Albert Plugin: Wi-Fi

[HarshNarayanJha]

A new plugin for albert. Wi-Fi connection manager
(for NetworkManager and nmcli setups).

This Plugin lets you connect to (or disconnect from) any known wireless network quickly. It can also scan for new connections and connect to them. I needed a quick Wi-Fi switching solution, so I made this. Hope someone finds this useful too.

The trigger is wifi, typing this would show a list of wifi connections (as shows by nmcli connection show). Primary action is to connect/disconnect the network. Holding alt lets you scan for new networks. I am planning to add Ethernet connections too for ethernet people, but I couldn't figure out if I should change the trigger keyword or do something else for ethernet.

APs and be listed and connected to by typing wifi ls.

Screenshot:

GitHub & Installation: https://github.com/HarshNarayanJha/albert_wifi

[martinengelke]

I was asking for that in a thread, which looks not very well visited:
https://github.com/orgs/albertlauncher/discussions/1307#discussioncomment-11202065

I guess the Github layout of the Albert page changed since then (good job) and the next time I do my suggestions somewhere else :-P

Well done.

Edit: Maybe you can help in support for macOS as well?:
Powerlevel9k/powerlevel9k#317

[HarshNarayanJha]

I was asking for that in a thread, which looks not very well visited:
github.com/orgs/albertlauncher/discussions/1307#discussioncomment-11202065

I haven't seen that thread. I don't use bluetooth often, but I might make that one too

Edit: Maybe you can help in support for macOS as well?:
Powerlevel9k/powerlevel9k#317

Maybe I can, but I don't have access to macOS, so I probably won't be able to test it. I will code up something and get back to you.

EDIT:
/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/Apple80211.framework/Versions/A/Resources/airport -I
So it's the airport cli on macOS. Time for some research!

[HarshNarayanJha]

Hey @martinengelke, an Update!
Could you please test out this branch on your machine

[martinengelke]

airport is located at:

/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/Apple80211.framework/Versions/A/Resources/airport

When I execute that in terminal I get following advice:

WARNING: The airport command line tool is deprecated and will be removed in a future release.
For diagnosing Wi-Fi related issues, use the Wireless Diagnostics app or wdutil command line tool.

If I run the plugin it says:

[HarshNarayanJha]

I already tried to replace this line and there is nothing showing up if I enter "wifi "

You could run albert with QT_LOGGING_RULES='albert.*=true' albert, or equivalent on macOS (maybe /Applications/Albert.app/Albert) to show exactly what is happening when you type wifi

[martinengelke]

Its:
/Applications/Albert.app/Contents/MacOS/albert

I already tried to replace this line and there is nothing showing up if I enter "wifi "

You could run albert with QT_LOGGING_RULES='albert.*=true' albert, or equivalent on macOS (maybe /Applications/Albert.app/Albert) to show exactly what is happening when you type wifi

15:37:05 [debg:albert.query_runtimes] │ Handling│ Scoring│ Count│
15:37:05 [debg:albert.query_runtimes] │ 0 ms│ 0 ms│ 0│ #5 'wifi' applications
15:37:05 [debg:albert.query_runtimes] │ 0 ms│ 0 ms│ 0│ #5 'wifi' caffeine
15:37:05 [debg:albert.query_runtimes] │ 0 ms│ 0 ms│ 1│ #5 'wifi' triggers
15:37:05 [debg:albert.query_runtimes] │ 0 ms│ 0 ms│ 0│ #5 'wifi' datetime
15:37:05 [debg:albert.query_runtimes] │ 0 ms│ 0 ms│ 0│ #5 'wifi' system
15:37:05 [debg:albert.query_runtimes] │ 0 ms│ 0 ms│ 0│ #5 'wifi' albert
15:37:05 [debg:albert.query_runtimes] │ Handling│ Sorting│ Count│
15:37:05 [debg:albert.query_runtimes] │ 0 ms│ 0 ms│ 1│ #5 GLOBAL 'wifi'
15:37:05 [debg:albert.query_runtimes] │ 0 ms│ TRIGGER | 0│ #5 '' 'wifi'
15:37:06 [debg:albert.query_runtimes] │ 15 ms│ TRIGGER | 0│ #6 'wifi ' ''

[martinengelke]

Try running /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/Apple80211.framework/Versions/A/Resources/airport -I directly on your terminal.

Even though, wdutil requires sudo privileges, which seems impractical to be implemented with albert. Like, who you want to enter a root password for just checking wireless list

Heres a possible however hacky way to avoid typing passwords for certain sudo commands via exceptions:
https://github.com/koekeishiya/yabai/wiki/Installing-yabai-(latest-release)#configure-scripting-addition

[HarshNarayanJha]

Try running /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/Apple80211.framework/Versions/A/Resources/airport -I directly on your terminal.

Even though, wdutil requires sudo privileges, which seems impractical to be implemented with albert. Like, who you want to enter a root password for just checking wireless list

Heres a possible however hacky way to avoid typing passwords for certain sudo commands via exceptions:
https://github.com/koekeishiya/yabai/wiki/Installing-yabai-(latest-release)#configure-scripting-addition

Yeah this thing exists in linux too. You can mark certain sudo binaries to be executed without password for your user.

But this does come if security risks and having this as an requirement for a plugin seems unright in my opinion.
Though I can implement it and you can test it out if you want!

[martinengelke]

Think so too. If Manuel can do it without those requirement would be perfect, but if not possible that could be a temporary solution. I don't know when he got time for that.
If you may want to try :)

[martinengelke]

Try running /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/Apple80211.framework/Versions/A/Resources/airport -I directly on your terminal.

Not working, same message. :(

[martinengelke]

Nothing I know right now except AppleScript.

Maybe @ManuelSchneid3r knows something?

[ManuelSchneid3r]

Maybe the system config framework which is used by the vpn plugin. In the end I guess these have to be native plugins because Python does not provide the low level api needed. So on MacOS the system config lib and in Linux the dbus api.

[ManuelSchneid3r]

I plan to add dynamic items in 0.28. So having signals may be mandatory for some neat features. I don't think python will serve this purpose well due to the lack of async operation.

[martinengelke]

I like how you handle all of that. At first there is a need of something. Then there's coming a python plug-in and if you feel comfortable enough you just do it as a native feature. That's the apple way :) great.
Thank you.

[HarshNarayanJha]

Great!