[Pkg-utopia-maintainers] Bug#461831: Bug#461831: network-manager: provide connections before login

[Michael Biebl]

Ross Boylan wrote:
> Package: network-manager
> Version: 0.6.5-3
> Severity: wishlist
> 
> It would be useful if network-manager would connect to known networks
> when the system came up, rather than when the user logs in.  There are
> lots of things the system does regardless of whether anyone is logged
> in, and some of those things fail without network access (e.g., email,
> time syncronization, possibly running various scripts).
> 
> This wish seems to contradict the theory of operation outlined in the
> upstream README, so it is, in effect, a request to reconsider the
> design.  As I understand the current design, information on what
> networks to connect to, as well as passwords, is kept in a user
> session and is private to the user.
> 
> A possible middle ground would be to allow the user to designate
> certain connection information as available for system-wide use.
> 
> Currently, my boot-up is also delayed as dhcp-client attempts to get
> dhcp information--which it can't, since there are no network
> connections.  That particular problem may have a less drastic
> solution--maybe remove the interface declaration entirely from
> /etc/network/interfaces?  The current Debian README seems to indicate
> things should work with interfaces set auto and dhcp (and nothing
> else), but it looks to me as if the regular processing of the
> interfaces file kicks in a start up.  Network manager does grab them
> later.

If you want to establish connections, which are encrypted (like WEP or 
WPA) you currently need a running desktop session and a user program 
(like knetworkmanager or nm-applet) passing this information to 
NetworkManager. For a simple ethernet connection, NetworkManager will 
activate it during boot as soon as possible, without a logged in user.
About /etc/network/interfaces: Just remove the interface definitions and 
let NM handle them. They are only for backwards compatibility (i.e. the 
installer creates this entries and NM tries to deal with that in the 
most sensible way).

I'm not quite clear, what you are looking for. If you want encrypted 
connections during boot, that is not possible atm (should be in NM 0.7). 
For unencrypted it already works.

Michael


-- 
Why is it that all of the instruments seeking intelligent life in the
universe are pointed away from Earth?

-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: signature.asc
Type: application/pgp-signature
Size: 252 bytes
Desc: OpenPGP digital signature
Url : http://lists.alioth.debian.org/pipermail/pkg-utopia-maintainers/attachments/20080121/b65565e1/attachment.pgp