Re: NetworkManager multi-client support

[Bill C Riemers <briemers redhat com>]

I do not know if this is the same thing, but one really annoying think I have found with network manager, is the desktop icon for it only appears under one login.   Which means for example if my son gets up in the morning and logs into my laptop to play a game.   When I come down and press "switch user".   My login will have no access to network manager.   If I need to connect to vpn or such, I'm screwed.   If the wifi connection drops and I need to change a setting, I end up having to logout, force logout my son, and then log back in, just so I can access the wifi settings.

Considering that Linux is designed from the ground up to be a multi-user multi-process operating system, this type of oversight seems unimaginable.   So what can I do to help to fix this?


Bill


On 16/03/10 01:52 AM, 代尔欣 wrote:

Hi Dan,
   I add some comments below. Thanks!   

2010/3/16 Dan Williams <dcbw redhat com>

On Fri, 2010-03-12 at 09:20 +0800, 代尔欣 wrote:
> Thanks! Dan. The clients I mean are 2 applications on same computer
> and run at same time.

Are the applications run as different unix users?  The current
permissions model in Linux in general is largely tied to specific users;
generally a user is allowed to perform some operation (like connecting
3G) or they are not allowed to perform it.

The 2 applications run as same user. 

If you don't actually care about permissions, then NM can certainly
support the use-cases you mention, since any client using D-Bus can talk
to NetworkManager.  But certain restrictions apply to telling NM to
activate/deactivate connections due to security concerns.

It's an embedded device. Only one user available. So do not have permission concern.

To activate connections, the application must be running as the same
unix user as nm-applet (or knetworkmanager, or whatever), or it must be
running as root.  This prevents unprivileged daemons or other
unprivileged users from hijacking your network connections.  As long as
these restrictions are met, the application can control network
connections or get their status.

Questions about the use-case:

Assume the 2 applications are nm-applet1 and nm-applet2. And the 2 applications have implemented correctly.

After both application running, when activate the connection through nm-applet1. Can nm-applet2 also know this and change to correct status?

When the connection is *activating* through nm-applet1, user through nm-applet2 activate the connection again! What will happen? NM daemon can handle this or just confused.

Dan

> 2010/3/12 Dan Williams <dcbw redhat com>
>         On Thu, 2010-03-11 at 13:56 +0800, 代尔欣 wrote:
>         > Hi all,
>         >        Does NM daemon support this usage? I know it's weird.
>         But
>         > please help.
>         >
>         > Device only have one wifi modem and one 3G modem.
>         >
>         > Client1:
>         > a. User can connect wifi through it.
>         > b. User can't connect 3G using it but it can reflect 3G
>         connection
>         > states.
>
>
>         By "clients" do you mean two users or applications on the same
>         computer?
>
>         Dan
>
>         > Client2:
>         > a. User can connect wifi through it.
>         > b. User can connect 3G through it but it do not need reflect
>         3G
>         > connection states.
>         >
>         > Can NM daemon handle multi-client?
>         >
>         > When connect 3G through client2, can client1 know it?
>         >
>         > If user connect AP1 through client1, and then connect AP2
>         through
>         > client2, what will happen? And other combinations(e.g.
>         client1->AP1
>         > then client2->AP1 .....)
>         >
>         > Thanks!
>
>         > _______________________________________________
>         > NetworkManager-list mailing list
>         > NetworkManager-list gnome org
>         > http://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/networkmanager-list
>
>
>

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