Published: Tue, Jul 08, 25

Replace NetworkManager with manual Wi-Fi config using wpa_supplicant and /etc/network/interfaces for minimal or headless Linux systems.

This guide walks through replacing NetworkManager with a manual Wi-Fi configuration on Linux systems, such as Orange Pi or minimal Debian/Ubuntu installations. It covers removing NetworkManager, setting up WPA Supplicant for wireless credentials, configuring /etc/network/interfaces for dynamic IP assignment, and optionally enabling a systemd service to bring up Wi-Fi automatically at boot. Ideal for lightweight systems, headless setups, or advanced users who prefer precise control over networking.

🔥 Remove NetworkManager

First, uninstall NetworkManager and disable its service so it doesn’t conflict with your manual networking:

sudo apt purge network-manager network-manager-gnome
sudo systemctl disable NetworkManager

🔧 Create WPA Supplicant Config

This file holds your Wi-Fi SSID and password securely. Edit /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf:

ctrl_interface=DIR=/run/wpa_supplicant GROUP=netdev
update_config=1
country=US

network={
    ssid="YourWiFiSSID"
    psk="YourWiFiPassword"
}

✅ Replace:

YourWiFiSSID → your actual Wi-Fi name (case-sensitive).

YourWiFiPassword → your Wi-Fi password.

Tip: update_config=1 allows wpa_cli or wpa_gui to modify this file.

If you prefer to lock it down, set it to 0 as in your final example.

🔹 Configure /etc/network/interfaces

Edit the network interfaces file:

sudo nano /etc/network/interfaces

Use this minimal configuration:

auto lo
iface lo inet loopback

allow-hotplug wlan0
iface wlan0 inet dhcp
    wpa-conf /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf

auto eth0
iface eth0 inet dhcp

allow-hotplug wlan0 lets the Wi-Fi come up automatically if plugged in or detected.

iface wlan0 inet dhcp requests a dynamic IP address from your router.

wpa-conf points to your WPA Supplicant file.

Example:

source-directory /etc/network/interfaces.d

auto lo
iface lo inet loopback

allow-hotplug wlan0
iface wlan0 inet dhcp
    wpa-conf /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf

auto eth0
iface eth0 inet dhcp

🚀 Optional: Enable Auto-Start Service

For extra reliability (e.g. on headless devices), create a systemd service to bring up Wi-Fi on boot:

/etc/systemd/system/wifi-autostart.service

[Unit]
Description=Bring up wlan0 with DHCP at boot
After=network.target

[Service]
Type=oneshot
ExecStart=/sbin/ip link set wlan0 up
ExecStartPost=/sbin/dhclient wlan0

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Enable it:

sudo systemctl daemon-reexec
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable wifi-autostart

✅ Example WPA Supplicant Config (Your Real Example)

ctrl_interface=DIR=/run/wpa_supplicant GROUP=netdev
update_config=0
country=US

network={
    ssid="TL;DR"
    psk="Password"
    key_mgmt=WPA-PSK
}

update_config=0 prevents changes from tools like wpa_cli.

key_mgmt=WPA-PSK specifies WPA Personal security.

📄 kali_wifi.sh:

#!/bin/bash
# ========================================== #
#    Made by aMiscreant for Miscreants       #
# ========================================== #

echo "=== Manual Wi-Fi Configuration Script ==="

# Prompt for interface
read -rp "Enter your Wi-Fi interface name (e.g. wlan0): " IFACE
IFACE=${IFACE:-wlan0}

# Prompt for SSID
read -rp "Enter your Wi-Fi SSID: " SSID

# Prompt for Wi-Fi password
read -rsp "Enter your Wi-Fi password: " WIFI_PASS
echo

echo "[+] Removing NetworkManager..."
apt purge -y network-manager network-manager-gnome
systemctl disable NetworkManager

echo "[+] Writing wpa_supplicant.conf..."
cat <<EOF > /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf
ctrl_interface=DIR=/run/wpa_supplicant GROUP=netdev
update_config=0
country=US

network={
    ssid="$SSID"
    psk="$WIFI_PASS"
    key_mgmt=WPA-PSK
}
EOF

chmod 600 /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf

echo "[+] Writing /etc/network/interfaces..."
cat <<EOF > /etc/network/interfaces
auto lo
iface lo inet loopback

allow-hotplug $IFACE
iface $IFACE inet dhcp
    wpa-conf /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf

auto eth0
iface eth0 inet dhcp
EOF

echo "[+] Creating optional wifi-autostart systemd service..."
cat <<EOF > /etc/systemd/system/wifi-autostart.service
[Unit]
Description=Bring up $IFACE with DHCP at boot
After=network.target

[Service]
Type=oneshot
ExecStart=/sbin/ip link set $IFACE up
ExecStartPost=/sbin/dhclient $IFACE

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
EOF

chmod 644 /etc/systemd/system/wifi-autostart.service

echo "[+] Reloading systemd..."
systemctl daemon-reexec
systemctl daemon-reload
systemctl enable wifi-autostart

echo "[✓] Configuration complete."
echo "You can now reboot or manually bring up your interface with:"
echo "  ip link set $IFACE up && dhclient $IFACE"