Re: A comment on NetworkManager

["Robert G. Brown" <rgb phy duke edu>]

On Thu, 11 May 2006, Russell Harrison wrote:

> > 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.

The connection to non-broadcast networks is always going to be tough for
novices, of course.  As is setting encryption keys -- novices are by
definition allergic to alphabet soup like "WEP" or "WPA" and don't grok
the typing in of many hexadecimal digits or other obscure identifier.

However, getting a novice on a properly secured wireless network is the
responsibility of either a) a professional -- the network manager (team)
in an organization or b) the novice themself, in the case of a home
network.  In the first case the professional knows how to RTFM,
experiment, test, debug -- the connection will be made and stabilized
within the abilities of WHATEVER tools are availablee for making it on
ANY operating system.  In the second the novice has to be a non-luddite,
has to have access to adequate documentation for both ends of the
connection process, has to be diligent and persistent and all sorts of
things and may need a hacker friend's help before finally succeeding.
That's that nature of the game -- the only known way out is to have the
equivalent of SSL -- a key-signing/authentication service for both ends
of the connection, which is very expensive and in the case of wireless
still inadequate.

WPA-2 pretty much IS such a service, with EAP, RADIUS servers doing host
authentication etc. in addition to keys.  This is absolutely in the kids
don't try this at home category unless the "kid" wears a plastic pocket
protector and wears horn-rimmed glasses.  Or in a perhaps more
appropriate modern stereotype, has a pony tail, wears a tee-shirt with
bunch of hex digits on it that proclaims that the wearer is in violation
of the DMCA, and drinks jolt cola.

"Easy to use" in the case of a wireless manager tool simply means a
well-organized GUI that to the extent possible is autodocumenting on the
possible choices for attaching to a network.  A truly superb one might
have hover-popups or the like that provide real-time real documentation
and an integrated Howto manual accessible by a mouse click.  That won't
explain W* to a novice, but it might tell them where to enter all of
which little hex-y numbers and what steps they need to obtain said
numbers to enter.

> > > 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.

I think that this is likely an issue with the granularity of the
broadcast and whether or not the ESSID >>is<< broadcast.  I find that NM
is pretty good about building the list dynamically "a lot of the time"
and then it seems to falter. I'm guessing that this is a bug -- I tend
to have the most trouble when I do things like move from one location
altogether to another, or when I drive with my laptop running for long
distances (with NM spending its time happily discovering networks and
then slowly deleting them, or not).  But then, I'm using an old version
(for the next ten minutes -- I'm about to trundle off and upgrade to the
latest stable:-).

Overall, I really like NM but in the FC4 release version it isn't quite
ready for non-novice prime time -- too many adjustments that require too
much knowledge.  Neither is the Windows tool (which I've had occasion to
use fairly often but not on my own systems, thank Deity).  It has a
niftier "radar" interface but it too has to work on "finding" a
broadcast network, has its own issues with deciding on what to connect
to or not connect to.

I truly WANT that black/whitelist feature, and once I get the sources I
may even hack it in.  It would give me infinite pleasure to simply erase
all views or interactions with known broadcast networks in the category
of "not mine and I'll never ever connect to them", and just as much
pleasure to "always connect to the known correct networks in this order,
with a clear warning when leaving any W*-encrypted network".

   rgb

> > 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

--
Robert G. Brown	                       http://www.phy.duke.edu/~rgb/
Duke University Dept. of Physics, Box 90305
Durham, N.C. 27708-0305
Phone: 1-919-660-2567  Fax: 919-660-2525     email:rgb phy duke edu