usability: unplugged ethernet cable on an office desktop

Bill Nottingham notting at redhat.com
Tue Aug 15 00:23:31 UTC 2006


Andrew Ziem (andrewz at springsrescuemission.org) said: 
> 1. If the computer starts with the cable unplugged, then there's a 
> start-up message like "Determining IP information for eth0:.  Failed or 
> link not present.  Check cable?" First, some people may not read it 
> because the startup messages are a bunch of technical mumbo-jumbo.  
> Second, some people may be getting a cup of coffee instead of watching 
> the screen during (long) startup process. 

Use NetworkManager.

> 2. If the ethernet doesn't work at startup, it dies forever.  If I plug 
> in my ethernet cable some time later after startup, nothing happens. 
> Even if the user can figure out the problem, it seems the user has to 
> have root privileges to do "service network restart" to get the network 
> back up.

Use NetworkManager. :)

> 3. If ypbind can't connect at startup, it just dies forever.  Even if 
> the user can figure out the problem, it seems the user has to have root 
> privileges to do "service ypbind restart".

This is best solved with proper dependency resolution in the initscripts.

> 4. If NFS mounting fails at startup, it stays unmounted until manually 
> mounted.  Even if the user can figure out the problem, it seems the user 
> has to have root privileges to do mount the directories.  Though there 
> is a setting in /etc/fstab to allow users to mount directories without 
> root privileges, it also allows them to unmount the directories.

Same here

> Based on these problems, here's what would reduce confusion, eliminate 
> help desk calls, and make people happy:
> 
> 1. If the network cable is unplugged and the system requires networking 
> for authentication (NIS), then display a warning in GDM.
> 
> 2. Better yet, cache authentication from ypbind.  Supposedly, there are 
> ways to do it, but the only way it's ever worked for me is to configure 
> the system as a slave NIS server.

See pam_ccreds.

> 3. If the user is already logged in when the ethernet network goes down, 
> display from the system tray using the new pop-up notification system in 
> Gnome 2.14.  Also, a system tray icon may be helpful if the user is away 
> from his desk when the problem happens.

Use NetworkManager. (Yes, I'm a broken record here.)

Bill




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