Re: can we (fully) fix/integrate NetworkManager (preferred) or release-goal its decommissioning
2012/8/20 Noel David Torres Taño wrote:
> Have you all minded that there are several *different* use cases?
>
> * Laptop user going here and there, sometimes with Wireless, sometimes
> with cable, sometimes with USB stick
> * Desktop user with home ADSL
> * Server with several connections
>
> Each use case has its own needs, and its own best tools.
>
> No ifupdown nor NM will fit them all, ever.
It should not be that hard to fit them all.
All connections I can think of belong to one of two categories:
1. Permanent connections. Those are "setup-and-forget" connections.
Typical for servers and wired desktops. Can be managed with ifupdown.
2. Temporary connections. Those are "use-once-and-forget" connections
(e.g. wifi in airport/hotel). Typical for mobile/moveable devices.
They're different from #1 because they should not be stored in configs.
So one tool supporting both of these connections will suit them all. :)
It does not matter what tool it is. It can be some kind of ifupdown GUI
with temporary connections support (just connect without storing configs).
Or it can be NetworkManager, that uses some ifupdown plugin to store
permanent connections.
For advanced users/developers/hackers there's already a tool that fits
them all - console. They can manually configure permanent connections
there. And they can manually run temporary connections there too.
It's easy, usually one command is enough to do that. For example:
DHCP: dhclient eth0
DSL: pppd plugin rp-pppoe.so eth0 user <user> password <pass>
defaultroute usepeerdns
VPN: pppd defaultroute user <user> password <pass> pty "pptp
12.34.56.78 --nolaunchpppd"
WIFI: wpa_supplicant -c /tmp/mynetwork.conf
I was able to bring up GPRS USB stick with one (long) pppd command once,
but can't find it right now.
I mean, there's already a "tool" (console) that suit many "smart" users.
To "fit them all" the only thing missing is some GUI with ifupdown support
for "regular" users. But it's not impossible to write one.
PS: I'm dreaming about writing such a tool for a few years already
(something simple, winetricks-like GUI bash script for creating
temporaty connections and then optionally storing them permanently),
just had no time to actually do that, directly running dhclient, pppd
or wpa_supplicant was usually enough for me. Maybe someone else
will eventually write one...
PPS: writing here in case someone else with a lot of free time may
like the idea and implement it. :)
--
Serge
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