Beyond Linux® From Scratch (System V Edition) - Version r12.4-426

Chapter 15. Networking Programs

Wireless Tools-29

Introduction to Wireless Tools

The Wireless Extension (WE) is a generic API in the Linux kernel allowing a driver to expose configuration and statistics specific to common Wireless LANs to userspace. A single set of tools can support all the variations of Wireless LANs, regardless of their type, as long as the driver supports Wireless Extensions. WE parameters may also be changed on the fly without restarting the driver (or Linux).

The Wireless Tools (WT) package is a set of tools allowing manipulation of the Wireless Extensions. They use a textual interface to support the full Wireless Extension.

[Note]

Note

Development versions of BLFS may not build or run some packages properly if LFS or dependencies have been updated since the most recent stable versions of the books.

Package Information

Additional Downloads

Wireless Tools Dependencies

Required (Runtime)

Configuring the Linux Kernel for Wireless

Kernel Configuration

To use Wireless Tools, the kernel must have the appropriate drivers and other support available. Besides the configurations mentioned by Configuring the Linux Kernel for Wireless, it's also needed to enable the following options in the kernel configuration: 

[*] Networking support --->                                                [NET]
  [*] Wireless --->                                                   [WIRELESS]
    <*/M> cfg80211 - wireless configuration API                       [CFG80211]
    [*]     cfg80211 wireless extensions compatibility           [CFG80211_WEXT]

Installation of Wireless Tools

First, apply a patch that fixes a problem when numerous networks are available: 

patch -Np1 -i ../wireless_tools-29-fix_iwlist_scanning-1.patch

To install Wireless Tools, use the following commands: 

make

This package does not come with a test suite.

Now, as the root user: 

make PREFIX=/usr INSTALL_MAN=/usr/share/man install

Command Explanations

INSTALL_MAN=/usr/share/man: Install manual pages in /usr/share/man instead of /usr/man.

Contents

Installed Programs: ifrename, iwconfig, iwevent, iwgetid, iwlist, iwpriv, and iwspy
Installed Library: libiw.so
Installed Directories: None

Short Descriptions

ifrename

renames network interfaces based on various static criteria

iwconfig

configures a wireless network interface

iwevent

displays wireless events generated by drivers and setting changes

iwgetid

reports ESSID, NWID or AP/Cell Address of wireless networks

iwlist

gets detailed wireless information from a wireless interface

iwpriv

configures optional (private) parameters of a wireless network interface

iwspy

gets wireless statistics from specific node

libiw.so

contains functions required by the wireless programs and provides an API for other programs