Output of 66-intree -zg:

$ sudo 66-intree -zg
Name         : boot
Initialized  : yes
Enabled      : no
Starts after : None
Current      : no
Allowed      : root
Symlinks     : svc->source db->source
Contents     : /
               ├─(203,Enabled,classic) tty-earlier@ tty12
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) system-hostname
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) mount-run
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) populate-run
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) mount-tmp
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) populate-tmp
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) mount-proc
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) mount-sys
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) populate-sys
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) mount-dev
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) mount-pts
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) mount-shm
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) populate-dev
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) mount-cgroups
               ├─(up,Enabled,bundle) 00
               ├─(up,Enabled,bundle) all-Mount
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) system-hwclock
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) modules-kernel
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) system-random
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) modules-system
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) system-sysctl
               ├─(251,Enabled,longrun) udevd-log
               ├─(419,Enabled,longrun) udevd
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) udevadm
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) system-fontnkey
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) system-fsck
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) mount-fstab
               ├─(up,Enabled,bundle) all-System
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) mount-rw
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) mount-netfs
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) local-loop
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) local-sethostname
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) local-time
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) local-authfiles
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) local-tmpfiles
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) local-dmesg
               ├─(up,Enabled,bundle) all-Local
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) all-Runtime
               ├─(up,Enabled,bundle) All
               ├─(760,Enabled,longrun) tty-rc@ tty1
               ├─(759,Enabled,longrun) tty-rc@ tty2
               └─(up,Enabled,module) boot@ system

Name         : root
Initialized  : yes
Enabled      : yes
Starts after : None
Current      : yes
Allowed      : root
Symlinks     : svc->source db->source
Contents     : /
               ├─(667,Enabled,classic) dhcpcd-log
               ├─(663,Enabled,classic) openntpd-log
               ├─(666,Enabled,classic) openntpd
               ├─(668,Enabled,classic) dhcpcd
               ├─(669,Enabled,classic) wpa_supplicant-log
               ├─(0,Enabled,classic) wpa_supplicant
               ├─(691,Enabled,longrun) dbus-log
               └─(695,Enabled,longrun) dbus

Name         : boot-user
Initialized  : yes
Enabled      : yes
Starts after : root
Current      : no
Allowed      : root
Symlinks     : svc->source db->source
Contents     : /
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) setenv@ master
               ├─(729,Enabled,longrun) svscan@ master-log
               ├─(751,Enabled,longrun) svscan@ master
               ├─(up,Enabled,module) scandir@ master
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) mount-run@ master
               └─(up,Enabled,module) boot-user@ master

Also of interest, I think: the output of 66-inservice dhcpcd

$ sudo 66-inservice dhcpcd
Name                  : dhcpcd
Version               : 0.2.0
In tree               : root
Status                : enabled, up (pid 668) 1629 seconds
Type                  : classic
Description           : dhcpcd daemon
Source                : /usr/lib/66/service/dhcpcd
Live                  : /run/66/scandir/0/dhcpcd
Dependencies          : dhcpcd-log
External dependencies : None
Optional dependencies : None
Start script          :  execl-cmdline -s { dhcpcd ${cmd_args} -f ${conf_dir}/${conf_file} } 
Stop script           :  execl-cmdline -s { dhcpcd ${cmd_args_stop} } 
Environment source    : /etc/66/conf/dhcpcd/0.2.0
Environment file      : environment variables from: /etc/66/conf/dhcpcd/0.2.0/.dhcpcd
                        cmd_args=!-B
                        cmd_args_stop=!-x
                        conf_dir=!/etc
                        conf_file=!dhcpcd.conf

Log name              : dhcpcd-log
Log destination       : /var/log/66/dhcpcd
Log file              : 
2022-08-01 11:52:24.160206822  wlp4s0: carrier acquired
2022-08-01 11:52:24.163677998  wlp4s0: IAID d4:ee:68:03
2022-08-01 11:52:24.163695585  wlp4s0: adding address fe80::5ec5:d4ff:feee:6803
2022-08-01 11:52:24.163802953  wlp4s0: carrier lost - roaming
2022-08-01 11:52:24.175531569  wlp4s0: soliciting an IPv6 router
2022-08-01 11:52:24.175570613  wlp4s0: carrier lost - roaming
2022-08-01 11:52:24.211184107  wlp4s0: carrier acquired
2022-08-01 11:52:24.214847978  wlp4s0: IAID d4:ee:68:03
2022-08-01 11:52:24.286125637  wlp4s0: soliciting a DHCP lease
2022-08-01 11:52:24.373837981  wlp4s0: offered 192.168.0.131 from 192.168.0.1
2022-08-01 11:52:24.398461806  wlp4s0: probing address 192.168.0.131/24
2022-08-01 11:52:24.658111358  wlp4s0: carrier lost - roaming
2022-08-01 11:52:24.670590657  wlp4s0: carrier lost - roaming
2022-08-01 11:52:24.682584434  wlp4s0: carrier acquired
2022-08-01 11:52:24.685935354  wlp4s0: IAID d4:ee:68:03
2022-08-01 11:52:24.689088164  wlp4s0: carrier lost - roaming
2022-08-01 11:52:24.701079481  wlp4s0: carrier acquired
2022-08-01 11:52:24.704459132  wlp4s0: IAID d4:ee:68:03
2022-08-01 11:52:24.801509099  wlp4s0: carrier lost
2022-08-01 11:52:24.812905230  wlp4s0: deleting address fe80::5ec5:d4ff:feee:6803

This pattern of losing the carrier and re-negotiating after less than a second of connection is consistent over time. Perhaps I should also investigate the hardware. I'll try a Knoppix live system and see if it behaves the same.

The output of 66-inservice about wpa_supplicant:

$ sudo 66-inservice wpa_supplicant
Name                  : wpa_supplicant
Version               : 0.2.0
In tree               : root
Status                : enabled, down (exitcode 255) 0 seconds, normally up, want up, ready 0 seconds
Type                  : classic
Description           : wpa_supplicant daemon
Source                : /usr/lib/66/service/wpa_supplicant
Live                  : /run/66/scandir/0/wpa_supplicant
Dependencies          : wpa_supplicant-log
External dependencies : None
Optional dependencies : None
Start script          :  execl-cmdline -s { wpa_supplicant ${cmd_args} } 
Stop script           : None
Environment source    : /etc/66/conf/wpa_supplicant/0.2.0
Environment file      : environment variables from: /etc/66/conf/wpa_supplicant/0.2.0/.wpa_supplicant
                        cmd_args=!-udW

                        environment variables from: /etc/66/conf/wpa_supplicant/0.2.0/wpa_supplicant
                        cmd_args=-B -i wlp4s0 -c /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf
                        # ##cmd_args=!-udW

Log name              : wpa_supplicant-log
Log destination       : /var/log/66/wpa_supplicant
Log file              : 
2022-08-01 14:05:14.046082156  nl80211: kernel reports: Match already configured
2022-08-01 14:05:14.046092671  nl80211: kernel reports: Match already configured
2022-08-01 14:05:14.046103001  nl80211: kernel reports: Match already configured
2022-08-01 14:05:14.046115513  nl80211: kernel reports: Match already configured
2022-08-01 14:05:14.046123359  nl80211: kernel reports: Match already configured
2022-08-01 14:05:14.046133218  nl80211: kernel reports: Match already configured
2022-08-01 14:05:14.046143544  nl80211: kernel reports: Match already configured
2022-08-01 14:05:14.046159642  nl80211: kernel reports: Match already configured
2022-08-01 14:05:14.046161038  nl80211: kernel reports: Match already configured
2022-08-01 14:05:14.046173510  nl80211: kernel reports: Match already configured
2022-08-01 14:05:14.072340641  ctrl_iface exists and seems to be in use - cannot override it
2022-08-01 14:05:14.072344297  Delete '/run/wpa_supplicant/wlp4s0' manually if it is not used anymore
2022-08-01 14:05:14.072345559  Failed to initialize control interface '/run/wpa_supplicant'.
2022-08-01 14:05:14.072346636  You may have another wpa_supplicant process already running or the file was
2022-08-01 14:05:14.072347703  left by an unclean termination of wpa_supplicant in which case you will need
2022-08-01 14:05:14.072348666  to manually remove this file before starting wpa_supplicant again.
2022-08-01 14:05:14.072349718  
2022-08-01 14:05:14.072486790  wlp4s0: CTRL-EVENT-DSCP-POLICY clear_all
2022-08-01 14:05:14.127756965  wlp4s0: CTRL-EVENT-DSCP-POLICY clear_all
2022-08-01 14:05:14.127764041  nl80211: deinit ifname=wlp4s0 disabled_11b_rates=0

The hardware runs fine under Knoppix, so (fortunately? unfortunately?) it doesn't seem to be a hardware problem.

I just tried what you proposed, unfortunately no luck. I did find that disabling services from the root tree didn't remove them from the listing in 66-intree until I rebooted, is that expected behavior?

Regardless, the problem persists. I do note in 66-inservice wpa_supplicant that the 'environment variables' line is listed twice: once the original, once the new command line I edited in via 66-env. If I enter 66-env again, I only see the new environment variables. Is this a bug?

I also tried what wpa_supplicant suggests in the log, and tried a rm /run/wpa_supplicant/wlp4s0, but that failed with

[ 1427.719862] debugfs: Directory 'netdev:p2p-dev-wlp4s0' with parent 'phy0' already present!

.

Well spotted, I added the exclamation mark. Unfortunately, it didn't change anything in the results.

Since I changed things around a bit, I thought I'd rerun the queries from earlier:

$ sudo 66-intree -g
Name         : boot
Initialized  : yes
Enabled      : no
Starts after : None
Current      : no
Allowed      : root
Symlinks     : svc->source db->source
Contents     : /
               ├─(205,Enabled,classic) tty-earlier@ tty12
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) system-hostname
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) mount-run
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) populate-run
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) mount-tmp
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) populate-tmp
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) mount-proc
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) mount-sys
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) populate-sys
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) mount-dev
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) mount-pts
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) mount-shm
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) populate-dev
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) mount-cgroups
               ├─(up,Enabled,bundle) 00
               ├─(up,Enabled,bundle) all-Mount
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) system-hwclock
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) modules-kernel
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) system-random
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) modules-system
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) system-sysctl
               ├─(252,Enabled,longrun) udevd-log
               ├─(420,Enabled,longrun) udevd
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) udevadm
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) system-fontnkey
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) system-fsck
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) mount-fstab
               ├─(up,Enabled,bundle) all-System
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) mount-rw
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) mount-netfs
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) local-loop
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) local-sethostname
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) local-time
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) local-authfiles
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) local-tmpfiles
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) local-dmesg
               ├─(up,Enabled,bundle) all-Local
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) all-Runtime
               ├─(up,Enabled,bundle) All
               ├─(762,Enabled,longrun) tty-rc@ tty1
               ├─(761,Enabled,longrun) tty-rc@ tty2
               └─(up,Enabled,module) boot@ system

Name         : root
Initialized  : yes
Enabled      : yes
Starts after : None
Current      : yes
Allowed      : root
Symlinks     : svc->source db->source
Contents     : /
               ├─(666,Enabled,longrun) dbus-log
               └─(670,Enabled,longrun) dbus

Name         : net
Initialized  : yes
Enabled      : yes
Starts after : root
Current      : no
Allowed      : root
Symlinks     : svc->source db->source
Contents     : /
               ├─(688,Enabled,classic) dhcpcd-log
               ├─(683,Enabled,classic) openntpd-log
               ├─(687,Enabled,classic) openntpd
               ├─(689,Enabled,classic) dhcpcd
               ├─(691,Enabled,classic) wpa_supplicant-log
               └─(0,Enabled,classic) wpa_supplicant

Name         : boot-user
Initialized  : yes
Enabled      : yes
Starts after : root net
Current      : no
Allowed      : root
Symlinks     : svc->source db->source
Contents     : /
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) setenv@ master
               ├─(731,Enabled,longrun) svscan@ master-log
               ├─(753,Enabled,longrun) svscan@ master
               ├─(up,Enabled,module) scandir@ master
               ├─(up,Enabled,oneshot) mount-run@ master
               └─(up,Enabled,module) boot-user@ master

$ sudo 66-inservice wpa_supplicant
Name                  : wpa_supplicant
Version               : 0.2.0
In tree               : net
Status                : enabled, down (exitcode 255) 0 seconds, normally up, want up, ready 0 seconds
Type                  : classic
Description           : wpa_supplicant daemon
Source                : /usr/lib/66/service/wpa_supplicant
Live                  : /run/66/scandir/0/wpa_supplicant
Dependencies          : wpa_supplicant-log
External dependencies : None
Optional dependencies : None
Start script          :  execl-cmdline -s { wpa_supplicant ${cmd_args} } 
Stop script           : None
Environment source    : /etc/66/conf/wpa_supplicant/0.2.0
Environment file      : environment variables from: /etc/66/conf/wpa_supplicant/0.2.0/.wpa_supplicant
                        cmd_args=!-udW

                        environment variables from: /etc/66/conf/wpa_supplicant/0.2.0/wpa_supplicant
                        cmd_args=!-B -i wlp4s0 -c /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf
                        # ##cmd_args=!-udW

Log name              : wpa_supplicant-log
Log destination       : /var/log/66/wpa_supplicant
Log file              : 
2022-08-02 13:48:46.467893424  nl80211: kernel reports: Match already configured
2022-08-02 13:48:46.467907568  nl80211: kernel reports: Match already configured
2022-08-02 13:48:46.467921695  nl80211: kernel reports: Match already configured
2022-08-02 13:48:46.467935738  nl80211: kernel reports: Match already configured
2022-08-02 13:48:46.467950858  nl80211: kernel reports: Match already configured
2022-08-02 13:48:46.467965338  nl80211: kernel reports: Match already configured
2022-08-02 13:48:46.467979502  nl80211: kernel reports: Match already configured
2022-08-02 13:48:46.467993123  nl80211: kernel reports: Match already configured
2022-08-02 13:48:46.468006924  nl80211: kernel reports: Match already configured
2022-08-02 13:48:46.468022208  nl80211: kernel reports: Match already configured
2022-08-02 13:48:46.499080359  ctrl_iface exists and seems to be in use - cannot override it
2022-08-02 13:48:46.499087242  Delete '/run/wpa_supplicant/wlp4s0' manually if it is not used anymore
2022-08-02 13:48:46.499089523  Failed to initialize control interface '/run/wpa_supplicant'.
2022-08-02 13:48:46.499091352  You may have another wpa_supplicant process already running or the file was
2022-08-02 13:48:46.499093160  left by an unclean termination of wpa_supplicant in which case you will need
2022-08-02 13:48:46.499094860  to manually remove this file before starting wpa_supplicant again.
2022-08-02 13:48:46.499096186  
2022-08-02 13:48:46.499256478  wlp4s0: CTRL-EVENT-DSCP-POLICY clear_all
2022-08-02 13:48:46.534382188  wlp4s0: CTRL-EVENT-DSCP-POLICY clear_all
2022-08-02 13:48:46.534387491  nl80211: deinit ifname=wlp4s0 disabled_11b_rates=0

$ sudo 66-inservice dhcpcd
Name                  : dhcpcd
Version               : 0.2.0
In tree               : net
Status                : enabled, up (pid 689) 750 seconds
Type                  : classic
Description           : dhcpcd daemon
Source                : /usr/lib/66/service/dhcpcd
Live                  : /run/66/scandir/0/dhcpcd
Dependencies          : dhcpcd-log
External dependencies : None
Optional dependencies : None
Start script          :  execl-cmdline -s { dhcpcd ${cmd_args} -f ${conf_dir}/${conf_file} } 
Stop script           :  execl-cmdline -s { dhcpcd ${cmd_args_stop} } 
Environment source    : /etc/66/conf/dhcpcd/0.2.0
Environment file      : environment variables from: /etc/66/conf/dhcpcd/0.2.0/.dhcpcd
                        cmd_args=!-B
                        cmd_args_stop=!-x
                        conf_dir=!/etc
                        conf_file=!dhcpcd.conf

Log name              : dhcpcd-log
Log destination       : /var/log/66/dhcpcd
Log file              : 
2022-08-02 13:48:44.502586532  wlp4s0: carrier lost - roaming
2022-08-02 13:48:44.509806111  wlp4s0: carrier acquired
2022-08-02 13:48:44.513277942  wlp4s0: IAID d4:ee:68:03
2022-08-02 13:48:44.813694336  wlp4s0: soliciting an IPv6 router
2022-08-02 13:48:45.468751068  wlp4s0: carrier lost - roaming
2022-08-02 13:48:45.476048647  wlp4s0: carrier lost - roaming
2022-08-02 13:48:45.483349712  wlp4s0: carrier acquired
2022-08-02 13:48:45.486455649  wlp4s0: IAID d4:ee:68:03
2022-08-02 13:48:45.486478225  wlp4s0: carrier lost - roaming
2022-08-02 13:48:45.493300536  wlp4s0: carrier acquired
2022-08-02 13:48:45.496618669  wlp4s0: IAID d4:ee:68:03
2022-08-02 13:48:46.017254580  wlp4s0: soliciting an IPv6 router
2022-08-02 13:48:46.468210690  wlp4s0: carrier lost - roaming
2022-08-02 13:48:46.474979836  wlp4s0: carrier lost - roaming
2022-08-02 13:48:46.482118185  wlp4s0: carrier acquired
2022-08-02 13:48:46.485611684  wlp4s0: IAID d4:ee:68:03
2022-08-02 13:48:46.499307056  wlp4s0: carrier lost - roaming
2022-08-02 13:48:46.506101104  wlp4s0: carrier acquired
2022-08-02 13:48:46.509650221  wlp4s0: IAID d4:ee:68:03
2022-08-02 13:48:46.640897730  wlp4s0: soliciting an IPv6 router

Sorry, I don't understand what you mean.

The documentation for wpa_supplicant states that if there is no interface specific config file, it falls back on the general config file. But I'll give it a try.

I tried every permutation of placing config files correctly, and it made no difference. As it should not, because I specify the config file to use in the command line in the service frontend.

However: in the 66-inservice you can see that 2 separate sets of command args are listed: one that came with the install, and one I edited in with 66-env. Both /etc/66/conf/wpa_supplicant/0.2.0/wpa_supplicant is read, AND /etc/66/conf/wpa_supplicant/0.2.0/.wpa_supplicant. This is profoundly weird to me, and it seems like wpa_supplicant is started *twice*, once with generic args, and once with the specific args I entered. Is this a bug in 66?

I also experimented by disabling the services, and then running them manually. This results in a stable connection according to wpa_cli, an IP according to ip route, and STILL NO NETWORK SERVICE if I try to ping or curl anything, including my own gateway. Or 127.0.0.1 for that matter. It would seem I have 2 problems: one that the supervisor starts wpa_client twice, and one mystery problem where my system refuses to use the WiFi connection that gets opened.

Does anyone have any idea how to at least tackle the latter problem?

Thanks, I attempted to try dhclient. I unfortunately got nowhere.

With all the changes I tried and [perhaps not perfectly] rolled back, my WiFi still didn't work, and now also my wired internet was irretrievably out of action. I spent most of the day on it, before realizing that with all the experimentation I've done, the problem could be *anywhere*.

So I resolved to get my system back to the original problem by wiping the install and reinstalling. I shouldn't have done that, because this time [on the same bare drives, in the same machine, from the same LiveUSB] I couldnt get the install script to complete. I managed to clear some hurdles with PGP signatures that were untrusted, but I got terminally stuck on a crash after I entered the root password. This problem had been described on this forum 2 years ago, but the solution [update pam] didn't work out, because the tmpfiles script tried to write to a read-only entity on line 388.

It seems that there are a lot of problems lying in ambush, and I'm beginning to get the impression that if I get past these obstacles, it's not going to be smooth sailing either.

I'll give it a try as soon as I get my system back to being able to have this problem. Right now I'm stuck in the installer.