1021557 - built-in support for automatic configuration of enterprise WiFi with IETF standard file format

Status: RESOLVED WONTFIX

(Firefox OS Graveyard :: General, defect)

Description

[Stefan Winter]

User Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux x86_64; rv:29.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/29.0 (Beta/Release)
Build ID: 2014050900

Steps to reproduce:

The now resolved-fixed bug #775499 mentions in comment c53+54 that automatic configuration of enterprise WiFi could be done with an app, as soon as the cert management API of #917101 is done.

I would like to suggest that the ability to consume config files and setup wifi with it should not be left to an app, but be a built-in functionality of Firefox OS. Apple iOS has this built-in, and the usabillity is a dream.

The downsides of having a separate app are very clear: before WiFi access is provisioned, normal internet connectivity is typically limited or expensive. Most typically, a captive portal has the required configuration files, but no access to the wider internet and app stores is possible.

It is thus a significant hurdle if the user needs to switch to an out-of-band channel to go to the app store, download the app, then come back to consume the config file.

When the OS brings the functionality built-in, the user can simply tap/click on the config file, and provisioning happens automatically.

Comment 1

[Chuck Lee [:chucklee, Triggered by NI, Review, and Feedback requests]]

Adding an API to support setup WIFI in config file form is not necessary to me.

The "tap config file" action implies there is an app to handle the activity/intent request sent from file browser, then parse file content and setup Wifi using existing API. The only difference is the app is a built-in app or a 3rd party app.

We already have an built-in app to support WPA Push, I think app in that form should meet you requirement.

Comment 2

[Stefan Winter]

An app would be enough, indeed - provided that it has a way to actually manipulate wpa_supplicant.conf in the device. That's what I meant with an API. If say a built-in app can do that on its own without needing an API, then an API is optional.

The app will need to exist though, and it doesn't yet, so I'm leaving the bug report open :-)

Comment 3

[BMO Automation]

Firefox OS is not being worked on