source: networking/netprogs/wireless-tools.xml@ 17aa21c

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
<!DOCTYPE sect1 PUBLIC "-//OASIS//DTD DocBook XML V4.5//EN"
   "http://www.oasis-open.org/docbook/xml/4.5/docbookx.dtd" [
  <!ENTITY % general-entities SYSTEM "../../general.ent">
  %general-entities;

  <!ENTITY wireless-download-http "https://hewlettpackard.github.io/wireless-tools/wireless_tools.&wireless-tools-version;.tar.gz">
  <!ENTITY wireless-download-ftp  " ">
  <!ENTITY wireless-md5sum        "e06c222e186f7cc013fd272d023710cb">
  <!ENTITY wireless-size          "288 KB">
  <!ENTITY wireless-buildsize     "2.0 MB">
  <!ENTITY wireless-time          "less than 0.1 SBU">
]>

<sect1 id="wireless_tools" xreflabel="Wireless Tools-&wireless-tools-version;">
  <?dbhtml filename="wireless_tools.html"?>


  <title>Wireless Tools-&wireless-tools-version;</title>

  <indexterm zone="wireless_tools">
    <primary sortas="a-WirelessTools">Wireless Tools</primary>
  </indexterm>

  <sect2 role="package">
    <title>Introduction to Wireless Tools</title>

    <para>
      The Wireless Extension (WE) is a generic API in the Linux kernel allowing
      a driver to expose configuration and statistics specific to common
      Wireless LANs to userspace. A single set of tools can support all the
      variations of Wireless LANs, regardless of their type, as long as the
      driver supports Wireless Extensions. WE parameters may also be changed on
      the fly without restarting the driver (or Linux).
    </para>

    <para>
      The <application>Wireless Tools</application> (WT) package is a set
      of tools allowing  manipulation of the Wireless Extensions. They use a
      textual interface to support the full Wireless Extension.
    </para>

    &lfs112_checked;

    <bridgehead renderas="sect3">Package Information</bridgehead>
    <itemizedlist spacing='compact'>
      <listitem>
        <para>
          Download (HTTP): <ulink url="&wireless-download-http;"/>
        </para>
      </listitem>
      <listitem>
        <para>
          Download (FTP): <ulink url="&wireless-download-ftp;"/>
        </para>
      </listitem>
      <listitem>
        <para>
          Download MD5 sum: &wireless-md5sum;
        </para>
      </listitem>
      <listitem>
        <para>
          Download size: &wireless-size;
        </para>
      </listitem>
      <listitem>
        <para>
          Estimated disk space required: &wireless-buildsize;
        </para>
      </listitem>
      <listitem>
        <para>
          Estimated build time: &wireless-time;
        </para>
      </listitem>
    </itemizedlist>

    <bridgehead renderas="sect3">Additional Downloads</bridgehead>
    <itemizedlist spacing="compact">
      <listitem>
        <para>
          Required patch:
          <ulink
            url="&patch-root;/wireless_tools-&wireless-tools-version;-fix_iwlist_scanning-1.patch"/>
        </para>
      </listitem>
    </itemizedlist>

    <para condition="html" role="usernotes">User Notes:
    <ulink url='&blfs-wiki;/WirelessTools'/></para>

  </sect2>

  <sect2 role="kernel" id='wireless-kernel'>
    <title>Kernel Configuration</title>

    <indexterm zone="wireless_tools wireless-kernel">
      <primary sortas="d-Wireless-devices">Wireless devices</primary>
    </indexterm>

    <para>
      To use <application>Wireless Tools</application>, the kernel must have
      the appropriate drivers and other support available. The appropriate bus
      must also be available. For many laptops, the PCMCIA bus (CONFIG_PCCARD)
      needs to be built. In some cases, this bus support will also need to be
      built for embedded wireless cards. The appropriate bridge support also
      needs to be built. For many modern laptops, the CardBus host bridge
      (CONFIG_YENTA) will be needed.
    </para>

    <para>
      In addition to the bus, the actual driver for the specific wireless card
      must also be available.  There are many wireless cards and they don't
      all work with Linux.  The first place to look for card support is the
      kernel.  The drivers are located in Device Drivers &rarr; Network Device
      Support &rarr; Wireless LAN (non-hamradio).  There are also external
      drivers available for some very common cards.  For more information,
      look at the user notes.
    </para>

    <para>
      After the correct drivers are loaded, the interface will
      appear in <filename>/proc/net/wireless</filename>.
    </para>

  </sect2>

  <sect2 role="installation">
    <title>Installation of Wireless Tools</title>

    <para>
      First, apply a patch that fixes a problem when numerous
      networks are available:
    </para>

<screen><userinput>patch -Np1 -i ../wireless_tools-&wireless-tools-version;-fix_iwlist_scanning-1.patch</userinput></screen>

    <para>
      To install <application>Wireless Tools</application>,
      use the following commands:
    </para>

<screen><userinput>make</userinput></screen>

    <para>
      This package does not come with a test suite.
    </para>

    <para>
      Now, as the <systemitem class="username">root</systemitem> user:
    </para>

<screen role="root"><userinput>make PREFIX=/usr INSTALL_MAN=/usr/share/man install</userinput></screen>

  </sect2>

  <sect2 role="commands">
    <title>Command Explanations</title>

    <para>
      <command>INSTALL_MAN=/usr/share/man</command>: Install manual pages
      in <filename class="directory">/usr/share/man</filename> instead of
      <filename class="directory">/usr/man</filename>.
    </para>

  </sect2>

  <sect2 role="content">
    <title>Contents</title>

    <segmentedlist>
      <segtitle>Installed Programs</segtitle>
      <segtitle>Installed Library</segtitle>
      <segtitle>Installed Directories</segtitle>

      <seglistitem>
        <seg>ifrename, iwconfig, iwevent, iwgetid, iwlist, iwpriv,
             and iwspy</seg>
        <seg>libiw.so</seg>
        <seg>None</seg>
      </seglistitem>
    </segmentedlist>

    <variablelist>
      <bridgehead renderas="sect3">Short Descriptions</bridgehead>
      <?dbfo list-presentation="list"?>
      <?dbhtml list-presentation="table"?>

      <varlistentry id="ifrename">
        <term><command>ifrename</command></term>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            renames network interfaces based on various static criteria
          </para>
          <indexterm zone="wireless_tools ifrename">
            <primary sortas="b-ifrename">ifrename</primary>
          </indexterm>
        </listitem>
      </varlistentry>

      <varlistentry id="iwconfig">
        <term><command>iwconfig</command></term>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            configures a wireless network interface
          </para>
          <indexterm zone="wireless_tools iwconfig">
            <primary sortas="b-iwconfig">iwconfig</primary>
          </indexterm>
        </listitem>
      </varlistentry>

      <varlistentry id="iwevent">
        <term><command>iwevent</command></term>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            displays wireless events generated by drivers and setting changes
          </para>
          <indexterm zone="wireless_tools iwevent">
            <primary sortas="b-iwevent">iwevent</primary>
          </indexterm>
        </listitem>
      </varlistentry>

      <varlistentry id="iwgetid">
        <term><command>iwgetid</command></term>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            reports ESSID, NWID or AP/Cell Address of wireless networks
          </para>
          <indexterm zone="wireless_tools iwgetid">
            <primary sortas="b-iwgetid">iwgetid</primary>
          </indexterm>
        </listitem>
      </varlistentry>

      <varlistentry id="iwlist">
        <term><command>iwlist</command></term>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            gets detailed wireless information from a wireless interface
          </para>
          <indexterm zone="wireless_tools iwlist">
            <primary sortas="b-iwlist">iwlist</primary>
          </indexterm>
        </listitem>
      </varlistentry>

      <varlistentry id="iwpriv">
        <term><command>iwpriv</command></term>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            configures optional (private) parameters of a wireless network
             interface
          </para>
          <indexterm zone="wireless_tools iwpriv">
            <primary sortas="b-iwpriv">iwpriv</primary>
          </indexterm>
        </listitem>
      </varlistentry>

      <varlistentry id="iwspy">
        <term><command>iwspy</command></term>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            gets wireless statistics from specific node
          </para>
          <indexterm zone="wireless_tools iwspy">
            <primary sortas="b-iwspy">iwspy</primary>
          </indexterm>
        </listitem>
      </varlistentry>

      <varlistentry id="libiw">
        <term><filename class="libraryfile">libiw.so</filename></term>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            contains functions required by the wireless programs and
            provides an API for other programs
          </para>
          <indexterm zone="wireless_tools libiw">
            <primary sortas="c-libiw">libiw.so</primary>
          </indexterm>
        </listitem>
      </varlistentry>

    </variablelist>

  </sect2>

</sect1>