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slackware:network [2010/05/02 11:56] – Do not forget about wicd-curses. alienslackware:network [2017/08/08 20:12] (current) – Two small fixes. alien
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 //This article is intended as a reference guide to network card configuration in Slackware.//\\ The network scripts themselves are well-documented (inside the scripts) but there is not much other written end-user documentation about what you put into the configuration files. The [[http://slackbook.org/html/network-configuration-tcpip.html|Network Configuration]] chapter in the //[[http://slackbook.org/html/|Slackware Linux Essentials]]// book explains in generic terms how Slackware's network configuration works, and how the use of DHCP (dynamic IP address assignment) differs from static IP's. I will try not to repeat what is written there.\\ There is another nice and freely available book on Slackware, called //[[http://slackbasics.org/html/|Slackware Linux Basics]]//. This book should be considered as required follow-up reading material once you mastered the Slackware Essentials. The [[http://slackbasics.org/html/netconfig.html|networking chapter]] is well worth reading. //This article is intended as a reference guide to network card configuration in Slackware.//\\ The network scripts themselves are well-documented (inside the scripts) but there is not much other written end-user documentation about what you put into the configuration files. The [[http://slackbook.org/html/network-configuration-tcpip.html|Network Configuration]] chapter in the //[[http://slackbook.org/html/|Slackware Linux Essentials]]// book explains in generic terms how Slackware's network configuration works, and how the use of DHCP (dynamic IP address assignment) differs from static IP's. I will try not to repeat what is written there.\\ There is another nice and freely available book on Slackware, called //[[http://slackbasics.org/html/|Slackware Linux Basics]]//. This book should be considered as required follow-up reading material once you mastered the Slackware Essentials. The [[http://slackbasics.org/html/netconfig.html|networking chapter]] is well worth reading.
  
-In essence, my Wiki article documents the ''/etc/rc.d/rc.inet1.conf'' file. The only available documentation about the configurable network parameters used to be at the bottom of that file, and it took the shape of commented-out examples. In Slackware 12.2 two man pages were added, for [[http://slackware.osuosl.org/slackware-12.2/source/n/network-scripts/manpages/rc.inet1.8|rc.inet1]] and [[http://slackware.osuosl.org/slackware-12.2/source/n/network-scripts/manpages/rc.inet1.conf.5|rc.inet1.conf]], both of which are based on this Wiki article. \\ The ''rc.inet1'' script in Slackware configures all your network interfaces - including wireless interfaces. If the ''rc.inet1'' script detects that it deals with a //wireless interface//, it will call the sub-script ''rc.wireless'' to configure this interface's wireless properties. Both scripts take their configuration information from the same file ''rc.inet1.conf''. \\ I wrote a separate chapter about [[#wireless_networks|Wireless Networks]] because a wireless network interface has so many more configurable parameters than a "wired" interface. The configuration of [[#wpa_encryption|WPA encryption]] a for wireless interface is documented in it's own chapter; the WPA parameters are taken from the file ''/etc/wpa_supplicant.conf'' instead of the ''rc.inet1.conf'' file. \\ The final section of this article looks at alternative (mainly GUI based) network configuration managers and the extent to which these may be useful in Slackware.+In essence, my Wiki article documents the ''/etc/rc.d/rc.inet1.conf'' file. The only available documentation about the configurable network parameters used to be at the bottom of that file, and it took the shape of commented-out examples. In Slackware 12.2 two man pages were added, for [[http://slackware.osuosl.org/slackware-12.2/source/n/network-scripts/manpages/rc.inet1.8|rc.inet1]] and [[http://slackware.osuosl.org/slackware-12.2/source/n/network-scripts/manpages/rc.inet1.conf.5|rc.inet1.conf]], both of which are based on this Wiki article. \\ The ''rc.inet1'' script in Slackware configures all your network interfaces - including wireless interfaces. If the ''rc.inet1'' script detects that it deals with a //wireless interface//, it will call the sub-script ''rc.wireless'' to configure this interface's wireless properties. Both scripts take their configuration information from the same file ''rc.inet1.conf''. \\ I wrote a separate chapter about [[#wireless_networks|Wireless Networks]] because a wireless network interface has so many more configurable parameters than a "wired" interface. The configuration of [[#wpa_encryption|WPA encryption]] a for wireless interface is documented in it's own chapter; the WPA parameters are taken from the file ''/etc/wpa_supplicant.conf'' instead of the ''rc.inet1.conf'' file. \\ The final section of this article looks at alternative network configuration managers (who usually come with a GUI based client programthat have become available for Slackware over time.
  
 I will also try to give some historic perspective on the evolution of network support in Slackware, because I was involved in this a lot. I will also try to give some historic perspective on the evolution of network support in Slackware, because I was involved in this a lot.
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   * There is a way to generate the hexadecimal value for the PSK if you have an access point which uses a passphrase. As root, run: <code>   * There is a way to generate the hexadecimal value for the PSK if you have an access point which uses a passphrase. As root, run: <code>
 wpa_passphrase YOURSSID passphrase wpa_passphrase YOURSSID passphrase
-</code> with the //YOURSSID// being the ESSID of your Access Point and //passphrase// is the ascii string you entered in the ccess Point's //WPA-PSK// configuration section. You'll receive an output, which looks like this: <code>+</code> with the //YOURSSID// being the ESSID of your Access Point and //passphrase// is the ascii string you entered in the Access Point's //WPA-PSK// configuration section. You'll receive an output, which looks like this: <code>
 network={ network={
     ssid="YOURSSID"     ssid="YOURSSID"
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 ==== Alternative network managers ==== ==== Alternative network managers ====
 +
 +The information presented in the article up to here is historical and provides you with in-depth information about how Slackware itself can manage your computer's network configuration.\\ 
 +However, with the advance of mobile computers and graphical desktops, alternative means of managing network connectivity have been developed which allow for seamless roaming, VPN support and other complex scenarios.\\ 
 +Several alternative network managers have been added to Slackware over time, and these come with graphical front-end programs. This section of the article on networking in Slackware deals with the alternatives.
 +
 +=== networkmanager ===
 +
 +The Networkmanager was added to Slackware 14.0. Originally developed by Red Hat, it is now hosted by the GNOME project and has been adopted by virtually all Linux distributions.\\ 
 +NetworkManager is able to switch automatically between wired and wireless networks, allows VPN connections of various types and supports modems.
 +
 +Read more about NetworkManager on is homepage [[https://wiki.gnome.org/Projects/NetworkManager]]
 +
 +The ''NetworkManager'' package installs a daemon which talks to your computer's //dbus// messagebus to detect network connects/disconnects. The daemon is started at boot by making its //rc script// executable: <code>
 +chmod +x /etc/rc.d/rc.networkmanager
 +</code>
 +
 +Configuration of your wireless as well as wired interfaces is done via a client program. You can either use the GTK-based graphical ''network-manager-applet'' in your X Window session (KDE, XFCE, blackbox, ...), or use the //text user interface// program ''nmtui'' if you are not using X.  If you are running KDE 4 as your Desktop Environment, then the package ''plasma5-nm'' will show a system tray widget. If you are running Plasma 5 Desktop Environment, then ''plasma5-nm'' installs a Plasma widget for the graphical management of NetworkManager. To enable that widget, right-click on the system tray and select //add widgets//, then search for //network// and drag the widget to your system tray. Once the widget is visible in your Plasma system tray you can use it to interact with the daemon.
 +
 +
 +<note warn>If you want to use NetworkManager, you will have to remove any network interface configuration information from ''/etc/rc.d/rc.inet1.conf'' in order to prevent a struggle for power between NetworkManager and Slackware's ''rc.inet1'' script.</note>
  
 === wicd === === wicd ===
  
-Wicd (pronouced as //wicked//) aims to provide a simple interface to connect to networks with a wide variety of settings. Some of Wicd's features include:+Wicd (pronounced as //wicked//) aims to provide a simple interface to connect to networks with a wide variety of settings. Some of Wicd's features include:
  
   * Ability to connect to wired and wireless networks   * Ability to connect to wired and wireless networks
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 Read more about it here: [[http://wicd.net/|http://wicd.net/]] Read more about it here: [[http://wicd.net/|http://wicd.net/]]
  
-Wicd installs a daemon which talks to your computer's //dbus// messagebus to detect network connects/disconnects. Configuration of your wireless as well as wired interfaces is done via a //wicd client//. You can either run the graphical //wicd-client// in your X Window session (KDE, XFCE, blackbox, ...), or use the console program //wicd-curses// if you are not using X.+You can find the ''wicd'' package in the ''/extra'' section of the Slackware distribution. It is not installed by default as part of a full installation.\\ Wicd installs a daemon which talks to your computer's //dbus// messagebus to detect network connects/disconnects. The daemon is started at boot by making its //rc script// executable: <code> 
 +chmod +x /etc/rc.d/rc.wicd 
 +</code> 
 + 
 +Configuration of your wireless as well as wired interfaces is done via a //wicd client//. You can either run the graphical //wicd-client// in your X Window session (KDE, XFCE, blackbox, ...), or use the console program //wicd-curses// if you are not using X.  If you are running KDE4 as your Desktop Environment, then the package ''wicd-kde'' installs a KDE widget for the graphical management of your wicd daemon. To enable the ''wicd'' widget, right-click on the system tray and select //add widgets//, then search for //wicd// and drag the widget to your system tray. Once the widget is visible in your KDE system tray you can use it to interact with the daemon.
  
-<note warn>If you want to use wicd, you will have to remove any network interface configuration information from ''/etc/rc.drc.inet1.conf'' in order to prevent a struggle for power between wicd and Slackware's ''rc.inet1'' script.</note>+<note warn>If you want to use wicd, you will have to remove any network interface configuration information from ''/etc/rc.d/rc.inet1.conf'' in order to prevent a struggle for power between wicd and Slackware's ''rc.inet1'' script.</note>
  
 === lxnm === === lxnm ===
 Configuring your network in Slackware ()
SlackDocs