wicd fails to read it's own config files and correctly connect to a hidden access point with wpa2 encryption

[ww]

This is a fresh installation of kubuntu 11.10. This same issue has existed on kubuntu & ubuntu for the past three versions of k/ubuntu as far as I can recall.

Since network manager applet cannot connect to wpa2/hidden essid stations, I prefer to use wicd as I know that wicd works properly without any issue in Slackware for years now, and I run slackware --current.

But this issue has been plaguing k/ubuntu for years now and I dont understand it.

Here's what happens:

I add the hidden network, enter my credentials and connect. But once I reboot, halt, suspend, the settings are gone. Why are these files being modified, and/or deleted from /etc. They're static. There's been no setting changes after I've connected. But every power state of the computer the files are modified on the fly.

What's worse, wicd just totaly ignores seeing the entry in it's own config file and all of the sudden reports the hidden station with an essid of [essid:\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00]

Secondly, "service wicd stop" is just useless. It doesnt stop anything.

I'm forced to do:

#!/bin/sh
for i in `ps ax |grep -i wicd | cut -d " " -f1` ; do kill -9 $i ; done
rm /var/lib/wicd/* -rf || true
rm /etc/wicd/wireless-settings.conf ; cp /etc/wicd/wireless-settings.conf.backup /etc/wicd/wireless-settings.conf

then I "service wicd start"

then I have to use wicd-cli with the following:

I have to grep for the mac address of my router from the wicd-cli --list-networks -y and export that as $ROUTER

wicd-cli --wireless --network=$ROUTER --network-property=Essid --set-to="MY-HIDDEN-ESSID" --connect

then in a few moments it connects like it should. Sadly when I open up the gui I see all the hex code above.

Ironically, network manager of gnome does indeed work well. But I really don't wany any gnome software on my computers.

I'm sorry if I sound disturbed/temperamental in advance. I truly have hoped to have a seamless kubuntu on this netbook for years but these issues are still present. According to bug reports at debian this is fixed in the latest unstable branch, but it's broken on squeeze as well. I'll keep kubuntu on this netbook for a few more days. I hope someone can look into this. But I'm really going to need this netbook in a few days and may have to put the slack back on here and maybe try kubuntu at the next LTS release.

Thanks in advance.

edit: changed f2 in above to f1

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.