Re: A comment on NetworkManager

["Russell Harrison" <rtlm10 gmail com>]

On 5/11/06, Casey Harkins <caseyharkins gmail com> wrote:

Russell Harrison wrote:
> "simplicity" of the interface.  Right now its so simple I don't see how
> any layperson could understand it, there just isn't any feed back or

I don't understand this at all. I have a few laptop users who are not
very computer literate (not even on Windows), but have no problems using
NetworkManager, without any instruction.

Try giving it to a novice and  asking them  to get on the network  when  a  network doesn't  automatically  show in their list.   Networks  that don't  broadcast their ESSID, are the prime example here.  Or why does NM disconnect from a network I'm already connected to when I click on it.

>
> Profiles are a big thing for me since I want to be able to deploy
> laptops on our network and configure them by installing an rpm.  Its so
> much cleaner than creating a bunch of documentation, to tell them how to
> set it up themselves.  That's confusing, they don't need to know what
> authentication mechanism we use, or even care what the network is
> named.  They just want to be on it.

Unless each user has multiple configurations, I don't see the need for
profiles here.

Who doesn't have multiple configurations?  Besides many companies have slightly different configs for the various campuses.

As for setting their defaults up for them from an rpm,
just create an rpm that runs gconftool-2 (in %post) to set the
appropriate NetworkManager settings. You make these defaults, or even
mandatory settings (so they can't change them).

>
> 1.) Wireless networks list.
> There is no "Search for wireless networks" or "Refresh wireless networks

Ideally, NetworkManager should update the wireless networks list
automatically without these options. If that can't be done (do most
hardware wireless switches expose their state through their kernel
drivers?), then maybe a refresh option would be necessary.

This is probably one of the biggest questions I get about NM.  Why don't I see my network when I know I'm in range.  I don't doubt it is a driver issue but a "Search for Networks" or something would be helpful.  Especially with cards that don't have the best driver support.

> 2.) The configuration issue.
> In my view NetworkManager is one of the most intransparent linux
> applications out there. There's no Documentation (correct me if I'm