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Mr Frosti
January 7th, 2006, 01:32 AM
One of the essential tasks of a laptop user is to be able to quickly and easily connect to different wireless access points. If anyone has used the "Network Monitor" program that starts with Ubuntu by default, you understand what a frustrating task this can be.

I came across a Project listed on the Ubuntu Forums named "GTKWifi", and figured I would share it with other people in need of a solid wifi app.

GTKWifi at a glace supports the following features:

One click connecting
Access Point scanning
Preferred network list
WEP key memory
Fast and easy interface


The project page can be found here:

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=34645&page=1

To install GTKWifi follow these instructions:

1) Open up a terminal by clicking "Applications" -> "Accessories" -> "Terminal"

2) Copy the code in the code boxes, and paste it into the terminal: (Updated to 1.09, thanks Moebius)

wget http://internap.dl.sourceforge.net/sourceforge/gtkwifi/gtkwifi-1.09.deb
This downloads the file to your computer

sudo dpkg -i gtkwifi-1.09.deb
This will begin to install the file. You will be prompted for the administrator password. This will be your password.

Once the installation is complete, right click on one of the Gnome panels, at either the top or the bottom of the screen. Click on "Add to Panel". At the very bottom of the list, under "Utility" you will see the "Wireless Connection Manager" application. Select this and click "Add"

You have now installed this application to your panel. To start it, click on it, and select the wireless access point, if any, that you wish to connect to.

That was an easy one. Thanks goes to Brian Cairns.

GQed76
February 4th, 2006, 04:44 PM
Should you uninstall network manager?

Kieffer87
February 4th, 2006, 05:58 PM
When I used this my internet would connect, disconnect, etc. forever. I would have to use the manager to get connected and then once I had a signal in the network manager close the gtkwifi and all was fine. Any ideas for this?

Nate53085
February 4th, 2006, 07:55 PM
Should you uninstall network manager?


No you shouldn't.

maxdevis
February 12th, 2006, 08:14 AM
how do i uninstall this?
it totally ****** up my internet/networkconnection.

i even can't delete it from my Gnome-panel.

kaamos
February 12th, 2006, 08:52 AM
sudo apt-get remove gtkwifi

Moebius
February 12th, 2006, 10:52 AM
GTKWifi 1.09 has been released for quite some time (September 2005), so you could probably update this thread.

GTKWifi 1.09 (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=73563&highlight=GTKWifi+1.09)

Nano
February 12th, 2006, 11:39 AM
Ok, cool, but still I don't understand what's different and/or better than the default network manager.

namit
February 13th, 2006, 02:52 PM
i try to run gtkwifi and i get this

Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/usr/bin/gtkwifi", line 27, in ?
import pygtk
ImportError: No module named pygtk


Can anyone help?

Mr Frosti
February 13th, 2006, 03:14 PM
Ok, cool, but still I don't understand what's different and/or better than the default network manager.

The default Network Monitor for Gnome seems to be more of an overall network manager, than something made with wireless networks in mind. There is a need, imo for a dedicated wifi tool, hence this guide. I wanted something that could manage preferred networks and quickly tell me what is available in the area. Creating profiles to do this in the Network Monitor was a painstaking task that seemed to hang for longer than it should.

Mr Frosti
February 13th, 2006, 03:24 PM
i try to run gtkwifi and i get this

Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/usr/bin/gtkwifi", line 27, in ?
import pygtk
ImportError: No module named pygtk


Can anyone help?

Sounds like you have a broken dependency (Something between Python and Gnome bindings). Run Synaptic Package Manager and see if it prompts you about fixing a broken package. To do this, click in "System" -> "Administration" -> "Synaptic Package Manager". Enter in your password.

If you are not prompted to fix a broken package, then you will have to install it manually. Do a search in Synaptic for "pygtk" and install the "python-gtk2" package. This should resolve the issue.

evilmrt
February 13th, 2006, 03:40 PM
I love this little program. I don't understand why it isnt a part of the Ubuntu distro??? Its essential if you use wifi!

imagine
February 13th, 2006, 03:47 PM
This will begin to install the file. You will be prompted for the administrator password. This will be your password.
Just a little nitpicking: sudo does not ask for the administrator password, but for *your* password, ie the password of the user who runs sudo.
At least that's the default behaviour of sudo and also used in all versions of Ubuntu.

MONODA
February 11th, 2008, 02:15 AM
eh... its pretty good but it takes up tooooo much ram 8mb :S. Try out wifi-radar