Connecting PCLinuxOS and Mageia to a WPA2 Enterprise Network

The University where I work has proudly put up a new network for remote access. Among its advantages, one can count that there are more access points, its has a more robust security, and that the user only needs to register once. 

One additional point for Linux users is that, as opposed to Windows, you do not need to download any software, install it and run it to be able to log in. It is a WPA2 Enterprise network that uses PAP for authentication. 

However, there was a problem: although the University provides a Linux guide for configuring the network, this document only describes the process for Ubuntu and network manager. 

When I tried to follow the instructions in PCLinuxOS 2013.2 and Mageia 2, regardless of my attempts, the connection would fail. Both Linux distributions use drakenet instead of networkmanager and the former simply refused to cooperate. 

Yesterday, I found the way to make the elusive WPA2 Enterprise network talk to PCLinuxOS and Mageia. All that is needed is to go to /etc and open Konsole to modify a file. So, you have to type su, followed by your root password. Then, as you need to open Kwrite to edit a file, you must type the following command to circumvent a problem that prevents Kwrite from launching: 

export $ (dbus-launch) 

Then, to open Kwrite, type:

kwrite 

After some warnings, the GUI of Kwrite pops up, so use the menu to locate the file called wpa_supplicant.conf. Go to the end of the file and append these lines there:

ctrl_interface=/var/run/wpa_supplicant
eapol_version=1
ap_scan=1
fast_reauth=1
network={
    ssid="Network-Name
    key_mgmt=WPA-EAP IEEE8021X NONE
    proto=RSN WPA
    eap=TTLS
    identity="name.surname"
    password="password"
    phase2="auth=PAP"
    pairwise=CCMP TKIP
    group=CCMP TKIP
    scan_ssid=1
    mode=0
}

Then, save the file and close everything. Reboot your machine and that makes PCLinuxOS and Mageia work with this new University network. 

The more I use Linux, the more I learn :)

Network made easy with Mandriva

At my office, I decided to install Mandriva because I got tired of waiting for XP to load and the antivirus ritual made me waste a lot of valuable time.

However, I had a problem: the three computers in the office were part of a network and I could not share resources with my co-workers because I did not know how to see their computers.

I remember I tried to install a home network in XP once. Following the assistant, I had to copy some files in some removable media and install them on the other computers, etc. but I never got the process working. This failure made me a little shy. After all, if one cannot set up a home network in XP, doing it in Linux is impossible, right? Wrong! I discovered yesterday that I do not have to do anything beyond the ordinary for a simple computer user; it is only a matter of knowing where to go and having the login information. Yes, Mandriva saw the other computers all the time and I did not know!

All I had to do was to open MCC, go to Shared Resources, access Windows Shared Resources, and then hit Search servers. All the available servers in the faculty were displayed. Then I merely opened Dolphin, went to Network, and then to Samba Shares to locate the appropriate computers in my network.

Once there, I entered the login and password of the Windows users and... PRESTO!
I was able to share files with the Windows computers.
If I had known before this was so easy to do in Linux...

The funny thing is that the "powerful" Windows 7 computer is constantly having connectivity problems and, occasionally, fails to see the XP computer. My station (the computer running Mandriva 2010.2, of course) has access to both Windows computers and their resources, but their malware does not have access to my system ;-)