# wpa_supplicant vs wireless-tools

## synus

what's difference between this source projects? I means, I can use iwlis,iwpriv instead of wpa_supplicant? I'm looking for tiny wireless management tool.

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## Mistwolf

The difference is that wireless-tools are tools to manage your wireless cards, while wpa_supplicant is used for WEP/WPA/WPA2/etc wireless encriptions.

If you do not use WEP/WPA/etc, you do not need wpa_supplicant.

From the descriptions:

wireless-tools = A collection of tools to configure IEEE 802.11 wireless LAN cards

wpa_supplicant = IEEE 802.1X/WPA supplicant for secure wireless transfers

Hope this helps.

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## synus

thanks for reply,

But, could you argue this iwpriv behaviour?

```
wlan0 no private ioctls.
```

Is that means what my firmware for wireless adapted doesn't support configuration by this tool?

Actually I tries to adjust ath5 adapter and I not even makes something so as to attach firmware. I guess  so ath5 works through i\o ports directly from LKM driver?

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## Mistwolf

That looks like it did not load the proper driver and/or the kernel is not configured properly.  I could be wrong, since I do not use an atheros based wireless card.

Check out http://madwifi-project.org/wiki/About/ath5k for basic information on the ath5k driver.

Hope this helps.

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## synus

perhaps I forgot CONFIG_HOSTAP in my kernel, I makes new build...

And how about this things...

```
CONFIG_LIB80211_CRYPT_WEP=m

CONFIG_LIB80211_CRYPT_CCMP=m

CONFIG_LIB80211_CRYPT_TKIP=m
```

it looks like wep cert and tkip, encryption implementation in kernel, or not?

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## Gusar

 *synus wrote:*   

> perhaps I forgot CONFIG_HOSTAP in my kernel, I makes new build...
> 
> And how about this things...
> 
> ```
> ...

 

These particular things you listed are not used by the ath5k driver, only by a few old drivers (like ipw2100 and ipw2200).

Also, very few drivers have private ioctls, so what iwpriv told you is correct. If you want to handle WPA/WPA2 networks with ath5k, you need wpa_supplicant.

Here's the relevant part of my kernel configuration for my nebook (Atheros wireless card, using ath5k driver):

```
CONFIG_WIRELESS=y

CONFIG_CFG80211=m

# CONFIG_NL80211_TESTMODE is not set

# CONFIG_CFG80211_DEVELOPER_WARNINGS is not set

# CONFIG_CFG80211_REG_DEBUG is not set

CONFIG_CFG80211_DEFAULT_PS=y

CONFIG_CFG80211_DEFAULT_PS_VALUE=1

# CONFIG_WIRELESS_OLD_REGULATORY is not set

CONFIG_WIRELESS_EXT=y

# CONFIG_WIRELESS_EXT_SYSFS is not set

# CONFIG_LIB80211 is not set

CONFIG_MAC80211=m

# CONFIG_MAC80211_RC_PID is not set

CONFIG_MAC80211_RC_MINSTREL=y

# CONFIG_MAC80211_RC_DEFAULT_PID is not set

CONFIG_MAC80211_RC_DEFAULT_MINSTREL=y

CONFIG_MAC80211_RC_DEFAULT="minstrel"

# CONFIG_MAC80211_MESH is not set

CONFIG_MAC80211_LEDS=y

# CONFIG_MAC80211_DEBUG_MENU is not set

# CONFIG_WIMAX is not set

CONFIG_RFKILL=m

CONFIG_RFKILL_LEDS=y

# CONFIG_RFKILL_INPUT is not set

# CONFIG_NET_9P is not set

CONFIG_WLAN=y

# CONFIG_WLAN_PRE80211 is not set

CONFIG_WLAN_80211=y

# CONFIG_LIBERTAS is not set

# CONFIG_LIBERTAS_THINFIRM is not set

# CONFIG_AIRO is not set

# CONFIG_ATMEL is not set

# CONFIG_AT76C50X_USB is not set

# CONFIG_PRISM54 is not set

# CONFIG_USB_ZD1201 is not set

# CONFIG_USB_NET_RNDIS_WLAN is not set

# CONFIG_RTL8180 is not set

# CONFIG_RTL8187 is not set

# CONFIG_ADM8211 is not set

# CONFIG_MAC80211_HWSIM is not set

# CONFIG_MWL8K is not set

# CONFIG_P54_COMMON is not set

CONFIG_ATH_COMMON=m

CONFIG_ATH5K=m

# CONFIG_ATH5K_DEBUG is not set

# CONFIG_ATH9K is not set

# CONFIG_AR9170_USB is not set

# CONFIG_IPW2100 is not set

# CONFIG_IPW2200 is not set

# CONFIG_IWLWIFI is not set

# CONFIG_HOSTAP is not set

# CONFIG_B43 is not set

# CONFIG_B43LEGACY is not set

# CONFIG_ZD1211RW is not set

# CONFIG_RT2X00 is not set

# CONFIG_HERMES is not set

# CONFIG_WL12XX is not set

# CONFIG_IWM is not set
```

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## synus

 *Quote:*   

> Also, very few drivers have private ioctls, so what iwpriv told you is correct. 

 

okay, it depend something in kernel\user or both lands? or may be someone use device which have a support private ioctls?

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