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This document describes how to set up a wireless network connection with WPA encryption.
This page describes how to set up a wireless network connection with WPA encryption.


== Install necessary drivers and software  ==
Choose a wireless daemon between {{Pkg|iwd}} and {{Pkg|wpa_supplicant}}


First make sure your wireless drivers are loaded properly. (if you are using a '''Broadcom chipset''', see the [[#Broadcom_Wi-Fi_Chipset_Users|section at the bottom of this post]].)
== Prerequisites ==


Install {{Pkg|wireless-tools}} and {{Pkg|wpa_supplicant}}, which are probably available to be installed in the base setup.
Working wireless drivers
{{Cmd|apk add wireless-tools wpa_supplicant}}
{{Note|in most cases installing {{Pkg|linux-firmware}} should get you the required drivers. Installation of this package can produce errors on diskless or data disk modes. If such errors occur, switch to system disk mode.}}


== Manual Configuration  ==
If you are using a '''Broadcom chipset''', see the [[#Broadcom_Wi-Fi_Chipset_Users|Broadcom Wi-Fi section]].)


List your available network interfaces. If you don't see any wireless interfaces (e.g. {{Path|wlan0}}), you probably need to load and/or install drivers/firmware.
== iwd ==
{{Cmd|ip link}}
{{main|iwd}}
 
Iwd (iNet wireless daemon) is a wireless daemon written by Intel and aiming at replacing {{Pkg|wpa_supplicant|arch=}}. The core goal of the project is to optimize resource utilization by not depending on any external libraries and instead utilizing features provided by the Linux Kernel to the maximum extent possible.
 
{{Pkg|iwd|arch=}} is supported since [https://alpinelinux.org/posts/Alpine-3.10.0-released.html Alpine Linux 3.10].
 
See the [[iwd|iwd article]] for more information
 
== wpa_supplicant  ==
 
To get started install {{Pkg|wpa_supplicant}}
 
{{Cmd|# apk add wpa_supplicant}}
 
<br>
 
To list your available network interfaces:
{{Note|if you don't see any wireless interfaces (e.g. {{Path|wlan0}}), you probably need to load and/or install drivers/firmware.}}


Bring up the desired interface.
<br>
{{Cmd|ip link set wlan0 up}}


{{Note|If this errors with <code>ioctl 0x8914 failed: No error information</code>, that's <code>busybox ip</code>'s way of saying your wireless radio is rfkill'd. See [https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Wireless_network_configuration#Rfkill_caveat here] for information on how to unblock your wireless radio.
{{Cmd|ip link}}
The base installation should have <code>busybox rfkill</code> available.}}
or
{{Cmd|ip a}}


<br>


Use the interface to scan for wireless access points. Make sure the ESSID you want to connect to appears here.
Bring up the desired interface:
{{Cmd|iwlist wlan0 scanning}}
{{Cmd|# ip link set wlan0 up}}


Associate the interface with desired ESSID.
{{Note|If this errors with <code>ioctl 0x8914 failed: No error information</code>, that's <code>busybox ip</code>'s way of saying your wireless radio is rfkill'd. See the [[#Rfkill|Rfkill section]] for information on how to unblock your wireless radio.}}
{{Cmd|iwconfig wlan0 essid ExampleWifi}}


Sanity check: the interface should be configured with {{Path|ESSID:"ExampleWifi"}}.
<br>
{{Cmd|iwconfig wlan0}}


Create a wpa_supplicant configuration stanza for the wireless access point.
Use this command to add your Wi-Fi network to wpa_supplicant:
{{Cmd|wpa_passphrase 'ExampleWifi' 'ExampleWifiPassword' > /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf}}
{{Cmd|# wpa_passphrase 'ExampleWifiSSID' 'ExampleWifiPassword' > /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf}}
''(Access point not broadcasting its SSID requires additional line <code>scan_ssid=1</code> in the file <code>wpa_supplicant.conf</code>)''
''(Access point not broadcasting its SSID requires additional line <code>scan_ssid=1</code> in the file <code>wpa_supplicant.conf</code>)''


{{Note|the Wi-Fi SSID and password are case sensitive and the single quote before and after the SSID and password need to be there}}
<br>


Start wpa_supplicant in the foreground to make sure the connection succeeds.
Start wpa_supplicant in the foreground to make sure the connection succeeds.
{{Cmd|wpa_supplicant -i wlan0 -c /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf}}
{{Cmd|# wpa_supplicant -i wlan0 -c /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf}}
 
<br>


If all is well, run it as a daemon in the background by setting the {{Path|-B}} option.
If all is well, run it as a daemon in the background by setting the {{Path|-B}} option.
{{Cmd|wpa_supplicant -B -i wlan0 -c /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf}}
{{Cmd|# wpa_supplicant -B -i wlan0 -c /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf}}
 
<br>


Configure the interface with an IP address.
Configure the interface with an IP address.
{{Cmd|udhcpc -i wlan0}}
{{Cmd|# udhcpc -i wlan0}}


Sanity check: the interface should have an {{Path|inet}} address.
Sanity check: the interface should have a {{Path|inet}} address.
{{Cmd|ip addr show wlan0}}
{{Cmd|$ ip addr show wlan0}}


== Automatic Configuration on System Boot  ==
<br>


Add a stanza for the desired interface (e.g. {{Path|wlan0}}) to {{Path|/etc/network/interfaces}}:
=== Automatic Configuration on System Boot  ===


<pre>
Add a entry for the desired interface (e.g. {{Path|wlan0}}):
auto wlan0
{{Cat|/etc/network/interfaces|auto wlan0
iface wlan0 inet dhcp
iface wlan0 inet dhcp}}
</pre>


Make sure {{Path|/etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf}} is the correct configuration for the wireless access point you want to connect to.
{{Note|Dont remove or comment out the '''auto lo''' entry}}
 
Sanity check: Make sure {{Path|/etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf}} is the correct configuration for the wireless access point you want to connect to.


Bring the interface down.
Bring the interface down.


{{Cmd|ifconfig wlan0 down}}
{{Cmd|# ip link set wlan0 down}}
 
<br>
 
Manually restart (or '''start''') '''networking'''.
 
{{Cmd|# rc-service networking --quiet restart &}}
 
<br>
 
If all is well (feel free to confirm with the sanity checks),
 
Configure wpa_supplicant to start automatically on boot:
 
{{Cmd|# rc-update add wpa_supplicant boot}}
 
<br>
 
Also make sure '''networking''' is set to automatically start on boot:
 
{{Cmd|# rc-update add networking boot}}


Manually start wpa_supplicant.
<br>


{{Cmd|/etc/init.d/wpa_supplicant start}}
'''Optional security precaution:'''


If all is well (confirm with the sanity checks in [[#Manual_Configuration|Manual Configuration]]), configure wpa_supplicant to start automatically on boot.
By default {{Pkg|wpa_supplicant}} will store your Wi-Fi password in plain text:


{{Cmd|rc-update add wpa_supplicant boot}}
{{Cat|(Example) /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf|<nowiki>network={
    ssid="<YourSSIDShouldBeHere>"
        #psk="<YourPasswordShouldBeHereInPlainText>"
    psk=<RandomLettersAndNumbersShouldBeHere>
}</nowiki>}}


this is not necessary and {{Pkg|wpa_supplicant}} should funtion just fine without it, if you dont want your stored password in plain text just delete the line with <code>#psk="<YourPasswordShouldBeHereInPlainText>"</code> on it.
<br>


=== Launching udhcpc through wpa_cli actions ===
=== Launching udhcpc through wpa_cli actions ===


With the above configuration, udhcpc will only run once at boot.
With the above configuration, udhcpc will only run once at boot.
If the Wifi isn't available then, or the network changes in between, it needs to be notified.
If the Wifi isn't available then, or the network changes after booting, udhcpc needs to be notified.
This is done through the wpa_cli action script in /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_cli.sh
You can automatically notify udhcpc of network changes by using a wpa_cli action file, such as the one installed by default at `/etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_cli.sh`.
 
To manually start a wpa_cli daemon with an action file, use the `-a` option:
 
{{Cmd|# wpa_cli -a /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_cli.sh}}


{{Cmd|rc-update add wpa_cli boot}}
<br>


== Broadcom Wi-Fi Chipset Users  ==
To do this automatically, use the `wpa_cli` service included in {{Pkg|wpa_supplicant-openrc}}:


The Broadcom chipset is quite popular among older computers. You will need to compile the firmware manually for this chipset as it is not included.  
{{Cat|/etc/conf.d/wpa_cli|<nowiki>WPACLI_OPTS="-a /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_cli.sh"</nowiki>}}


You can check if you have a Broadcom chipset by using dmesg:
{{Cmd|# rc-update add wpa_cli boot}}


{{Cmd|dmesg {{!}} grep Broadcom}}
== Troubleshooting ==


First install the SDK and Git:
=== Broadcom Wi-Fi Chipset Users  ===
{{Cmd|apk add alpine-sdk git}}


Then git clone aports from git.alpinelinux.org.
The Broadcom chipset is quite popular among older computers. The b43 driver is included in the linux-lts or linux-edge kernel packages. However, you might need to compile the firmware manually for this chipset as it is not included in linux-firmware for some cards.  


Check what chip you have using lspci:


{{Cmd|git clone git://git.alpinelinux.org/aports}}
{{Cmd|$ lspci -nn -d 14e4:}}


Change your directory to '''aports/non-free/b43-firmware''', then build it.
Check what driver you need on the:


{{Tip|You can't be root and must be a user of the group abuild (use groupadd f.e. '''addgroup $(whoami) abuild''')}}
[https://wireless.wiki.kernel.org/en/users/Drivers/b43#list_of_hardware b43 compatibility page]
{{Tip|If this is your first time building a package you will need to generate a key for use in signing packages (use '''abuild-keygen -a -i''')}}


{{Cmd|abuild -r}}
====B43====


Install the generated packge file (it will be in ~/packages/) - make sure to pass '''--allow-untrusted'''
Download firmware cutter.


{{Cmd|apk add --allow-untrusted ~/packages/...pkg}}
{{Cmd|$ apk add b43-fwcutter}}


Now we need fwcutter, which is executed from the firmware package:
Now we have everything to download the proprietary driver and extract the firmware from it:


{{Cmd|apk add b43-fwcutter b43-firmware}}
{{Cmd|<nowiki># export FIRMWARE_INSTALL_DIR="/lib/firmware"
$ wget http://www.lwfinger.com/b43-firmware/broadcom-wl-5.100.138.tar.bz2
$ tar xjf broadcom-wl-5.100.138.tar.bz2
$ b43-fwcutter -w "$FIRMWARE_INSTALL_DIR" broadcom-wl-5.100.138/linux/wl_apsta.o</nowiki>}}
 
More information can be found [http://linuxwireless.sipsolutions.net/en/users/Drivers/b43/#Other_distributions_not_mentioned_above here].


Now you need to use modprobe so the device will show up:
Now you need to use modprobe so the device will show up:


{{Cmd|modprobe b43}}
{{Cmd|# modprobe b43}}
 
Now continue with the normal instructions.
 
====wl====
 
First install the software we need to build a driver[https://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/606073/how-to-build-kernel-modules-in-alpine-3-12 ^]:
 
{{Cmd|apk add git alpine-sdk linux-headers}}


To automate this on startup add it to /etc/modules:
Then install the driver build repo (this is archived, however it's legacy so that doesn't matter):


{{Cmd|echo b43 >> /etc/modules}}
{{Cmd|git clone https://github.com/antoineco/broadcom-wl
cd broadcom-wl
}}
 
Then follow the build instructions listed in the git repo:
 
{{Cmd|make
doas make install
doas depmod -A
doas modprobe wl
}}
 
reboot and you have a working wl driver!


Now continue with the normal instructions.  
Now continue with the normal instructions.  
=== Rfkill ===
Many laptops have a hardware button (or switch) to turn off wireless card, however, the card can also be blocked by kernel. This can be changed using rfkill. To show the current of your Wi-Fi:
<p style="background-color:#f9f9f9; border:1px dashed #2f6fab; line-height:1.1em; padding:1em; font-family:monospace; font-size:10pt; white-space:pre; overflow:auto;"><span style="color:green;">~</span>'''$''' rfkill list
0: phy0: wlan
    Soft blocked: no
    Hard blocked: no
</p>
<br>
If the card is hard-blocked, use the hardware button or switch to unblock it. If the card is not hard-blocked but soft-blocked, use the following command:
{{Cmd|# rfkill unblock wifi}}
<br>
== See Also ==
* [[Installation#Post-Install|Post Install]]
* [[Alpine setup scripts]]
* [[Iwd|iwd]]
* [https://wiki.postmarketos.org/wiki/WiFi PostmarketOS Wiki]
* [https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Network_configuration/Wireless Archwiki]
* [https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Wi-Fi Gentoo Wiki]


[[Category:Networking]]
[[Category:Networking]]

Revision as of 16:33, 5 May 2024

This page describes how to set up a wireless network connection with WPA encryption.

Choose a wireless daemon between iwd and wpa_supplicant

Prerequisites

Working wireless drivers

Note: in most cases installing linux-firmware should get you the required drivers. Installation of this package can produce errors on diskless or data disk modes. If such errors occur, switch to system disk mode.

If you are using a Broadcom chipset, see the Broadcom Wi-Fi section.)

iwd

Main article: iwd

Iwd (iNet wireless daemon) is a wireless daemon written by Intel and aiming at replacing wpa_supplicant. The core goal of the project is to optimize resource utilization by not depending on any external libraries and instead utilizing features provided by the Linux Kernel to the maximum extent possible.

iwd is supported since Alpine Linux 3.10.

See the iwd article for more information

wpa_supplicant

To get started install wpa_supplicant

# apk add wpa_supplicant


To list your available network interfaces:

Note: if you don't see any wireless interfaces (e.g. wlan0), you probably need to load and/or install drivers/firmware.


ip link

or

ip a


Bring up the desired interface:

# ip link set wlan0 up

Note: If this errors with ioctl 0x8914 failed: No error information, that's busybox ip's way of saying your wireless radio is rfkill'd. See the Rfkill section for information on how to unblock your wireless radio.


Use this command to add your Wi-Fi network to wpa_supplicant:

# wpa_passphrase 'ExampleWifiSSID' 'ExampleWifiPassword' > /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf

(Access point not broadcasting its SSID requires additional line scan_ssid=1 in the file wpa_supplicant.conf)

Note: the Wi-Fi SSID and password are case sensitive and the single quote before and after the SSID and password need to be there


Start wpa_supplicant in the foreground to make sure the connection succeeds.

# wpa_supplicant -i wlan0 -c /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf


If all is well, run it as a daemon in the background by setting the -B option.

# wpa_supplicant -B -i wlan0 -c /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf


Configure the interface with an IP address.

# udhcpc -i wlan0

Sanity check: the interface should have a inet address.

$ ip addr show wlan0


Automatic Configuration on System Boot

Add a entry for the desired interface (e.g. wlan0):

Contents of /etc/network/interfaces

auto wlan0 iface wlan0 inet dhcp
Note: Dont remove or comment out the auto lo entry

Sanity check: Make sure /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf is the correct configuration for the wireless access point you want to connect to.

Bring the interface down.

# ip link set wlan0 down


Manually restart (or start) networking.

# rc-service networking --quiet restart &


If all is well (feel free to confirm with the sanity checks),

Configure wpa_supplicant to start automatically on boot:

# rc-update add wpa_supplicant boot


Also make sure networking is set to automatically start on boot:

# rc-update add networking boot


Optional security precaution:

By default wpa_supplicant will store your Wi-Fi password in plain text:

Contents of (Example) /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf

network={ ssid="<YourSSIDShouldBeHere>" #psk="<YourPasswordShouldBeHereInPlainText>" psk=<RandomLettersAndNumbersShouldBeHere> }

this is not necessary and wpa_supplicant should funtion just fine without it, if you dont want your stored password in plain text just delete the line with #psk="<YourPasswordShouldBeHereInPlainText>" on it.


Launching udhcpc through wpa_cli actions

With the above configuration, udhcpc will only run once at boot. If the Wifi isn't available then, or the network changes after booting, udhcpc needs to be notified. You can automatically notify udhcpc of network changes by using a wpa_cli action file, such as the one installed by default at `/etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_cli.sh`.

To manually start a wpa_cli daemon with an action file, use the `-a` option:

# wpa_cli -a /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_cli.sh


To do this automatically, use the `wpa_cli` service included in wpa_supplicant-openrc:

Contents of /etc/conf.d/wpa_cli

WPACLI_OPTS="-a /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_cli.sh"

# rc-update add wpa_cli boot

Troubleshooting

Broadcom Wi-Fi Chipset Users

The Broadcom chipset is quite popular among older computers. The b43 driver is included in the linux-lts or linux-edge kernel packages. However, you might need to compile the firmware manually for this chipset as it is not included in linux-firmware for some cards.

Check what chip you have using lspci:

$ lspci -nn -d 14e4:

Check what driver you need on the:

b43 compatibility page

B43

Download firmware cutter.

$ apk add b43-fwcutter

Now we have everything to download the proprietary driver and extract the firmware from it:

# export FIRMWARE_INSTALL_DIR="/lib/firmware" $ wget http://www.lwfinger.com/b43-firmware/broadcom-wl-5.100.138.tar.bz2 $ tar xjf broadcom-wl-5.100.138.tar.bz2 $ b43-fwcutter -w "$FIRMWARE_INSTALL_DIR" broadcom-wl-5.100.138/linux/wl_apsta.o

More information can be found here.

Now you need to use modprobe so the device will show up:

# modprobe b43

Now continue with the normal instructions.

wl

First install the software we need to build a driver^:

apk add git alpine-sdk linux-headers

Then install the driver build repo (this is archived, however it's legacy so that doesn't matter):

git clone https://github.com/antoineco/broadcom-wl cd broadcom-wl

Then follow the build instructions listed in the git repo:

make doas make install doas depmod -A doas modprobe wl

reboot and you have a working wl driver!

Now continue with the normal instructions.

Rfkill

Many laptops have a hardware button (or switch) to turn off wireless card, however, the card can also be blocked by kernel. This can be changed using rfkill. To show the current of your Wi-Fi:

~$ rfkill list 0: phy0: wlan Soft blocked: no Hard blocked: no


If the card is hard-blocked, use the hardware button or switch to unblock it. If the card is not hard-blocked but soft-blocked, use the following command:

# rfkill unblock wifi


See Also

Retrieved from "https://wiki.alpinelinux.org/w/index.php?title=Wi-Fi&oldid=26685"