Enable IWD to be used as back-end in network selection

archinstall/default_profiles/desktop.py

@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@ def packages(self) -> list[str]:
 			'wget',
 			'iwd',
 			'wireless_tools',
-			'wpa_supplicant',
 			'smartmontools',
 			'xdg-utils',
 		]

archinstall/lib/installer.py

@@ -768,6 +768,22 @@ def post_install_enable_networkd_resolved(*args: str, **kwargs: str) -> None:
 
 		return True
 
+	def configure_nm_iwd(self) -> None:
+		# Create NetworkManager config directory and write iwd backend conf
+		nm_conf_dir = self.target / 'etc/NetworkManager/conf.d'
+		nm_conf_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+
+		iwd_backend_conf = nm_conf_dir / 'wifi_backend.conf'
+		iwd_backend_conf.write_text('[device]\nwifi.backend=iwd\n')
+
+		# Disable standalone iwd service
+		# and enable NetworkManager
+		def post_install_configure_nm_iwd(*args: str, **kwargs: str) -> None:
+			self.disable_service('iwd.service')
+			self.enable_service('NetworkManager.service')
+
+		self.post_base_install.append(post_install_configure_nm_iwd)
+
 	def mkinitcpio(self, flags: list[str]) -> bool:
 		for plugin in plugins.values():
 			if hasattr(plugin, 'on_mkinitcpio'):

archinstall/lib/interactions/network_menu.py

@@ -212,6 +212,8 @@ def ask_to_configure_network(preset: NetworkConfiguration | None) -> NetworkConf
 					return NetworkConfiguration(NicType.ISO)
 				case NicType.NM:
 					return NetworkConfiguration(NicType.NM)
+				case NicType.NM_IWD:
+					return NetworkConfiguration(NicType.NM_IWD)
 				case NicType.MANUAL:
 					preset_nics = preset.nics if preset else []
 					nics = ManualNetworkConfig(tr('Configure interfaces'), preset_nics).run()

archinstall/lib/models/network.py

@@ -17,14 +17,17 @@
 class NicType(Enum):
 	ISO = 'iso'
 	NM = 'nm'
+	NM_IWD = 'nm_iwd'
 	MANUAL = 'manual'
 
 	def display_msg(self) -> str:
 		match self:
 			case NicType.ISO:
 				return tr('Copy ISO network configuration to installation')
 			case NicType.NM:
-				return tr('Use NetworkManager (necessary to configure internet graphically in GNOME and KDE Plasma)')
+				return tr('Use Network Manager (default backend)')
+			case NicType.NM_IWD:
+				return tr('Use Network Manager (iwd backend)')
 			case NicType.MANUAL:
 				return tr('Manual configuration')
 
@@ -148,11 +151,20 @@ def install_network_config(
 					enable_services=True,  # Sources the ISO network configuration to the install medium.
 				)
 			case NicType.NM:
-				installation.add_additional_packages(['networkmanager'])
+				installation.add_additional_packages(['networkmanager', 'wpa_supplicant'])
 				if profile_config and profile_config.profile:
 					if profile_config.profile.is_desktop_profile():
 						installation.add_additional_packages(['network-manager-applet'])
 				installation.enable_service('NetworkManager.service')
+			case NicType.NM_IWD:
+				# Copy ISO config first for initial connectivity
+				installation.copy_iso_network_config(enable_services=False)
+				# Configure NetworkManager with iwd backend
+				installation.add_additional_packages('networkmanager')
+				if profile_config and profile_config.profile:
+					if profile_config.profile.is_desktop_profile():
+						installation.add_additional_packages('network-manager-applet')
+				installation.configure_nm_iwd()
 			case NicType.MANUAL:
 				for nic in self.nics:
 					installation.configure_nic(nic)