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Tasklist

FS#39527 - [dhcpcd] systemd unit file: disable wpa_supplicant hook

Attached to Project: Arch Linux
Opened by Michael B. (mgb) - Tuesday, 18 March 2014, 14:25 GMT
Last edited by Doug Newgard (Scimmia) - Thursday, 14 April 2016, 13:55 GMT
Task Type Feature Request
Category Packages: Core
Status Closed
Assigned To Ronald van Haren (pressh)
Architecture All
Severity Low
Priority Normal
Reported Version
Due in Version Undecided
Due Date Undecided
Percent Complete 100%
Votes 1
Private No

Details

Description:

dhcpcd has a client hook to start wpa_supplicant

This dhcpcd function should be disabled in dhcpcd unit file: when systemd is installed, wpa_supplicant is managed/controlled by systemd

To start dhcpcd without wpa_supplicant the option "-C wpa_supplicant" is needed:

diff /etc/systemd/system/dhcpcd.service /lib/systemd/system/dhcpcd.service
9c9
< ExecStart=/usr/bin/dhcpcd -q -b -C wpa_supplicant
---
> ExecStart=/usr/bin/dhcpcd -q -b

Additional info:

* package version(s)

uname -r ; systemctl --version; dhcpcd --version
3.13.6-1-ARCH
systemd 211
+PAM -LIBWRAP -AUDIT -SELINUX -IMA -SYSVINIT +LIBCRYPTSETUP +GCRYPT +ACL +XZ +SECCOMP -APPARMOR
dhcpcd 6.3.1
Copyright (c) 2006-2014 Roy Marples

* config and/or log files etc.

Under "normal" conditions this issue "should" never happen. But the better / more stable setup is to prevent wpa_supplicant from beeing started by dhcpcd.
This task depends upon

Closed by  Doug Newgard (Scimmia)
Thursday, 14 April 2016, 13:55 GMT
Reason for closing:  Fixed
Additional comments about closing:  Upstream
Comment by Jakub Klinkovský (lahwaacz) - Sunday, 30 March 2014, 15:12 GMT
The more convenient way to disable the wpa_supplicant hook is to add 'nohook wpa_supplicant' into dhcpcd.conf.

I would like to know what is true about this wiki edit [1] (made by the submitter of this bug), especially the second point:
* dhcpcd starts wpa_supplicant daemon during boot (this can result in systemd-udevd error: "error changing net interface name wlan0 to wlp4s0: Device or resource busy" and can prevent "Predictable Network Interface Names" )

Also note that core/wpa_supplicant installs the sample config file at /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf (read by dhcpcd's wpa_supplicant hook) and it has uncommented several options and all network blocks. As a result, after installing dhcpcd + wpa_supplicant and running dhcpcd on wireless interface, the wpa_supplicant daemon is indeed started and does not produce any obvious error, all without any user intervention. IMO it would be better to install the sample wpa_supplicant config at /usr/share/doc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf, which is even suggested in the man page.

[1]: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php?title=Dhcpcd&diff=305559&oldid=304450
Comment by Michael B. (mgb) - Monday, 31 March 2014, 04:25 GMT
Sorry, but for me the very much convenient way is to change the systemd unit file:

- the unit file is shipped with arch linux and is about using dhcpcd with systemd
- when systemd + dhcpcd is used: wpa_supplicant should be started from systemd
- dhcpcd is started from systemd with the proposed change in unit file and does no longer start wpa_supplicant

This is smarter than changing dhcpcd.conf. Even better is to post unit files upstream & avoid this patches in archlinux ...

The limitation of this proposal: it does not work when someone tries to control wpa_supplicant from dhcpcd and not from systemd.

The rest of your comment is off topic, from my point of view: This is about how to avoid issues with wpa_supplicant started twice. This will never happen under "normal" conditions, but can happen from time to time (check e.g. bug reports for dhcpcd and internet). It is a precautionary solution to make things more stable.

It makes no sense to post (or discuss) elementary suggestions at very beginner level here.
Comment by Roy Marples (rsmarples) - Tuesday, 14 October 2014, 07:32 GMT
dhcpcd will only start wpa_supplicant under certain conditions

1) is the interface wireless
2) dhcpcd needs to be able to find wpa_supplicant.conf
3) ctrl_interface needs to be enabled in wpa_supplicant.conf
4) wpa_cli needs to be able to detect that wpa_supplicant is not running for the interface in question

Once all 4 points are satisfied, dhcpcd will start wpa_supplicant for the interface.
Of course the correct fix is to add code to stop wpa_supplicant from allowing itself to spawn another time for the interface.

EDIT:

wpa_supplicant can now monitor hotplugged interfaces:
http://w1.fi/cgit/hostap/commit/?id=2e997eece5776eca0a99d53893e343539f9f8eb2

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