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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). -- Kel Modderman <kel@otaku42.de> Mon, 30 Jul 2012