Re: [PATCH] net-sysfs: Add entry for nl80211 interface type

[Paul Stewart]

The original reason to request this change was simple: to figure out
what type of interface we are looking at, since now some wireless
drivers can simultaneously create managed, p2p and ap interfaces.
Knowing that, from a simple front-end (let's even say a shell script)
we can decide what arguments to use with wpa_supplicant (or indeed if
we want to start it on this interface).  wpa_supplicant, of course,
knows how to manipulate the device further using nl80211.  I thought
it was a bit onerous to force userspace all the way through nl80211
just to get this trivial piece of information, but apparently this
doesn't seem to be the common point of view.

--
Paul

On Wed, Apr 17, 2013 at 11:43 PM, Marcel Holtmann <marcel@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Hi Nicolas,
>
>>>> Add a "wireless/nl80211_iftype" entry in the net device sysfs
>>>> file structure to indicate the mode of the wireless device so
>>>> it can be discovered easily from userspace.
>>>
>>> What's wrong with "iw dev", i.e. netlink/nl80211?
>>
>> "Do NOT screenscrape this tool, we don't consider its output stable."
>>
>> So if you are in a shell script, you're basically screwed.
>
> if you are in a shell script, you are screwed no matter what. So what is your point?
>
> Regards
>
> Marcel
>
>
--
To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in
the body of a message to majordomo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
More majordomo info at  http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html
Please read the FAQ at  http://www.tux.org/lkml/