Can Wifi and Bluetooth be disabled on guruplugs?

[alfon]

I know this question is premature, since guruplugs are not yet available for sale, but does anybody know if the wifi and bluetooth subsystems of the new guruplugs can be disabled by software (i.e. if the hardware allows it), and whether there are utilities available to do this?

There are two reasons why someone would want to turn these subsystems off: to lower power consumption and to avoid beeing needlessly exposed to additional radiation.

Best regards,
Alf

[NewIT_Marcus]

Alf -

In principle, there is no reason why the relevant code couldn't be excluded from a recompiled kernel. That would be a semi-permanent disabling of the functions in question.

I can't immediately think of any other way to achieve what you are suggesting. If the hardware was external (say, on a USB device), you could probably disable it through udev (just as, sometimes, one uses udev to enable).

Loading and unloading kernel modules on demand, perhaps, but I don't know to what extent (if any) this would achieve the results you desire.

[Sakis3G]

I think what Alf is concerned of, is whether a "kill-switch" will be available, in the same manner it's available on laptops, that will force seizure of radio transmission, which is different from just not loading appropriate module.

This should be considered a *must* feature for all wireless devices in order to eliminate undesired transmission/interference with other devices. Not to mention it might settle a product "illegal" for some countries. As an example, being impossible to prevent transmission, immediately settles GuruPlug server a no-go for hospitals, airplanes, gas-stations, near ECU unit of vehicles and those heart-assisting-devices-that-my-english-vocabulary-does-not-contain-appropriate-word.

If indeed such a functionality is not applicable, I would suggest that you forward this issue to GuruPlug developers.

Sakis

[alfon]

Dear Sakis,

Yes, this is exactly what I meant. I am afraid, however, that guruplugs being unavailable right now, the answer may be similarly unavailable.

Unless, of course, someone more knowledgeable in electronics than me, can check the schematics and deduce the answer.

and those heart-assisting-devices-that-my-english-vocabulary-does-not-contain-appropriate-word.

That would be a pacemaker :-)

best regards,
Alf

[pietsnot]

i do have a guruplug and disabled both bluetooth and wifi by modifying the startup scripts in file /root/init_setup.sh :

## disable wifi
## insmod /root/uap8xxx.ko
## ifconfig  uap0 10.0.0.124  up
## /usr/bin/uaputl sys_cfg_ssid $SSID
## /usr/bin/uaputl bss_start

## disable bluetooth
rmmod btmrvl_sdio btmrvl
##/etc/init.d/bluetooth start
##modprobe btmrvl_sdio
##hciconfig hci0 up
##hciconfig hci0 piscan
##/usr/bin/mute-agent &



another (simple) way to disable wifi:
uaputl sys_cfg_radio_ctl 1
           ...Radio setting successful

check:
uaputl sys_cfg_radio_ctl
           ...Radio is off

[myShiva]

Hey guys,

I don't want to withold information from you, especially when I'm looking for the same stuff.

The last post seems to be the right solution. I asked Globalscale how to disable wifi and they sent me quite the same answer:

First mail:

Hi Thomas,

To use a button to control the wifi module is possible but it needs to change the hardware. Thanks your advice for this new feature.

Best Regards,

Customer Support (6201)
Globalscale Technologies, Inc.
Web: www.globalscaletechnologies.com

Tel: +1-714-632-9239
Fax: +1-714-632-7550

Second mail (solution):

Hi Thomas,

Following is the further input from our engineering team, for your reference:

==================================================

Regarding the WIFI port , you can replace init_setup.sh with attachment at linux prompt if you want to disable the WIFI port.

Detail steps are as below:

1. copy attachment to USB storage

2. sheevaplug-debian:~# cp -rf /media/usb0/init_setup.sh    /root/                          (at linux prompt)

3. sheevaplug-debian:~# reboot                                                                             (at linux prompt)

When done, you will see WIFI led was turned off after rebooting GuruPlug .

Note :  you need to backup init_setup.sh if you want to re-enable the WIFI port later.

==================================================
Best Regards,

Customer Support (6201)
Globalscale Technologies, Inc.
Web: www.globalscaletechnologies.com
Tel: +1-714-632-9239
Fax: +1-714-632-7550

I added the attachment to this post.
It's different from the code in the last post, but so to say this is the official respond from Globalscale to this issue, I think it'll work the best.

Have fun.

[McMonster]

Are you sure you added the right file? I don't have any plug, so I don't know how does the original file look like, but this one looks more like enabling bluetooth and wifi in AP mode rather than disabling those.

[myShiva]

I thought so too.

But after I compared it with pietsnot version I noticed that they are pretty the same, except the two lines:

Code:

/usr/bin/uaputl sys_cfg_ssid $SSID
/usr/bin/uaputl bss_start

If you read the AP-Mode comment you'll see it'll be removed by rm -f, maybe guru plug boots automatically into this mode.
Also you can see the mod loading and configuration is uncommented:

Code:

#insmod /root/uap8xxx.ko
#ifconfig uap0 192.168.1.1 up

what they didn't do is uncommenting the two lines from the top code quote, I think it's not neccessarily relevant for wlan.
Maybe for bluetooth which will be activated with this script from globalscale, as you can see

Code:

/etc/init.d/bluetooth start

Of course you could say it's not neccessary to activate IP-Routing and DNS (Line 13 - 18) if you disabled wlan, but maybe some people need that function, using the guruplug as a highspeed router (like me).
For conclusion:
wlan disabling: uncomment Line 9, 10 they seem relevant, guess removing the wlan mode isn't important
bluetooth disabling: uncomment Line 23 or stop the bluetooth module
iptables: Line 13 - 15, 18
dhcp, dns: Line 16 and 17
activate routing: Line 15

I think Line 7 SSID is gathering the hardware informations which are neccessary to pass through to the modules.
If you want to disable bluetooth as well I think it's easier to use /etc/init.d/bluetooth stop instead, this way will allow you to put it off without rebooting.
The wlan module is integrated into the kernel (.ko driver). Am I right? That's why you need to reboot. But I think it should be possible to compile the kernel with an extern wlan module like bluetooth. I can't say that for sure, because I don't know the hardware in this case.
Maybe somebody in this forum knows more about this stuff.

That's what I undestand from the script (first impression).

I guess I'll try it next week, when my guru arrives and if it's not working I'll pass the information through, from further discussions between globalscale and me about this topic.

[Edit]
Globalscales respond to the question if it's possible to compile the kernel by pulling out wlan mod and using command mode:
GTI> Sorry, wlan does not support command mode to start/stop at present. It will keep working while starting wlan module. The one way is to kill the process of wlan if you want to disable it which is very dangerous (not recommended).
=> The only save way is by rebooting the whole system and not loading the module into the kernel at the beginning

[briaeros007]

a "ko" driver is already module (kernel object).
It isn't difficult, if you can lsmod/insmod/rmmod/modprobe him, then it's a module.

If you speak about the "insmod /root/uap8xxx.ko" , then it's only an external module, and a rmmod uap8xxx could be possible... if the hardware accept it!
(some hardware aren't really develop to be "deprogrammed", other than by an electric reset)

What is weird, it's the location of the module. the "correct" path is /lib/modules/`uname -r`/<where the module belong, net, fs, ...>
Example with one the simple module path in my pc :
/lib/modules/2.6.26-2-amd64/misc/vboxdrv.ko

Is the module is a proprietary one ? (this sentence is correct in English )

In addition, if the option was activated in the kernel, you could get the config file of the kernel with a simple "zcat /proc/config.gz"
=y <=> it's "inside" the kernel
=m <=> it's a module

[ciridian]

I replaced the script you attached in the post. But now my plug doesn't boot any more! 
Although I'm not sure whether it is this that caused the problem or the changing of my root password.
I'll look for a solution for that one, then let you know if it works again.