Bug 1177834

Summary: Network configuration on installation is stupidly complicated
Product: [openSUSE] openSUSE Tumbleweed Reporter: teo teo <teo8976>
Component: InstallationAssignee: YaST Team <yast-internal>
Status: RESOLVED FIXED QA Contact: Jiri Srain <jsrain>
Severity: Normal    
Priority: P3 - Medium CC: igonzalezsosa, jreidinger, kanderssen, teo8976
Version: Current   
Target Milestone: ---   
Hardware: x86-64   
OS: openSUSE Tumbleweed   
URL: https://trello.com/c/28O3idd6
Whiteboard:
Found By: --- Services Priority:
Business Priority: Blocker: ---
Marketing QA Status: --- IT Deployment: ---
Attachments: picture 1
picture 2
picture 3
picture 4
picture 5

Description teo teo 2020-10-17 16:09:49 UTC
I'm installing OpenSUSE Tumbleweed on (yet) a(nother) new laptop, from a USB stick with the iso image I downloaded a few minutes ago.

(Please implement pasting copied images. I want to include a few screenshots and instead of just pasting them as I write I need to reference them as "see screenshot 1/2/etc" and then upload them later and name them accordingly - because not only can't I copy and paste them, I can't even upload more than one while creating the report - anyway...)

When it comes to the screen for setting up network, I get this:

  picture 1

The top looks like it's supposed to be a list of devices? Seems strange that it's empty.

And the bottom looks like it is supposed to contain information about the selected device from the list on the top. I'm just guessing. If that is the case then its content is nonsensical (as if this was designed under the assumption that the list always has at least one item and hence one is always selected). The next step seems to confirm this hypothesis.

It says "Press Edit to configure" so I guess I'll try that (if I'm not supposed to, it shouldn't suggest it).

I get an error:

  picture 2

So I say No and go back to the initial empty list, and I try Add.
From a list of types of devices, I select Wireless, then I have this screen:

  picture 3

And I'm lost. I had unfolder the first dropdown for the picture and now I can't remember what the name of that field was, it was something like "mode" or something: the options are "Ad hoc", "Managed" and "Master" - Master is selected by default. I don't know what I am supposed to choose here. A short description of each should be given.

Anyway I tried my luck by keeping the default ("Managed") and I noticed there was a SSID selector and a "Scan networks" button.

  picture 4

I tried Scan Networks: something pops up for a fraction of a second and disappears, and the SSID dropdown remains empty.

So, scanning networks doesn't work.

I had to enter the SSID manually. Fortunately it's a name that I gave to the network myself, so it's easy to remember and to type.

Then I chose the authentication mode, which I know to be PSKA. I don't think I should be supposed to do that manually.

Then I got this:

  picture 5


And then I was able to continue with the installation without any apparent issue and with no network-related error.
I'm not entirely sure whether that means the wifi connection was working, since I think the rest of the installation process doesn't need one, does it? Then once the installation was complete and I booted I had to connect to the wifi and enter the password anyway but I guess that's expected.
Comment 1 teo teo 2020-10-17 17:15:40 UTC
Created attachment 842753 [details]
picture 1
Comment 2 teo teo 2020-10-17 17:16:37 UTC
Created attachment 842754 [details]
picture 2
Comment 3 teo teo 2020-10-17 17:17:30 UTC
Created attachment 842755 [details]
picture 3
Comment 4 teo teo 2020-10-17 17:19:29 UTC
Created attachment 842756 [details]
picture 4
Comment 5 teo teo 2020-10-17 17:20:06 UTC
Created attachment 842757 [details]
picture 5
Comment 6 Josef Reidinger 2020-10-19 13:17:10 UTC
thanks for report. We will try to address it. It is empty as network does not see any card. Reason is probably missing some driver for it? or a bug. Can you please attach yast logs? (output of save_y2logs script ).
Comment 7 Stefan Hundhammer 2020-11-16 13:23:48 UTC
See also bug #1177835 comment #15:

> I found something else in the y2logs:
> 
> 2020-10-17 20:46:14 <3> install(3839)
>   [Ruby] network/routines.rb(ControllerType):287
>   Unknown network controller type:
>   
>   $[
>     "bus":"PCI",
>     "bus_hwcfg":"pci",
>     "class_id":2,
>     "device":"Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650i 160MHz Wireless Network Adapter
> (201NGW)",
>     "device_id":79088,
>     "drivers":
>     [
>       $[
>         "active":true,
>         "modprobe":true,
>         "modules": [["iwlwifi",""]]
>       ]
>     ],
>     "func_id":3,
>     "modalias":"pci:v00008086d000034F0sv00008086sd00000234bc02sc80i00",
>     "model":"Intel Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650i 160MHz Wireless Network Adapter
> (201NGW)",
>     "old_unique_key":"fx0i.C0LA3_R13_8",
>     "resource":
>     $["irq":
>       [
>         $[
>         "count":2,
>         "enabled":true,
>         "irq":16
>         ]
>       ],
>     "mem":
>       [
>         $[
>         "active":true,
>         "length":16384,
>         "start":2166489088]
>         ]
>       ],
>     "rev":"48",
>     "slot_id":20,
>     "sub_class_id":128,
>     "sub_device_id":66100,
>     "sub_vendor":"Intel Corporation",
>     "sub_vendor_id":98438,
>     "sysfs_bus_id":"0000:00:14.3",
>     "sysfs_id":"/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:14.3",
>     "unique_key":"yX7n.C0LA3_R13_8",
>     "vendor":"Intel Corporation",
>     "vendor_id":98438
>   ]
> 
> 
> 2020-10-17 20:46:14 <3> install(3839)
>   [Ruby] network/routines.rb(ControllerType):288
>   It's probably missing in hwinfo (NOT src/hd/hd.h:sc_net_if)
> 
> 
> ...but this might also be similar to this bug reported against Ubuntu a few
> months ago:
> 
> 
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1874685
> 
>   Killer(R) Wi-Fi 6 AX1650i 160MHz Wireless Network Adapter (201NGW),
>   REV=0x354 [8086:a0f0] subsystem id [1a56:1651]
>   wireless adapter not found due to firmware crash
Comment 8 Steffen Winterfeldt 2020-11-16 13:39:14 UTC
> I tried Scan Networks: something pops up for a fraction of a second and
> disappears, and the SSID dropdown remains empty.
>
> So, scanning networks doesn't work.

That's what people think but it's not true - see also bug 1177137.

It's just an annoying UI feature that hits everyone the first time.
Comment 9 Knut Alejandro Anderssen González 2020-11-16 14:42:24 UTC
The particular problem looks like a driver problem but there are some things that we could improve according to the report like the help text for example.


About the scanning issue. Well, the "Add" option is mainly for virtual interfaces or hotplug interfaces, that is, you can write config for interfaces that are not present in the system.

As the network wireless card was not recognized correctly, it is not available, and thus, it can not be used in order to scan the available wireless networks.

We probably could disable the button for scanning networks in this case. About the authentication... basically the same can be applied there.

The rest of the installation does not need network, but also it was not able to obtain the updates available. After booting probably the backend in use was NetworkManager instead, and thus, the config created during the installation was not used at all.
Comment 10 Imobach Gonzalez Sosa 2021-01-26 11:50:31 UTC
Some of the usability issues that are mentioned in this PR are already fixed. They will be included in the next yast2-network release.

- Disable "Edit" and "Delete" buttons when no interfaces are detected.
- Disable the "Scan Network" button when the interface does not exist.

See https://github.com/yast/yast-network/pull/1153.
Comment 24 Swamp Workflow Management 2021-03-09 20:37:24 UTC
SUSE-RU-2021:0747-1: An update that has 6 recommended fixes can now be installed.

Category: recommended (moderate)
Bug References: 1177834,1178260,1180944,1182781,1182818,1182911
CVE References: 
JIRA References: 
Sources used:
SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15-SP2 (src):    yast2-network-4.2.96-3.49.1
SUSE Linux Enterprise Installer 15-SP2 (src):    yast2-network-4.2.96-3.49.1

NOTE: This line indicates an update has been released for the listed product(s). At times this might be only a partial fix. If you have questions please reach out to maintenance coordination.
Comment 25 Swamp Workflow Management 2021-03-16 20:35:06 UTC
openSUSE-RU-2021:0417-1: An update that has 6 recommended fixes can now be installed.

Category: recommended (moderate)
Bug References: 1177834,1178260,1180944,1182781,1182818,1182911
CVE References: 
JIRA References: 
Sources used:
openSUSE Leap 15.2 (src):    yast2-network-4.2.96-lp152.2.30.1
Comment 28 Stefan Hundhammer 2023-03-08 17:03:15 UTC
https://github.com/yast/yast-network/blob/master/package/yast2-network.changes#L581-L594

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Fri Feb 26 06:41:17 UTC 2021 - Imobach Gonzalez Sosa <igonzalezsosa@suse.com>

- Improve wireless devices configuration UX (bsc#1177834):
  - Reorganize the widgets, to make the UI easier to understand.
  - Add a list of wireless networks which displays additional
    information like Mode, Channel, Rate, Signal and
    Security method.
  - Pre-select the authentication method depending on the
    selected network.
- Fix initialization of the "AP ScanMode" field.
- 4.3.50

-------------------------------------------------------------------


https://github.com/yast/yast-network/blob/master/package/yast2-network.changes#L623-L631

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Tue Feb  9 08:18:26 UTC 2021 - Knut Anderssen <kanderssen@suse.com>

- Fix for not present interfaces when deciding whether
  the "Scan Network" button should be disabled or not during a
  wireless configuration (bsc#1177834).
- 4.3.45

-------------------------------------------------------------------


https://github.com/yast/yast-network/blob/master/package/yast2-network.changes#L652-L661

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Tue Jan 26 11:23:33 UTC 2021 - Imobach Gonzalez Sosa <igonzalezsosa@suse.com>

- Fixes some usability issues (bsc#1177834):
  - Disable "Edit" and "Delete" buttons when no interfaces
    are detected.
  - Disable the "Scan Network" button when the interface does not
    exist.

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Comment 29 Stefan Hundhammer 2023-03-08 17:09:47 UTC
I am not sure if all the issues in this bug were addressed with those fixes, but the last activity here was 2 years ago; so that appears to be the extent of what could reasonably be done here.
Comment 30 Knut Alejandro Anderssen González 2023-03-09 08:13:04 UTC
We were also evaluating an specific dialog for wireless connections when the wired one is not available but by now do not think it will be addressed so, the issues not solved already will be considered as wontfix.

Thanks for your bug report!