Re: Only root can utilize nm-applet and nmcli as part of NetworkManager - how can other users use it w/o root?

[Dan Williams <dcbw redhat com>]

On Mon, 2015-01-05 at 19:14 +0100, Thomas Schneider wrote:
> Hello!
>  
> I have installed latest version of NetworkManager and nmcli
> respectively + OpenVPN plugin or NetworkManager.
>   
> user pc1-asus:~$ apt-cache policy network-manager
> network-manager:
>   Installiert:           0.9.10.0-5
>   Installationskandidat: 0.9.10.0-5
>   Versionstabelle:
>  *** 0.9.10.0-5 0
>         500 http://ftp.debian.org/debian/ jessie/main i386 Packages
>         100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
> user pc1-asus:~$ apt-cache policy network-manager-gnome
> network-manager-gnome:
>   Installiert:           0.9.10.0-2
>   Installationskandidat: 0.9.10.0-2
>   Versionstabelle:
>  *** 0.9.10.0-2 0
>         500 http://ftp.debian.org/debian/ jessie/main i386 Packages
>         100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
> user pc1-asus:~$ apt-cache policy network-manager-openvpn
> network-manager-openvpn:
>   Installiert:           0.9.10.0-1
>   Installationskandidat: 0.9.10.0-1
>   Versionstabelle:
>  *** 0.9.10.0-1 0
>         500 http://ftp.debian.org/debian/ jessie/main i386 Packages
>         100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
> user pc1-asus:~$ apt-cache policy network-manager-openvpn-gnome
> network-manager-openvpn-gnome:
>   Installiert:           0.9.10.0-1
>   Installationskandidat: 0.9.10.0-1
>   Versionstabelle:
>  *** 0.9.10.0-1 0
>         500 http://ftp.debian.org/debian/ jessie/main i386 Packages
>         100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
>  
> All maintained connections are working. This includes OpenVPN
> connection type, too.
> However, in order to use either nm-applet or command-line client
> nmcli, I need to be root.
> The issue I'm facing is that with older release I could use either
> nm-applet or nmcli without root authorization.
> This becomes a critical issue in a multi-user desktop PC where most
> user neither have root authorization nor can utilize sudo.
>  
> Question:
> How can I ensure that both, nm-applet and nmcli, can be used without
> root authorization?

It's certainly intended that they can all be used without root.  When
you try to run 'nmcli' as a normal user, what error do you get?  What is
the output of "nmcli gen perm" as a normal user?

Dan