[pkg-wpa-devel] Re: Question about new modes in wpasupplicant 0.5.2 package

[Reinhard Tartler]

CC'ing pkg-wpa-devel for public discussion

On Wed, Mar 29, 2006 at 11:39:21AM +0200, B. Zhang wrote:
> I am reading the /usr/share/doc/wpasupplicant/README.modes.gz and have a
> question :
> The file /etc/network/interfaces is readable by all, so putting the
> password in this file is not as good as old /etc/wpa_supplicant.conf
> method.

I don't think that /etc/network/interfaces needs to be readable by all.
The local administrator may choose to restrict access modes.

The same problem also occurs with wireless-tools, where wep keys are
exposed there as well.

> I think mode 2 method "wpa-conf /home/user/.wpa/wpa_supplicant.conf"
> should be default mode, but there is a driver choice problem.

Since we cannot provide a sensible configuration which is active by
default, this seems to me to be just a problem in the documentation,
which of these 2 modes should be mentioned first. We (actually Kel),
have worked very hard in making the first mode possible, and I think for
a complete beginner, who just wants to get his wpa going, it is a bit
easier to setup.

Thank you anyway for your question, I think we should add a note about
this into README.Debian.

Gruesse,
	Reinhard