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:

wpa error_small.jpg

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 ! pi diagnostic.jpg

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