Comment 88 for bug 259214

Here's what i did for wireless WPA(you have three options ):

A)
vim /etc/network/interfaces
add
auto wlan0
iface wlan0 inet dhcp
        wpa-driver wext
        wpa-conf /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf
(the only issue is it leaves you're hard drive in a bad state i.g.
device resource busy when shutting down);

B)

auto wlan0
iface wlan0 inet dhcp
wpa-ssid ?
wpa-bssid ?
wpa-psk ????????????????
wpa-key-mgmt ?
wpa-group ?
wpa-pairwise ?
wpa-proto ?

(this is nicer than "A" due to no device or resource busy
when shutting down);
more options are in /usr/share/doc/wpasupplicant/README.Debian

C)
vim /etc/network/interfaces
(comment and take everything out);

below info was taken from:
http://mail.gnome.org/archives/networkmanager-list/2008-July/msg00239.html
(I give them all the credit);
create a file that has this in it:

[802-11-wireless-security]
 key-mgmt=none
 wep-tx-keyidx=0
 auth-alg=open
 wep-key0=33b7af2400ba80f060f144e195
psk= ????????????????????
 [connection]
 id=Wireless connection 1
 type=802-11-wireless
 autoconnect=true
 timestamp=0

 [802-11-wireless]
 ssid=102;111;111;98;97;114;
 mode=infrastructure
 channel=0
 rate=0
 tx-power=0
 mtu=0
 security=802-11-wireless-security

 [ipv4]
 method=manual
 addresses1=192.168.1.2;24;192.168.1.1;
 routes1=192.168.1.2;24;192.168.1.1;
 ignore-dhcp-dns=false

then put this file in:

/etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/""

chmod 0400 "filenamethatyoucreated"

reboot

you should have internet during boot
with all of you're info reliably.

if you get confused you can always use

nm-system-settings
and
NetworkManager to test you're key file

to make sure it's working.

heres the finished results:

NetworkManager: <info> starting...
NetworkManager: <info> wlan0: driver is 'ath9k'.
NetworkManager: <info> wlan0: driver supports SSID scans (scan_capa 0x01).
NetworkManager: <info> Found new 802.11 WiFi device 'wlan0'.
NetworkManager: <info> (wlan0): exported as /org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/net_00_19_e3_06_2c_16
NetworkManager: <info> Trying to start the supplicant...
NetworkManager: <info> Trying to start the system settings daemon...
nm-system-settings: Loaded plugin keyfile: (c) 2007 - 2008 Red Hat, Inc. To report bugs please use the NetworkManager mailing list.
nm-system-settings: SCPlugin-Ifupdown: init!
nm-system-settings: SCPlugin-Ifupdown: update_system_hostname
nm-system-settings: SCPluginIfupdown: management mode: managed
nm-system-settings: SCPlugin-Ifupdown: devices added (udi: /org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/net_00_19_e3_06_2c_16, iface: wlan0)
nm-system-settings: SCPlugin-Ifupdown: end _init.
nm-system-settings: Loaded plugin ifupdown: (C) 2008 Canonical Ltd. To report bugs please use the NetworkManager mailing list.
nm-system-settings: SCPlugin-Ifupdown: (134630400) ... get_connections.
nm-system-settings: SCPlugin-Ifupdown: (134630400) connections count: 0
NetworkManager: <info> (wlan0): supplicant manager is now in state 1 (from 0).
NetworkManager: <info> (wlan0): device state change: 1 -> 2
NetworkManager: <info> (wlan0): bringing up device.
NetworkManager: <info> (wlan0): preparing device.
NetworkManager: <info> (wlan0): deactivating device (reason: 2).
NetworkManager: <info> (wlan0): device state change: 2 -> 3
NetworkManager: <info> (wlan0): supplicant interface state change: 1 -> 2.
NetworkManager: <info> Activation (wlan0) starting connection 'ssid'
NetworkManager: <info> (wlan0): device state change: 3 -> 4
NetworkManager: <info> Activation (wlan0) Stage 1 of 5 (Device Prepare) scheduled...
NetworkManager: <info> Activation (wlan0) Stage 1 of 5 (Device Prepare) started...
NetworkManager: <info> Activation (wlan0) Stage 2 of 5 (Device Configure) scheduled...
NetworkManager: <info> Activation (wlan0) Stage 1 of 5 (Device Prepare) complete.
NetworkManager: <info> Activation (wlan0) Stage 2 of 5 (Device Configure) starting...
NetworkManager: <info> (wlan0): device state change: 4 -> 5
NetworkManager: <info> Activation (wlan0/wireless): access point 'ssid' has security, but secrets are required.
NetworkManager: <info> (wlan0): device state change: 5 -> 6
NetworkManager: <info> Activation (wlan0) Stage 2 of 5 (Device Configure) complete.
NetworkManager: <info> Activation (wlan0) Stage 1 of 5 (Device Prepare) scheduled...
NetworkManager: <info> Activation (wlan0) Stage 1 of 5 (Device Prepare) started...
NetworkManager: <info> (wlan0): device state change: 6 -> 4
NetworkManager: <info> Activation (wlan0) Stage 2 of 5 (Device Configure) scheduled...
NetworkManager: <info> Activation (wlan0) Stage 1 of 5 (Device Prepare) complete.
NetworkManager: <info> Activation (wlan0) Stage 2 of 5 (Device Configure) starting...
NetworkManager: <info> (wlan0): device state change: 4 -> 5
NetworkManager: <info> Activation (wlan0/wireless): connection 'ssid' has security, and secrets exist. No new secrets needed.
NetworkManager: <info> Config: added 'ssid' value 'ssid'
NetworkManager: <info> Config: added 'scan_ssid' value '1'
NetworkManager: <info> Config: added 'key_mgmt' value 'WPA-PSK'
NetworkManager: <info> Config: added 'psk' value '<omitted>'
NetworkManager: <info> Config: added 'proto' value 'WPA RSN'
NetworkManager: <info> Config: added 'pairwise' value 'TKIP CCMP'
NetworkManager: <info> Config: added 'group' value 'WEP40 WEP104 TKIP CCMP'
NetworkManager: <info> Activation (wlan0) Stage 2 of 5 (Device Configure) complete.
NetworkManager: <info> (wlan0): supplicant connection state change: 2 -> 0
NetworkManager: <info> Config: set interface ap_scan to 1
NetworkManager: <info> (wlan0): supplicant connection state change: 0 -> 3
NetworkManager: <info> (wlan0): supplicant connection state change: 3 -> 4
NetworkManager: <info> (wlan0): supplicant connection state change: 4 -> 5
NetworkManager: <info> (wlan0): supplicant connection state change: 5 -> 6
NetworkManager: <info> (wlan0): supplicant connection state change: 6 -> 7
NetworkManager: <info> Activation (wlan0/wireless) Stage 2 of 5 (Device Configure) successful. Connected to wireless network 'ssid'.
NetworkManager: <info> Activation (wlan0) Stage 3 of 5 (IP Configure Start) scheduled.
NetworkManager: <info> Activation (wlan0) Stage 3 of 5 (IP Configure Start) started...
NetworkManager: <info> (wlan0): device state change: 5 -> 7
 NetworkManager: <info> Activation (wlan0) Beginning DHCP transaction.
 NetworkManager: <info> dhclient started with pid 2615
NetworkManager: <info> Activation (wlan0) Stage 3 of 5 (IP Configure Start) complete.

I found chmod 0400 was the key to making this mechanism
work.
(some reason my psk was being deleted when starting NetworkManager
every reboot)

regards;

Justin P. Mattock