Problem setting up wired networking

[Rick Stevens]

Timothy Murphy wrote:
> On Wednesday 12 November 2008 04:53:18 pm Mike Chambers wrote:
> 
>> Anyway, if it helps, gonna post my ifcfg-eth0 file as it works fine with
>> NM and nothing special really cept it's a static IP.
> 
> IIRC, it used to be said that NM didn't read 
> /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-* .
> 
> In my case if NM does read these files
> it doesn't seem to take much notice of what it reads,
> as I have specified the ESSID of the AP I want to link to,
> but NM seems to ignore this.
> 
> It really would be useful if one knew which files NM looks at.
> It's really not good enough to say that this is not needed
> because "NM just works".

I agree.  While I applaud the concept behind NM, its execution is very,
very flawed.  It can't be used on systems that use network-based
authentication because of the chicken-and-egg problem it causes (you
need a desktop for it to start and you can't log in to get a desktop
because the network is down due to NM not running).

Other drawbacks: the utter and complete lack of documentation; the
inability to (consistently) control its behavior via config files
(including its ignoring of existing directives in files it claims to
read); its apparent random selection of nearby wireless access points;
occasional ignoring of existing keyring entries; its inability to be
started prior to a user logging in--and then only if the system is
in GUI mode; the list goes on.

I like the idea.  It's just nowhere ready for prime time in anything
but the absolute simplest of network environments with GUI-based
systems.  I realize that Fedora is where things like this get the bugs
shaken out, but NM has been a problem child for quite a while (F8, F9
and now F10).  Anaconda should at least ask you if you want NM as the
default network environment when upgrading or installing (it certainly
shouldn't run roughshod over an existing network environment).  On top
of that and given its, uhm, "maturity", you'd think there'd at least be
a bloody man page for it!

That's just my opinion.  I could be wrong.
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- Rick Stevens, Systems Engineer                      ricks at nerd.com -
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