Cannot communicate with wpa_supplicant

[themazingness]

Pi Model or other hardware: Pi 4 8gb
Power Supply used: Vilros (Used this kit on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B089ZZ8DTV/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1)
RetroPie Version Used: 4.7.11
Built From: Raspberry Pi 4/400 Image from retropie.org.uk, then updated via Ethernet
USB Devices connected: 8BitDo SN30 pro, sometimes wireless mouse and/or keyboard dongle
Controller used: 8BitDo SN30 pro
Error messages received: cannot communicate with wpa_supplicant

Wifi setup isn't working. If I use the Wifi setup, it just hangs and fails. If I use Raspi-Config, I get the error "Cannot communicate with wpa_supplicant" followed by "There was an error running option S1 Wireless LAN." Here is a photo of my wpa_supplicant.conf file:

I made no changes to the conf file. As best as I can remember, I tried to setup SSH, set the wifi country to US, and then I tried to setup the wifi starting in Raspi Config and also trying the WIFI setup option through Retropie. The trouble is, my wifi was intermittent at the time, so I assumed it was the problem. I came back a few days later (today). This is as best as I remember as far as steps go, but I tried over and over again on some of it, that's just the basic order. I was not getting these errors initially, but ended up getting it before I gave up and tried today.

I'm wanting to use SSH on my pc to transfer files, and should be able to do that theoretically if I can get this wifi issue fixed (I've done it in the past, though this is a fresh image).

[mitu]

What does

systemctl status wpa_supplicant.service

reports ?

[themazingness]

@mitu !

[mitu]

Looks like the service is started ok. Check if your wifi isn't blocked:

sudo rfkill list all
sudo rfkill unblock all

Do you really have a WEP-only AP ?

[themazingness]

@mitu Unfortunately, it wasn't blocked so that wasn't the answer.

I'm not sure why the WEP line is there. I have made no edits to the config file. I don't imagine that'd cause raspi-config to be unable to use the file though and make changes.

[mitu]

@themazingness Remove the file completely and try re-configuring the WiFi again.

[themazingness]

Sorry this took me a while. I deleted the conf file, restarted, still got the exact same error.

Question, can I use the Linux subsystem in Windows 10 to access the files I'm wanting to get off of it? I assume this would mean mounting it? (I've used the subsystem a little, I am just not familiar with using external drives Windows doesn't recognize in it.)

If I were to do that I could get the files and just format and start over. The other option I'm considering is when I move in a couple of months and have a hub I can plug into, I could just use ethernet to grab the files.

[mitu]

@themazingness said in Cannot communicate with wpa_supplicant:

Question, can I use the Linux subsystem in Windows 10 to access the files I'm wanting to get off of it? I assume this would mean mounting it? (I've used the subsystem a little, I am just not familiar with using external drives Windows doesn't recognize in it.)

I'm not sure, I've not used WSL(2), but I don't think it includes such capabilities. You can backup the image to an .img file and open it with 7Zip, I think it can read the Linux partition.

[themazingness]

@mitu Thanks, the backup method worked. Strangely, my psx games were missing in the .img file, but otherwise it worked and it is easy to dump those with RetroArch anyway.

[rdmeneze]

@themazingness
Hi!
Just for log information, I had this same problem today and I solved using this:

• make a copy of /etc/network/interfaces
  sudo cp /etc/network/interfaces /etc/network/interfaces.old

• append to the file /etc/network/interfaces
  allow-hotplug wlan0
  iface wlan0 inet manual
  wpa-conf /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf

• enable the wpa_supplicant service and restart
  sudo systemctl enable wpa_supplicant.service
  sudo systemctl restart wpa_supplicant

*restart the system
sudo reboot now