Connect to wifi - settings doesnt load

[Alaa Ashkar]

Qubes OS version
R4.0
Affected component(s) or functionality
Configuration of networking in sys-net. Not able to run Settings.

Brief summary
Not able to run sys-net Settings. I would like to configure the wireless networks.

After adding "Settings" to sys-net in Qube Manager, clicking on "Service: sys-net | Settings" produced no observable system response.

Also running gnome_control_center fails.

If i run:

export XGD_CURRENT_DESKTOP=GNOME gnome_control_center

Then the settings open but i get a segmentation fault.

How should i address this?

Thanks in advance

[Jarrah]

> Not able to run sys-net Settings. I would like to configure the wireless
> networks.
>
> After adding "Settings" to sys-net in Qube Manager, clicking on "Service:
> sys-net | Settings" produced no observable system response.
>
> Also running gnome_control_center fails.
>
> If i run:
>
> export XGD_CURRENT_DESKTOP=GNOME gnome_control_center

Try configuring it from network manager either by right clicking on the
icon in the taskbar and selecting "Edit Connections" or running
`nm-connection-editor` at the sys-net terminal.

Gnome settings isn't really a useful part of Qubes within a VM.

[Alaa Ashkar]

Thanks for your email.

I tried to configure it like you said, i clicked edit connections, then on the +, and chose wifi, and create, i found a screen that i can type the SSID and some other parameters but not including the password, and i clicked save, but i didnt find a way to actually connect to it, how do i do that?

Thanks!

[Jarrah]

> clicked save, but i didnt find a way to actually connect to it, how do i do
> that?

Try left clicking on the same icon. You should receive a list of
available networks.

[Alaa Ashkar]

If i left click I only see ethernet network, could it be that my network device is not working? I have Wireless Intel AX201 11ax, 2x2 + BT5.0.

[Jarrah]

> If i left click I only see ethernet network, could it be that my network
> device is not working? I have Wireless Intel AX201 11ax, 2x2 + BT5.0.

There are a few reports on this mailing list of that not working from a
few months back. See "[qubes-users] Missing wifi on Intel NUC10i7FNK"
for example.

I can't comment on that specific card, but the output of the following
three commands (run in sys-net) will tell you whether the card is
available to configure:

* ip l -> should see a wls* interface.

* iwconfig -> same wls* interface but with more wifi specific information

* sudo dmesg | grep iwlwifi -> should show the driver starting and
firmware loading, but will print any errors which occurred. This This
output will be useful debugging here.


A potential stab in the dark, the "kernel-latest-qubes-vm" package may
have updates which solve the issue with that WiFi card. If the above
commands don't give you anything useful, try installing it and setting
that as the kernel for the sys-net VM. You'll find that setting in the
"advanced" tab of the sys-net settings in "Qube Manager".

[Jarrah]

> I think my problem is common and also new, i read the thread you sent me
> and many more but couldnt understand how to do the workaround? I read that
> intel ax201 works on fedora perfectly, but on qubes no, how should i update
> the fw? Can you please explain the steps or refer me to a good reference?
> That would save me a lot of time.
>
You're right, it is a common problem for that card on Qubes.

As described in https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-issues/issues/5615,
there is no simple answer to this one. You will have to patch and
re-compile the kernel or replace the card. Is there an option to use a
wired network while you wait for the patch to be pulled by upstream?

If not, and you decide you want to learn how to patch and compile the
kernel, there is quite a long (but very enlightening) path ahead of you.
Start with https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/qubes-builder/. You will want to
follow the steps in "Making a customized build" and insert the patch
into src/linux-kernel/ and apply it in the spec file. The command `make
kernel` should then result in a "kernel-qubes-vm" package that you can
install in dom0.

As I said, this will not be something that is easy, but you will learn a
lot. The alternative is replacing the Wifi card with something supported
(I can vouch for the Intel 9462 series being supported) or using wired
ethernet for now.

[Alaa Ashkar]

Much appreciated, i will check it out.

[unman]

You might find it somewhat easier to install an Ubuntu template (if you
don't want to build your own you can download pre-built from
https://qubes.3isec.org), and use that for sys-net.

You can use AX200 with a bionic template installing the
backport-iwlwifi-dkms package, and for AX201 you should be able to use a
focal template as is, I think - maybe with relevant firmware added? (Don't
have that card so cant test this)
In either case you'll want to use the qube kernel rather than one
provided by dom0 (HVM mode and set qvm-prefs kernel=none)
Worth a try: you'll learn something, but not as much as rolling your own
kernel.

unman

[eurou...@yahoo.de]

@unman I installed your precompiled bionic template. I booted it with the options hvm and kernel=none and installed the backport-iwlwifi-dkms package inside. After that, I modified sys-net to use the template, again with the options hvm and kernel=none. I restarted the system and... The Problem is still there. The state of my wifi device is still switching between 'device not ready' and 'device not managed' and the dmesg output is the same as before. Did you do anything else to get this working? Do you have any idea how to fix this card issue without buying another one or recompiling the kernel? Thanks in advance