Re: Auto eth0 is back

[Jirka Klimes <jklimes redhat com>]

On Wednesday 08 of September 2010 02:33:49 Seblu wrote:
> Hello,
> 
> First thanks to dev this great tool, it help me everydays :)
> 
> I currently use the lastest version networkmanager 0.8.1 on archlinux
> with the kde plasma applet to configure my networks.
> 
> My probleme is simple, i've 3 networks type : Eth, Wifi and Mobile
> Broadband. Everytime my laptop is on his dock (eth0 is on), applet
> connect everytime to a "Auto eth0". This prevent me to use wifi or
> Mobile broadband without undock my laptop. I have deeply search a
> configuration solution about who create this device "Auto eth0" and
> this line in syslog let me do the following supposition.
> 
> rwolf NetworkManager[4577]: <info> Activation (eth0) starting
> connection 'Auto eth0'
> 
> So i suppose it's not kde applet fault if this connection is present
> and auto... I'm wondering how i can prevent NetworkManager to create
> it ?
> 
> 
> Regards,

The 'Auto eth0' connection (i.e. configuration) is a system-wide connection. It 
is created by NetworkManager daemon when no other connection is present for a 
wired device. Its purpose is automatically provide connectivity without any 
configuration. However, you can modify it to suite your needs (e.g. switch off 
autoconnection, etc.) or just delete it and create a new one. You can do that 
via nm-applet/nm-connection-editor. After doing that the "default" connections 
becomes normal system connection (persistently stored and retaining its 
settings).
In order to be able to save modifications, you have to have a system plugin 
enabled,
/etc/NetworkManager/NetworkManager.conf should contain:
[main]
plugins=keyfile

But, I see that you may have a problem since you use kde-plasma-
networkmanagement applet and that doesn't have ability to edit system 
connections yet.
There's a possibility to use D-Bus to delete a connection:
dbus-send  --system --print-reply --
dest='org.freedesktop.NetworkManagerSystemSettings' 
'/org/freedesktop/NetworkManagerSettings/0'  
org.freedesktop.NetworkManagerSettings.Connection.Delete

And you should be also able to prevent NM creating the "Auto eth0" by placing
no-auto-default=<the MAC of eth0 here>
to the [main] section in /etc/NetworkManager/NetworkManager.conf
(which is what NM does when "Auto eth0" is manually deleted in nm-connection-
editor or via D-Bus call).

Example:
[main]
plugins=keyfile
no-auto-default=00:24:1d:60:c4:ba

Jirka