source: networking/netprogs/wireless-tools.xml@ 6d15c62

<?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 "http://www.hpl.hp.com/personal/Jean_Tourrilhes/Linux/wireless_tools.28.tar.gz">
  <!ENTITY wireless-download-ftp  " ">
  <!ENTITY wireless-md5sum        "599c94497f9c9073c7b052d3dcb7cd16">
  <!ENTITY wireless-size          "249 KB">
  <!ENTITY wireless-buildsize     "1.7 MB">
  <!ENTITY wireless-time          "less than 0.1 SBU">
]>

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

  <sect1info>
    <othername>$LastChangedBy$</othername>
    <date>$Date$</date>
  </sect1info>

  <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 user space. 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>

    <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>

    <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>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</userinput></screen>

  </sect2>

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

    <para><command>sed -i -e "s/__GNUC__ == 3/__GNUC__ &gt; 3/"
     -e "s/__GNUC_MINOR__ &lt; 4/&amp; || __GNUC__ > 3/" iwlib.h</command>:
     This modification is necessary to properly compile inline functions
     with GCC4.</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>