[CUWiN-Dev] Problem w/ cuw_config

Wed Mar 22 12:55:57 CST 2006

There's something unusual going on with the cuw_config files that I don't
think has been raised or addressed. I thought it might be a problem with our
software, but it's also affecting vanilla CUWIN software builds. If the
/etc/cuw_config and /permanent/etc/cuw_config files get edited, those edits
get wiped out when the node restarts, leaving the file empty and the system
running on the hard-coded software defaults. The configuration problem
messes up the dhcp daemon, so that thel only way to remotely fix the node
from the wired interface would be to set a static IP address.

The same problem happens (though I did not test this on the vanilla cuwin
image, just the CNT version) if you mount the root file system read/write
and actually manually change the files with vi or just with cat. The files
appear to be changed, but are wiped out. I have encountered the same problem
through the web interface as well, but I didn't test that today, it seemed
redundant because I think the web interface just calls the cuw_config script
anyway if I remember correctly. I've attached some records showing what
happens when I do this.

The only way I've had to change channels on nodes in Lawndale, where we have
2 networks on 2 different channels, has been by actually upgrading the node
with the "-C" option to a prebuilt image on the different channel, which of
course works, just not extraordinarily efficiently; if there's in the
meantime any more way to change the nodes' channel that is faster and/or
simpler than transferring a 9 megabyte file I would be interested.

 -  Rob Simmons

This is a log showing what I see when I do this; I have edited out all the
messages that look like "ath_calibrate: channel 2412/a0" or "ath0:
[00:02:6f:21:e9:0e] recv probe req" (I was using a serial connection for
this) but this is pretty much otherwise a complete log.

I first noticed the problem with our software, but this demonstrates using
the latest CUWIN build we had on
http://flatiron.cntwireless.org/cuwin/nightly/

NetBSD 3.99.11 (cuw_45x1) #0: Mon Mar 20 03:31:29 CST 2006

Welcome to NetBSD!

CUWIN release 0.6.0+ Unofficial, built:20060320 rev:3896

Terminal type is vt100.

We recommend creating a non-root account and using su(1) for root access.

Look at the cuw_config files beforehand

# cat /etc/cuw_config

# $Id: cuw_config 3546 2005-10-04 20:49:09Z dyoung $

cuw_config_channel='11'

cuw_config_dhcpselect_mode='auto'

cuw_config_hostname='cuw'

cuw_config_latitude='0'

cuw_config_longitude='0'

cuw_config_nameservers='205.166.226.38'

cuw_config_ssid='cuwireless.net'

# ath0: [00:02:6f:21:e9:0e] recv probe req

# cat /permanent/etc/cuw_config

# $Id: cuw_config 3546 2005-10-04 20:49:09Z dyoung $

cuw_config_channel='11'

cuw_config_dhcpselect_mode='auto'

cuw_config_hostname='cuw'

cuw_config_latitude='0'

cuw_config_longitude='0'

cuw_config_nameservers='205.166.226.38'

cuw_config_ssid='cuwireless.net'

Run the CUW_CONFIG utility (I left the "ath." messages in for this part)

# cuw_config

Enter new values, or <return> to leave value unchanged.

CTRL-C to abandon changes.

cuw_config_channel [11]: 1

cuw_config_dhcpselect_mode [auto]:

cuw_config_hostname [cuw]:

cuw_config_latitude [0]:

cuw_config_longitude [0]:

cuw_config_nameservers [205.166.226.38]:

cuw_config_ssid [cuwireless.net]:

Waiting for backend

..ath_init: if_flags 0xffff8843

ath_stop_locked: invalid 0 if_flags 0xffff8843

..ath_stop_locked: invalid 0 if_flags 0xffff8842

..ath_init: if_flags 0xffff8803

ath_stop_locked: invalid 0 if_flags 0xffff8803

..Reconfiguration complete

Check that it worked (yes, ath0 is on chan 1 now)

# ifconfig ath0

ath0: flags=8843<UP,BROADCAST,RUNNING,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST> mtu 1500

        ssid cuwireless.net

        powersave off

        bssid 02:02:6f:21:e9:14 chan 1

        address: 00:02:6f:21:e9:14

        media: IEEE802.11 autoselect mode 11b adhoc

        status: active

        inet 169.254.233.20 netmask 0xffff0000 broadcast 169.254.255.255

        inet alias 10.0.233.20 netmask 0xffffffff broadcast 10.0.233.20

        inet6 fe80::202:6fff:fe21:e914%ath0 prefixlen 64 scopeid 0x1

        inet6 fdb4:542d:dc11:e914:202:6fff:fe21:e914 prefixlen 64

# ifconfig ath0

ath0: flags=8843<UP,BROADCAST,RUNNING,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST> mtu 1500

        ssid cuwireless.net

        powersave off

        bssid 02:02:6f:21:e9:14 chan 1

        address: 00:02:6f:21:e9:14

        media: IEEE802.11 autoselect mode 11b adhoc

        status: active

        inet 169.254.233.20 netmask 0xffff0000 broadcast 169.254.255.255

        inet alias 10.0.233.20 netmask 0xffffffff broadcast 10.0.233.20

        inet6 fe80::202:6fff:fe21:e914%ath0 prefixlen 64 scopeid 0x1

        inet6 fdb4:542d:dc11:e914:202:6fff:fe21:e914 prefixlen 64

Reboot system

# reboot

When you log back in, the two cuw_config files are empty, and the channel
has returned to the system default of 11.

NetBSD 3.99.11 (cuw_45x1) #0: Mon Mar 20 03:31:29 CST 2006

Welcome to NetBSD!

CUWIN release 0.6.0+ Unofficial, built:20060320 rev:3896

Terminal type is vt100.

# cat /etc/cuw_config

# cat /permanent/etc/cuw_config

# ifconfig ath0

ath0: flags=8843<UP,BROADCAST,RUNNING,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST> mtu 1500

        ssid cuwireless.net

        powersave off

        bssid 02:02:6f:21:f1:a8 chan 11

        address: 00:02:6f:21:e9:14

        media: IEEE802.11 autoselect mode 11b adhoc

        status: active

        inet 10.0.233.20 netmask 0xffffffff broadcast 10.0.233.20

        inet alias 169.254.233.20 netmask 0xffff0000 broadcast
169.254.255.255

        inet6 fe80::202:6fff:fe21:e914%ath0 prefixlen 64 scopeid 0x1

        inet6 fdb4:542d:dc11:e914:202:6fff:fe21:e914 prefixlen 64

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