Replacing wpa_supplicant with iwd

Ask Fedora
, , , , , ,
1

I read a bit about it and watched some presentations.

Even 4 years ago, iwd was a more modern replacement for wpa_supplicant.

image
image836×700 55.6 KB

Pros

  • smaller codebase
  • more modern
  • linux only, kernel features
  • very fast
  • not dependent on systemd (when compared to NetworkManager, but afaik it can also be used with it, a bit confusing)
  • WPS support
  • fast hotspot and multiple-AP-networks support

Cons

testing it on atomic desktops

I am using Fedora Kinoite, iwd should integrate with NetworkManager just fine, not sure if removing NetworkManager would be an option too.

# to be sure
run0 ostree admin pin 0
# change the packages
rpm-ostree override remove wpa_supplicant --install iwd

the output looks fine

Removed:
  wpa_supplicant-1:2.11-3.fc41.x86_64
Added:
  iwd-3.3-1.fc41.x86_64
  libell-0.71-1.fc41.x86_64

… to be continued

2

You can. You just need to set up the link using iwctl. If you want to use systemd-boot you make a config file similar to

[Match]
Type=wlan

[Network]
DHCP=yes

Once the link is up, systemd-networkmanager will detect that and run the dhcp set-up and configure the resolver.

With NetworkManager, you set the configuration file os use iwd, and you use the normal NetworkManager methods to set up the link. I did that several years ago, but don’t remember the details. Now I use systemd-networkd instead.

1 Like
3

I installed iwd using the information on this link as a guide.

Once I did that and restarted NetworkManager, and later subsequent reboots, I started having problems with my wifi connections reconnecting after returning from suspend. I found myself having to regularly toggle Airplane Mode and having to re-select which wifi connection to use, etc. I didn’t find it painless.

There’s also the business of open issues that the above link points to here.

I’m confess to being a pretty unsophisticated user, but, in any case, I just dropped my efforts to use it. Maybe you pros will try it out, and I’ll learn what I was doing wrong.

1 Like
4

That sounds unfortunate. Havent rebooted yet :stuck_out_tongue: