Re: [gnome-love] Gnome2 ppp application
- From: Mark Finlay <sisob eircom net>
- To: Rodrigo Moya <rodrigo ximian com>
- Cc: German Poo Caaman~o <gpoo ubiobio cl>, Paul Best <silverchoco33 icqmail com>, gnome-love gnome org
- Subject: Re: [gnome-love] Gnome2 ppp application
- Date: 03 Mar 2003 18:01:11 +0000
it is already ported to gtk2, in gnome-network HEAD. Although, it still
sucks. The plan we have is to remove it in favor of GNOME System Tools
network interfaces configuration, which already works. So I would advise
not to work at all on a PPP dialer, but help on GST's one.
Just installed the latest GSTs (gnome-system-tools in cvs) and I agree.
The infrastructure for creating and maintaining accounts and network
interfaces is there and it works really well. It's totally compatible
with the redhat equivelent.
After looking at it I totally agree with Rodrigo that we should
definately not reproduce this functionality. I'm not sure of the GST's
future but personally I think that they should become part of the core
desktop. I know that I'll keep using then on redhat, and support is
there for debian some other distros. We should push for more widespread
adoption.
My only issues[1] with the gst network stuff as it stands are:
1. No way to configure if a user can activate the selected device.
ie. the file permissions on the device. I haven't tried
2. No way to activate/deactivate devices. It's a configuration tool
so this makes sense this way, you don't want to go to a config
dialog every time you want to go on the internet.
3. For a user who just wants to create a modem connection and doesn't
have a network connection, all the talk of interfaces and DNS etc..
is a bit overwhelming. Some people would not even think to configure
dial up internet in a networking config tool.
4. When you go to create a new modem connection, there is no fancy
wizard :)
5. It didn't automagically detect my modem - this would have really
stumped a newbie. '/dev/ttyS1' is not something you guess
6. PPP options are broken by default. I had to tick the two boxes
even though I can see no reason for them to be unticked by default.
So what I think could be done to improve this:
1. Create an Internet connection wizard as part of the GST that can be
called from the networking dialog or from the command line or from
the 'System Tools' menu. Connections should user-dialable by default,
and ppp options and modem device names should be hidden from the
user. Should really only need to ask for username, password and phone
number. Not sure if this is possible though. Could at least have a
list of possible modems and a way to query them like kppp, This way
one can find out by trial and error which device is the modem. Would
be even better if if worked like wvdialconf with a fallback to a list
If that did not work.
2. Create a simple internet dialer tool to be run as the normal user.
The "Setup" or "Configure" option links in with the GST network
applet. Apart from that it just has a drop down with avaliable
connections and a "Connect" button. Avaliable connections are
listed by their description(if avaliable) instead of by their
device numbers. Then when a connection is made it tells you
the connection speed and time and has an option to hide in the tray.
Number 2 would take a good coder no more than an day ;) All it needs to
do is read the list of devices(borrow code from GST) and activate the
selected one. Then find out which modem was used and monitor it.
Pitty I'm not a good coder ;)
As for number 1, it might not actually be that hard. Use the nice new
gnome2 druid widgit, make it avaliable independent of the network
applet, add a launcher to the system tools, and you're almost there.
Making modem detection fool proof is definately the hardest part.
Later
[1] Which I will of course file in bugzilla if appropriate, and once
I've looked into these issues further
--
.--= [ MArk Finlay - sisob ] =--.
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