Re: [MiNT] Network tools

[p.slegg@scubadivers.co.uk]

>---- Original Message ----
>From: Jo Even Skarstein <joska@online.no>
>To: mint@lists.fishpool.fi
>Sent: Mon, Jan 16, 2012, 10:48 PM
>Subject: Re: [MiNT] Network tools
>
>On Mon, 2012-01-16 at 22:38 +0000, Peter Slegg wrote:
>
>> > That's not because of ifconfig, but because of the lack of drivers.
>> 
>> It is due to both the drivers and ifconfig. If you follow the links you
>> will see that ifconfig can be used to set-up the wifi.
>
>ifconfig (atleast for MiNT) is a small and simple tool. All it does is
>to translate command line arguments to binary commands sent to the
>driver.

I agree. So changing the ifconfig (and other tools) is easier to achieve
and we can at least check it does not break anything. There may be other
changes that our 10 year old tools could benefit from.

> It makes no sense to extend ifconfig until there is a driver
>that supports wifi, because there is no way to actually verify that it
>works...

It is chicken & egg, without the tools it would be harder to test the driver.


>> > > Since our tools are 10 years old it is probably worth re-doing them in any case.
>> >
>> > The tools are fine and does what's expected of them.
>> 
>> I think everything needs a re-build at the very least.
>
>They are rebuilt nightly: http://freemint.org

Sparemint rpm's are not re-built though and that it what I was referring too.
This is where ifconfig and the net tools are.


>> Amusingly on the old c.s.a.st thread the response was that there is
>> no point in a wireless driver because there are no tools to configure it.
>> 
>> Now the response is the reverse.
>
>I don't remember that thread. But 95% (if not more) of the work would
>have to be done to the driver.

Again I agree. So the 5% is an "easy win".

It looks like we had a similar conversation in 2005 (is it that long ago ?)

http://mobile.google.com/group/comp.sys.atari.st/tree/browse_frm/month/2005-10/7a15d6eced389464?rnum=71&_done=%2Fgroup%2Fcomp.sys.atari.st%2Fbrowse_frm%2Fmonth%2F2005-10%3F

Does anyone know if the Gentoo stuff that has been ported supports the
wireless ifconfig options ?

Peter