NOTE: Slackware 10.2 contains this patch already! The information below is for
      Slackware 10.1 and earlier.

==============================================================================

What does this patch do?

You'll need the net.agent.patch if your wireless card refuses to be configured
on boot, but has no problems being configured manually afterwards,
when you are logged on.

This simple patch enhances the efficiency of network configuration through
the hotplug system.
Slackware releases since 10.0 come with a version of /etc/rc.d/rc.inet1
that allows you to manage network interfaces individually,
like this for instance (the command initializes and configures eth1):

# /etc/rc.d/rc.inet1 eth1_start

Older versions of rc.inet1 did not accept parameters. The Slackware version of
/etc/hotplug/net.agent unfortunately still does not use the
<interfacename>_start parameter when hotplug detects a new network interface.
The result is, that for each detected interface, _all_ configured interfaces
are checked. This is not a problem for the 'wired' interfaces, because
these initialize and are configured quickly.

Wireless interfaces however, especially those that use WPA encryption, may need
a little more time to initialize and be configured, and repeated calls to
/etc/rc.d/rc.inet1 will result in the wireless interface being bugged by
multiple configuration commands. The result will be, that the wireless interface
does not come 'up' on boot. This is usually solved after booting,
by logging in and running:

# /etc/rc.d/rc.inet1 <wireless_interfacename>_start

but that is cumbersome. The patch cures this bad  behaviour by adding the
appropriate '<interfacename>_start' parameter.

Apply the patch as follows:

# cd /etc/hotplug
# wget http://door.barrier.lan/slackware/net.agent.patch
# patch -p0 < net.agent.patch

And reboot to let it work.

-- 
Eric Hameleers