Re: wilreless connection before login

[Jirka Klimes <jklimes redhat com>]

On Monday 05 of April 2010 17:20:48 Aaron Konstam wrote:
> A week or so ago I posted the following question:
> > I have meant to follow up on this years ago but let it slip. But this
> > came up recently on the fedora-list so I need to ask.
> > 
> > It seems to me that several versions ago it was possible to have NM
> > create a wireless connection on boot rather than only on login. Is
> 
> this
> 
> > possible and if so how does one set this up?
> 
> -----------------------------------------------------
> 
> >From Marc Herbert I received the response
> 
> Wild guess: did you try to configure it using system-config-network,
> and then pass it to NM using the ifcfg-rh plugin?
> 
> http://live.gnome.org/NetworkManager/SystemSettings
> ---------------------------------------------------------------
> I used system-configure-network to re-configure the ifcfg-eth1 file and
> am using the ifcfg-rh plugin. I got no connection before boot although
> the ifcfg-eth1 file indicated the ONBOOT=yes option
> 

Please post a /var/log/messages file to see if ifcfg-rh reads the file 
successfully.

Basically if you use ifcfg-rh plugin, NM will read your ifcfg-eth1 file from 
/etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ directory.
What is the contents of the file?

> -------------------------------------------------------------------
> from Dan Williams I got the comment:
> 
> You can also move connections between user and system with
> nm-connection-editor; look for the "Available to all users" checkbox in
> each connection's edit window.  Checking that box makes it a system
> connection (thus available at boot time) as long as a plugin is enabled
> that allows writing of system connections.  That wiki page should also
> talk about system settings plugins.
> 
> Dan
> 
> -------------------------------------------------------
> I tried that. I used nm-connection-editor to edit the entry for the AP I
> was using. Checked: the "Available to all users" checkbox.
> Then maybe I made a mistake by clicking activate. The result was the AP
> disappeared from the list of APs seen in the nm-applet, so that was no
> good.
> 

By checking the box, the connection settings are saved by a system settings 
plugin that is configured in the /etc/NetworkManager/nm-system-settings.conf 
(or NetworkManager.conf) via 'plugins' key.
What plugins do you have configured here? What is the name of your created 
connection?

> Would someone just tell me how to activate a wireless connection before
> logging in with clear instructions I can follow. I assume this is
> possible
> 

Yes, it's possible.

1. check you have plugins=ifcfg-rh,keyfile in /etc/NetworkManager/nm-system-
settings.conf (or NetworkManager.conf) file
2. start nm-connection-editor
3. click Wireless tab, click "Add" button
4. Put SSID of your AP to SSID edit box
5. name your connection to your favourite name in "Connection name" edit box
6. click OK to save a connection

ifcfg-rh plugin will create a file ifcfg-<your_name> file in /etc/sysconfig
/network-scripts

Upon startup NM should activate the connection.

Jirka