webworker01 · March 15, 2019 22:10 · Aug 5, 2018 · Jul 1, 2018 · Jul 1, 2018 · Jul 1, 2018
diff --git a/wifi-on-ubuntu-server-18.md b/wifi-on-ubuntu-server-18.md
@@ -1,3 +1,16 @@
+# Wifi on Ubuntu 18 _server_
+
+## TLDR
+
+1. Install `wpasupplicant`
+1. Turn on wifi radios: `sudo nmcli radio wifi on`
+1. Check your devices are recognised even if they're not "managed": `sudo iwconfig`
+1. Check your wifi (here called "wlp3s0") is capable of detecting nearby routers: `sudo iwlist wlp3s0 scan`
+1. Configure `netplan` by dropping a file called `01-netcfg.yml` into `/etc/netplan/` or edit existing file there. See example below.
+1. `netplan try`, `netplan generate`, `netplan apply`.
+
+# The backstory
+
 I want to run Ubuntu *server* 18 on my laptop. This by default does not use X windows, so there is no desktop environment. It also by default does not enable wifi. Servers don't usually need wifi and desktop environments, right?
 
 Anyway, I want _both_ wifi and a desktop environment. I actually tried Ubuntu desktop with Gnome on this T420, but Firefox crashed several times, locking up the whole machine. Since I want the laptop to emulate a server environment for development I thought screw it, let's install Ubuntu server on here and just add a light desktop environment.
@@ -101,8 +114,11 @@ network:
     wlp3s0:
       dhcp4: yes
       access-points:
-        my-router-name:
-          password: <wifi password here in plain text>
+        "my-router-name":
+          password: "<wifi password here in plain text>"
+        "some-other-router":
+          password: "plain-text-password"
+        "Public Hotspot With No Password": {}
 ```
 
 Do not be distracted by `/etc/network/interfaces`! Mine looks like this, note what the comments say, and note that there is nothing else in apart from the comments, i.e. it does nothing:

diff --git a/wifi-on-ubuntu-server-18.md b/wifi-on-ubuntu-server-18.md
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ Outstanding items:
 
 * Add other wifi networks
 * Switch between networks
+* Get `nmtui` to display and switch between wifi networks
 
 ## Install Ubuntu
 

diff --git a/wifi-on-ubuntu-server-18.md b/wifi-on-ubuntu-server-18.md
@@ -41,10 +41,18 @@ Added to this, `netplan` is also used. See [netplan.io](netplan.io)
 
 Also required, apparently, is `wpasupplicant`.
 
+Turn on wifi radios:
+
+```
+$ sudo nmcli radio wifi on
+$ sudo nmcli radio wifi
+enabled
+```
+
 Check your devices are all recognised, even if they're not currently being "managed":
 
 ```
-$ iwconfig 
+$ sudo iwconfig 
 lo        no wireless extensions.
 
 enp0s25   no wireless extensions.
@@ -64,7 +72,7 @@ wlp3s0    IEEE 802.11  ESSID:"my-router-name"
 Check your wifi is capable of detecting nearby routers:
 
 ```
-$ iwlist wlp3s0 scan
+$ sudo iwlist wlp3s0 scan
 wlp3s0    Scan completed :
           Cell 01 - Address: 70:4F:57:3F:78:87
                     Channel:1

diff --git a/wifi-on-ubuntu-server-18.md b/wifi-on-ubuntu-server-18.md
@@ -0,0 +1,175 @@
+I want to run Ubuntu *server* 18 on my laptop. This by default does not use X windows, so there is no desktop environment. It also by default does not enable wifi. Servers don't usually need wifi and desktop environments, right?
+
+Anyway, I want _both_ wifi and a desktop environment. I actually tried Ubuntu desktop with Gnome on this T420, but Firefox crashed several times, locking up the whole machine. Since I want the laptop to emulate a server environment for development I thought screw it, let's install Ubuntu server on here and just add a light desktop environment.
+
+## TODO
+
+Outstanding items:
+
+* Add other wifi networks
+* Switch between networks
+
+## Install Ubuntu
+
+I'm using a Lenovo ThinkPad T420.  On a Windows machine, I followed the instructions on the Ubuntu website for creating a bootable USB stick.
+
+On the T420 I had to go into the bios and move USB up the list so it would boot from the stick.
+
+Installation of Ubuntu was smooth, all went perfectly well.
+
+## Install desktop environment
+
+There are plenty of choices, mine was:
+
+```
+sudo apt install xubuntu-desktop
+```
+
+## Wifi Networks device not managed
+
+Imagine my delight when I first log into an X window session and realise that the laptop is not connected to the wifi/internet.
+
+## Get wifi working
+
+This is based on a pretty poor understanding of what's going on. Here's what I guesstimate to be the situation.
+
+As of Ubuntu 17, networking is managed by either of two approaches: `NetworkManager` or `networkd`.
+
+Added to this, `netplan` is also used. See [netplan.io](netplan.io)
+
+`netplan` reads YAML config files and generates config files for `NetworkManager` or `networkd`, depending on your preferences.
+
+Also required, apparently, is `wpasupplicant`.
+
+Check your devices are all recognised, even if they're not currently being "managed":
+
+```
+$ iwconfig 
+lo        no wireless extensions.
+
+enp0s25   no wireless extensions.
+
+wlp3s0    IEEE 802.11  ESSID:"my-router-name"  
+          Mode:Managed  Frequency:2.412 GHz  Access Point: 71:5F:58:2F:79:97   
+          Bit Rate=58.5 Mb/s   Tx-Power=15 dBm   
+          Retry short limit:7   RTS thr:off   Fragment thr:off
+          Power Management:off
+          Link Quality=50/70  Signal level=-60 dBm  
+          Rx invalid nwid:0  Rx invalid crypt:0  Rx invalid frag:0
+          Tx excessive retries:12  Invalid misc:59   Missed beacon:0
+```
+
+`wlp3s0` is the wifi device in my laptop. If yours doesn't appear.... good luck with that. Maybe try `ifconfig up wlp3s0`
+
+Check your wifi is capable of detecting nearby routers:
+
+```
+$ iwlist wlp3s0 scan
+wlp3s0    Scan completed :
+          Cell 01 - Address: 70:4F:57:3F:78:87
+                    Channel:1
+                    Frequency:2.412 GHz (Channel 1)
+                    Quality=50/70  Signal level=-60 dBm  
+                    Encryption key:on
+                    ESSID:"my-router-name"
+                    ...
+<lots more - output trimmed for brevity>
+```
+
+Again, if your output is different here, good luck!
+
+Configure netplan:
+
+My `/etc/netplan/01-netcfg.yml` looks like this, note that it renders config files for `networkd`:
+
+```yaml
+# This file describes the network interfaces available on your system
+# For more information, see netplan(5).
+network:
+  version: 2
+  renderer: networkd
+  wifis:
+    wlp3s0:
+      dhcp4: yes
+      access-points:
+        my-router-name:
+          password: <wifi password here in plain text>
+```
+
+Do not be distracted by `/etc/network/interfaces`! Mine looks like this, note what the comments say, and note that there is nothing else in apart from the comments, i.e. it does nothing:
+
+```
+# ifupdown has been replaced by netplan(5) on this system.  See
+# /etc/netplan for current configuration.
+# To re-enable ifupdown on this system, you can run:
+#    sudo apt install ifupdown
+```
+
+`ifupdown` is not on my system.
+
+Running this seemed to get things working:
+
+```
+sudo su -
+netplan apply
+service network-manager restart
+```
+
+This is confusing. The `netplan` config file renders for `networkd` yet restarting the `network-manager` seems to apply the netplan changes to NetworkManager.
+
+At some point I think I also restarted the `wpa_supplicant` service:
+
+```
+sudo su -
+service wpa_supplicant restart
+```
+
+As of now the wifi is working perfectly. I have not yet rebooted. I notice that the wifi indicator panel in XFCE still says "WiFi Networks device not managed", but I think that's because it's checking with `NetworkManager`, which is not being used.
+
+
+## Other nonsense
+
+Much random stabbing in the dark was involved, including the following, I have little idea if these were necessary but this is what Google led me to do:
+
+```
+rfkill unblock wifi
+systemctl disable systemd-networkd-wait-online.service
+systemctl mask systemd-networkd-wait-online.service
+```
+
+Useful stuff for debugging:
+
+```
+root@at420:~# service netplan-wpa@wlp3s0 status
+● [email protected] - WPA supplicant for netplan wlp3s0
+   Loaded: loaded (/lib/systemd/system/[email protected]; indirect; vendor preset: enabled)
+   Active: active (running) since Sat 2018-06-30 11:41:10 BST; 32min ago
+ Main PID: 2971 (wpa_supplicant)
+    Tasks: 1 (limit: 4390)
+   CGroup: /system.slice/system-netplan\x2dwpa.slice/netplan-[email protected]
+           └─2971 /sbin/wpa_supplicant -c /run/netplan/wpa-wlp3s0.conf -iwlp3s0
+
+Jun 30 11:41:10 t420 systemd[1]: Started WPA supplicant for netplan wlp3s0.
+Jun 30 11:41:10 t420 wpa_supplicant[2971]: Successfully initialized wpa_supplicant
+Jun 30 11:41:14 t420 wpa_supplicant[2971]: wlp3s0: SME: Trying to authenticate with 71:5F:58:2F:79:97 (SSID='<my wifi>' freq=2412 MHz)
+Jun 30 11:41:14 t420 wpa_supplicant[2971]: wlp3s0: Trying to associate with 71:5F:58:2F:79:97 (SSID='<my wifi>' freq=2412 MHz)
+Jun 30 11:41:14 t420 wpa_supplicant[2971]: wlp3s0: Associated with 71:5F:58:2F:79:97
+Jun 30 11:41:14 t420 wpa_supplicant[2971]: wlp3s0: CTRL-EVENT-SUBNET-STATUS-UPDATE status=0
+Jun 30 11:41:14 t420 wpa_supplicant[2971]: wlp3s0: WPA: Key negotiation completed with 71:5F:58:2F:79:97 [PTK=CCMP GTK=TKIP]
+Jun 30 11:41:14 t420 wpa_supplicant[2971]: wlp3s0: CTRL-EVENT-CONNECTED - Connection to 71:5F:58:2F:79:97 completed [id=0 id_str=]
+```
+
+```
+service wpa_supplicant status
+● wpa_supplicant.service - WPA supplicant
+   Loaded: loaded (/lib/systemd/system/wpa_supplicant.service; enabled; vendor preset: enabled)
+   Active: active (running) since Sat 2018-06-30 11:27:51 BST; 49min ago
+ Main PID: 1135 (wpa_supplicant)
+    Tasks: 1 (limit: 4390)
+   CGroup: /system.slice/wpa_supplicant.service
+           └─1135 /sbin/wpa_supplicant -u -s -O /run/wpa_supplicant
+
+Jun 30 11:27:50 t420 systemd[1]: Starting WPA supplicant...
+Jun 30 11:27:51 t420 wpa_supplicant[1135]: Successfully initialized wpa_supplicant
+Jun 30 11:27:51 t420 systemd[1]: Started WPA supplicant.
+```
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