Share WiFi

Share a Wi-Fi hotspot from your Linux laptop without dropping your current Wi-Fi connection, featuring auto-detected frequency band & channel, and hardware-enforced client limits.

Plugin

Field	Value
ID	conqazht/share-wifi
Entries	Bar widget: widget; panel: panel; shortcut: shortcut

Requirements

Install create_ap, nmcli, iw, ip, and pkexec on PATH.

• Arch Linux (AUR):

  yay -S create_ap iproute2
  # or with paru:
  paru -S create_ap iproute2
  

• Debian / Ubuntu (install from source — create_ap is not available via apt):

  # Install runtime dependencies
  sudo apt install hostapd dnsmasq iproute2 iw network-manager iptables policykit-1
  
  # Build & install create_ap from source
  git clone https://github.com/lakinduakash/linux-wifi-hotspot.git
  cd linux-wifi-hotspot
  make
  sudo make install
  

Authentication & Permissions

Starting and stopping the hotspot requires root privileges to configure virtual wireless interfaces and manage create_ap. The plugin delegates privileged operations through PolicyKit (pkexec) by default, prompting for authentication via your desktop environment's graphical agent only when required.

Settings

Setting	Type	Default	Description
refresh_interval	int	3	Refresh interval in seconds for checking hotspot status and connected clients.

Usage

Bar Widget

Add widget to your bar configuration in Noctalia settings.

• Click: Open or close the hotspot configuration panel.
• Right-Click: Turn off the hotspot immediately if active.
• Badge: Displays the active connection count and maximum limit (e.g. 0/2 or 1/2).

Panel

Open the configuration panel using IPC:

noctalia msg panel-toggle conqazht/share-wifi:panel

Inside the panel:

• SSID & Password: Configure your hotspot network name and WPA2 passphrase (minimum 8 characters).
• Frequency band: Choose Auto, 5Ghz, or 2.4Ghz.
• Channel: Specify an exact channel number or leave blank for Auto.
• Max clients (1 - 8): Set a connection limit (default 2, maximum 8) to prevent laptop Wi-Fi hardware saturation.
• Auto-detection: Automatically detects your current active Wi-Fi channel and frequency band, with a manual refresh button (refresh).

Shortcut

Add shortcut to your Control Center in Noctalia Settings for quick toggling.

Notes

• Simultaneous Wi-Fi & Hotspot: Uses Linux kernel virtual interface ap0 on top of your physical Wi-Fi interface (wlan0), allowing your laptop to remain connected to the internet while simultaneously sharing it.
• Client Limit: Enforced at the 802.11 MAC management frame level via hostapd (max_num_sta).
• Configuration & Persistence: Hotspot credentials and preferences (SSID, passphrase, frequency band, channel, max clients) are persisted in config.json inside the plugin's data directory upon starting the hotspot so they do not need to be re-entered. If no saved configuration exists on initial launch, defaults are pre-populated from /etc/create_ap.conf if present on the system.
• Credential Storage: The WPA2 passphrase is stored in cleartext in the plugin's data directory (config.json). The file is readable only by the current user (located in $XDG_DATA_HOME/noctalia/plugins/share-wifi/). If this is a concern, delete config.json after stopping the hotspot.