Re: How to "ifdown ..." on squeeze?
On Mon, Nov 7, 2011 at 2:17 AM, Bob Proulx <bob@proulx.com> wrote:
> Tom H wrote:
>> Dan B. wrote:
>> > On a new installation of squeeze, ifdown no longer works as it used
>> > to (on my old Debian system).
>
> This is because by default with a GNOME desktop installed Debian has
> switched away from ifupdown and over to NetworkManager because GNOME
> by default specifies NetworkManager. If you don't install GNOME then
> you won't get NetworkManager and the behavior will be traditional
> Debian ifupdown. There is a lot of discussion about this in the
> mailing list archives. It has been controversial.
NM's a GNOME project application so it's normal that they've made
GNOME default to it...
NM's only controversial because there are people who oppose change not
matter why it might be. The NM developers haven't done themselves any
favors by not providing server-type features like bonding...
>> > When ifconfig lists an interface "eth0", neither "ifdown eth0" nor
>> > "ifdown eth" takes the interface down. The attempts yield:
>> > "ifdown: interface eth0 not configured" and
>> > "ifdown: interface eth not configured".
>> >
>> > How does one take an interface down on squeeze?
>
> The expected tool on a GNOME system would be by using the
> NetworkManager GUI with the mouse or as Tom writes, 'nmcli' from the
> command line. Something like this:
>
> # nmcli conn down id 'Auto eth0'
> # nmcli conn up id 'Auto eth0'
I gave a CLI answer because the request was for ifupdown so I assumed
a CLI method was being sought. The NM GUI's definitely the way to go
if you have a GUI.
>> > Also: The reason I was trying to take it down and back up was to
>> > trigger a fresh DHCP query and corresponding host-name configuration.
>>
>> When NM controls your connections, NICs aren't defined in
>> "/etc/network/interfaces", by default; you can change that behavior by
>> changing the "managed" variable of the "ifupdown" section of
>> "/etc/NetworkManager/networkmanager.conf".
>>
>> You can also use "nmcli" to take down and bring up your NIC.
>
> My recommendation is to edit that commented out line and remove it
> from NetworkManager's control and return it to ifupdown's control.
You have to be careful with editing "/etc/network/interfaces". If you
don't have "managed" set to "true" in
"/etc/NetworkManager/nm-system-settings.conf" or
"/etc/NetworkManager/networkmanager.conf" (depending on the NM
version), the interface won't be managed by NM. So, if
"/etc/init.d/networking" isn't enabled too (if that's possible),
NICs'll have to be brought up manually with "ifup".
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