[rhelv6-beta-list] No tui network setup on server install

[Erik Ljungstrom]

On Sun, Jul 11, 2010 at 5:45 AM, solarflow99 <solarflow99 at gmail.com> wrote:
>> On Sun, Jul 11, 2010 at 2:28 AM, Chris Kloiber <ckloiber at ckloiber.com> wrote:
>>> On 07/09/2010 09:22 AM, Troy Dawson wrote:
>>>
>>>>> if you type "setup" do you still get the option to configure network
>>>>> settings?
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> No
>>>>
>>>
>>> You would get it only if system-config-network-tui was installed.
>>
>> That must come back, I can't do without that feature too.

> I've found NetworkManager to be destabilizing for production systems.
> I personally know how to reconfigure network scripts manually, but
> it's not reasonable to expect from less expert admins, especially
> because one typo can completely muck up your network connections.

> Since NetworkManager doesn't seem to support configuration of
> pair-bonding or bridging, nor correctly document and manage
> DHCP_HOSTNAME and dhclient based DNS, and since RHEL dhclient tools
> still misreport the DHCP published 'domain' as the 'search' option in
> /etc/resolv.conf, and since there is therefore no way for a DHCP based
> RedHat system to use multiple search domains, there's frankly no point
> to NetworkManager in a production environment: you're going to have to
> manage all of these manually, anyway.

> So please, restore the small, simple tool more appropriately to
> tightly managed servers.

I completely agree with the above posters.
I'm not entirely sure which problem was addressed by removing this tool?

Another annoyance with this is if you install a system with less than 512M of memory (less than required by the GUI installer)
from a DVD/ISO, you have no way to configure your network other than hacking up your own ifcfg-xxx file
as far as I can tell?
Also even if you do a network install, I believe there's no way to override a present DHCP server with NetworkManager. If there's one
on the network, NM will use it and not prompt for any other settings. Arguably you shouldn't want/need to do that, but in the real world...

Yes, 512M may seem a tad 1990's, but it's not all that uncommon to find smaller single-purpose virtual machines
running with this amount of RAM. Asking people to set up their own network install environment when they have the ISO laying around
just in order to be able to configure their network with ease is a bit archaic.

Even if NM is a must for some reason beyond me, it can handle reading network interface definitions from the network-scripts files, so they
shouldn't be mutually exclusive.

Cheers,
Erik
This message is intended solely for the use of the individual or organisation to whom it is addressed. It may contain privileged or confidential information. If you have received this message in error, please notify the originator immediately. If you are not the intended recipient, you should not use, copy, alter, or disclose the contents of this message. All information or opinions expressed in this message and/or any attachments are those of the author and are not necessarily those of DediPower Managed Hosting Ltd or its affiliates.

DediPower Managed Hosting Ltd is registered in England and Wales No. 3625971 Registered Office: Cadogan House, Rose Kiln Lane, Reading, Berkshire, RG2 0HP