# Supplicant does not start: SOLVED

## cerddwr

I’m trying to set up wpa_supplicant so I can use encrytped (WPA) connection.  I can easily connect to the web using wireless-tools but of course there is no WPA support.  When I try to connect using supplicant I get this message:

```
/etc/init.d/net.wlan1 start

* Starting wpa_supplicant on wlan1 ...

ioctcl[IEEE80211_IOCTL_SETPARAM]: Operation not supported

Failed to initialize driver interface 
```

If I try starting wpa_supplicant manually I get the same error message.

/etc/conf.d/net:

```
# This blank configuration will automatically use DHCP for any net.*

# scripts in /etc/init.d.  To create a more complete configuration,

# please review /etc/conf.d/net.example and save your configuration

# in /etc/conf.d/net (this file :]!).

dns_domain_lo="home_network"

# config_eth0=( "dhcp" )

# config_ath0=( "dhcp" )

config_wlan1=( "dhcp" )

modules=( "wpa_supplicant" )

wpa_supplicant_wlan1="-Dmadwifi"

wpa_timeout_wlan1=60
```

/etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf:

```
network={

   ssid="essid"

   key_mgmt=NONE

   priority=5

}

network={

   key_mgmt=NONE

   priority=-9999999

}

ctrl_interface=/var/run/wpa_supplicant

ctrl_interface_group=users

update_config=1
```

For “essid” I put my proper SSID

The wireless card is Atheros AR9285 which uses the madwifi drivers; supplicant has been compiled with the madwifi USE flag set.

Kernel gentoo-2.6.36-r5

The error message possibly? suggests a missing kernel function

```
grep -i 80211 /usr/src/linux/.config

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_INTERNAL_REGDB is not set

CONFIG_CFG80211_WEXT=y

CONFIG_LIB80211=m

CONFIG_LIB80211_CRYPT_WEP=m

CONFIG_LIB80211_CRYPT_CCMP=m

CONFIG_LIB80211_CRYPT_TKIP=m

# CONFIG_LIB80211_DEBUG is not set

CONFIG_MAC80211=m

CONFIG_MAC80211_HAS_RC=y

CONFIG_MAC80211_RC_MINSTREL=y

CONFIG_MAC80211_RC_MINSTREL_HT=y

CONFIG_MAC80211_RC_DEFAULT_MINSTREL=y

CONFIG_MAC80211_RC_DEFAULT="minstrel_ht"

# CONFIG_MAC80211_MESH is not set

CONFIG_MAC80211_LEDS=y

# CONFIG_MAC80211_DEBUG_MENU is not set

# CONFIG_MAC80211_HWSIM is not set
```

Or am I missing something elementary?

----------

## DONAHUE

Are you using baselayout1 ?

if you are using the current baselayout2 and openrc the format in /etc/conf.d/net needs to change. *Quote:*   

> dns_domain_lo="home_network" 
> 
> # config_eth0="dhcp"
> 
> # config_ath0="dhcp"
> ...

 

Might be worthwhile to shift to the builtin ath9k driver http://linuxwireless.org/en/users/Drivers/ath9k

----------

## cerddwr

Thank you.  I am using baselayout 2.0.2 but so far everything has worked with the previous format in /etc/conf.d/net.  However if that is the new way to do it I will change it.

I have been googling and found that the error message indicates a driver problem.  Re-emerging madwifi-ng had no effect, and changing to 

```
wpa_supplicant_wlan1="-Dath9k"
```

did not work even though this kernel module is enabled, but I have just changed the driver line to

```
wpa_supplicant_wlan1="-Dwext" 
```

and lo and behold, it starts and I am online and posting this message using supplicant.  So I think it is solved.  Now to start the encryption ...

----------

## DONAHUE

wpa_supplicant does not support ath9k directly as in -Dath9k but rather in -Dwext. You say you have/had ath9k as a kernel module? ath9k module may be/have been blocking madwifi module.

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## cerddwr

You may well be right; however I seem to get no problems with wext, and my network connections are now encrypted.  Thank you.

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