCE methods only load Compiz without loading Xfwm.}}<br />
<br />
=====Method 2:=====<br />
<br />
Edit the following file (settings in this file is used in preference)<br />
nano ~/.config/xfce4-session/xfce4-session.rc<br />
<br />
Or to make the change for all XFCE users (root access required)<br />
# nano /etc/xdg/xfce4-session/xfce4-session.rc<br />
<br />
Add the following<br />
[Failsafe Session]<br />
Client0_Command=fusion-icon<br />
<br />
Comment out Client0_Command=xfwm4 if it exists.<br />
<br />
This will cause xfce to load Compiz instead of Xfwm when the user has no existing sessions.<br />
<br />
To prevent the default session from being overwritten you may also add<br />
[General]<br />
AutoSave=false<br />
SaveOnExit=false<br />
<br />
To remove the existing sessions<br />
rm -r ~/.cache/sessions<br />
<br />
=====Method 3:=====<br />
Check if this file exists:<br />
~/.config/xfce4/xfconf/xfce-perchannel-xml/xfce4-session.xml<br />
<br />
If not do:<br />
cp /etc/xdg/xfce4/xfconf/xfce-perchannel-xml/xfce4-session.xml ~/.config/xfce4/xfconf/xfce-perchannel-xml/xfce4-session.xml<br />
<br />
and open it for edit:<br />
nano ~/.config/xfce4/xfconf/xfce-perchannel-xml/xfce4-session.xml<br />
<br />
or make the changes for all xfce4 users (needs root access):<br />
# nano /etc/xdg/xfce4/xfconf/xfce-perchannel-xml/xfce4-session.xml<br />
<br />
Edit Client0_Command that it look like this:<br />
<property name="Client0_Command" type="array"><br />
<value type="string" value="fusion-icon"/><br />
<value type="string" value="--force-compiz"/><br />
</property><br />
if '''--force-compiz''' dosen't work use '''compiz --replace --sm-disable --ignore-desktop-hints ccp''' instead.<br />
<br />
Add the '''SaveOnExit property''' if missing and set it to '''false''':<br />
<property name="general" type="empty"><br />
<property name="FailsafeSessionName" type="string" value="Failsafe"/><br />
<property name="SessionName" type="string" value="Default"/><br />
<property name="SaveOnExit" type="bool" value="false"/><br />
</property><br />
<br />
finally remove old xfce4 sessions:<br />
rm -r ~/.cache/sessions<br />
<br />
Now xfce4 will load compiz instead of Xfwm.<br />
<br />
=== As a Standalone Window Manager ===<br />
The package compiz-core by itself is sufficient to start using compiz-fusion. However ccsm and emerald (or another window-decorator) are additional highly recommended packages. You may install fusion-icon, compiz-fusion-plugins-main, compiz-fusion-plugins-extra or any other package later on at any time.<br />
<br />
To autostart compiz-fusion configure ~/.xinitrc to launch compiz as:<br />
exec ck-launch-session compiz ccp<br />
{{Box Note| You can also add other [https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Compiz_fusion#Manually_.28without_.22fusion-icon.22.29 command-line options] to your ~/.xinitrc}}<br />
<br />
Or if using fusion-icon, configure ~/.xinitrc as<br />
exec ck-launch-session fusion-icon<br />
<br />
However chances are you will need additional apps (e.g a panel) for optimal usability. So to autostart such apps simply add them to your ~/.xinitrc as:<br />
tint2 &<br />
cairo-dock &<br />
exec ck-launch-session fusion-icon <br />
{{Note| Add a terminal-emulator to this autostart list while starting for the first time to help [https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Compiz_fusion#Configuration configure] compiz.}} <br />
<br />
An alternative method, utilizing a simple script entitled '''start-fusion.sh''':<br />
#!/bin/sh<br />
# add more apps here if necessary or start another panel, tray like pypanel, bmpanel, stalonetray<br />
xfce4-panel&<br />
fusion-icon<br />
If this script dosn't work for you, or you get issues with '''dbus''' utilize this script:<br />
#!/bin/sh<br />
cd /home/<yourusername><br />
#<br />
eval `dbus-launch --sh-syntax --exit-with-session`<br />
#<br />
/usr/bin/X :0.0 -br -audit 0 -nolisten tcp vt7 &<br />
#<br />
export DISPLAY=:0.0<br />
#<br />
sleep 1<br />
#<br />
compiz-manager decoration move resize > /tmp/compiz.log 2>&1 &<br />
# add more apps here if necessary or start another panel, tray like pypanel, bmpanel, stalonetray<br />
xfce4-panel&<br />
fusion-icon<br />
Make it executable<br />
chmod +x start-fusion.sh<br />
And add it to ~/.xinitrc, like this:<br />
exec ck-launch-session /path/to/file/start-fusion.sh<br />
<br />
Feel free to use a different panel, tray, or start a whole bunch of applications with your session.<br />
See [http://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=51282 this forum thread] for more info.<br />
<br />
==== Add a root menu ====<br />
<br />
To add a root menu similar to that in Openbox, Fluxbox, Blackbox etc. you must install the package compiz-deskmenu from the [[AUR]].<br />
Upon a restart of Compiz-Fusion, you should be able to middle click on your desktop to launch the menu.<br />
<br />
If it does not automatically work, enter the CompizConfig Settings Manager, and in Commands tab, within the General Settings menu, ensure that there is a command to launch Compiz-Deskmenu, and the appropriate key binding is set to Control+Space.<br />
<br />
If it still does not work, enter the Viewport Switcher menu, and change "Plugin for initiate action" to core (NOTE: for versions 0.8.2+ it's 'commands' instead of 'core'), and "Action name for initiate" to run_command0_key.<br />
<br />
An alternative is to use [http://aur.archlinux.org/packages.php?ID=29564 mygtkmenu], also in [[AUR]].<br />
<br />
==== Allow users to shutdown/reboot ====<br />
Refer to [https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Allow_Users_to_Shutdown this] wiki page. If using "The Modern way" of policykit You can add the command to ccsm->General->Commands and assign a short-cut key to it or alternatively you can use a launcher application.<br />
<br />
== Misc ==<br />
<br />
=== Configuration ===<br />
[https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Compiz#Configuration You must do this so your windows function like you expect them to!]<br />
<br />
=== Using compiz-manager ===<br />
<br />
In order to use compiz-manager, you need to install it from community:<br />
pacman -S compiz-manager<br />
<br />
Compiz-manager, that is now installed in {{filename|/usr/bin/compiz-manager}}, is a simple wrapper for Compiz and ALL of its options. For example, you can run <br />
compiz-manager <br />
and see what the console returns for more info. You can use it in all the scripts that start Compiz. Very simple!<br />
<br />
=== Using gtk-window-decorator ===<br />
<br />
In order to use gtk-window-decorator, install the package ''compiz-decorator-gtk'' and select "GTK Window Decorator" instead of "Emerald" as your window decorator in fusion-icon or whatever other program you are using to configure compiz.<br />
<br />
=== gconf: Additional Compiz Configurations ===<br />
<br />
To achieve more satisfying results from Compiz, you can tweak its config with gconf-editor:<br />
<br />
$ gconf-editor<br />
<br />
Note that now compiz-core isn't built with gconf support; It is now built with gconf support through compiz-decorator-gtk. So, you need to install it if you want to use gconf-editor to edit your Compiz configuration.<br />
The Compiz gconf configuration is located in in the key <b>apps</b> > <b>compiz</b> > <b>general</b> > <b>allscreens</b> > <b>options</b>.<br />
<br />
"Active plugins" is where you specify the plugins you would like to use. Simply edit the key and add a value(refer to the key <b>apps</b> > <b>compiz</b> > <b>plugins</b> to see possible values). Plugins I’ve found useful are screenshot, png, fade, and minimize. Please do not remove those enabled by default.<br />
<br />
=== Keyboard Shortcuts ===<br />
Default plugin keyboard shortcuts (plugins have to be activated!)<br />
<br />
* Switch windows = Alt + Tab<br />
* Switch desktops on cube = Ctrl + Alt + Left/Right Arrow<br />
* Move window = Alt + left-click<br />
* Resize window = Alt + right-click<br />
<br />
A more detailed list can be found under [http://wiki.compiz-fusion.org/CommonKeyboardShortcuts CommonKeyboardShortcuts] in the Compiz wiki or you can always just look at your plugin's configuration (ccsm).<br />
<br />
=== ATI R600/R700 Notes ===<br />
While using fusion-icon you shouldn't experience any problems because it takes care of everything for you, but if you are using one of the autostart methods that don't involve fusion-icon you will run into trouble. For example when using the Xfce autostart method without fusion icon you must edit ~/.config/xfce4/xfconf/xfce-perchannel-xml/xfce4-session.xml per the instructions above. However, if you follow the directions above explicity you will find that compiz does not load. You must instead make your xfce4-session.xml file look like this<br />
<br />
<property name="Client0_Command" type="array"><br />
<value type="string" value="LIBGL_ALWAYS_INDIRECT=1"/><br />
<value type="string" value="compiz"/><br />
<value type="string" value="--sm-disable"/><br />
<value type="string" value="--ignore-desktop-hints"/><br />
<value type="string" value="ccp"/><br />
<value type="string" value="--indirect-rendering"/><br />
</property><br />
<br />
This example targeted Xfce specifically, but it can be adapted to any desktop environment. It's just a matter of figuring out how to add it to the proper config file. The key thing is the required command which if typed on a command line would look like this<br />
<br />
LIBGL_ALWAYS_INDIRECT=1 compiz --sm-disable --ignore-desktop-hints ccp --indirect-rendering<br />
<br />
This is how Xfce's session manager interprets the above XML code. Notice that you don't need --replace because you are not first loading xfwm and then compiz.<br />
<br />
== Additional Resources ==<br />
<br />
*[[Compiz_Troubleshooting]] -- sub article<br />
*[[Compiz_Configuration]] -- sub article<br />
*[http://compiz.org Compiz Website] -- including wiki and forum<br />
<br />
*[[AIGLX]] -- article<br />
*[[Xgl]] -- article<br />
*[[Composite]] -- A Xorg extension required by composite managers<br />
*[[Xcompmgr]] -- A simple composite manager capable of drop shadows and primitive transparency<br />
<br />
*Wikipedia: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compositing_window_manager Compositing Window Managers]</div>Raincrossbowhttps://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php?title=User:Raincrossbow&diff=126217User:Raincrossbow2010-12-28T21:44:38Z<p>Raincrossbow: Created page with "Moderate arch user"</p>
<hr />
<div>Moderate arch user</div>Raincrossbowhttps://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php?title=ArchWiki_talk:About&diff=126216ArchWiki talk:About2010-12-28T21:43:17Z<p>Raincrossbow: </p>
<hr />
<div>"This is NOT an official Arch Linux project." -- Isn't it? [[User:Misfit138|Misfit138]] 12:26, 6 February 2010 (EST)<br />
:Huh? What an absurd question! -- [[User:Pointone|pointone]] 23:08, 25 February 2010 (EST)<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
How about adding [[Requests#Wiki_downloads|download info]] to the page? [[User:Raincrossbow|Raincrossbow]] 16:43, 28 December 2010 (EST)</div>Raincrossbowhttps://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php?title=Fan_speed_control&diff=126215Fan speed control2010-12-28T21:23:13Z<p>Raincrossbow: </p>
<hr />
<div>[[Category:CPU (English)]]<br />
[[Category:HOWTOs (English)]]<br />
<br />
{{i18n_links_start}}<br />
{{i18n_entry|English|Fan speed control}}<br />
{{i18n_entry|Русский|Контроль скорости кулера}}<br />
{{i18n_entry|Italiano|Controllo ventola CPU}}<br />
{{i18n_links_end}}<br />
<br />
Controlling the speed (and sound!) of your CPU fan is easy!<br />
<br />
'''This can ruin your hardware. A CPU fan is needed to cool your CPU and in this howto it will be turned off for a couple of seconds. If you are not comfortable with doing this, don't!''''<br />
<br />
=== lm-sensors ===<br />
<br />
First, you need to set up [[Lm_sensors|lm-sensors]].<br />
<br />
Once you have lm-sensors installed, you should have a readout with 'sensors'.<br />
<br />
<pre>$ sensors<br />
coretemp-isa-0000<br />
Adapter: ISA adapter<br />
Core 0: +29.0°C (high = +76.0°C, crit = +100.0°C) <br />
<br />
coretemp-isa-0001<br />
Adapter: ISA adapter<br />
Core 1: +29.0°C (high = +76.0°C, crit = +100.0°C) <br />
<br />
coretemp-isa-0002<br />
Adapter: ISA adapter<br />
Core 2: +31.0°C (high = +76.0°C, crit = +100.0°C) <br />
<br />
coretemp-isa-0003<br />
Adapter: ISA adapter<br />
Core 3: +29.0°C (high = +76.0°C, crit = +100.0°C) <br />
<br />
it8718-isa-0290<br />
Adapter: ISA adapter<br />
Vcc: +1.14 V (min = +0.00 V, max = +4.08 V) <br />
VTT: +2.08 V (min = +0.00 V, max = +4.08 V) <br />
+3.3V: +3.33 V (min = +0.00 V, max = +4.08 V) <br />
NB Vcore: +0.03 V (min = +0.00 V, max = +4.08 V) <br />
VDRAM: +2.13 V (min = +0.00 V, max = +4.08 V) <br />
fan1: 690 RPM (min = 10 RPM)<br />
temp1: +37.5°C (low = +129.5°C, high = +129.5°C) sensor = thermistor<br />
temp2: +25.0°C (low = +127.0°C, high = +127.0°C) sensor = thermal diode<br />
</pre><br />
<br />
If your output does not display an RPM for your CPU fan, and you are positive it is running, you need to increase the fan divisor. If your fan speed is shown and higher than 0, skip the next step.<br />
'''<br />
Increasing fan_div:'''<br />
<br />
The first line of the sensors output is the chipset your motherboard uses to read the speeds/temps/voltages. Make a backup first:<br />
Code:<br />
<br />
<pre>cp /etc/sensors.conf /etc/sensors.conf_original</pre><br />
<br />
Edit the /etc/sensors.conf file as root<br />
<br />
<pre>nano /etc/sensors.conf</pre><br />
<br />
and look up your exact chipset. The names all look alike, so make sure the one you are editing is yours. Add the line fanX_div 4 near the start of your chipset config. Replace the X with the number of your CPU fan's, for me that was 2. You have to figure out for yourself which one it is, but it's probably 1, 2 or 3.<br />
<br />
Save, and run:<br />
<br />
<pre>sudo sensors -s</pre><br />
<br />
which will reload the sensors.conf's set variables.<br />
Run sensors again and check if there is an RPM readout. If not, increase the divisor to 8, 16 or 32. YMMV!<br />
<br />
You can safely ignore anything that's not fanX_div. I would advise you to leave the other default settings as they are.<br />
<br />
=== pwmconfig ===<br />
<br />
(If you are a very cool hacker, you might want to skip this section and write /etc/fancontrol by your own, which also saves you from hearing all your fans at full speed)<br />
<br />
Once you have lm sensors properly configured, run pwmconfig to test and configure speed control of your fans:<br />
<pre>pwmconfig</pre><br />
<br />
Follow the instructions in pwmconfig to set up basic speeds.<br />
<br />
The default configuration options should create a new file, <tt>/etc/fancontrol</tt>. <br />
<br />
Follow the instructions in pwmconfig to set up speeds.<br />
<br />
==== Tweaking ====<br />
<br />
<strong>Second warning:</strong> Some of the steps outlined below describe how to tweak fan speeds. Before doing this be sure you have a low cpu load and are comfortable playing around. If at any time during tweaking you notice the CPU temperature start to rise dramatically, do a <tt>echo "255" > /sys/class/hwmon/hwmon0/device/pwm1</tt> to spin up the fan all the way until things cool down. Basically, you should know what you're doing before fooling with the configuration file.<br />
<br />
{{Note|On several systems, the included script may report errors as it trys to calibrate your fan to the PWM. You may safely ignore these as errors. The problem is that the script doesn't wait long enough before ramping up or down the PWM.}}<br />
<br />
If you want more control, you will probably need to tweak the generated configuration. Here is a sample configuration file:<br />
<br />
<pre><br />
INTERVAL=10<br />
<br />
DEVPATH=hwmon0=devices/platform/coretemp.0 hwmon2=devices/platform/w83627ehf.656<br />
DEVNAME=hwmon0=coretemp hwmon2=w83627dhg<br />
<br />
FCTEMPS=hwmon0/device/pwm1=hwmon0/device/temp1_input<br />
FCFANS= hwmon0/device/pwm1=hwmon0/device/fan1_input<br />
MINTEMP=hwmon0/device/pwm1=20<br />
MAXTEMP=hwmon0/device/pwm1=55<br />
MINSTART=hwmon0/device/pwm1=150<br />
MINSTOP=hwmon0/device/pwm1=105<br />
</pre><br />
<br />
* <strong>INTERVAL</strong>: how often the daemon should poll cpu temps and adjust fan speeds. Interval is in seconds.<br />
<br />
The rest of the configuration file is split into (at least) two values per configuration option. Each configuration option first points to a PWM device which is written to which sets the fan speed. The second "field" is the actual value to set. This allows you to monitor and control multiple fans and temperatures (if your pc supports it).<br />
<br />
* <strong>FCTEMPS</strong>: The temperature input device to read for cpu temperature. The above example corresponds to <tt>/sys/class/hwmon/hwmon0/device/temp1_input</tt>.<br />
* <strong>FCFANS</strong>: The current fan speed, which can be read (like the temperature) in <tt>/sys/class/hwmon/hwmon0/device/fan1_input</tt><br />
* <strong>MINTEMP</strong>: The temperature (&deg;C) at which to <em>SHUT OFF</em> the cpu fan. Efficicent CPU's often will not need a fan while idling. Be sure to set this to a temperature that you <em>know</em> is safe. Setting this to 0 is not reccommended, use a sane value.<br />
* <strong>MAXTEMP</strong>: The temperature (&deg;C) at which to spin the fan at it's <em>MAXIMUM</em> speed. This should be probably be set to perhaps 10 or 20 degrees (&deg;C) below your CPU's critical/shutdown temperature. Setting it closer to MINTEMP will result in higher fan speeds overall.<br />
* <strong>MINSTOP</strong>: The PWM value at which your fan stops spinning. Each fan is a little different. Power tweakers can <tt>cat</tt> different values (between 0 and 255) to <tt>/sys/class/hwmon/hwmon0/device/pwm1</tt> and then watch the cpu fan. When it stops, use this value.<br />
* <strong>MINSTART</strong>: The PWM value at which your fan starts to spin again. This is often a higher value than MINSTOP as more voltage is required to overcome inertia.<br />
<br />
There are also two settings fancontrol needs to verify the configuration file is still up to date. The lines start with the setting name and a equality sign, followed by groups of hwmon-class-device=setting, seperated by spaces. You need to specify each setting for each hwmon class device you use anywhere in the config, or fancontrol wont work.<br />
<br />
* <strong>DEVPATH</strong>: Sets the physical device. You can determine this by executing the command<br />
readlink -f /sys/class/hwmon/<hwmon-device>/device | sed -e 's/^\/sys\///'<br />
* <strong>DEVNAME</strong>: Sets the name of the device. Try<br />
cat /sys/class/hwmon/<hwmon-device>/device/name | sed -e 's/[[:space:]=]/_/g'<br />
<br />
=== fancontrol ===<br />
<br />
Try to run fancontrol:<br />
<pre>/usr/sbin/fancontrol</pre><br />
<br />
Also notice this bug: [http://bugs.archlinux.org/task/17775] (Initscript outputs FAIL when it should be DONE)<br />
<br />
It should start up and you'll probably hear your CPU fans spin down.<br />
<br />
If it's working, in order to run at boot simply add "fancontrol" to DAEMONS in /etc/rc.conf, as <br />
a fancontrol init script is now provided by default!<br />
<br />
''Most of this howto is from [[http://ubuntuforums.org/ Ubuntu forums]] and [[http://ubuntuguide.org/ Ubuntu guide]].''<br />
<br />
For Dell Latitude/Inspiron laptops, you may want to use i8kutils/i8kmon.<br />
<br />
=== simple bash script to fine tune fan speed ===<br />
Run this as root if you'd like to see how various pwm values translate into fan RPM. As you can see, this script assumes that you have fancontrol running and disables it for you, then re-enables it when you're finished. Enjoy.<br />
<br />
<pre>#!/bin/bash<br />
clear<br />
<br />
#################################################<br />
# change the following lines to match your system<br />
#################################################<br />
pwmcontrol=/sys/class/hwmon/hwmon4/device/pwm1<br />
fanrpmread=/sys/class/hwmon/hwmon4/device/fan1_input<br />
<br />
# do not edit below this line<br />
#################################################<br />
log=`pwd`/fandata.log<br />
echo "PWM,RPM" > $log<br />
<br />
echo "This script will set your PWM to values from full power down to 0 decreasing in"<br />
echo "approx 5 % steps and pausing 10 sec between steps to allow the fan RPM to catch"<br />
echo "up to the new settings. Data are logged to ${log}"<br />
echo "which can be used to generate a graph or use as-is."<br />
<br />
collectdata() {<br />
array=( 255 242 230 217 204 191 178 165 152 139 126 113 100 87 74 48 22 0 )<br />
for item in ${array[*]}<br />
do<br />
echo $item > $pwmcontrol<br />
sleep 10s<br />
rpm=`cat ${fanrpmread}`<br />
echo $item,$rpm >> $log<br />
echo "PWM: ${item} RPM: ${rpm}"<br />
done<br />
}<br />
<br />
/etc/rc.d/fancontrol stop<br />
echo "1" > ${pwmcontrol}_enable<br />
<br />
collectdata<br />
<br />
echo "0" > ${pwmcontrol}_enable<br />
/etc/rc.d/fancontrol start</pre></div>Raincrossbowhttps://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php?title=Network_configuration/Wireless&diff=126036Network configuration/Wireless2010-12-26T20:37:23Z<p>Raincrossbow: reordered the manual setup</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Category:Communication and network (English)]]<br />
[[Category:Networking (English)]]<br />
[[Category:HOWTOs (English)]]<br />
{{i18n|Wireless_Setup}}<br />
Configuring wireless is a two-part process; the first part is to identify and ensure the correct driver for your wireless device is installed, (they are available on the installation media, so make sure you install them) and to configure the interface. The second is choosing a method of managing wireless connections. This article covers both parts, and provides additional links to wireless management tools.<br />
<br />
'''About new Arch systems:''' The wireless drivers and tools are available during Arch set-up under the ''base-devel'' category. Be sure to install the proper driver for your card. Udev will usually load the appropriate module, thereby creating the wireless interface, in the initial live system of the installer, as well as the newly installed system on your hard drive. If you are configuring your wireless functionality after, and not during, Arch installation, simply ensure the required packages are installed with pacman, (driver, firmware if needed, wireless_tools, wpa_supplicant, etc.) and follow the guidelines below.<br />
<br />
== Part I: Identify Card/Install Driver ==<br />
<br />
=== Identify and Discover if Supported ===<br />
<br />
First you will need to check and see if the Linux kernel has support for your card or if a user-space driver is available for it.<br />
<br />
; Identify your card<br />
<br />
:* You can find your card type by running <br />
lspci | grep -i net<br />
from the command line.<br />
:* Or, if you have a USB device, run<br />
lsusb<br />
<br />
{{Note| The internal wifi card in some laptops can actually be usb device, so make sure you check both commands.}}<br />
<br />
; Discover if card is supported<br />
<br />
:* The [https://help.ubuntu.com/community/WifiDocs/WirelessCardsSupported Ubuntu Wiki] has a good list of wireless cards and whether or not they are supported either in the Linux kernel or by a user-space driver (includes driver name).<br />
:* [http://linux-wless.passys.nl/ Linux Wireless Support] and The Linux Questions' [http://www.linuxquestions.org/hcl/index.php?cat=10 Hardware Compatibility List] (HCL) also have a good database of kernel-friendly hardware. <br />
:* The [http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Devices kernel page] additionaly has a matrix of supported hardware.<br />
<br />
; If your card isn't listed<br />
<br />
:* If your wireless hardware isn't listed above, likely it is supported only under Windows (some Broadcom, 3com, etc). For these you will need to use [http://ndiswrapper.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/List ndiswrapper]. Ndiswrapper is a wrapper script that allows you to use some Windows drivers in Linux. See the compatibility list [http://ndiswrapper.sourceforge.net/mediawiki/index.php/List here]. You will need the {{Filename|.inf}} and {{Filename|.sys}} files from your Windows install. If you have a newer card, or more exotic card, you might want to look up your exact model name and 'linux' and search the internet before doing this step.<br />
<br />
===How it works===<br />
The default Arch kernel is ''modular'', meaning many of the drivers for machine hardware reside on the hard drive and are available as ''modules''. At boot, udev takes an inventory of your hardware. Udev will load appropriate modules (drivers) for your corresponding hardware, and the driver, in turn, will allow creation of a kernel ''interface''. <br />
<br />
The interface name for different drivers and chipsets will vary. Some examples are wlan0, eth1, and ath0.<br />
<br />
*Note: Udev is not perfect. If the proper module is not loaded by udev on boot, simply modprobe it and add the module name to etc/rc.conf on the '''MODULES=''' line. Note also that udev may occasionally load more than one driver for a device, and the resulting conflict will prevent successful configuration. Be sure to blacklist the unwanted module on the '''MODULES=''' line by prefixing it with a bang (!).<br />
<br />
===Installation===<br />
<br />
====If you have wired internet available====<br />
If you have wired ethernet available, and are simply adding wireless functionality to an existing system, and did not include wireless_tools during initial installation, use pacman to install:<br />
# pacman -S wireless_tools<br />
The drivers' corresponding package names are all highlighted in '''bold''' on this page. The packages can be installed during initial package selection on the Arch installation media and can also be installed later with pacman, e.g.:<br />
# pacman -S madwifi<br />
<br />
====If you have only wireless internet available====<br />
The '''wireless_tools''' package is now available as part of the base system and is also on the live installation media (CD/USB stick image) under the '''base-devel''' category. <br />
<br />
You cannot initialize wireless hardware without these user-space tools, so ensure they are installed from the installer media, (during package selection), especially if you have no means of networking other than wirelessly. Otherwise, you will be stuck in a recursion when you reboot your newly installed Arch system; you will need wireless_tools and drivers, but in order to get them, you will need wireless_tools and drivers.<br />
<br />
===Drivers and firmware===<br />
Methods and procedures for installing drivers for various chip-sets are covered below. In addition, certain chip-sets require the installation of corresponding ''firmware'' (also covered below).<br />
<br />
====wlan-ng (obsolete)====<br />
<br />
Packages: '''wlan-ng26-utils'''<br />
<br />
This driver supports PRISM based cards, which are hard to find now. The PRISM card is an IEEE 802.11 compliant 2.4 GHz DSSS WLAN network interface card that uses the Intersil PRISM chip-set for its radio functions and the AMD PCNet-Mobile chip (AM79C930) for its Media Access Controller (MAC) function. The supported adapters can be found from here: http://www.linux-wlan.org/docs/wlan_adapters.html.gz<br />
<br />
For wlan-ng you do not need the wireless_tools package as mentioned above. Instead you will need to learn the tools in the wlan-ng26-utils package: '''wlancfg and wlanctl-ng'''.<br />
<br />
See http://www.linux-wlan.org/<br />
<br />
====rt2860 and rt2870====<br />
In kernel since 2.6.29 and requires no extra packages. It can be configured using the standard wpa_supplicant and iwconfig tools. Unfortunately this does not go for Arch. In order to get it to work, disabling the following modules has proven to be successful:<br />
<br />
rt2800pci rt61pci rt2x00pci rt2800usb rt2800lib rt2x00usb rt2x00lib<br />
<br />
It has a wide range of options that can be configured with iwpriv. These are documented in the [http://www.ralinktech.com/ralink/Home/Support/Linux.html source tarballs] available from Ralink<br />
<br />
For rt2870sta, also see [[Rt2870]]<br />
<br />
====w322u====<br />
Treat this Tenda card as an rt2870sta. See: [[Rt2870]]<br />
<br />
====rtl8180====<br />
Realtek rtl8180 PCI/Cardbus 802.11b now fully supported in the kernel. It can be configured using the standard wpa_supplicant and iwconfig tools.<br />
<br />
====rtl8192e====<br />
<br />
The driver is part of the current kernel package. It can be configured using the standard wpa_supplicant and iwconfig tools.<br />
<br />
====rtl8192s====<br />
<br />
The driver is part of the current kernel package. Firmware may need to be added manually if /lib/firmware/RTL8192SU/rtl8192sfw.bin does not exist. (dmesg will report ''"rtl819xU:FirmwareRequest92S(): failed"'' if the firmware is missing)<br />
<br />
To download and install firmware:<br />
<pre>$ wget http://launchpadlibrarian.net/33927923/rtl8192se_linux_2.6.0010.1012.2009.tar.gz<br />
# mkdir /lib/firmware/RTL8192SU<br />
# tar -xzOf rtl8192se_linux_2.6.0010.1012.2009.tar.gz \<br />
rtl8192se_linux_2.6.0010.1012.2009/firmware/RTL8192SE/rtl8192sfw.bin > \<br />
/lib/firmware/RTL8192SU/rtl8192sfw.bin</pre><br />
<br />
Note: An alternate version of the firmware may be found [http://launchpadlibrarian.net/37387612/rtl8192sfw.bin.gz here], but this version may cause dropped connections.<br />
<br />
Note: [[wicd]] may cause excessive dropped connections with this driver, while [[NetworkManager]] appears to work better.<br />
<br />
====rt2x00====<br />
Unified driver for Ralink chip-sets (replaces rt2500,rt61,rt73 etc). In kernel since 2.6.24, some devices require extra firmware. It can be configured using the standard wpa_supplicant and iwconfig tools.<br />
<br />
Some chips require a firmware file, which can be installed as follows, depending on the chip-set:<br />
<pre>pacman -S linux-firmware</pre><br />
<br />
See: [[Using the new rt2x00 beta driver]]<br />
<br />
====rt2500, rt61, rt73 (obsolete)====<br />
For Ralink <br />
* PCI/PCMCIA based rt2500 series chip-sets.<br />
* PCI/PCMCIA based rt61 series chip-sets<br />
* USB based rt73 series chip-sets. <br />
<br />
Drivers are now '''obsolete''' and '''unsupported'''. The rt2x00 driver family is stable and to be used instead.<br />
<br />
Support standard iwconfig tools for unencrypted and WEP connections, although it can be quite sensitive to the order of commands.<br />
The driver does support WPA (using hardware encryption), but in a non-standard way. wpa_supplicant appears to include special support for this driver, and it is also possible to negotiate a WPA connection manually using iwpriv commands.<br />
See [http://rt2400.cvs.sourceforge.net/*checkout*/rt2400/source/rt2500/Module/iwpriv_usage.txt these instructions] for details.<br />
<br />
====madwifi-ng====<br />
Package: '''madwifi''' (and optionaly '''madwifi-utils''')<br />
<br />
The module is called <tt>ath_pci</tt>.<br />
<br />
Note there are newer modules maintained by the MadWifi team:<br />
* [[#ath5k|ath5k]] will eventually phase out ath_pci. Currently a better choice for some chipsets.<br />
* [[#ath9k|ath9k]] is the new, official, superior driver for newer Atheros hardware (see below).<br />
<br />
modprobe ath_pci<br />
for the older driver, or:<br />
modprobe ath5k<br />
for the development version. Note that not all cards work with ath5k yet.<br />
<br />
If using ath_pci, you may need to blacklist ath5k by adding it to the MODULES=array in /etc/rc.conf, and subsequently prefixing it with a bang (!):<br />
MODULES=(!ath5k forcedeth snd_intel8x0 ... ...)<br />
<br />
Some users '''may need''' to use the 'countrycode' option when loading the MadWifi driver in order to use channels and transmit power settings that are legal in their country/region. In the Netherlands, for example, you would load the module like this:<br />
<br />
modprobe ath_pci countrycode=528<br />
<br />
You can verify the settings with the <tt>iwlist</tt> command. See <tt>man iwlist</tt> and the [http://madwifi-project.org/wiki/UserDocs/CountryCode CountryCode page on the MadWifi wiki]. To have this setting automatically applied during boot, add the following to <tt>/etc/modprobe.d/modprobe.conf</tt>:<br />
<br />
{{Note| The new module-init-tools 3.8 package changes the location of the configuration file: /etc/modprobe.conf is no longer read, instead /etc/modprobe.d/modprobe.conf is used. [http://www.archlinux.org/news/450/ link]}}<br />
<br />
options ath_pci countrycode=528<br />
<br />
{{Note|A user had to remove the countrycode option completely or else the ath0 device was not created (kernel 2.6.21).}}<br />
<br />
====ath5k====<br />
ath5k is the preferred driver for AR5xxx chipsets including those which are already working with madwifi-ng and for some chipsets older than AR5xxx. <br />
<br />
If ath5k is conflicting with ath_pci on your system, blacklist (and unload using rmmod or reboot) the following drivers...<br />
MODULES=(<br />
...<br />
!ath_hal !ath_pci !ath_rate_amrr !ath_rate_onoe !ath_rate_sample !wlan !wlan_acl !wlan_ccmp !wlan_scan_ap !wlan_scan_sta !wlan_tkip !wlan_wep !wlan_xauth<br />
...<br />
)<br />
<br />
then modprobe ath5k manualy or reboot. wlan0 (or wlanX) in sta mode should spawn and become ready to use.<br />
<br />
Info:<br />
* http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Drivers/ath5k<br />
* http://wiki.debian.org/ath5k<br />
<br />
{{Note|Some laptop have problem of Wireless LED indicator flickers red and blue. To solve this problem do :<br />
echo none > "/sys/class/leds/ath5k-phy0::tx/trigger"<br />
echo none > "/sys/class/leds/ath5k-phy0::rx/trigger"<br />
For alternative look {{[https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=618232 here]}}}}<br />
<br />
====ath9k====<br />
ath9k is Atheros' officially supported driver for the newer 11n chip-sets. All of the chips with 11n capabilities are supported, with a maximum throughput around 180 Mbps. To see a complete list of supported hardware, check this [http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Drivers/ath9k page].<br />
<br />
Working modes: Station, AP and Adhoc.<br />
<br />
ath9k has been part of the kernel as of 2.6.27. Support seems acceptable as of 2.6.32 (see [http://linuxwireless.org/en/users/Drivers/ath9k/bugs#Minimal_kernel_requirements details on linuxwireless.org]). (In the unlikely event that you have stability issues that trouble you, you could try using the [http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Download compat-wireless] package.<br />
An [https://lists.ath9k.org/mailman/listinfo/ath9k-devel ath9k mailing list] exists for support and development related discussions.)<br />
<br />
Info:<br />
* http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Drivers/ath9k<br />
* http://wiki.debian.org/ath9k<br />
<br />
====ath9k_htc====<br />
ath9k_htc is Atheros' officially supported driver for 11n USB devices. Station and Ad-Hoc modes are supported. The driver has been merged in Linus' kernel tree and will be part of 2.6.35 once it is released. To use the driver now, use a recent compat-wireless packege. Firmware is needed for the functioning of the driver, for more information on this see http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Drivers/ath9k_htc .<br />
<br />
====ipw2100 and ipw2200====<br />
Fully supported in the kernel, but requires additional firmware. It can be configured using the standard wpa_supplicant and iwconfig tools.<br />
<br />
Depending on which of the chips you have, use either:<br />
<br />
'''ipw2100-fw'''<br />
pacman -S ipw2100-fw<br />
<br />
or:<br />
<br />
'''ipw2200-fw'''<br />
pacman -S ipw2200-fw<br />
<br />
If installing after initial Arch installation, the module may need to be reloaded for the firmware to be loaded; run the following as root:<br />
<br />
rmmod ipw2200<br />
modprobe ipw2200<br />
<br />
=====Enabling the radiotap interface=====<br />
Launch the following (as root):<br />
<br />
rmmod ipw2200<br />
modprobe ipw2200 rtap_iface=1<br />
<br />
=====Enabling the LED=====<br />
Most laptops will have a front LED to indicate when the wireless is connected (or not). Run the following (as root) to enable this feature:<br />
<br />
echo "options ipw2200 led=1" >> /etc/modprobe.d/ipw2200.conf<br />
<br />
or if using sudo:<br />
<br />
echo "options ipw2200 led=1" | sudo tee -a /etc/modprobe.d/ipw2200.conf<br />
<br />
====iwl3945, iwl4965 and iwl5000-series====<br />
'''I'''ntel's open source '''W'''iFi drivers for '''L'''inux (See [http://intellinuxwireless.org iwlwifi]) will work for both the 3945 and 4965 chipsets since kernel v2.6.24. And iwl5000-series chipsets (including 5100BG, 5100ABG, 5100AGN, 5300AGN and 5350AGN) module has been supported since '''kernel 2.6.27''', by the intree driver '''iwlagn'''.<br />
<br />
=====Installing Firmware (Microcode)=====<br />
'''Important:''' Installing these firmware packages is not required since the 2.6.34 kernel<br />
update, when the firmware files were moved to the linux-firmware package:<br />
<br />
# pacman -S linux-firmware<br />
<br />
If you need wireless connectivity to access pacman's repositories, the firmware files are also available direct from Intel. See [http://intellinuxwireless.org/?n=downloads this ] page, select and download the archive.<br />
$ wget http://intellinuxwireless.org/iwlwifi/downloads/iwlwifi-XXXX-ucode-XXX.XX.X.XX.tgz<br />
<br />
After downloading, you must extract and copy the *.ucode file to the firmware directory, commonly /lib/firmware<br />
# tar zxvf iwlwifi-XXXX-ucode-XXX.XX.X.XX.tgz<br />
# cd iwlwifi-XXXX-ucode-XXX.XX.X.XX/<br />
# cp iwlwifi-XXXX-X.ucode /lib/firmware/<br />
<br />
=====Loading the Driver=====<br />
If MOD_AUTOLOAD is set to yes in /etc/rc.conf (it is by default) that should be all that is required. Simply check for the presence of the drivers by running '''ifconfig -a''' from a terminal. There should be a listing for wlan0.<br />
<br />
Do this ONLY if MOD_AUTOLOAD is not set: to manually load the driver at startup, edit <tt>/etc/rc.conf</tt> as root and add '''iwl3945''' or '''iwl4965''' respectively to the MODULES array. For example:<br />
<br />
MODULES=( ... b44 mii '''iwl3945''' snd-mixer-oss ...)<br />
<br />
The drivers should now load after a reboot, and running '''ifconfig -a''' from a terminal should report '''wlan0''' as a new network interface.<br />
<br />
=====Disabling LED blink=====<br />
<br />
The default settings on the module are to have the LED blink on activity. Some people like myself find this extremely annoying. To have the LED on solid when wifi is active:<br />
<br />
# echo "options iwlcore led_mode=1" >> /etc/modprobe.d/modprobe.conf<br />
# rmmod iwlagn<br />
# rmmod iwlcore<br />
# modprobe iwlcore<br />
# modprobe iwlagn<br />
<br />
=====Other Notes=====<br />
* The windows NETw4x32 driver can be used with ndiswrapper as an alternative to the iwl3945 and ipw3945 drivers<br />
* In some cases (specifically a [[Dell Latitude D620]] with Arch 2008.06, though it could happen elsewhere) after installation you may have both iwl3945 and ipw3945 in your <tt>MODULES=()</tt> section of rc.conf. The card will not work with both modules loaded, so you will have to ! out the ipw3945 module and then reboot or remove the module manually before you can use your wireless card.<br />
* By default iwl3945 is configured to only work with networks on channels 1-11. Higher ranges are not allowed in some parts of the world (US). In the EU however channels 12 and 13 are used quite common. To make iwl3945 scan for all channels, add "options cfg80211 ieee80211_regdom=EU" to /etc/modprobe.d/modprobe.conf. With "iwlist f" you can check which channels are allowed.<br />
* If you want to enable more channels on Intel Wifi 5100 (and quite possible other cards too) you can do that with the crda package. After install, edit /etc/conf.d/wireless-regdom and uncomment the line where your country code is found. Add wireless-regdom to your DAEMONS in rc.conf and restart (which is the easiest thing to do). You should now, when writing sudo iwlist wlan0 channel, have access to more channels (depending on your location).<br />
* The wifi power management can be enabled by adding:<br />
iwconfig wlan0(change as appropriate) power on<br />
to /etc/rc.local.<br />
<br />
====ipw3945 (obsolete)====<br />
{{Note| ''The ipw3945 driver is no longer actively developed, and the iwlwifi driver (described above) should work perfectly, but may conflict with the former one. Therefore only one of them should be installed. If you choose to use the iwlwifi driver, the '''ipw3945-ucode''' package is still required.''}}<br />
# pacman -S ipw3945 ipw3945-ucode ipw3945d<br />
To initialize the driver on startup, edit <tt>/etc/rc.conf</tt> as root and add '''ipw3945''' to the MODULES array and '''ipw3945d''' to the DAEMONS array. For example:<br />
<br />
MODULES=(... mii '''ipw3945''' snd-mixer-oss ...)<br />
<br />
DAEMONS=(syslog-ng '''ipw3945d''' network ...)<br />
<br />
'''Note:''' The '''ipw3945d''' daemon ''must'' be inserted BEFORE all other network daemons in the array.<br />
<br />
====orinoco====<br />
This should be part of the kernel package and be installed already.<br />
<br />
Note: Some orinoco chipsets are Hermes I/II. You can use http://aur.archlinux.org/packages.php?ID=9637 to replace the orinoco driver and gain WPA support. See http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=2154534#post2154534 for more information.<br />
<br />
To use the driver, blacklist orinoco_cs in rc.conf (!orinoco_cs in the MODULES array) and add wlags49_h1_cs. Example:<br />
MODULES=(!snd_pcsp !eepro100 ''!orinoco_cs'' '''wlags49_h1_cs''')<br />
<br />
====ndiswrapper====<br />
Ndiswrapper is not a real driver, but you can use it when there are no native Linux kernel drivers for your wireless chips. So it is very useful in some situations. To use it you need the *.inf file from your Windows driver (the *.sys file must also be present in the same directory). Be sure to use drivers appropriate to your architecture (i.e. 32/64bit). If you need to extract these files from an *.exe file, you can use either cabextract or wine. Ndiswrapper is included on the Arch Linux installation CD.<br />
<br />
Follow these steps to configure ndiswrapper.<br />
<pre><br />
#Install the driver to /etc/ndiswrapper/*<br />
ndiswrapper -i filename.inf<br />
#List all installed driver for ndiswrapper<br />
ndiswrapper -l<br />
#Write configuration file in /etc/modprobe.d/ndiswrapper.conf<br />
ndiswrapper -m<br />
depmod -a</pre><br />
<br />
Now the ndiswrapper install is almost finished; you just have to update /etc/rc.conf to load the module at boot (below is a sample of my config; yours might look slightly different):<br />
<br />
<pre>MODULES=(ndiswrapper snd-intel8x0 !usbserial)</pre><br />
<br />
The important part is making sure that ndiswrapper exists on this line, so just add it alongside the other modules. It would be best to test that ndiswrapper will load now, so:<br />
<br />
<pre>modprobe ndiswrapper<br />
iwconfig</pre><br />
<br />
and wlan0 should exist. Check this page if you're having problems:<br />
[http://ndiswrapper.sourceforge.net/joomla/index.php?/component/option,com_openwiki/Itemid,33/id,installation/ Ndiswrapper installation wiki].<br />
<br />
====prism54====<br />
Download the firmware driver for your appropriate card from [http://www.prism54.org/ this site]. Rename the firmware file to 'isl3890'.<br />
If nonexistent, create the directory /lib/firmware and place the file 'isl3890' in it. This should do the trick. [http://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?t=16569&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=siocsifflags+such+file++directory]<br />
<br />
If that did not work, try this:<br />
<br />
*Reload the prism module (modprobe p54usb or modprobe p54pci, depending on your hardware)<br />
alternatively remove your wifi card and then reconnect it<br />
*Use the "dmesg" command, and look at the end of the output it prints out.<br />
Look for a section looking like this: <br />
firmware: requesting '''isl3887usb_bare'''<br />
p54: LM86 firmware<br />
p54: FW rev 2.5.8.0 - Softmac protocol 3.0<br />
and try renaming the firmware file to the name corresponding to the part bolded here.<br />
<br />
====ACX100/111====<br />
packages: tiacx tiacx-firmware<br />
<br />
The driver should tell you which firmware it needs; check /var/log/messages.log or use the dmesg command.<br />
<br />
Link the appropriate firmware to '/lib/firmware':<br />
ln -s /usr/share/tiacx/acx111_2.3.1.31/tiacx111c16 /lib/firmware<br />
<br />
For another way to determine which firmware revision number to use, see the [http://acx100.sourceforge.net/wiki/Firmware "Which firmware" section] of the acx100.sourceforge wiki. For ACX100, you can follow the links provided there, to a table of card model number vs. "firmware files known to work"; you can figure out the rev. number you need, by looking at the suffix there. E.g. a dlink_dwl650+ uses "1.9.8.b", in which case you'd do this:<br />
ln -s /usr/share/tiacx/acx100_1.9.8.b/* /lib/firmware<br />
<br />
If you find that the driver is spamming your kernel log, for example because you're running Kismet with channel-hopping, you could put this in /etc/modprobe.d/modprobe.conf:<br />
options acx debug=0<br />
<br />
{{Note|The open-source acx driver does not support WPA/RSN encryption. Ndiswrapper will have to be used with the windows driver to enable the enhanced encryption. See ndiswrapper, this page, for more details.}}<br />
<br />
==== b43 ====<br />
<br />
This driver is the successor to the bcm43xx driver, and is included in kernel from 2.6.24 on.<br />
<br />
If you haven't discovered you card make yet, run:<br />
<br />
lspci | grep Network<br />
<br />
To see if your Broadcom card is supported and to identify the proper module, look [http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Drivers/b43#Known_PCI_devices here]. For known card models in various computers, look [http://linuxwireless.org/en/users/Drivers/b43/devices here]. Define the module to use in {{Filename|/etc/rc.conf}} and blacklist the other module to prevent possible problems or confusion.:<br />
<br />
MODULES=(... !b43legacy b43) # or<br />
MODULES=(... !b43 b43legacy)<br />
<br />
Install the corresponding Broadcom 43xx firmware package for your hardware. The packages are on the [[AUR]]:<br />
<br />
b43-firmware <br />
b43-firmware-legacy # for older cards<br />
<br />
Restart, and configure your device as normal. For more detailed information and installation manuals of b43 driver see [http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Drivers/b43 b43 homepage]<br />
<br />
Create a new folder to your home (wifi or any other name)<br />
<br />
sudo pacman -S b43-fwcutter<br />
export FIRMWARE_INSTALL_DIR="/lib/firmware"<br />
wget http://downloads.openwrt.org/sources/broadcom-wl-4.178.10.4.tar.bz2<br />
tar xjf broadcom-wl-4.178.10.4.tar.bz2<br />
cd broadcom-wl-4.178.10.4/linux<br />
sudo b43-fwcutter -w "$FIRMWARE_INSTALL_DIR" wl_apsta.o<br />
<br />
reboot your computer<br />
<br />
Note: those steps were taken from<br />
<br />
[http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Drivers/b43/ b43]<br />
<br />
====broadcom-wl====<br />
Some recent Broadcom 43xx cards not supported by bcm43xx or b43. Not just for some 43XX cards. See the [[Broadcom_BCM43XX|Broadcom 43XX wiki page]]. It is available in [http://aur.archlinux.org/packages.php?ID=19514 AUR]. These chipsets are used in most Dell laptops, among others.<br />
<br />
====rtl8187====<br />
See: [[Rtl8187_wireless|rtl8187]]<br />
<br />
====zd1211rw====<br />
[http://zd1211.wiki.sourceforge.net/ zd1211rw] is a driver for the ZyDAS ZD1211 802.11b/g USB WLAN chipset and it is included in recent versions of the Linux kernel. See [http://www.linuxwireless.org/en/users/Drivers/zd1211rw/devices] for a list of supported devices. You only need to install the firmware for the device: <pre>pacman -S zd1211-firmware</pre><br />
<br />
===Test installation===<br />
After loading your driver run<br />
iwconfig<br />
to ensure a wireless interface (wlan''x'', eth''x'', ath''x'') is created.<br />
<br />
If no such interface is visible, modprobing it might work. To start your driver, use the '''rmmod''' and '''modprobe''' commands (if rmmod fails, continue with modprobe).<br />
<br />
Example: if your driver is called "driverXXX", you would run the following commands:<br />
# rmmod driverXXX<br />
# modprobe driverXXX<br />
<br />
Bring the interface up with <code>ifconfig <interface> up</code>. e.g. assuming the interface is <code>wlan0</code>:<br />
# ifconfig wlan0 up<br />
If you get this error message: <code>SIOCSIFFLAGS: No such file or directory</code> it most certainly means your wireless chipset requires a firmware to function, which you need to install as explained above.<br />
<br />
==Part II: Wireless management==<br />
Assuming that your drivers are installed and working properly, you will need to choose a method for managing your wireless connections. The following subsections will help you decide the best way to do just that.<br />
<br />
Procedure and tools required will depend on several factors:<br />
* The desired nature of configuration management; from a completely manual command line setup procedure repeated at each boot to a software-managed, automated solution<br />
* The encryption type (or lack thereof) which protects the wireless network<br />
* The need for network profiles, if the computer will frequently change networks (such as a laptop)<br />
<br />
===Management methods===<br />
This table shows the different methods that can be used to activate and manage a wireless network connection, depending on the encryption and management types, and the various tools that are required. Although there may be other possibilities, these are the most frequently used:<br />
{| border="1"<br />
! Management || No encryption/WEP || WPA/WPA2 PSK<br />
|-<br />
| Manual, need to repeat at each computer reboot || <code>ifconfig + iwconfig + dhcpcd/ifconfig</code> || <code>ifconfig + iwconfig + wpa_supplicant + dhcpcd/ifconfig</code><br />
|-<br />
| Automatically managed, centralized without network profile support || define interface in <code>/etc/rc.conf</code> || not covered<br />
|-<br />
| Automatically managed, with network profiles support || colspan="2" align="center" | <code>Netcfg, newlan (AUR), wicd, NetworkManager, etc…</code><br />
|}<br />
<br />
More choice guide: <br />
<br />
{| border="1"<br />
! - || Netcfg+Newlan(AUR) || Wicd ||NetworkManager+network-manager-applet<br />
|-<br />
| auto connect at boot || with net-profiles daemon config in rc.conf || yes || yes<br />
|-<br />
| auto connect if dropped <br>or changed location || with net-auto-wireless daemon config in rc.conf || yes || yes<br />
|-<br />
| support 3G Modem || || || yes<br />
|-<br />
| GUI (proposes to manage and connect/disconnect<br> profiles from a systray icon. <br>Automatic wireless detection is also availabl) || with ArchAssitant || yes || yes<br />
|-<br />
| console tools || with wifi-select (AUR) || wicd-curses(part of wicd package) || cnetworkmanager (AUR)<br />
|-<br />
| connect speed || slow || || fast<br />
|}<br />
<br />
Whatever your choice, you should try to connect using the manual method first. This will help you understand the different steps that are required and debug them in case a problem arose. Another tip: if possible (e.g. if you manage your wifi access point), try connecting with no encryption, to check everything works. Then try using encryption, either WEP (simpler to configure -- but crackable in a matter of minutes, so it's hardly more secure than an unencrypted connection) or WPA.<br />
<br />
When it comes to easy of use, NetworkManager (with Gnome network-manager-applet) and wicd have good GUIs and can provide a list of available networks to connect, they prompt for passwords, which is straightforward and highly recommended. (Note Gnome network-manager-applet also works under xfce4 if you install xfce4-xfapplet-plugin first, also there are applet available for KDE.) <br />
<br />
====Manual setup====<br />
The programs provided by the package '''wireless_tools''' are the basic set of tools to set up a wireless network. Moreover, if you use WPA/WPA2 encryption, you will need the package '''wpa_supplicant'''. These powerful userspace console tools work extremely well and allow complete, manual control from the shell.<br />
<br />
These examples assume your wireless device is <code>wlan0</code>. Replace <code>wlan0</code> with the appropriate device name.<br />
{{Note| Depending on your hardware and encryption type, some of these steps may not be necessary. Some cards are known to require interface activation and/or access point scanning before being associated to an access point and being given an IP address. Some experimentation may be required. For instance, WPA/WPA2 users may directly try to activate their wireless network from step 3.}}<br />
<br />
'''Step 0.''' ''(Optional, may be required)'' At this step you may need to set the proper operating mode of the wireless card. More specifically, if you're going to connect an ad-hoc network, you might need to set the operating mode to ''ad-hoc:''<br />
# iwconfig wlan0 mode ad-hoc<br />
<br />
{{Note| Ideally, you should a priori know, which type of network you are going to connect. If you don't, scan the network as described in step 2 below, then, if necessary, return back to this step and change the mode. Also, please, bear in mind that changing the operating mode might require the wlan interface to be ''down'' (<code>ifconfig wlan0 down</code>).}}<br />
<br />
'''Step 1.''' ''(Also optional, may be required)'' Some cards require that the kernel interface be activated before you can use the wireless_tools:<br />
# ifconfig wlan0 up<br />
<br />
'''Step 2.''' See what access points are available:<br />
# iwlist wlan0 scan<br />
<br />
{{Note| If it displays "''Interface does not support scanning''" then you probably forgot to install the firmware. You can also try bringing up the interface first as shown in point 1.}}<br />
<br />
'''Step 3.''' Depending on the encryption, you need to associate your wireless device with the access point to use and pass the encryption key.<br />
<br />
Assuming you want to use the ESSID named <code>MyEssid</code>:<br />
* ''No encryption''<br />
# iwconfig wlan0 essid "MyEssid"<br />
* ''WEP''<br />
using an hexadecimal key:<br />
# iwconfig wlan0 essid "MyEssid" key 1234567890<br />
using an ascii key:<br />
# iwconfig wlan0 essid "MyEssid" key s:asciikey<br />
* ''WPA/WPA2''<br />
<br />
You need to edit the <code>/etc/wpa_supplicant.conf</code> file as described in [[WPA_Supplicant]]. Then, issue this command:<br />
# wpa_supplicant -B -Dwext -i wlan0 -c /etc/wpa_supplicant.conf<br />
<br />
This is assuming your device uses the <code>wext</code> driver. If this does not work, you may need to adjust these options. Check [[WPA_Supplicant]] for more information and troubleshooting.<br />
<br />
Regardless of the method used, you can check if you have associated successfully as follows:<br />
# iwconfig wlan0<br />
<br />
'''Step 4.''' Finally, provide an IP address to the network interface. Simple examples are:<br />
# dhcpcd wlan0<br />
for DHCP, or<br />
# ifconfig wlan0 192.168.0.2<br />
# route add default gw 192.168.0.1<br />
for static IP.<br />
<br />
Note: If you get an timeout error due to a ''waiting for carrier'' problem then you might have to set channel mode to auto for the specific device.<br />
<br />
# iwconfig wlan0 channel auto <br />
<br />
{{Note| Although the manual configuration method will help troubleshoot wireless problems, you will have to retype every command each time you reboot.}}<br />
<br />
====Automatic setup====<br />
There are many solutions to choose from, but remember that all of them are mutually exclusive; you should not run two daemons simultaneously.<br />
<br />
=====Standard network daemon=====<br />
{{Note| This method and configuration examples are only valid for unencrypted or WEP-encrypted networks, which are particularly unsecure. To use WPA/WPA2, you will need to use other solutions such as '''[[netcfg]]''' or '''[[wicd]]'''. Also, avoid mixing these methods as they may create a conflict and prevent the wireless card from functioning.}}<br />
<br />
* The '''/etc/rc.conf''' file is sourced by the network script. Therefore, you may define and configure a simple wireless setup within /etc/rc.conf for a centralized approach with '''wlan_<interface>="<interface> essid <essid>"''' and '''INTERFACES=(<interface1> <interface2>)'''. The name of the network goes in place of '''MyEssid'''.<br />
<br />
For example:<br />
# /etc/rc.conf<br />
eth0="dhcp"<br />
wlan0="dhcp"<br />
wlan_wlan0="wlan0 essid MyEssid" # Unencrypted<br />
#wlan_wlan0="wlan0 essid MyEssid key 1234567890" # hex WEP key<br />
#wlan_wlan0="wlan0 essid MyEssid key s:asciikey" # ascii WEP key<br />
INTERFACES=(eth0 wlan0)<br />
<br />
Not all wireless cards are <code>wlan0</code>. Determine your wireless interface with ifconfig -a. <br />
Atheros-based cards, for example, are typically <code>ath0</code>, so change <code>wlan_wlan0</code> to:<br />
wlan_ath0="ath0 essid MyEssid key 12345678" <br />
Also define ath0 in the INTERFACES=line.)<br />
<br />
* Alternatively, you may define wlan_<interface> within /etc/conf.d/wireless, (which is also sourced by the network script), for a de-centralized approach:<br />
# /etc/conf.d/wireless<br />
wlan_wlan0="wlan0 essid MyEssid"<br />
<br />
These solutions are limited for a laptop which is always on the move. It would be good to have multiple [[Network Profiles]] and be able to easily switch from one to another. That is the aim of network managers, such as netcfg.<br />
<br />
=====Netcfg=====<br />
'''netcfg''' provides a ''versatile, robust and fast'' solution to networking on Arch.<br />
<br />
It uses a profile based setup and is capable of detection and connection to a wide range of network types. This is no harder than using graphical tools. Following the directions above, you can get a list of wireless networks. Then, as with graphical tools, you will need a password.<br />
<br />
See: [[Network Profiles]], and [[Network Profiles development]]<br />
<br />
=====Netcfg Easy Wireless LAN (newlan)=====<br />
newlan is a mono console application that starts a user-friendly wizard to create netcfg profiles, it supports also wired connections.<br />
<br />
Install from [[AUR]]: http://aur.archlinux.org/packages.php?ID=33649<br />
<br />
Or use the [[AUR]] helper of your choice.<br />
<br />
newlan must be run with root privileges:<br />
# sudo newlan -n mynewprofile<br />
<br />
=====Autowifi=====<br />
<br />
{{Box|Autowifi is deprecated|Autowifi has been deprecated in favor of [[netcfg]]'s [[Netcfg#net-auto-wireless|net-auto-wireless]] mode|#DF0000|#FFDFDF}}<br />
<br />
Autowifi is a daemon that configures your wireless network automatically depending on the ESSID. Once configured, no user interaction is necessary and no GUI tools are required.<br />
<br />
See: [[Autowifi]]<br />
<br />
=====Wicd=====<br />
Wicd is a network manager that can handle both wireless and wired connections. It is written in Python and Gtk with fewer dependencies than NetworkManager, making it an ideal solution for lightweight desktop users. Wicd is now available in the extra repository for both i686 and x86_64.<br />
<br />
See: [[Wicd]]<br />
<br />
=====NetworkManager=====<br />
NetworkManager is an advanced network management tool that is enabled by default in most popular GNU/Linux distributions. In addition to managing wired connections, NetworkManager provides worry-free wireless roaming with an easy-to-use GUI program for selecting your desired network. <br />
<br />
See: [[NetworkManager]]<br />
<br />
=====Wifi Radar=====<br />
WiFi Radar is Python/PyGTK2 utility for managing wireless profiles (and ''only'' wireless). It enables you to scan for available networks and create profiles for your preferred networks.<br />
<br />
See: [[Wifi Radar]]<br />
<br />
=====Wlassistant=====<br />
Wlassistant is a very intuitive and straightforward GUI application for managing your wireless connections. <br />
<br />
Install from AUR: http://aur.archlinux.org/packages.php?ID=1726<br />
<br />
Wlassistant must be run with root privileges:<br />
# sudo wlassistant<br />
One method of using wlassistant is to configure your wireless card within /etc/rc.conf, specifying the access point you use most often. On startup, your card will automatically be configured for this ESSID, but if other wireless networks are needed/available, wlassistant can then be invoked to access them. Background the network daemon in /etc/rc.conf, by prefixing it with a @, to avoid boot delays.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
*[[Sharing ppp connection with wlan interface]]<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
*[http://www.gnome.org/projects/NetworkManager/ NetworkManager] -- The official website for NetworkManager<br />
*[http://wicd.sourceforge.net/ WICD] -- The official website for WICD<br />
*[https://lists.anl.gov/mailman/listinfo/wifi-radar Wifi Radar] -- Wifi Radar information page<br />
*[http://madwifi.org/wiki/UserDocs/FirstTimeHowTo The madwifi project's method of installing] -- Recommended if you are having trouble after reading this article</div>Raincrossbowhttps://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php?title=Network_configuration/Wireless&diff=126034Network configuration/Wireless2010-12-26T20:01:59Z<p>Raincrossbow: moved the ad-hoc note</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Category:Communication and network (English)]]<br />
[[Category:Networking (English)]]<br />
[[Category:HOWTOs (English)]]<br />
{{i18n|Wireless_Setup}}<br />
Configuring wireless is a two-part process; the first part is to identify and ensure the correct driver for your wireless device is installed, (they are available on the installation media, so make sure you install them) and to configure the interface. The second is choosing a method of managing wireless connections. This article covers both parts, and provides additional links to wireless management tools.<br />
<br />
'''About new Arch systems:''' The wireless drivers and tools are available during Arch set-up under the ''base-devel'' category. Be sure to install the proper driver for your card. Udev will usually load the appropriate module, thereby creating the wireless interface, in the initial live system of the installer, as well as the newly installed system on your hard drive. If you are configuring your wireless functionality after, and not during, Arch installation, simply ensure the required packages are installed with pacman, (driver, firmware if needed, wireless_tools, wpa_supplicant, etc.) and follow the guidelines below.<br />
<br />
== Part I: Identify Card/Install Driver ==<br />
<br />
=== Identify and Discover if Supported ===<br />
<br />
First you will need to check and see if the Linux kernel has support for your card or if a user-space driver is available for it.<br />
<br />
; Identify your card<br />
<br />
:* You can find your card type by running <br />
lspci | grep -i net<br />
from the command line.<br />
:* Or, if you have a USB device, run<br />
lsusb<br />
<br />
{{Note| The internal wifi card in some laptops can actually be usb device, so make sure you check both commands.}}<br />
<br />
; Discover if card is supported<br />
<br />
:* The [https://help.ubuntu.com/community/WifiDocs/WirelessCardsSupported Ubuntu Wiki] has a good list of wireless cards and whether or not they are supported either in the Linux kernel or by a user-space driver (includes driver name).<br />
:* [http://linux-wless.passys.nl/ Linux Wireless Support] and The Linux Questions' [http://www.linuxquestions.org/hcl/index.php?cat=10 Hardware Compatibility List] (HCL) also have a good database of kernel-friendly hardware. <br />
:* The [http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Devices kernel page] additionaly has a matrix of supported hardware.<br />
<br />
; If your card isn't listed<br />
<br />
:* If your wireless hardware isn't listed above, likely it is supported only under Windows (some Broadcom, 3com, etc). For these you will need to use [http://ndiswrapper.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/List ndiswrapper]. Ndiswrapper is a wrapper script that allows you to use some Windows drivers in Linux. See the compatibility list [http://ndiswrapper.sourceforge.net/mediawiki/index.php/List here]. You will need the {{Filename|.inf}} and {{Filename|.sys}} files from your Windows install. If you have a newer card, or more exotic card, you might want to look up your exact model name and 'linux' and search the internet before doing this step.<br />
<br />
===How it works===<br />
The default Arch kernel is ''modular'', meaning many of the drivers for machine hardware reside on the hard drive and are available as ''modules''. At boot, udev takes an inventory of your hardware. Udev will load appropriate modules (drivers) for your corresponding hardware, and the driver, in turn, will allow creation of a kernel ''interface''. <br />
<br />
The interface name for different drivers and chipsets will vary. Some examples are wlan0, eth1, and ath0.<br />
<br />
*Note: Udev is not perfect. If the proper module is not loaded by udev on boot, simply modprobe it and add the module name to etc/rc.conf on the '''MODULES=''' line. Note also that udev may occasionally load more than one driver for a device, and the resulting conflict will prevent successful configuration. Be sure to blacklist the unwanted module on the '''MODULES=''' line by prefixing it with a bang (!).<br />
<br />
===Installation===<br />
<br />
====If you have wired internet available====<br />
If you have wired ethernet available, and are simply adding wireless functionality to an existing system, and did not include wireless_tools during initial installation, use pacman to install:<br />
# pacman -S wireless_tools<br />
The drivers' corresponding package names are all highlighted in '''bold''' on this page. The packages can be installed during initial package selection on the Arch installation media and can also be installed later with pacman, e.g.:<br />
# pacman -S madwifi<br />
<br />
====If you have only wireless internet available====<br />
The '''wireless_tools''' package is now available as part of the base system and is also on the live installation media (CD/USB stick image) under the '''base-devel''' category. <br />
<br />
You cannot initialize wireless hardware without these user-space tools, so ensure they are installed from the installer media, (during package selection), especially if you have no means of networking other than wirelessly. Otherwise, you will be stuck in a recursion when you reboot your newly installed Arch system; you will need wireless_tools and drivers, but in order to get them, you will need wireless_tools and drivers.<br />
<br />
===Drivers and firmware===<br />
Methods and procedures for installing drivers for various chip-sets are covered below. In addition, certain chip-sets require the installation of corresponding ''firmware'' (also covered below).<br />
<br />
====wlan-ng (obsolete)====<br />
<br />
Packages: '''wlan-ng26-utils'''<br />
<br />
This driver supports PRISM based cards, which are hard to find now. The PRISM card is an IEEE 802.11 compliant 2.4 GHz DSSS WLAN network interface card that uses the Intersil PRISM chip-set for its radio functions and the AMD PCNet-Mobile chip (AM79C930) for its Media Access Controller (MAC) function. The supported adapters can be found from here: http://www.linux-wlan.org/docs/wlan_adapters.html.gz<br />
<br />
For wlan-ng you do not need the wireless_tools package as mentioned above. Instead you will need to learn the tools in the wlan-ng26-utils package: '''wlancfg and wlanctl-ng'''.<br />
<br />
See http://www.linux-wlan.org/<br />
<br />
====rt2860 and rt2870====<br />
In kernel since 2.6.29 and requires no extra packages. It can be configured using the standard wpa_supplicant and iwconfig tools. Unfortunately this does not go for Arch. In order to get it to work, disabling the following modules has proven to be successful:<br />
<br />
rt2800pci rt61pci rt2x00pci rt2800usb rt2800lib rt2x00usb rt2x00lib<br />
<br />
It has a wide range of options that can be configured with iwpriv. These are documented in the [http://www.ralinktech.com/ralink/Home/Support/Linux.html source tarballs] available from Ralink<br />
<br />
For rt2870sta, also see [[Rt2870]]<br />
<br />
====w322u====<br />
Treat this Tenda card as an rt2870sta. See: [[Rt2870]]<br />
<br />
====rtl8180====<br />
Realtek rtl8180 PCI/Cardbus 802.11b now fully supported in the kernel. It can be configured using the standard wpa_supplicant and iwconfig tools.<br />
<br />
====rtl8192e====<br />
<br />
The driver is part of the current kernel package. It can be configured using the standard wpa_supplicant and iwconfig tools.<br />
<br />
====rtl8192s====<br />
<br />
The driver is part of the current kernel package. Firmware may need to be added manually if /lib/firmware/RTL8192SU/rtl8192sfw.bin does not exist. (dmesg will report ''"rtl819xU:FirmwareRequest92S(): failed"'' if the firmware is missing)<br />
<br />
To download and install firmware:<br />
<pre>$ wget http://launchpadlibrarian.net/33927923/rtl8192se_linux_2.6.0010.1012.2009.tar.gz<br />
# mkdir /lib/firmware/RTL8192SU<br />
# tar -xzOf rtl8192se_linux_2.6.0010.1012.2009.tar.gz \<br />
rtl8192se_linux_2.6.0010.1012.2009/firmware/RTL8192SE/rtl8192sfw.bin > \<br />
/lib/firmware/RTL8192SU/rtl8192sfw.bin</pre><br />
<br />
Note: An alternate version of the firmware may be found [http://launchpadlibrarian.net/37387612/rtl8192sfw.bin.gz here], but this version may cause dropped connections.<br />
<br />
Note: [[wicd]] may cause excessive dropped connections with this driver, while [[NetworkManager]] appears to work better.<br />
<br />
====rt2x00====<br />
Unified driver for Ralink chip-sets (replaces rt2500,rt61,rt73 etc). In kernel since 2.6.24, some devices require extra firmware. It can be configured using the standard wpa_supplicant and iwconfig tools.<br />
<br />
Some chips require a firmware file, which can be installed as follows, depending on the chip-set:<br />
<pre>pacman -S linux-firmware</pre><br />
<br />
See: [[Using the new rt2x00 beta driver]]<br />
<br />
====rt2500, rt61, rt73 (obsolete)====<br />
For Ralink <br />
* PCI/PCMCIA based rt2500 series chip-sets.<br />
* PCI/PCMCIA based rt61 series chip-sets<br />
* USB based rt73 series chip-sets. <br />
<br />
Drivers are now '''obsolete''' and '''unsupported'''. The rt2x00 driver family is stable and to be used instead.<br />
<br />
Support standard iwconfig tools for unencrypted and WEP connections, although it can be quite sensitive to the order of commands.<br />
The driver does support WPA (using hardware encryption), but in a non-standard way. wpa_supplicant appears to include special support for this driver, and it is also possible to negotiate a WPA connection manually using iwpriv commands.<br />
See [http://rt2400.cvs.sourceforge.net/*checkout*/rt2400/source/rt2500/Module/iwpriv_usage.txt these instructions] for details.<br />
<br />
====madwifi-ng====<br />
Package: '''madwifi''' (and optionaly '''madwifi-utils''')<br />
<br />
The module is called <tt>ath_pci</tt>.<br />
<br />
Note there are newer modules maintained by the MadWifi team:<br />
* [[#ath5k|ath5k]] will eventually phase out ath_pci. Currently a better choice for some chipsets.<br />
* [[#ath9k|ath9k]] is the new, official, superior driver for newer Atheros hardware (see below).<br />
<br />
modprobe ath_pci<br />
for the older driver, or:<br />
modprobe ath5k<br />
for the development version. Note that not all cards work with ath5k yet.<br />
<br />
If using ath_pci, you may need to blacklist ath5k by adding it to the MODULES=array in /etc/rc.conf, and subsequently prefixing it with a bang (!):<br />
MODULES=(!ath5k forcedeth snd_intel8x0 ... ...)<br />
<br />
Some users '''may need''' to use the 'countrycode' option when loading the MadWifi driver in order to use channels and transmit power settings that are legal in their country/region. In the Netherlands, for example, you would load the module like this:<br />
<br />
modprobe ath_pci countrycode=528<br />
<br />
You can verify the settings with the <tt>iwlist</tt> command. See <tt>man iwlist</tt> and the [http://madwifi-project.org/wiki/UserDocs/CountryCode CountryCode page on the MadWifi wiki]. To have this setting automatically applied during boot, add the following to <tt>/etc/modprobe.d/modprobe.conf</tt>:<br />
<br />
{{Note| The new module-init-tools 3.8 package changes the location of the configuration file: /etc/modprobe.conf is no longer read, instead /etc/modprobe.d/modprobe.conf is used. [http://www.archlinux.org/news/450/ link]}}<br />
<br />
options ath_pci countrycode=528<br />
<br />
{{Note|A user had to remove the countrycode option completely or else the ath0 device was not created (kernel 2.6.21).}}<br />
<br />
====ath5k====<br />
ath5k is the preferred driver for AR5xxx chipsets including those which are already working with madwifi-ng and for some chipsets older than AR5xxx. <br />
<br />
If ath5k is conflicting with ath_pci on your system, blacklist (and unload using rmmod or reboot) the following drivers...<br />
MODULES=(<br />
...<br />
!ath_hal !ath_pci !ath_rate_amrr !ath_rate_onoe !ath_rate_sample !wlan !wlan_acl !wlan_ccmp !wlan_scan_ap !wlan_scan_sta !wlan_tkip !wlan_wep !wlan_xauth<br />
...<br />
)<br />
<br />
then modprobe ath5k manualy or reboot. wlan0 (or wlanX) in sta mode should spawn and become ready to use.<br />
<br />
Info:<br />
* http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Drivers/ath5k<br />
* http://wiki.debian.org/ath5k<br />
<br />
{{Note|Some laptop have problem of Wireless LED indicator flickers red and blue. To solve this problem do :<br />
echo none > "/sys/class/leds/ath5k-phy0::tx/trigger"<br />
echo none > "/sys/class/leds/ath5k-phy0::rx/trigger"<br />
For alternative look {{[https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=618232 here]}}}}<br />
<br />
====ath9k====<br />
ath9k is Atheros' officially supported driver for the newer 11n chip-sets. All of the chips with 11n capabilities are supported, with a maximum throughput around 180 Mbps. To see a complete list of supported hardware, check this [http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Drivers/ath9k page].<br />
<br />
Working modes: Station, AP and Adhoc.<br />
<br />
ath9k has been part of the kernel as of 2.6.27. Support seems acceptable as of 2.6.32 (see [http://linuxwireless.org/en/users/Drivers/ath9k/bugs#Minimal_kernel_requirements details on linuxwireless.org]). (In the unlikely event that you have stability issues that trouble you, you could try using the [http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Download compat-wireless] package.<br />
An [https://lists.ath9k.org/mailman/listinfo/ath9k-devel ath9k mailing list] exists for support and development related discussions.)<br />
<br />
Info:<br />
* http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Drivers/ath9k<br />
* http://wiki.debian.org/ath9k<br />
<br />
====ath9k_htc====<br />
ath9k_htc is Atheros' officially supported driver for 11n USB devices. Station and Ad-Hoc modes are supported. The driver has been merged in Linus' kernel tree and will be part of 2.6.35 once it is released. To use the driver now, use a recent compat-wireless packege. Firmware is needed for the functioning of the driver, for more information on this see http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Drivers/ath9k_htc .<br />
<br />
====ipw2100 and ipw2200====<br />
Fully supported in the kernel, but requires additional firmware. It can be configured using the standard wpa_supplicant and iwconfig tools.<br />
<br />
Depending on which of the chips you have, use either:<br />
<br />
'''ipw2100-fw'''<br />
pacman -S ipw2100-fw<br />
<br />
or:<br />
<br />
'''ipw2200-fw'''<br />
pacman -S ipw2200-fw<br />
<br />
If installing after initial Arch installation, the module may need to be reloaded for the firmware to be loaded; run the following as root:<br />
<br />
rmmod ipw2200<br />
modprobe ipw2200<br />
<br />
=====Enabling the radiotap interface=====<br />
Launch the following (as root):<br />
<br />
rmmod ipw2200<br />
modprobe ipw2200 rtap_iface=1<br />
<br />
=====Enabling the LED=====<br />
Most laptops will have a front LED to indicate when the wireless is connected (or not). Run the following (as root) to enable this feature:<br />
<br />
echo "options ipw2200 led=1" >> /etc/modprobe.d/ipw2200.conf<br />
<br />
or if using sudo:<br />
<br />
echo "options ipw2200 led=1" | sudo tee -a /etc/modprobe.d/ipw2200.conf<br />
<br />
====iwl3945, iwl4965 and iwl5000-series====<br />
'''I'''ntel's open source '''W'''iFi drivers for '''L'''inux (See [http://intellinuxwireless.org iwlwifi]) will work for both the 3945 and 4965 chipsets since kernel v2.6.24. And iwl5000-series chipsets (including 5100BG, 5100ABG, 5100AGN, 5300AGN and 5350AGN) module has been supported since '''kernel 2.6.27''', by the intree driver '''iwlagn'''.<br />
<br />
=====Installing Firmware (Microcode)=====<br />
'''Important:''' Installing these firmware packages is not required since the 2.6.34 kernel<br />
update, when the firmware files were moved to the linux-firmware package:<br />
<br />
# pacman -S linux-firmware<br />
<br />
If you need wireless connectivity to access pacman's repositories, the firmware files are also available direct from Intel. See [http://intellinuxwireless.org/?n=downloads this ] page, select and download the archive.<br />
$ wget http://intellinuxwireless.org/iwlwifi/downloads/iwlwifi-XXXX-ucode-XXX.XX.X.XX.tgz<br />
<br />
After downloading, you must extract and copy the *.ucode file to the firmware directory, commonly /lib/firmware<br />
# tar zxvf iwlwifi-XXXX-ucode-XXX.XX.X.XX.tgz<br />
# cd iwlwifi-XXXX-ucode-XXX.XX.X.XX/<br />
# cp iwlwifi-XXXX-X.ucode /lib/firmware/<br />
<br />
=====Loading the Driver=====<br />
If MOD_AUTOLOAD is set to yes in /etc/rc.conf (it is by default) that should be all that is required. Simply check for the presence of the drivers by running '''ifconfig -a''' from a terminal. There should be a listing for wlan0.<br />
<br />
Do this ONLY if MOD_AUTOLOAD is not set: to manually load the driver at startup, edit <tt>/etc/rc.conf</tt> as root and add '''iwl3945''' or '''iwl4965''' respectively to the MODULES array. For example:<br />
<br />
MODULES=( ... b44 mii '''iwl3945''' snd-mixer-oss ...)<br />
<br />
The drivers should now load after a reboot, and running '''ifconfig -a''' from a terminal should report '''wlan0''' as a new network interface.<br />
<br />
=====Disabling LED blink=====<br />
<br />
The default settings on the module are to have the LED blink on activity. Some people like myself find this extremely annoying. To have the LED on solid when wifi is active:<br />
<br />
# echo "options iwlcore led_mode=1" >> /etc/modprobe.d/modprobe.conf<br />
# rmmod iwlagn<br />
# rmmod iwlcore<br />
# modprobe iwlcore<br />
# modprobe iwlagn<br />
<br />
=====Other Notes=====<br />
* The windows NETw4x32 driver can be used with ndiswrapper as an alternative to the iwl3945 and ipw3945 drivers<br />
* In some cases (specifically a [[Dell Latitude D620]] with Arch 2008.06, though it could happen elsewhere) after installation you may have both iwl3945 and ipw3945 in your <tt>MODULES=()</tt> section of rc.conf. The card will not work with both modules loaded, so you will have to ! out the ipw3945 module and then reboot or remove the module manually before you can use your wireless card.<br />
* By default iwl3945 is configured to only work with networks on channels 1-11. Higher ranges are not allowed in some parts of the world (US). In the EU however channels 12 and 13 are used quite common. To make iwl3945 scan for all channels, add "options cfg80211 ieee80211_regdom=EU" to /etc/modprobe.d/modprobe.conf. With "iwlist f" you can check which channels are allowed.<br />
* If you want to enable more channels on Intel Wifi 5100 (and quite possible other cards too) you can do that with the crda package. After install, edit /etc/conf.d/wireless-regdom and uncomment the line where your country code is found. Add wireless-regdom to your DAEMONS in rc.conf and restart (which is the easiest thing to do). You should now, when writing sudo iwlist wlan0 channel, have access to more channels (depending on your location).<br />
* The wifi power management can be enabled by adding:<br />
iwconfig wlan0(change as appropriate) power on<br />
to /etc/rc.local.<br />
<br />
====ipw3945 (obsolete)====<br />
{{Note| ''The ipw3945 driver is no longer actively developed, and the iwlwifi driver (described above) should work perfectly, but may conflict with the former one. Therefore only one of them should be installed. If you choose to use the iwlwifi driver, the '''ipw3945-ucode''' package is still required.''}}<br />
# pacman -S ipw3945 ipw3945-ucode ipw3945d<br />
To initialize the driver on startup, edit <tt>/etc/rc.conf</tt> as root and add '''ipw3945''' to the MODULES array and '''ipw3945d''' to the DAEMONS array. For example:<br />
<br />
MODULES=(... mii '''ipw3945''' snd-mixer-oss ...)<br />
<br />
DAEMONS=(syslog-ng '''ipw3945d''' network ...)<br />
<br />
'''Note:''' The '''ipw3945d''' daemon ''must'' be inserted BEFORE all other network daemons in the array.<br />
<br />
====orinoco====<br />
This should be part of the kernel package and be installed already.<br />
<br />
Note: Some orinoco chipsets are Hermes I/II. You can use http://aur.archlinux.org/packages.php?ID=9637 to replace the orinoco driver and gain WPA support. See http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=2154534#post2154534 for more information.<br />
<br />
To use the driver, blacklist orinoco_cs in rc.conf (!orinoco_cs in the MODULES array) and add wlags49_h1_cs. Example:<br />
MODULES=(!snd_pcsp !eepro100 ''!orinoco_cs'' '''wlags49_h1_cs''')<br />
<br />
====ndiswrapper====<br />
Ndiswrapper is not a real driver, but you can use it when there are no native Linux kernel drivers for your wireless chips. So it is very useful in some situations. To use it you need the *.inf file from your Windows driver (the *.sys file must also be present in the same directory). Be sure to use drivers appropriate to your architecture (i.e. 32/64bit). If you need to extract these files from an *.exe file, you can use either cabextract or wine. Ndiswrapper is included on the Arch Linux installation CD.<br />
<br />
Follow these steps to configure ndiswrapper.<br />
<pre><br />
#Install the driver to /etc/ndiswrapper/*<br />
ndiswrapper -i filename.inf<br />
#List all installed driver for ndiswrapper<br />
ndiswrapper -l<br />
#Write configuration file in /etc/modprobe.d/ndiswrapper.conf<br />
ndiswrapper -m<br />
depmod -a</pre><br />
<br />
Now the ndiswrapper install is almost finished; you just have to update /etc/rc.conf to load the module at boot (below is a sample of my config; yours might look slightly different):<br />
<br />
<pre>MODULES=(ndiswrapper snd-intel8x0 !usbserial)</pre><br />
<br />
The important part is making sure that ndiswrapper exists on this line, so just add it alongside the other modules. It would be best to test that ndiswrapper will load now, so:<br />
<br />
<pre>modprobe ndiswrapper<br />
iwconfig</pre><br />
<br />
and wlan0 should exist. Check this page if you're having problems:<br />
[http://ndiswrapper.sourceforge.net/joomla/index.php?/component/option,com_openwiki/Itemid,33/id,installation/ Ndiswrapper installation wiki].<br />
<br />
====prism54====<br />
Download the firmware driver for your appropriate card from [http://www.prism54.org/ this site]. Rename the firmware file to 'isl3890'.<br />
If nonexistent, create the directory /lib/firmware and place the file 'isl3890' in it. This should do the trick. [http://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?t=16569&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=siocsifflags+such+file++directory]<br />
<br />
If that did not work, try this:<br />
<br />
*Reload the prism module (modprobe p54usb or modprobe p54pci, depending on your hardware)<br />
alternatively remove your wifi card and then reconnect it<br />
*Use the "dmesg" command, and look at the end of the output it prints out.<br />
Look for a section looking like this: <br />
firmware: requesting '''isl3887usb_bare'''<br />
p54: LM86 firmware<br />
p54: FW rev 2.5.8.0 - Softmac protocol 3.0<br />
and try renaming the firmware file to the name corresponding to the part bolded here.<br />
<br />
====ACX100/111====<br />
packages: tiacx tiacx-firmware<br />
<br />
The driver should tell you which firmware it needs; check /var/log/messages.log or use the dmesg command.<br />
<br />
Link the appropriate firmware to '/lib/firmware':<br />
ln -s /usr/share/tiacx/acx111_2.3.1.31/tiacx111c16 /lib/firmware<br />
<br />
For another way to determine which firmware revision number to use, see the [http://acx100.sourceforge.net/wiki/Firmware "Which firmware" section] of the acx100.sourceforge wiki. For ACX100, you can follow the links provided there, to a table of card model number vs. "firmware files known to work"; you can figure out the rev. number you need, by looking at the suffix there. E.g. a dlink_dwl650+ uses "1.9.8.b", in which case you'd do this:<br />
ln -s /usr/share/tiacx/acx100_1.9.8.b/* /lib/firmware<br />
<br />
If you find that the driver is spamming your kernel log, for example because you're running Kismet with channel-hopping, you could put this in /etc/modprobe.d/modprobe.conf:<br />
options acx debug=0<br />
<br />
{{Note|The open-source acx driver does not support WPA/RSN encryption. Ndiswrapper will have to be used with the windows driver to enable the enhanced encryption. See ndiswrapper, this page, for more details.}}<br />
<br />
==== b43 ====<br />
<br />
This driver is the successor to the bcm43xx driver, and is included in kernel from 2.6.24 on.<br />
<br />
If you haven't discovered you card make yet, run:<br />
<br />
lspci | grep Network<br />
<br />
To see if your Broadcom card is supported and to identify the proper module, look [http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Drivers/b43#Known_PCI_devices here]. For known card models in various computers, look [http://linuxwireless.org/en/users/Drivers/b43/devices here]. Define the module to use in {{Filename|/etc/rc.conf}} and blacklist the other module to prevent possible problems or confusion.:<br />
<br />
MODULES=(... !b43legacy b43) # or<br />
MODULES=(... !b43 b43legacy)<br />
<br />
Install the corresponding Broadcom 43xx firmware package for your hardware. The packages are on the [[AUR]]:<br />
<br />
b43-firmware <br />
b43-firmware-legacy # for older cards<br />
<br />
Restart, and configure your device as normal. For more detailed information and installation manuals of b43 driver see [http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Drivers/b43 b43 homepage]<br />
<br />
Create a new folder to your home (wifi or any other name)<br />
<br />
sudo pacman -S b43-fwcutter<br />
export FIRMWARE_INSTALL_DIR="/lib/firmware"<br />
wget http://downloads.openwrt.org/sources/broadcom-wl-4.178.10.4.tar.bz2<br />
tar xjf broadcom-wl-4.178.10.4.tar.bz2<br />
cd broadcom-wl-4.178.10.4/linux<br />
sudo b43-fwcutter -w "$FIRMWARE_INSTALL_DIR" wl_apsta.o<br />
<br />
reboot your computer<br />
<br />
Note: those steps were taken from<br />
<br />
[http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Drivers/b43/ b43]<br />
<br />
====broadcom-wl====<br />
Some recent Broadcom 43xx cards not supported by bcm43xx or b43. Not just for some 43XX cards. See the [[Broadcom_BCM43XX|Broadcom 43XX wiki page]]. It is available in [http://aur.archlinux.org/packages.php?ID=19514 AUR]. These chipsets are used in most Dell laptops, among others.<br />
<br />
====rtl8187====<br />
See: [[Rtl8187_wireless|rtl8187]]<br />
<br />
====zd1211rw====<br />
[http://zd1211.wiki.sourceforge.net/ zd1211rw] is a driver for the ZyDAS ZD1211 802.11b/g USB WLAN chipset and it is included in recent versions of the Linux kernel. See [http://www.linuxwireless.org/en/users/Drivers/zd1211rw/devices] for a list of supported devices. You only need to install the firmware for the device: <pre>pacman -S zd1211-firmware</pre><br />
<br />
===Test installation===<br />
After loading your driver run<br />
iwconfig<br />
to ensure a wireless interface (wlan''x'', eth''x'', ath''x'') is created.<br />
<br />
If no such interface is visible, modprobing it might work. To start your driver, use the '''rmmod''' and '''modprobe''' commands (if rmmod fails, continue with modprobe).<br />
<br />
Example: if your driver is called "driverXXX", you would run the following commands:<br />
# rmmod driverXXX<br />
# modprobe driverXXX<br />
<br />
Bring the interface up with <code>ifconfig <interface> up</code>. e.g. assuming the interface is <code>wlan0</code>:<br />
# ifconfig wlan0 up<br />
If you get this error message: <code>SIOCSIFFLAGS: No such file or directory</code> it most certainly means your wireless chipset requires a firmware to function, which you need to install as explained above.<br />
<br />
==Part II: Wireless management==<br />
Assuming that your drivers are installed and working properly, you will need to choose a method for managing your wireless connections. The following subsections will help you decide the best way to do just that.<br />
<br />
Procedure and tools required will depend on several factors:<br />
* The desired nature of configuration management; from a completely manual command line setup procedure repeated at each boot to a software-managed, automated solution<br />
* The encryption type (or lack thereof) which protects the wireless network<br />
* The need for network profiles, if the computer will frequently change networks (such as a laptop)<br />
<br />
===Management methods===<br />
This table shows the different methods that can be used to activate and manage a wireless network connection, depending on the encryption and management types, and the various tools that are required. Although there may be other possibilities, these are the most frequently used:<br />
{| border="1"<br />
! Management || No encryption/WEP || WPA/WPA2 PSK<br />
|-<br />
| Manual, need to repeat at each computer reboot || <code>ifconfig + iwconfig + dhcpcd/ifconfig</code> || <code>ifconfig + iwconfig + wpa_supplicant + dhcpcd/ifconfig</code><br />
|-<br />
| Automatically managed, centralized without network profile support || define interface in <code>/etc/rc.conf</code> || not covered<br />
|-<br />
| Automatically managed, with network profiles support || colspan="2" align="center" | <code>Netcfg, newlan (AUR), wicd, NetworkManager, etc…</code><br />
|}<br />
<br />
More choice guide: <br />
<br />
{| border="1"<br />
! - || Netcfg+Newlan(AUR) || Wicd ||NetworkManager+network-manager-applet<br />
|-<br />
| auto connect at boot || with net-profiles daemon config in rc.conf || yes || yes<br />
|-<br />
| auto connect if dropped <br>or changed location || with net-auto-wireless daemon config in rc.conf || yes || yes<br />
|-<br />
| support 3G Modem || || || yes<br />
|-<br />
| GUI (proposes to manage and connect/disconnect<br> profiles from a systray icon. <br>Automatic wireless detection is also availabl) || with ArchAssitant || yes || yes<br />
|-<br />
| console tools || with wifi-select (AUR) || wicd-curses(part of wicd package) || cnetworkmanager (AUR)<br />
|-<br />
| connect speed || slow || || fast<br />
|}<br />
<br />
Whatever your choice, you should try to connect using the manual method first. This will help you understand the different steps that are required and debug them in case a problem arose. Another tip: if possible (e.g. if you manage your wifi access point), try connecting with no encryption, to check everything works. Then try using encryption, either WEP (simpler to configure -- but crackable in a matter of minutes, so it's hardly more secure than an unencrypted connection) or WPA.<br />
<br />
When it comes to easy of use, NetworkManager (with Gnome network-manager-applet) and wicd have good GUIs and can provide a list of available networks to connect, they prompt for passwords, which is straightforward and highly recommended. (Note Gnome network-manager-applet also works under xfce4 if you install xfce4-xfapplet-plugin first, also there are applet available for KDE.) <br />
<br />
====Manual setup====<br />
The programs provided by the package '''wireless_tools''' are the basic set of tools to set up a wireless network. Moreover, if you use WPA/WPA2 encryption, you will need the package '''wpa_supplicant'''. These powerful userspace console tools work extremely well and allow complete, manual control from the shell.<br />
<br />
These examples assume your wireless device is <code>wlan0</code>. Replace <code>wlan0</code> with the appropriate device name.<br />
{{Note| Depending on your hardware and encryption type, some of these steps may not be necessary. Some cards are known to require interface activation and/or access point scanning before being associated to an access point and being given an IP address. Some experimentation may be required. For instance, WPA/WPA2 users may directly try to activate their wireless network from step 3.}}<br />
<br />
1. ''(Optional, may be required)'' Some cards require that the kernel interface be activated before you can use the wireless_tools:<br />
# ifconfig wlan0 up<br />
<br />
2. See what access points are available:<br />
# iwlist wlan0 scan<br />
<br />
{{Note| If it displays "''Interface does not support scanning''" then you probably forgot to install the firmware. You can also try bringing up the interface first as shown in point 1.}}<br />
<br />
3. Depending on the encryption, you need to associate your wireless device with the access point to use and pass the encryption key.<br />
<br />
Assuming you want to use the ESSID named <code>MyEssid</code>:<br />
* ''No encryption''<br />
# iwconfig wlan0 essid "MyEssid"<br />
* ''WEP''<br />
using an hexadecimal key:<br />
# iwconfig wlan0 essid "MyEssid" key 1234567890<br />
using an ascii key:<br />
# iwconfig wlan0 essid "MyEssid" key s:asciikey<br />
* ''WPA/WPA2''<br />
<br />
You need to edit the <code>/etc/wpa_supplicant.conf</code> file as described in [[WPA_Supplicant]]. Then, issue this command:<br />
# wpa_supplicant -B -Dwext -i wlan0 -c /etc/wpa_supplicant.conf<br />
<br />
This is assuming your device uses the <code>wext</code> driver. If this does not work, you may need to adjust these options. Check [[WPA_Supplicant]] for more information and troubleshooting.<br />
<br />
Regardless of the method used, you can check if you have associated successfully as follows:<br />
# iwconfig wlan0<br />
<br />
4. ''(Optional, may be required)'' When connection to an ad-hoc network you may be required to change the operating mode of your card (which is usually ''managed'' by default) to ''ad-hoc:''<br />
# iwconfig wlan0 mode ad-hoc<br />
<br />
5. Finally, provide an IP address to the network interface. Simple examples are:<br />
# dhcpcd wlan0<br />
for DHCP, or<br />
# ifconfig wlan0 192.168.0.2<br />
# route add default gw 192.168.0.1<br />
for static IP.<br />
<br />
Note: If you get an timeout error due to a ''waiting for carrier'' problem then you might have to set channel mode to auto for the specific device.<br />
<br />
# iwconfig wlan0 channel auto <br />
<br />
{{Note| Although the manual configuration method will help troubleshoot wireless problems, you will have to retype every command each time you reboot.}}<br />
<br />
====Automatic setup====<br />
There are many solutions to choose from, but remember that all of them are mutually exclusive; you should not run two daemons simultaneously.<br />
<br />
=====Standard network daemon=====<br />
{{Note| This method and configuration examples are only valid for unencrypted or WEP-encrypted networks, which are particularly unsecure. To use WPA/WPA2, you will need to use other solutions such as '''[[netcfg]]''' or '''[[wicd]]'''. Also, avoid mixing these methods as they may create a conflict and prevent the wireless card from functioning.}}<br />
<br />
* The '''/etc/rc.conf''' file is sourced by the network script. Therefore, you may define and configure a simple wireless setup within /etc/rc.conf for a centralized approach with '''wlan_<interface>="<interface> essid <essid>"''' and '''INTERFACES=(<interface1> <interface2>)'''. The name of the network goes in place of '''MyEssid'''.<br />
<br />
For example:<br />
# /etc/rc.conf<br />
eth0="dhcp"<br />
wlan0="dhcp"<br />
wlan_wlan0="wlan0 essid MyEssid" # Unencrypted<br />
#wlan_wlan0="wlan0 essid MyEssid key 1234567890" # hex WEP key<br />
#wlan_wlan0="wlan0 essid MyEssid key s:asciikey" # ascii WEP key<br />
INTERFACES=(eth0 wlan0)<br />
<br />
Not all wireless cards are <code>wlan0</code>. Determine your wireless interface with ifconfig -a. <br />
Atheros-based cards, for example, are typically <code>ath0</code>, so change <code>wlan_wlan0</code> to:<br />
wlan_ath0="ath0 essid MyEssid key 12345678" <br />
Also define ath0 in the INTERFACES=line.)<br />
<br />
* Alternatively, you may define wlan_<interface> within /etc/conf.d/wireless, (which is also sourced by the network script), for a de-centralized approach:<br />
# /etc/conf.d/wireless<br />
wlan_wlan0="wlan0 essid MyEssid"<br />
<br />
These solutions are limited for a laptop which is always on the move. It would be good to have multiple [[Network Profiles]] and be able to easily switch from one to another. That is the aim of network managers, such as netcfg.<br />
<br />
=====Netcfg=====<br />
'''netcfg''' provides a ''versatile, robust and fast'' solution to networking on Arch.<br />
<br />
It uses a profile based setup and is capable of detection and connection to a wide range of network types. This is no harder than using graphical tools. Following the directions above, you can get a list of wireless networks. Then, as with graphical tools, you will need a password.<br />
<br />
See: [[Network Profiles]], and [[Network Profiles development]]<br />
<br />
=====Netcfg Easy Wireless LAN (newlan)=====<br />
newlan is a mono console application that starts a user-friendly wizard to create netcfg profiles, it supports also wired connections.<br />
<br />
Install from [[AUR]]: http://aur.archlinux.org/packages.php?ID=33649<br />
<br />
Or use the [[AUR]] helper of your choice.<br />
<br />
newlan must be run with root privileges:<br />
# sudo newlan -n mynewprofile<br />
<br />
=====Autowifi=====<br />
<br />
{{Box|Autowifi is deprecated|Autowifi has been deprecated in favor of [[netcfg]]'s [[Netcfg#net-auto-wireless|net-auto-wireless]] mode|#DF0000|#FFDFDF}}<br />
<br />
Autowifi is a daemon that configures your wireless network automatically depending on the ESSID. Once configured, no user interaction is necessary and no GUI tools are required.<br />
<br />
See: [[Autowifi]]<br />
<br />
=====Wicd=====<br />
Wicd is a network manager that can handle both wireless and wired connections. It is written in Python and Gtk with fewer dependencies than NetworkManager, making it an ideal solution for lightweight desktop users. Wicd is now available in the extra repository for both i686 and x86_64.<br />
<br />
See: [[Wicd]]<br />
<br />
=====NetworkManager=====<br />
NetworkManager is an advanced network management tool that is enabled by default in most popular GNU/Linux distributions. In addition to managing wired connections, NetworkManager provides worry-free wireless roaming with an easy-to-use GUI program for selecting your desired network. <br />
<br />
See: [[NetworkManager]]<br />
<br />
=====Wifi Radar=====<br />
WiFi Radar is Python/PyGTK2 utility for managing wireless profiles (and ''only'' wireless). It enables you to scan for available networks and create profiles for your preferred networks.<br />
<br />
See: [[Wifi Radar]]<br />
<br />
=====Wlassistant=====<br />
Wlassistant is a very intuitive and straightforward GUI application for managing your wireless connections. <br />
<br />
Install from AUR: http://aur.archlinux.org/packages.php?ID=1726<br />
<br />
Wlassistant must be run with root privileges:<br />
# sudo wlassistant<br />
One method of using wlassistant is to configure your wireless card within /etc/rc.conf, specifying the access point you use most often. On startup, your card will automatically be configured for this ESSID, but if other wireless networks are needed/available, wlassistant can then be invoked to access them. Background the network daemon in /etc/rc.conf, by prefixing it with a @, to avoid boot delays.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
*[[Sharing ppp connection with wlan interface]]<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
*[http://www.gnome.org/projects/NetworkManager/ NetworkManager] -- The official website for NetworkManager<br />
*[http://wicd.sourceforge.net/ WICD] -- The official website for WICD<br />
*[https://lists.anl.gov/mailman/listinfo/wifi-radar Wifi Radar] -- Wifi Radar information page<br />
*[http://madwifi.org/wiki/UserDocs/FirstTimeHowTo The madwifi project's method of installing] -- Recommended if you are having trouble after reading this article</div>Raincrossbowhttps://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php?title=Network_configuration/Wireless&diff=126033Network configuration/Wireless2010-12-26T19:58:34Z<p>Raincrossbow: added a note about ad-hoc networks</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Category:Communication and network (English)]]<br />
[[Category:Networking (English)]]<br />
[[Category:HOWTOs (English)]]<br />
{{i18n|Wireless_Setup}}<br />
Configuring wireless is a two-part process; the first part is to identify and ensure the correct driver for your wireless device is installed, (they are available on the installation media, so make sure you install them) and to configure the interface. The second is choosing a method of managing wireless connections. This article covers both parts, and provides additional links to wireless management tools.<br />
<br />
'''About new Arch systems:''' The wireless drivers and tools are available during Arch set-up under the ''base-devel'' category. Be sure to install the proper driver for your card. Udev will usually load the appropriate module, thereby creating the wireless interface, in the initial live system of the installer, as well as the newly installed system on your hard drive. If you are configuring your wireless functionality after, and not during, Arch installation, simply ensure the required packages are installed with pacman, (driver, firmware if needed, wireless_tools, wpa_supplicant, etc.) and follow the guidelines below.<br />
<br />
== Part I: Identify Card/Install Driver ==<br />
<br />
=== Identify and Discover if Supported ===<br />
<br />
First you will need to check and see if the Linux kernel has support for your card or if a user-space driver is available for it.<br />
<br />
; Identify your card<br />
<br />
:* You can find your card type by running <br />
lspci | grep -i net<br />
from the command line.<br />
:* Or, if you have a USB device, run<br />
lsusb<br />
<br />
{{Note| The internal wifi card in some laptops can actually be usb device, so make sure you check both commands.}}<br />
<br />
; Discover if card is supported<br />
<br />
:* The [https://help.ubuntu.com/community/WifiDocs/WirelessCardsSupported Ubuntu Wiki] has a good list of wireless cards and whether or not they are supported either in the Linux kernel or by a user-space driver (includes driver name).<br />
:* [http://linux-wless.passys.nl/ Linux Wireless Support] and The Linux Questions' [http://www.linuxquestions.org/hcl/index.php?cat=10 Hardware Compatibility List] (HCL) also have a good database of kernel-friendly hardware. <br />
:* The [http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Devices kernel page] additionaly has a matrix of supported hardware.<br />
<br />
; If your card isn't listed<br />
<br />
:* If your wireless hardware isn't listed above, likely it is supported only under Windows (some Broadcom, 3com, etc). For these you will need to use [http://ndiswrapper.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/List ndiswrapper]. Ndiswrapper is a wrapper script that allows you to use some Windows drivers in Linux. See the compatibility list [http://ndiswrapper.sourceforge.net/mediawiki/index.php/List here]. You will need the {{Filename|.inf}} and {{Filename|.sys}} files from your Windows install. If you have a newer card, or more exotic card, you might want to look up your exact model name and 'linux' and search the internet before doing this step.<br />
<br />
===How it works===<br />
The default Arch kernel is ''modular'', meaning many of the drivers for machine hardware reside on the hard drive and are available as ''modules''. At boot, udev takes an inventory of your hardware. Udev will load appropriate modules (drivers) for your corresponding hardware, and the driver, in turn, will allow creation of a kernel ''interface''. <br />
<br />
The interface name for different drivers and chipsets will vary. Some examples are wlan0, eth1, and ath0.<br />
<br />
*Note: Udev is not perfect. If the proper module is not loaded by udev on boot, simply modprobe it and add the module name to etc/rc.conf on the '''MODULES=''' line. Note also that udev may occasionally load more than one driver for a device, and the resulting conflict will prevent successful configuration. Be sure to blacklist the unwanted module on the '''MODULES=''' line by prefixing it with a bang (!).<br />
<br />
===Installation===<br />
<br />
====If you have wired internet available====<br />
If you have wired ethernet available, and are simply adding wireless functionality to an existing system, and did not include wireless_tools during initial installation, use pacman to install:<br />
# pacman -S wireless_tools<br />
The drivers' corresponding package names are all highlighted in '''bold''' on this page. The packages can be installed during initial package selection on the Arch installation media and can also be installed later with pacman, e.g.:<br />
# pacman -S madwifi<br />
<br />
====If you have only wireless internet available====<br />
The '''wireless_tools''' package is now available as part of the base system and is also on the live installation media (CD/USB stick image) under the '''base-devel''' category. <br />
<br />
You cannot initialize wireless hardware without these user-space tools, so ensure they are installed from the installer media, (during package selection), especially if you have no means of networking other than wirelessly. Otherwise, you will be stuck in a recursion when you reboot your newly installed Arch system; you will need wireless_tools and drivers, but in order to get them, you will need wireless_tools and drivers.<br />
<br />
===Drivers and firmware===<br />
Methods and procedures for installing drivers for various chip-sets are covered below. In addition, certain chip-sets require the installation of corresponding ''firmware'' (also covered below).<br />
<br />
====wlan-ng (obsolete)====<br />
<br />
Packages: '''wlan-ng26-utils'''<br />
<br />
This driver supports PRISM based cards, which are hard to find now. The PRISM card is an IEEE 802.11 compliant 2.4 GHz DSSS WLAN network interface card that uses the Intersil PRISM chip-set for its radio functions and the AMD PCNet-Mobile chip (AM79C930) for its Media Access Controller (MAC) function. The supported adapters can be found from here: http://www.linux-wlan.org/docs/wlan_adapters.html.gz<br />
<br />
For wlan-ng you do not need the wireless_tools package as mentioned above. Instead you will need to learn the tools in the wlan-ng26-utils package: '''wlancfg and wlanctl-ng'''.<br />
<br />
See http://www.linux-wlan.org/<br />
<br />
====rt2860 and rt2870====<br />
In kernel since 2.6.29 and requires no extra packages. It can be configured using the standard wpa_supplicant and iwconfig tools. Unfortunately this does not go for Arch. In order to get it to work, disabling the following modules has proven to be successful:<br />
<br />
rt2800pci rt61pci rt2x00pci rt2800usb rt2800lib rt2x00usb rt2x00lib<br />
<br />
It has a wide range of options that can be configured with iwpriv. These are documented in the [http://www.ralinktech.com/ralink/Home/Support/Linux.html source tarballs] available from Ralink<br />
<br />
For rt2870sta, also see [[Rt2870]]<br />
<br />
====w322u====<br />
Treat this Tenda card as an rt2870sta. See: [[Rt2870]]<br />
<br />
====rtl8180====<br />
Realtek rtl8180 PCI/Cardbus 802.11b now fully supported in the kernel. It can be configured using the standard wpa_supplicant and iwconfig tools.<br />
<br />
====rtl8192e====<br />
<br />
The driver is part of the current kernel package. It can be configured using the standard wpa_supplicant and iwconfig tools.<br />
<br />
====rtl8192s====<br />
<br />
The driver is part of the current kernel package. Firmware may need to be added manually if /lib/firmware/RTL8192SU/rtl8192sfw.bin does not exist. (dmesg will report ''"rtl819xU:FirmwareRequest92S(): failed"'' if the firmware is missing)<br />
<br />
To download and install firmware:<br />
<pre>$ wget http://launchpadlibrarian.net/33927923/rtl8192se_linux_2.6.0010.1012.2009.tar.gz<br />
# mkdir /lib/firmware/RTL8192SU<br />
# tar -xzOf rtl8192se_linux_2.6.0010.1012.2009.tar.gz \<br />
rtl8192se_linux_2.6.0010.1012.2009/firmware/RTL8192SE/rtl8192sfw.bin > \<br />
/lib/firmware/RTL8192SU/rtl8192sfw.bin</pre><br />
<br />
Note: An alternate version of the firmware may be found [http://launchpadlibrarian.net/37387612/rtl8192sfw.bin.gz here], but this version may cause dropped connections.<br />
<br />
Note: [[wicd]] may cause excessive dropped connections with this driver, while [[NetworkManager]] appears to work better.<br />
<br />
====rt2x00====<br />
Unified driver for Ralink chip-sets (replaces rt2500,rt61,rt73 etc). In kernel since 2.6.24, some devices require extra firmware. It can be configured using the standard wpa_supplicant and iwconfig tools.<br />
<br />
Some chips require a firmware file, which can be installed as follows, depending on the chip-set:<br />
<pre>pacman -S linux-firmware</pre><br />
<br />
See: [[Using the new rt2x00 beta driver]]<br />
<br />
====rt2500, rt61, rt73 (obsolete)====<br />
For Ralink <br />
* PCI/PCMCIA based rt2500 series chip-sets.<br />
* PCI/PCMCIA based rt61 series chip-sets<br />
* USB based rt73 series chip-sets. <br />
<br />
Drivers are now '''obsolete''' and '''unsupported'''. The rt2x00 driver family is stable and to be used instead.<br />
<br />
Support standard iwconfig tools for unencrypted and WEP connections, although it can be quite sensitive to the order of commands.<br />
The driver does support WPA (using hardware encryption), but in a non-standard way. wpa_supplicant appears to include special support for this driver, and it is also possible to negotiate a WPA connection manually using iwpriv commands.<br />
See [http://rt2400.cvs.sourceforge.net/*checkout*/rt2400/source/rt2500/Module/iwpriv_usage.txt these instructions] for details.<br />
<br />
====madwifi-ng====<br />
Package: '''madwifi''' (and optionaly '''madwifi-utils''')<br />
<br />
The module is called <tt>ath_pci</tt>.<br />
<br />
Note there are newer modules maintained by the MadWifi team:<br />
* [[#ath5k|ath5k]] will eventually phase out ath_pci. Currently a better choice for some chipsets.<br />
* [[#ath9k|ath9k]] is the new, official, superior driver for newer Atheros hardware (see below).<br />
<br />
modprobe ath_pci<br />
for the older driver, or:<br />
modprobe ath5k<br />
for the development version. Note that not all cards work with ath5k yet.<br />
<br />
If using ath_pci, you may need to blacklist ath5k by adding it to the MODULES=array in /etc/rc.conf, and subsequently prefixing it with a bang (!):<br />
MODULES=(!ath5k forcedeth snd_intel8x0 ... ...)<br />
<br />
Some users '''may need''' to use the 'countrycode' option when loading the MadWifi driver in order to use channels and transmit power settings that are legal in their country/region. In the Netherlands, for example, you would load the module like this:<br />
<br />
modprobe ath_pci countrycode=528<br />
<br />
You can verify the settings with the <tt>iwlist</tt> command. See <tt>man iwlist</tt> and the [http://madwifi-project.org/wiki/UserDocs/CountryCode CountryCode page on the MadWifi wiki]. To have this setting automatically applied during boot, add the following to <tt>/etc/modprobe.d/modprobe.conf</tt>:<br />
<br />
{{Note| The new module-init-tools 3.8 package changes the location of the configuration file: /etc/modprobe.conf is no longer read, instead /etc/modprobe.d/modprobe.conf is used. [http://www.archlinux.org/news/450/ link]}}<br />
<br />
options ath_pci countrycode=528<br />
<br />
{{Note|A user had to remove the countrycode option completely or else the ath0 device was not created (kernel 2.6.21).}}<br />
<br />
====ath5k====<br />
ath5k is the preferred driver for AR5xxx chipsets including those which are already working with madwifi-ng and for some chipsets older than AR5xxx. <br />
<br />
If ath5k is conflicting with ath_pci on your system, blacklist (and unload using rmmod or reboot) the following drivers...<br />
MODULES=(<br />
...<br />
!ath_hal !ath_pci !ath_rate_amrr !ath_rate_onoe !ath_rate_sample !wlan !wlan_acl !wlan_ccmp !wlan_scan_ap !wlan_scan_sta !wlan_tkip !wlan_wep !wlan_xauth<br />
...<br />
)<br />
<br />
then modprobe ath5k manualy or reboot. wlan0 (or wlanX) in sta mode should spawn and become ready to use.<br />
<br />
Info:<br />
* http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Drivers/ath5k<br />
* http://wiki.debian.org/ath5k<br />
<br />
{{Note|Some laptop have problem of Wireless LED indicator flickers red and blue. To solve this problem do :<br />
echo none > "/sys/class/leds/ath5k-phy0::tx/trigger"<br />
echo none > "/sys/class/leds/ath5k-phy0::rx/trigger"<br />
For alternative look {{[https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=618232 here]}}}}<br />
<br />
====ath9k====<br />
ath9k is Atheros' officially supported driver for the newer 11n chip-sets. All of the chips with 11n capabilities are supported, with a maximum throughput around 180 Mbps. To see a complete list of supported hardware, check this [http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Drivers/ath9k page].<br />
<br />
Working modes: Station, AP and Adhoc.<br />
<br />
ath9k has been part of the kernel as of 2.6.27. Support seems acceptable as of 2.6.32 (see [http://linuxwireless.org/en/users/Drivers/ath9k/bugs#Minimal_kernel_requirements details on linuxwireless.org]). (In the unlikely event that you have stability issues that trouble you, you could try using the [http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Download compat-wireless] package.<br />
An [https://lists.ath9k.org/mailman/listinfo/ath9k-devel ath9k mailing list] exists for support and development related discussions.)<br />
<br />
Info:<br />
* http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Drivers/ath9k<br />
* http://wiki.debian.org/ath9k<br />
<br />
====ath9k_htc====<br />
ath9k_htc is Atheros' officially supported driver for 11n USB devices. Station and Ad-Hoc modes are supported. The driver has been merged in Linus' kernel tree and will be part of 2.6.35 once it is released. To use the driver now, use a recent compat-wireless packege. Firmware is needed for the functioning of the driver, for more information on this see http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Drivers/ath9k_htc .<br />
<br />
====ipw2100 and ipw2200====<br />
Fully supported in the kernel, but requires additional firmware. It can be configured using the standard wpa_supplicant and iwconfig tools.<br />
<br />
Depending on which of the chips you have, use either:<br />
<br />
'''ipw2100-fw'''<br />
pacman -S ipw2100-fw<br />
<br />
or:<br />
<br />
'''ipw2200-fw'''<br />
pacman -S ipw2200-fw<br />
<br />
If installing after initial Arch installation, the module may need to be reloaded for the firmware to be loaded; run the following as root:<br />
<br />
rmmod ipw2200<br />
modprobe ipw2200<br />
<br />
=====Enabling the radiotap interface=====<br />
Launch the following (as root):<br />
<br />
rmmod ipw2200<br />
modprobe ipw2200 rtap_iface=1<br />
<br />
=====Enabling the LED=====<br />
Most laptops will have a front LED to indicate when the wireless is connected (or not). Run the following (as root) to enable this feature:<br />
<br />
echo "options ipw2200 led=1" >> /etc/modprobe.d/ipw2200.conf<br />
<br />
or if using sudo:<br />
<br />
echo "options ipw2200 led=1" | sudo tee -a /etc/modprobe.d/ipw2200.conf<br />
<br />
====iwl3945, iwl4965 and iwl5000-series====<br />
'''I'''ntel's open source '''W'''iFi drivers for '''L'''inux (See [http://intellinuxwireless.org iwlwifi]) will work for both the 3945 and 4965 chipsets since kernel v2.6.24. And iwl5000-series chipsets (including 5100BG, 5100ABG, 5100AGN, 5300AGN and 5350AGN) module has been supported since '''kernel 2.6.27''', by the intree driver '''iwlagn'''.<br />
<br />
=====Installing Firmware (Microcode)=====<br />
'''Important:''' Installing these firmware packages is not required since the 2.6.34 kernel<br />
update, when the firmware files were moved to the linux-firmware package:<br />
<br />
# pacman -S linux-firmware<br />
<br />
If you need wireless connectivity to access pacman's repositories, the firmware files are also available direct from Intel. See [http://intellinuxwireless.org/?n=downloads this ] page, select and download the archive.<br />
$ wget http://intellinuxwireless.org/iwlwifi/downloads/iwlwifi-XXXX-ucode-XXX.XX.X.XX.tgz<br />
<br />
After downloading, you must extract and copy the *.ucode file to the firmware directory, commonly /lib/firmware<br />
# tar zxvf iwlwifi-XXXX-ucode-XXX.XX.X.XX.tgz<br />
# cd iwlwifi-XXXX-ucode-XXX.XX.X.XX/<br />
# cp iwlwifi-XXXX-X.ucode /lib/firmware/<br />
<br />
=====Loading the Driver=====<br />
If MOD_AUTOLOAD is set to yes in /etc/rc.conf (it is by default) that should be all that is required. Simply check for the presence of the drivers by running '''ifconfig -a''' from a terminal. There should be a listing for wlan0.<br />
<br />
Do this ONLY if MOD_AUTOLOAD is not set: to manually load the driver at startup, edit <tt>/etc/rc.conf</tt> as root and add '''iwl3945''' or '''iwl4965''' respectively to the MODULES array. For example:<br />
<br />
MODULES=( ... b44 mii '''iwl3945''' snd-mixer-oss ...)<br />
<br />
The drivers should now load after a reboot, and running '''ifconfig -a''' from a terminal should report '''wlan0''' as a new network interface.<br />
<br />
=====Disabling LED blink=====<br />
<br />
The default settings on the module are to have the LED blink on activity. Some people like myself find this extremely annoying. To have the LED on solid when wifi is active:<br />
<br />
# echo "options iwlcore led_mode=1" >> /etc/modprobe.d/modprobe.conf<br />
# rmmod iwlagn<br />
# rmmod iwlcore<br />
# modprobe iwlcore<br />
# modprobe iwlagn<br />
<br />
=====Other Notes=====<br />
* The windows NETw4x32 driver can be used with ndiswrapper as an alternative to the iwl3945 and ipw3945 drivers<br />
* In some cases (specifically a [[Dell Latitude D620]] with Arch 2008.06, though it could happen elsewhere) after installation you may have both iwl3945 and ipw3945 in your <tt>MODULES=()</tt> section of rc.conf. The card will not work with both modules loaded, so you will have to ! out the ipw3945 module and then reboot or remove the module manually before you can use your wireless card.<br />
* By default iwl3945 is configured to only work with networks on channels 1-11. Higher ranges are not allowed in some parts of the world (US). In the EU however channels 12 and 13 are used quite common. To make iwl3945 scan for all channels, add "options cfg80211 ieee80211_regdom=EU" to /etc/modprobe.d/modprobe.conf. With "iwlist f" you can check which channels are allowed.<br />
* If you want to enable more channels on Intel Wifi 5100 (and quite possible other cards too) you can do that with the crda package. After install, edit /etc/conf.d/wireless-regdom and uncomment the line where your country code is found. Add wireless-regdom to your DAEMONS in rc.conf and restart (which is the easiest thing to do). You should now, when writing sudo iwlist wlan0 channel, have access to more channels (depending on your location).<br />
* The wifi power management can be enabled by adding:<br />
iwconfig wlan0(change as appropriate) power on<br />
to /etc/rc.local.<br />
<br />
====ipw3945 (obsolete)====<br />
{{Note| ''The ipw3945 driver is no longer actively developed, and the iwlwifi driver (described above) should work perfectly, but may conflict with the former one. Therefore only one of them should be installed. If you choose to use the iwlwifi driver, the '''ipw3945-ucode''' package is still required.''}}<br />
# pacman -S ipw3945 ipw3945-ucode ipw3945d<br />
To initialize the driver on startup, edit <tt>/etc/rc.conf</tt> as root and add '''ipw3945''' to the MODULES array and '''ipw3945d''' to the DAEMONS array. For example:<br />
<br />
MODULES=(... mii '''ipw3945''' snd-mixer-oss ...)<br />
<br />
DAEMONS=(syslog-ng '''ipw3945d''' network ...)<br />
<br />
'''Note:''' The '''ipw3945d''' daemon ''must'' be inserted BEFORE all other network daemons in the array.<br />
<br />
====orinoco====<br />
This should be part of the kernel package and be installed already.<br />
<br />
Note: Some orinoco chipsets are Hermes I/II. You can use http://aur.archlinux.org/packages.php?ID=9637 to replace the orinoco driver and gain WPA support. See http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=2154534#post2154534 for more information.<br />
<br />
To use the driver, blacklist orinoco_cs in rc.conf (!orinoco_cs in the MODULES array) and add wlags49_h1_cs. Example:<br />
MODULES=(!snd_pcsp !eepro100 ''!orinoco_cs'' '''wlags49_h1_cs''')<br />
<br />
====ndiswrapper====<br />
Ndiswrapper is not a real driver, but you can use it when there are no native Linux kernel drivers for your wireless chips. So it is very useful in some situations. To use it you need the *.inf file from your Windows driver (the *.sys file must also be present in the same directory). Be sure to use drivers appropriate to your architecture (i.e. 32/64bit). If you need to extract these files from an *.exe file, you can use either cabextract or wine. Ndiswrapper is included on the Arch Linux installation CD.<br />
<br />
Follow these steps to configure ndiswrapper.<br />
<pre><br />
#Install the driver to /etc/ndiswrapper/*<br />
ndiswrapper -i filename.inf<br />
#List all installed driver for ndiswrapper<br />
ndiswrapper -l<br />
#Write configuration file in /etc/modprobe.d/ndiswrapper.conf<br />
ndiswrapper -m<br />
depmod -a</pre><br />
<br />
Now the ndiswrapper install is almost finished; you just have to update /etc/rc.conf to load the module at boot (below is a sample of my config; yours might look slightly different):<br />
<br />
<pre>MODULES=(ndiswrapper snd-intel8x0 !usbserial)</pre><br />
<br />
The important part is making sure that ndiswrapper exists on this line, so just add it alongside the other modules. It would be best to test that ndiswrapper will load now, so:<br />
<br />
<pre>modprobe ndiswrapper<br />
iwconfig</pre><br />
<br />
and wlan0 should exist. Check this page if you're having problems:<br />
[http://ndiswrapper.sourceforge.net/joomla/index.php?/component/option,com_openwiki/Itemid,33/id,installation/ Ndiswrapper installation wiki].<br />
<br />
====prism54====<br />
Download the firmware driver for your appropriate card from [http://www.prism54.org/ this site]. Rename the firmware file to 'isl3890'.<br />
If nonexistent, create the directory /lib/firmware and place the file 'isl3890' in it. This should do the trick. [http://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?t=16569&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=siocsifflags+such+file++directory]<br />
<br />
If that did not work, try this:<br />
<br />
*Reload the prism module (modprobe p54usb or modprobe p54pci, depending on your hardware)<br />
alternatively remove your wifi card and then reconnect it<br />
*Use the "dmesg" command, and look at the end of the output it prints out.<br />
Look for a section looking like this: <br />
firmware: requesting '''isl3887usb_bare'''<br />
p54: LM86 firmware<br />
p54: FW rev 2.5.8.0 - Softmac protocol 3.0<br />
and try renaming the firmware file to the name corresponding to the part bolded here.<br />
<br />
====ACX100/111====<br />
packages: tiacx tiacx-firmware<br />
<br />
The driver should tell you which firmware it needs; check /var/log/messages.log or use the dmesg command.<br />
<br />
Link the appropriate firmware to '/lib/firmware':<br />
ln -s /usr/share/tiacx/acx111_2.3.1.31/tiacx111c16 /lib/firmware<br />
<br />
For another way to determine which firmware revision number to use, see the [http://acx100.sourceforge.net/wiki/Firmware "Which firmware" section] of the acx100.sourceforge wiki. For ACX100, you can follow the links provided there, to a table of card model number vs. "firmware files known to work"; you can figure out the rev. number you need, by looking at the suffix there. E.g. a dlink_dwl650+ uses "1.9.8.b", in which case you'd do this:<br />
ln -s /usr/share/tiacx/acx100_1.9.8.b/* /lib/firmware<br />
<br />
If you find that the driver is spamming your kernel log, for example because you're running Kismet with channel-hopping, you could put this in /etc/modprobe.d/modprobe.conf:<br />
options acx debug=0<br />
<br />
{{Note|The open-source acx driver does not support WPA/RSN encryption. Ndiswrapper will have to be used with the windows driver to enable the enhanced encryption. See ndiswrapper, this page, for more details.}}<br />
<br />
==== b43 ====<br />
<br />
This driver is the successor to the bcm43xx driver, and is included in kernel from 2.6.24 on.<br />
<br />
If you haven't discovered you card make yet, run:<br />
<br />
lspci | grep Network<br />
<br />
To see if your Broadcom card is supported and to identify the proper module, look [http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Drivers/b43#Known_PCI_devices here]. For known card models in various computers, look [http://linuxwireless.org/en/users/Drivers/b43/devices here]. Define the module to use in {{Filename|/etc/rc.conf}} and blacklist the other module to prevent possible problems or confusion.:<br />
<br />
MODULES=(... !b43legacy b43) # or<br />
MODULES=(... !b43 b43legacy)<br />
<br />
Install the corresponding Broadcom 43xx firmware package for your hardware. The packages are on the [[AUR]]:<br />
<br />
b43-firmware <br />
b43-firmware-legacy # for older cards<br />
<br />
Restart, and configure your device as normal. For more detailed information and installation manuals of b43 driver see [http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Drivers/b43 b43 homepage]<br />
<br />
Create a new folder to your home (wifi or any other name)<br />
<br />
sudo pacman -S b43-fwcutter<br />
export FIRMWARE_INSTALL_DIR="/lib/firmware"<br />
wget http://downloads.openwrt.org/sources/broadcom-wl-4.178.10.4.tar.bz2<br />
tar xjf broadcom-wl-4.178.10.4.tar.bz2<br />
cd broadcom-wl-4.178.10.4/linux<br />
sudo b43-fwcutter -w "$FIRMWARE_INSTALL_DIR" wl_apsta.o<br />
<br />
reboot your computer<br />
<br />
Note: those steps were taken from<br />
<br />
[http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Drivers/b43/ b43]<br />
<br />
====broadcom-wl====<br />
Some recent Broadcom 43xx cards not supported by bcm43xx or b43. Not just for some 43XX cards. See the [[Broadcom_BCM43XX|Broadcom 43XX wiki page]]. It is available in [http://aur.archlinux.org/packages.php?ID=19514 AUR]. These chipsets are used in most Dell laptops, among others.<br />
<br />
====rtl8187====<br />
See: [[Rtl8187_wireless|rtl8187]]<br />
<br />
====zd1211rw====<br />
[http://zd1211.wiki.sourceforge.net/ zd1211rw] is a driver for the ZyDAS ZD1211 802.11b/g USB WLAN chipset and it is included in recent versions of the Linux kernel. See [http://www.linuxwireless.org/en/users/Drivers/zd1211rw/devices] for a list of supported devices. You only need to install the firmware for the device: <pre>pacman -S zd1211-firmware</pre><br />
<br />
===Test installation===<br />
After loading your driver run<br />
iwconfig<br />
to ensure a wireless interface (wlan''x'', eth''x'', ath''x'') is created.<br />
<br />
If no such interface is visible, modprobing it might work. To start your driver, use the '''rmmod''' and '''modprobe''' commands (if rmmod fails, continue with modprobe).<br />
<br />
Example: if your driver is called "driverXXX", you would run the following commands:<br />
# rmmod driverXXX<br />
# modprobe driverXXX<br />
<br />
Bring the interface up with <code>ifconfig <interface> up</code>. e.g. assuming the interface is <code>wlan0</code>:<br />
# ifconfig wlan0 up<br />
If you get this error message: <code>SIOCSIFFLAGS: No such file or directory</code> it most certainly means your wireless chipset requires a firmware to function, which you need to install as explained above.<br />
<br />
==Part II: Wireless management==<br />
Assuming that your drivers are installed and working properly, you will need to choose a method for managing your wireless connections. The following subsections will help you decide the best way to do just that.<br />
<br />
Procedure and tools required will depend on several factors:<br />
* The desired nature of configuration management; from a completely manual command line setup procedure repeated at each boot to a software-managed, automated solution<br />
* The encryption type (or lack thereof) which protects the wireless network<br />
* The need for network profiles, if the computer will frequently change networks (such as a laptop)<br />
<br />
===Management methods===<br />
This table shows the different methods that can be used to activate and manage a wireless network connection, depending on the encryption and management types, and the various tools that are required. Although there may be other possibilities, these are the most frequently used:<br />
{| border="1"<br />
! Management || No encryption/WEP || WPA/WPA2 PSK<br />
|-<br />
| Manual, need to repeat at each computer reboot || <code>ifconfig + iwconfig + dhcpcd/ifconfig</code> || <code>ifconfig + iwconfig + wpa_supplicant + dhcpcd/ifconfig</code><br />
|-<br />
| Automatically managed, centralized without network profile support || define interface in <code>/etc/rc.conf</code> || not covered<br />
|-<br />
| Automatically managed, with network profiles support || colspan="2" align="center" | <code>Netcfg, newlan (AUR), wicd, NetworkManager, etc…</code><br />
|}<br />
<br />
More choice guide: <br />
<br />
{| border="1"<br />
! - || Netcfg+Newlan(AUR) || Wicd ||NetworkManager+network-manager-applet<br />
|-<br />
| auto connect at boot || with net-profiles daemon config in rc.conf || yes || yes<br />
|-<br />
| auto connect if dropped <br>or changed location || with net-auto-wireless daemon config in rc.conf || yes || yes<br />
|-<br />
| support 3G Modem || || || yes<br />
|-<br />
| GUI (proposes to manage and connect/disconnect<br> profiles from a systray icon. <br>Automatic wireless detection is also availabl) || with ArchAssitant || yes || yes<br />
|-<br />
| console tools || with wifi-select (AUR) || wicd-curses(part of wicd package) || cnetworkmanager (AUR)<br />
|-<br />
| connect speed || slow || || fast<br />
|}<br />
<br />
Whatever your choice, you should try to connect using the manual method first. This will help you understand the different steps that are required and debug them in case a problem arose. Another tip: if possible (e.g. if you manage your wifi access point), try connecting with no encryption, to check everything works. Then try using encryption, either WEP (simpler to configure -- but crackable in a matter of minutes, so it's hardly more secure than an unencrypted connection) or WPA.<br />
<br />
When it comes to easy of use, NetworkManager (with Gnome network-manager-applet) and wicd have good GUIs and can provide a list of available networks to connect, they prompt for passwords, which is straightforward and highly recommended. (Note Gnome network-manager-applet also works under xfce4 if you install xfce4-xfapplet-plugin first, also there are applet available for KDE.) <br />
<br />
====Manual setup====<br />
The programs provided by the package '''wireless_tools''' are the basic set of tools to set up a wireless network. Moreover, if you use WPA/WPA2 encryption, you will need the package '''wpa_supplicant'''. These powerful userspace console tools work extremely well and allow complete, manual control from the shell.<br />
<br />
These examples assume your wireless device is <code>wlan0</code>. Replace <code>wlan0</code> with the appropriate device name.<br />
{{Note| Depending on your hardware and encryption type, some of these steps may not be necessary. Some cards are known to require interface activation and/or access point scanning before being associated to an access point and being given an IP address. Some experimentation may be required. For instance, WPA/WPA2 users may directly try to activate their wireless network from step 3.}}<br />
<br />
1. ''(Optional, may be required)'' Some cards require that the kernel interface be activated before you can use the wireless_tools:<br />
# ifconfig wlan0 up<br />
<br />
1.5. ''(Also optional, may be required)'' When connection to an ad-hoc network you may be required to change the operating mode of your card (which is ''managed'' by default) to ''ad-hoc:''<br />
# iwconfig wlan0 mode ad-hoc<br />
<br />
2. See what access points are available:<br />
# iwlist wlan0 scan<br />
<br />
{{Note| If it displays "''Interface does not support scanning''" then you probably forgot to install the firmware. You can also try bringing up the interface first as shown in point 1.}}<br />
<br />
3. Depending on the encryption, you need to associate your wireless device with the access point to use and pass the encryption key.<br />
<br />
Assuming you want to use the ESSID named <code>MyEssid</code>:<br />
* ''No encryption''<br />
# iwconfig wlan0 essid "MyEssid"<br />
* ''WEP''<br />
using an hexadecimal key:<br />
# iwconfig wlan0 essid "MyEssid" key 1234567890<br />
using an ascii key:<br />
# iwconfig wlan0 essid "MyEssid" key s:asciikey<br />
* ''WPA/WPA2''<br />
<br />
You need to edit the <code>/etc/wpa_supplicant.conf</code> file as described in [[WPA_Supplicant]]. Then, issue this command:<br />
# wpa_supplicant -B -Dwext -i wlan0 -c /etc/wpa_supplicant.conf<br />
<br />
This is assuming your device uses the <code>wext</code> driver. If this does not work, you may need to adjust these options. Check [[WPA_Supplicant]] for more information and troubleshooting.<br />
<br />
Regardless of the method used, you can check if you have associated successfully as follows:<br />
# iwconfig wlan0<br />
<br />
4. Finally, provide an IP address to the network interface. Simple examples are:<br />
# dhcpcd wlan0<br />
for DHCP, or<br />
# ifconfig wlan0 192.168.0.2<br />
# route add default gw 192.168.0.1<br />
for static IP.<br />
<br />
Note: If you get an timeout error due to a ''waiting for carrier'' problem then you might have to set channel mode to auto for the specific device.<br />
<br />
# iwconfig wlan0 channel auto <br />
<br />
{{Note| Although the manual configuration method will help troubleshoot wireless problems, you will have to retype every command each time you reboot.}}<br />
<br />
====Automatic setup====<br />
There are many solutions to choose from, but remember that all of them are mutually exclusive; you should not run two daemons simultaneously.<br />
<br />
=====Standard network daemon=====<br />
{{Note| This method and configuration examples are only valid for unencrypted or WEP-encrypted networks, which are particularly unsecure. To use WPA/WPA2, you will need to use other solutions such as '''[[netcfg]]''' or '''[[wicd]]'''. Also, avoid mixing these methods as they may create a conflict and prevent the wireless card from functioning.}}<br />
<br />
* The '''/etc/rc.conf''' file is sourced by the network script. Therefore, you may define and configure a simple wireless setup within /etc/rc.conf for a centralized approach with '''wlan_<interface>="<interface> essid <essid>"''' and '''INTERFACES=(<interface1> <interface2>)'''. The name of the network goes in place of '''MyEssid'''.<br />
<br />
For example:<br />
# /etc/rc.conf<br />
eth0="dhcp"<br />
wlan0="dhcp"<br />
wlan_wlan0="wlan0 essid MyEssid" # Unencrypted<br />
#wlan_wlan0="wlan0 essid MyEssid key 1234567890" # hex WEP key<br />
#wlan_wlan0="wlan0 essid MyEssid key s:asciikey" # ascii WEP key<br />
INTERFACES=(eth0 wlan0)<br />
<br />
Not all wireless cards are <code>wlan0</code>. Determine your wireless interface with ifconfig -a. <br />
Atheros-based cards, for example, are typically <code>ath0</code>, so change <code>wlan_wlan0</code> to:<br />
wlan_ath0="ath0 essid MyEssid key 12345678" <br />
Also define ath0 in the INTERFACES=line.)<br />
<br />
* Alternatively, you may define wlan_<interface> within /etc/conf.d/wireless, (which is also sourced by the network script), for a de-centralized approach:<br />
# /etc/conf.d/wireless<br />
wlan_wlan0="wlan0 essid MyEssid"<br />
<br />
These solutions are limited for a laptop which is always on the move. It would be good to have multiple [[Network Profiles]] and be able to easily switch from one to another. That is the aim of network managers, such as netcfg.<br />
<br />
=====Netcfg=====<br />
'''netcfg''' provides a ''versatile, robust and fast'' solution to networking on Arch.<br />
<br />
It uses a profile based setup and is capable of detection and connection to a wide range of network types. This is no harder than using graphical tools. Following the directions above, you can get a list of wireless networks. Then, as with graphical tools, you will need a password.<br />
<br />
See: [[Network Profiles]], and [[Network Profiles development]]<br />
<br />
=====Netcfg Easy Wireless LAN (newlan)=====<br />
newlan is a mono console application that starts a user-friendly wizard to create netcfg profiles, it supports also wired connections.<br />
<br />
Install from [[AUR]]: http://aur.archlinux.org/packages.php?ID=33649<br />
<br />
Or use the [[AUR]] helper of your choice.<br />
<br />
newlan must be run with root privileges:<br />
# sudo newlan -n mynewprofile<br />
<br />
=====Autowifi=====<br />
<br />
{{Box|Autowifi is deprecated|Autowifi has been deprecated in favor of [[netcfg]]'s [[Netcfg#net-auto-wireless|net-auto-wireless]] mode|#DF0000|#FFDFDF}}<br />
<br />
Autowifi is a daemon that configures your wireless network automatically depending on the ESSID. Once configured, no user interaction is necessary and no GUI tools are required.<br />
<br />
See: [[Autowifi]]<br />
<br />
=====Wicd=====<br />
Wicd is a network manager that can handle both wireless and wired connections. It is written in Python and Gtk with fewer dependencies than NetworkManager, making it an ideal solution for lightweight desktop users. Wicd is now available in the extra repository for both i686 and x86_64.<br />
<br />
See: [[Wicd]]<br />
<br />
=====NetworkManager=====<br />
NetworkManager is an advanced network management tool that is enabled by default in most popular GNU/Linux distributions. In addition to managing wired connections, NetworkManager provides worry-free wireless roaming with an easy-to-use GUI program for selecting your desired network. <br />
<br />
See: [[NetworkManager]]<br />
<br />
=====Wifi Radar=====<br />
WiFi Radar is Python/PyGTK2 utility for managing wireless profiles (and ''only'' wireless). It enables you to scan for available networks and create profiles for your preferred networks.<br />
<br />
See: [[Wifi Radar]]<br />
<br />
=====Wlassistant=====<br />
Wlassistant is a very intuitive and straightforward GUI application for managing your wireless connections. <br />
<br />
Install from AUR: http://aur.archlinux.org/packages.php?ID=1726<br />
<br />
Wlassistant must be run with root privileges:<br />
# sudo wlassistant<br />
One method of using wlassistant is to configure your wireless card within /etc/rc.conf, specifying the access point you use most often. On startup, your card will automatically be configured for this ESSID, but if other wireless networks are needed/available, wlassistant can then be invoked to access them. Background the network daemon in /etc/rc.conf, by prefixing it with a @, to avoid boot delays.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
*[[Sharing ppp connection with wlan interface]]<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
*[http://www.gnome.org/projects/NetworkManager/ NetworkManager] -- The official website for NetworkManager<br />
*[http://wicd.sourceforge.net/ WICD] -- The official website for WICD<br />
*[https://lists.anl.gov/mailman/listinfo/wifi-radar Wifi Radar] -- Wifi Radar information page<br />
*[http://madwifi.org/wiki/UserDocs/FirstTimeHowTo The madwifi project's method of installing] -- Recommended if you are having trouble after reading this article</div>Raincrossbowhttps://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php?title=Talk:Network_configuration/Wireless&diff=126032Talk:Network configuration/Wireless2010-12-26T19:45:45Z<p>Raincrossbow: /* Wireless management: Manual setup */</p>
<hr />
<div>It would be good to place a further example for encrypting.<br />
<br />
# /etc/conf.d/wireless<br />
wlan_wlan0="wlan0 essid MyEssid"<br />
#wlan_wlan0="wlan0 essid MyEssid key 625341627"<br />
#wlan_wlan0="wlan0 essid MyEssid key s:masterpassword"<br />
<br />
If you have eth0 as wireless card, you replace wlan0 with eth0<br />
<br />
wlan_et0="eth0 essid MyEssid key s:masterpassword""<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
I added the section in ndiswrapper about no internet -- this also could be adapted for other sections, or just generalized at the beginning. --[[User:Majikstreet|Majikstreet]] 13:30, 15 September 2006 (PDT)<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
I made some changes to the rt2500 driver section, since the newer driver rt2500pci works with wpa supplicant. Somebody could probably clean that section up, and write it better, but I don't really think I know enough to be qualified.<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
i added a link to the autowifi page under the 3rd party tools. Black Mage<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
Does anybody else besides me think that it would be helpful to mention modprobe -l to get a list of loaded modules/drivers and that ath9k is already included in the kernel at the beginning of ''First steps'' or ''Drivers and Firmware'' section? In my case (I have a Thinkpad x61) I didn't have to install any additional drivers, so I could proceed immediately to Manual setup and everything worked perfectly. --[[User:Bhobbit|Bhobbit]] 01:03, 7 June 2009 (EDT)<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
Isn't wlan-ng deprecated now? --[[User:Svenstaro|Svenstaro]] 20:11, 14 February 2010 (EST)<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
I added a note saying that internal wifi cards in laptops can be usb devices as I just spent a few hours wondering why mine didn't show up under lspci. [[User:PIMPinator|PIMPinator]] 23:54, 17 August 2010 (EDT)<br />
<br />
<br />
== iwl3945, iwl4965 and iwl5000-series - Firmware (Microcode) ==<br />
I think the Firmware files have moved into the package linux-firmware, so theres no need for these lines any more.<br />
If I'm wrong please revert my change.<br />
<br />
== Wireless management: Manual setup ==<br />
<br />
In my case, the error (wlan0: timed out) occurred until not execute the following commands:<br />
# ifconfig wlan0 down<br />
'''# iwconfig wlan0 mode ad-hoc'''<br />
# iwconfig wlan0 essid Myfi key A123456789<br />
# ifconfig wlan0 up<br />
# dhcpcd wlan0<br />
Maybe it will be useful to someone.<br />
--[[User:IIIcyg|IIIcyg]] 01:55, 26 November 2010 (EST)<br />
<br />
I also had this problem. That appears to be required when connecting to ad-hoc network. I'll go and put a note. -- [[User:raincrossbow|raincrossbow]]</div>Raincrossbow