wifi needs reboot to connect

[curioususer]

I have already filled in bug report:-
https://bugs.mageia.org/show_bug.cgi?id=10727

As you will see nobody seems willing to take the issue seriously.

I have though definitive answer from bugzilla.gnome.org:-
https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=706565

For me the answer is quite clear we should only have ONE network manager either ifplugd OR NetworkManager but definitely not both.

Please feel free to add to the Mageia bug. I have worked very hard over some 2 months to get to the root of the problem, so now I just un-install networkmanager to have reliable working.

[zeebra]

Ok. then I will join on your bug and verify it. I will test it a bit first to get a more exact idea why I have it.
If a second network manager prevents the proper function of the first one it should not be installed, or another solution should be used or warnings given at least.

[curioususer]

I have just this afternoon installed on yet another machine and, true to form, the Wi-Fi does not connect.
However again I have simply un-installed NetworkManager and again all is well. After all ifplugd is installed.

[zeebra]

I have just this afternoon installed on yet another machine and, true to form, the Wi-Fi does not connect.
However again I have simply un-installed NetworkManager and again all is well. After all ifplugd is installed.

Well, the networkmanager should not be installed by default, or is it? Do you install Gnome desktop? I always install KDE desktop, and the behaviour is not like this by default.

[doktor5000]

The bug report does not even hold clear instructions to reproduce this issue, and the initial report was about a different problem. You probably won't get an answer to that, if you don't have any clear steps to reproduce, how do you expect someone to follow your train of thought there?

And yes, networkmanager only comes with a default gnome installation. FWIW, i'm using networkmanager here, it works just fine and ifplugd is not running
Also the other way around when using default Mageia net_applet and ifplugd, it also works fine and doesn't require a reboot.

[curioususer]

There, you have said it.
I use Gnome 3 which installs NetworkManager but, ifplugd is already installed why?

Unfortunately I cannot simply un-install ifplugd, but I can un-install networkmanager.

The problem is totally reproducible on my side:-

1/ Install Mageia 3 (and fully update), the Gnome 3 version
2/ Test Wi-Fi and ALWAYS after entering key we have to re-boot to get connection.
3/ Un-install networkmanager
4/ Enter new key on Wi-Fi and WE DO NOT HAVE TO REBOOT any more.

What more evidence do you require, surely this is enough?
What is not clear about this procedure?

I am concerned as new users are going to run into this problem and will simply go with another distro.

But for this problem, I am now satisfied that Mageia is a thoroughly good distro.

p.s. I am now going round to the various installations and un-installing networkmanager after which their Wi-Fi becomes reliable. (Mageia 2 and Mageia 3)

[doktor5000]

After a quick test, I can only repeat that this is not reproducible here, so how should the developers fix this?

Booting from Mageia 3 LiveDVD Gnome x86_64, as networkmanager is not the default, you have to configure the network interface to hand over control to networkmanager.
This can be done with an easy one-liner:

Code: Select all

sed -i s/NM_CONTROLLED=no/NM_CONTROLLED=yes/ /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-wlan0

Then quit net_applet.


Then as a simple test, connect to my normal AP. Enter password, connected.
Connect to the next AP, connected. No reboot required. Also ifplugd does not interfere, it will stop when it sees that networkmanager is repsonsible for an interface:

Sep 16 21:01:19 localhost ifplugd(wlan0)[1539]: Link beat detected.
Sep 16 21:01:20 localhost ifplugd(wlan0)[1539]: Executing '/etc/ifplugd/ifplugd.action wlan0 up'.
Sep 16 21:01:21 localhost ifplugd(wlan0)[1539]: client: /sbin/ifup: interface ifcfg-wlan0 is controlled by NetworkManager; skipping.
Sep 16 21:01:21 localhost ifplugd(wlan0)[1539]: Program executed successfully.
Sep 16 21:03:50 localhost ifplugd(wlan0)[1539]: Link beat lost.
Sep 16 21:03:56 localhost ifplugd(wlan0)[1539]: Executing '/etc/ifplugd/ifplugd.action wlan0 down'.
Sep 16 21:03:56 localhost ifplugd(wlan0)[1539]: Program executed successfully.
Sep 16 21:04:17 localhost ifplugd(wlan0)[1539]: Link beat detected.
Sep 16 21:04:18 localhost ifplugd(wlan0)[1539]: Executing '/etc/ifplugd/ifplugd.action wlan0 up'.
Sep 16 21:04:18 localhost ifplugd(wlan0)[1539]: client: /sbin/ifup: interface ifcfg-wlan0 is controlled by NetworkManager; skipping.
Sep 16 21:04:18 localhost ifplugd(wlan0)[1539]: Program executed successfully.
Sep 16 21:07:49 localhost ifplugd(wlan0)[1539]: Link beat lost.
Sep 16 21:07:52 localhost ifplugd(wlan0)[1539]: Link beat detected.

[zeebra]

I also have Atheros wireless. Perhaps this issue is specific to that or steps in a particular order that we did it in. I will check this issue further when I have time to reproduce it.

[curioususer]

I do not understand how in your case (doktor5000) you have not got networkmanager installed.
I am only using the Mageia live (gnome) disk and for me networkmanager is installed in addition to ifplugd, certainly I did not add it.

I have done another installation this evening and, yes, you have guessed it, I had to un-install networkmanager.

As I am only doing simple install on so many machines it is very mysterious to me that my installations always have both networkmanager and ifplugd installed. And yet others don't have this problem. Is this only a problem with the 32 bit version? I am certainly not doing anything other than installing and setting up Wi-Fi. As another test I would un-install ifplugd but it won't let me.

[marja]

I do not understand how in your case (doktor5000) you have not got networkmanager installed.
I am only using the Mageia live (gnome) disk and for me networkmanager is installed in addition to ifplugd, certainly I did not add it.

He does have it installed, he never said he didn't

However, he explained how you could make NetworkManager control the network interface. And he proved that ifplugd then sees that NetworkManager is in control, and doesn't interfere.

[curioususer]

Certainly simply un-installing networkmanager is a lot easier that the script given.

My point still is that a newbie will expect the system to work without fuss and he cannot be expected to have to do complex procedures in this way.

Surely it would be better to only have one networkmanager installed by default? I certainly cannot see the sense or reason for having the two network managers installed.

I sincerely hope that this aspect is properly addressed before Mageia 4 is released.

Yes, we have all been spoilt by Mandriva which just did not have such problem and of course all the Distros other than Mageia don't have this problem so I ask again Why do we have two network managers installed as default?

Do we honestly expect newbies to cope easily with such issue?

[doktor5000]

ifplugd is not a network manager in the sense of NetworkManager or net_applet. So if you have a default Gnome installation, and remove NetworkManager,
you still have net_applet running. ifplugd is only the daemon that will detect link beats and put the interface in either up or down state.
With only ifplugd, how do you add new AP's or change to a different AP?

Just have a look in its configuration, it doesn't do more than that:
/etc/ifplugd/ifplugd.action
/etc/ifplugd/ifplugd.conf

[curioususer]

Certainly at each location I just enter the WPA as required and it all works.
Although I un-installed networkmanager there are some libraries remaining I suspect that they are instrumental in the successful connections.

I actually un-install:-

networkmanager,
networkmanager-applet and
task-gnome-minimal

I have now tested the system in the Royal Marsden and tomorrow I will be testing in Oracle, but I am confident that this will now work. It was in Oracle where I first identified this problem which took me two months to solve.

I do ask the Mageia team to resolve the issue in good time before the release of Mageia 4, after all once the fix is done it is an excellent version of Linux.

[doktor5000]

Certainly at each location I just enter the WPA as required and it all works.

Where do you enter the key?

[curioususer]

I right click the Wi-Fi icon globe to right of NetApplet and in Wireless networks - Manage wireless networks. There I can add the WPA.
Alternatively I go into Mageia Control Center and set up connection there.

Of course where the network is unencrypted it now just connects which it certainly did not do before and as I have said it was impossible to connect at all to an unencrypted network where there are a number of identically named access points.

[zeebra]

Is this only a problem with the 32 bit version?

I am using 64 bit.

Yes, we have all been spoilt by Mandriva which just did not have such problem and of course all the Distros other than Mageia don't have this problem so I ask again Why do we have two network managers installed as default?

I had loads of network issues with Mandriva. None with Mageia, aside from the above mentioned, which I solved in that way and it never became an issue for me.

However, I am sure the network management handling can work better in Mageia 4 or 5 in regards to the network manager control wars, different defaults and different desktops.

[curioususer]

In defence of Mandriva, unless you were a Power Pack user then the Wi-Fi was a nuisance. Certainly having used Mandrake/Mandriva for so many years, and being a subscriber, I found it to be a thoroughly excellent system.

Now nobody has yet seen fit to tell me just why there are two network managers by default in Mageia.

I am very concerned as we should make the system usable by Newbies and this issue does nothing to encourage new users. Yes, agreed, no problems until you come to use Wi-Fi.

We cannot and must not expect Newbies to have to search for a script and to apply that.

Many of my users are still using Mandriva 2010.2 PWP version and I am gradually getting them switched over to Mageia now that I know some particular issues.

This evening I have been using Mageia in the Oracle situation and yes, now that I have un-installed NetworkManager my machine connects absolutely fine.

[zeebra]

In defence of Mandriva, unless you were a Power Pack user then the Wi-Fi was a nuisance. Certainly having used Mandrake/Mandriva for so many years, and being a subscriber, I found it to be a thoroughly excellent system.

Now nobody has yet seen fit to tell me just why there are two network managers by default in Mageia.

I am very concerned as we should make the system usable by Newbies and this issue does nothing to encourage new users. Yes, agreed, no problems until you come to use Wi-Fi.

We cannot and must not expect Newbies to have to search for a script and to apply that.

Many of my users are still using Mandriva 2010.2 PWP version and I am gradually getting them switched over to Mageia now that I know some particular issues.

This evening I have been using Mageia in the Oracle situation and yes, now that I have un-installed NetworkManager my machine connects absolutely fine.

One of the great strenghts I find about Mageia is that it is both newbie and veteran friendly. So I completely agree with you. I often recommend Mageia to newbies because I believe they can use the system without any complications or expert solution.

[doktor5000]

Now nobody has yet seen fit to tell me just why there are two network managers by default in Mageia.

If you do a default GNOME install, it will come with NetworkManager, as parts of gnome-control-center depend on it, and also because networkmanager is the default for GNOME and it offers nicer integration with GNOME.

With a KDE install, you only get net_applet. And I've never rebooted when connecting to a wireless network. Also not with GNOME, as you can see above from the test with the LiveDVD with NetworkManager.

[astro_sutradhar]

fyi
This problem comes when u have kde and gnome installed together. If you install only kde this problem doesnt comes up. Tested on mageia 3 and 4