eiwd - Enlightenment Wi-Fi Module (iwd Backend)

A native Enlightenment module for managing Wi-Fi connections using Intel Wireless Daemon (iwd) as the backend.

Overview

eiwd provides seamless Wi-Fi management directly within the Enlightenment desktop environment without requiring NetworkManager or ConnMan. It uses iwd's D-Bus API for fast, lightweight, and reliable wireless networking.

Features

Core Functionality

• Device Management: Automatic detection of wireless adapters
• Network Discovery: Fast scanning with signal strength indicators
• Connection Management: Connect/disconnect with one click
• Known Networks: Automatic connection to saved networks
• Hidden Networks: Support for connecting to non-broadcast SSIDs
• Security: WPA2/WPA3-PSK authentication with secure passphrase handling

User Interface

• Shelf Gadget: Compact icon showing connection status
• Visual Feedback: Color-coded states (disconnected, connecting, connected, error)
• Popup Menu: Quick access to available networks and actions
• Configuration Dialog: Customizable settings and preferences
• Theme Support: Full Edje theme integration with signal strength display

Advanced Features

• Daemon Recovery: Automatic reconnection when iwd restarts
• Multi-Adapter Support: Detection and management of multiple wireless devices
• State Machine: Robust connection state tracking
• Error Handling: User-friendly error messages with troubleshooting hints
• Polkit Integration: Respects system authorization policies

Requirements

Build Dependencies

• enlightenment >= 0.25
• efl (Elementary, Eldbus, Ecore, Evas, Edje, Eina) >= 1.26
• meson >= 0.56
• ninja build tool
• gcc or clang compiler
• pkg-config
• edje_cc (EFL development tools)

Runtime Dependencies

• enlightenment >= 0.25
• efl runtime libraries
• iwd >= 1.0
• dbus system bus

Optional

• polkit for fine-grained permission management
• gettext for internationalization support

Building

# Clone repository
git clone <repository-url> eiwd
cd eiwd

# Configure build
meson setup build

# Compile
ninja -C build

# Install (as root)
sudo ninja -C build install

Build Options

# Disable internationalization
meson setup build -Dnls=false

# Custom installation prefix
meson setup build --prefix=/usr/local

Installation

The module is installed to:

/usr/lib64/enlightenment/modules/iwd/linux-x86_64-0.27/
├── module.so         # Main module binary
└── e-module-iwd.edj  # Theme file

After installation:

1. Open Enlightenment Settings → Modules
2. Find "IWD Wi-Fi" in the list
3. Click "Load" to enable the module
4. Add the gadget to your shelf via shelf settings

Configuration

Module Settings

Access via right-click on the gadget or Settings → Modules → IWD → Configure:

• Auto-connect: Automatically connect to known networks
• Show hidden networks: Display option to connect to hidden SSIDs
• Signal refresh interval: Update frequency (1-60 seconds)
• Preferred adapter: Select default wireless device (multi-adapter systems)

iwd Setup

Ensure iwd is running and enabled:

# Enable and start iwd
sudo systemctl enable --now iwd

# Check status
sudo systemctl status iwd

Polkit Rules

For non-root users to manage Wi-Fi, create /etc/polkit-1/rules.d/50-iwd.rules:

polkit.addRule(function(action, subject) {
    if (action.id.indexOf("net.connman.iwd.") == 0 &&
        subject.isInGroup("wheel")) {
        return polkit.Result.YES;
    }
});

Adjust the group (wheel, network, etc.) according to your distribution.

Usage

Basic Operations

1. Scan for networks: Click "Rescan" in the popup
2. Connect to a network: Click the network name, enter passphrase if required
3. Disconnect: Click "Disconnect" in the popup
4. Forget network: Right-click network → Forget (removes saved credentials)
5. Hidden network: Click "Hidden..." button, enter SSID and passphrase

Status Indicator

The gadget icon shows current state:

• Gray: Disconnected or no wireless device
• Orange/Yellow: Connecting to network
• Green: Connected successfully
• Red: Error (iwd not running or permission denied)

Troubleshooting

See INSTALL.md for common issues and solutions.

Architecture

Components

eiwd/
├── src/
│   ├── e_mod_main.c       # Module entry point
│   ├── e_mod_config.c     # Configuration dialog
│   ├── e_mod_gadget.c     # Shelf gadget icon
│   ├── e_mod_popup.c      # Network list popup
│   ├── iwd/               # D-Bus backend
│   │   ├── iwd_dbus.c     # Connection management
│   │   ├── iwd_device.c   # Device abstraction
│   │   ├── iwd_network.c  # Network abstraction
│   │   ├── iwd_agent.c    # Authentication agent
│   │   └── iwd_state.c    # State machine
│   └── ui/                # UI dialogs
│       ├── wifi_auth.c    # Passphrase input
│       └── wifi_hidden.c  # Hidden network dialog
└── data/
    ├── theme.edc          # Edje theme
    └── module.desktop     # Module metadata

D-Bus Integration

Communicates with iwd via system bus (net.connman.iwd):

• ObjectManager for device/network discovery
• Device and Station interfaces for wireless operations
• Network interface for connection management
• Agent registration for passphrase requests

Performance

• Startup time: < 100ms
• Memory footprint: ~5 MB
• No polling: Event-driven updates via D-Bus signals
• Theme compilation: Optimized Edje binary format

License

[Specify your license here - e.g., BSD, GPL, MIT]

Contributing

Contributions welcome! Please:

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Test thoroughly (see Testing section)
4. Submit a pull request

Support

• Issues: Report bugs via GitHub Issues
• Documentation: See INSTALL.md for detailed setup
• IRC/Matrix: [Specify chat channels if available]

Credits

Developed with Claude Code - https://claude.com/claude-code

Based on iwd (Intel Wireless Daemon) by Intel Corporation Built for the Enlightenment desktop environment

See Also

• iwd documentation
• Enlightenment documentation
• EFL API reference