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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@otaku42.de> Thu, 30 Oct 2008
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