Re: NetworkManager debs + dhcp

[Dan Williams <dcbw redhat com>]

On Tue, 2004-11-02 at 16:12 +0100, j bootlab org wrote:
> why is the current RedHat backend parsing the static configuration 
> for redhat, /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-%s?

For static IP support.

> to my understanding the plan for NetworkManager was not to use the
> configuration of the underlying distribution and come up with
> a generic NetworkManager configuration system. the current
> approach as seen in the redhat backend does not work for settings per
> wireless network, but saves the static ip again per device, this is
> wrong. 

No, NeworkManager was never intended (yet) to store preferences related
to a devices network configuration information other than wireless-
specific settings.  Its not trying to replace the currently adequate
tools out there like system-config-network or gnome-system-tools or yast
or whatever.  That's a lot more work and brings in a boatload of
requirements that we don't want to think about yet.  Therefore, to
support static IP addresses, we use what the current system
configuration is.

The whole point of NOT using the system settings for wireless is that
they are often static and unchangeable.  For system-config-network, you
can use profiles, but a NetworkManager design goal was to NOT use
profiles.  And since the setting of ESSID/WEP key is static for each
profile for system-config-network, there's no point to using wireless
settings there since we would just override them anyway.

Static IP is a "special" case, simply because its not automatic, while
NetworkManager wants everything to be automatic.  We may have to find
some way to support Static IP profiles for those people who move between
multiple Static IP wired networks and wireless networks, currently you
have to go tot eh config tools, change the info, and then activate the
wired network.  That's cumbersome.

Dan