[pkg-wpa-devel] r1277 - in /iw/trunk/debian: README.Debian changelog control

[kelmo-guest at users.alioth.debian.org]

Author: kelmo-guest
Date: Thu Oct 30 13:23:24 2008
New Revision: 1277

URL: http://svn.debian.org/wsvn/pkg-wpa/?sc=1&rev=1277
Log:
add a more detailed summary of what iw is, and its current status wrt to its users and the Debian system.

Added:
    iw/trunk/debian/README.Debian
Modified:
    iw/trunk/debian/changelog
    iw/trunk/debian/control

Added: iw/trunk/debian/README.Debian
URL: http://svn.debian.org/wsvn/pkg-wpa/iw/trunk/debian/README.Debian?rev=1277&op=file
==============================================================================
--- iw/trunk/debian/README.Debian (added)
+++ iw/trunk/debian/README.Debian Thu Oct 30 13:23:24 2008
@@ -1,0 +1,47 @@
+iw package for Debian
+=====================
+
+iw is a new tool for configuration of wireless settings on Linux. iw combines
+cfg80211, the new Linux wireless configuration API [0], and nl80211, the
+new 802.11 netlink interface public header [1], to form a tool which aims to
+replace the functionality of wireless-tools, which is built upon on the
+incumbent Wireless Extensions (WEXT or WE) API [2].
+
+The tool is currently mainly used for drivers based on the mac80211 stack but
+work is under way to make it useful for other drivers as well.
+
+[0] http://wireless.kernel.org/en/developers/Documentation/cfg80211
+[1] http://wireless.kernel.org/en/developers/Documentation/nl80211
+[2] http://www.hpl.hp.com/personal/Jean_Tourrilhes/Linux/Linux.Wireless.Extensions.html
+
+
+Why is wireless-tools being replaced?
+=====================================
+
+A complete summary of technical reasons for the abandonment of Linux Wireless
+Extensions API is documented on the wireless.kernel.org wiki page for WEXT [3].
+
+In brief, WEXT uses ioctl's as the kernel<->userspace communication mechanism,
+but some developers wish to have a more structured transport mechanism, which
+cfg80211 and nl80211 provide, to allow them to address old nagging problems
+with the current wireless device configuration implementation, and give them
+more freedom to enhance the process of wireless configuration [4].
+
+WEXT is in deep maintenance mode, cfg80211 and nl80211 are the communication
+transport mechanism of the future.
+
+[3] http://wireless.kernel.org/en/developers/Documentation/Wireless-Extensions
+[4] which is one of the areas which, in my opinion, has always been difficult
+    for new adopters on Linux, especially on the desktop.
+
+
+How does iw integrate into the Debian system?
+=============================================
+At the time of writing, it does not. The iw binary is provided as is, without
+any system integration (eg, with ifupdown). When the Linux Wireless developers
+are sufficiently satisfied with iw's functionality, and all of their work
+begins to filter down into the stable mainline Linux kernel tree, integration
+of iw into the Debian system can begin.
+
+
+ -- Kel Modderman <kel at otaku42.de>  Thu, 30 Oct 2008

Modified: iw/trunk/debian/changelog
URL: http://svn.debian.org/wsvn/pkg-wpa/iw/trunk/debian/changelog?rev=1277&op=diff
==============================================================================
--- iw/trunk/debian/changelog (original)
+++ iw/trunk/debian/changelog Thu Oct 30 13:23:24 2008
@@ -2,4 +2,4 @@
 
   * Initial release. (Closes: #499537)
 
- -- Kel Modderman <kel at otaku42.de>  Mon, 27 Oct 2008 03:24:00 +1000
+ -- Kel Modderman <kel at otaku42.de>  Thu, 30 Oct 2008 23:17:16 +1000

Modified: iw/trunk/debian/control
URL: http://svn.debian.org/wsvn/pkg-wpa/iw/trunk/debian/control?rev=1277&op=diff
==============================================================================
--- iw/trunk/debian/control (original)
+++ iw/trunk/debian/control Thu Oct 30 13:23:24 2008
@@ -19,6 +19,6 @@
 Conflicts: aircrack-ng
 Description: tool for configuring Linux wireless devices
  This package contains the `iw' tool which allows you to configure and show
- information about wireless networking. The tool is currently mainly used for
- drivers based on the mac80211 stack but work is under way to make it useful
- for other drivers as well.
+ information about wireless networking.
+ .
+ See /usr/share/doc/iw/README.Debian for a more detailed overview of iw.