Proposal: NetworkManager for GNOME 2.18.

[Robert Love <rml novell com>]

Let's try this again.

I'd like to start the discussion on getting NetworkManager--more
explicitly, its GNOME-based applet, nm-applet--into GNOME 2.18.


Tell me about NetworkManager without using big words.

NetworkManager is the future of Linux networking.  Red Hat, SUSE, and
others have adopted NetworkManager as their networking solution.
NetworkManager supports Ethernet, PPP, and all sorts of wireless network
connections.  It also supports VPNs.  The addition of NetworkManager to
GNOME will improve the user experience and overall desktop usability.


There is both a daemon and a client?  Explain.

The daemon is desktop-agnostic.  It requires glib, HAL, and DBUS.  It
runs as root, at the system-level, and enforces no policy, stores no
settings, and maintains no state across sessions.

The client, conversely, is policy-rich.  It provides a user interface,
allowing user control.  There are currently two clients: nm-applet,
GNOME's client, and KNetworkManager, KDE's client.  There is also plans
for a command-line client.


You are asking to merge just nm-applet?

Yes, I think that makes the most sense.  In the same way we have GNOME
Volume Manager in the Desktop, and HAL as an implicit requirement, I
propose putting nm-applet in the Desktop and have NetworkManager (or
anything else implementing its DBUS API) as an implicit requirement.


What else does this so-called nm-applet require?

Outside of DBUS, it has no hard requirements of libraries not in GNOME.
It requires gtk, glib, and gnome-keyring.  Optionally, it can utilize
libnotify and gcrypt.


Is the DBUS API stable?

It is within each branch; e.g., the stable release has a stable DBUS API
for both NetworkManager and the VPN interface.


What release are you proposing for 2.18?

The stable branch, 0.6.x.


Who maintains NetworkManager?

Myself and Dan Williams of Red Hat.  Dan is the real star, though, a
regular Carry Grant.


Where can an inquiring mind obtain more information?

I like your gumption!  Check out the NetworkManager homepage:

	http://www.gnome.org/projects/NetworkManager/

Our mailing list:

	http://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/networkmanager-list

And my GUADEC talk, Managing Networks Since the Summer of Aught Four:

	http://rlove.org/talks/guadec_rlove_nm_2006.odp


Go Gator Football,

	Robert Love