[SOLVED] How to switch from net_applet to NetworkManager

[fraterlinux]

I would like to ask the technical positive aspects and negative aspects: net_applet | NetworkManager

In Mageia 3 net_applet is too buggy. I would like to switch to NetworkManager. I wonder how I should proceed and tips for this.

[doktor5000]

Switching to networkmanager should be quite easy:

Make sure that for every connection "Allow interface to be controlled by Network Manager" is enabled -> http://doc.mageia.org/mcc/3/en/content/ ... onnect-end
( can also be easily changed for all interfaces via

Code: Select all

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

as root )

Install networkmanager including networkmanager-applet, enable automatic startup as root via

Code: Select all

systemctl enable NetworkManager.service

(at this point your connection will break, if you need it again you may need to

Code: Select all

systemctl stop NetworkManager.service

and it will work again for some minutes.

Then disable net_applet autostart (can be done via right-click -> Settings or by putting AUTOSTART=FALSE into ~/.net-applet ) and on next boot networkmanager should be in charge. Depending on your setup you may need to kill an additional wpa_supplicant process, which may still be running, as networkmanager spawns its own instance.

Just tried it, and it works as expected.

[docBeeJay]

doctor5000 writes:

Then disable net_applet autostart (can be done via right-click -> Settings or by putting AUTOSTART=FALSE into ~/.net-applet ) and on next boot networkmanager should be in charge. Depending on your setup you may need to kill an additional wpa_supplicant process, which may still be running, as networkmanager spawns its own instance.

Just tried it, and it works as expected.

I don't get it! Right-click where? (Am running GnomeClassic until I can get wifi up.) In system settings there is no option for disabling net_applet. Also, the file .net-applet goes in what directory? I put it in my home directory but the net_applet still appears after reboot and login and network will not connect.

I am at my wits end to get my new laptop to work with Mageia 3. Never had a problem before with Mandrake/Mandriva before, were always the best distributions out of the box.

Have tried uninstalling networkmanager, which sort of solves the problem, I can connect to wifi, but on the other hand Gnome goes to pots and so does ethernet. How does one get rid of, kill, smash, bury deep into the ground, that hellish net_applet? From what I've understood the Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6235 network card I have does not like having both programs competing for its attention. Result: I can see the network but cannot connect. Please help!

dBJ

[doktor5000]

For net_applet, under Gnome 3 it appears in the lower right corner, and it only appears when you move the mouse there.
For gnome classic i've no clue, probably it will located in the systray, so right-click on the icon, and there you have the setting.

For the file you mentioned, it's ~/.net-applet
That means it's a hidden file in your /home/username.

Code: Select all

[doktor5000@Mageia3 ~]$ pwd
/home/doktor5000
[doktor5000@Mageia3 ~]$ cat ~/.net_applet
AUTOSTART=FALSE
[doktor5000@Mageia3 ~]$

If you have issues with wireless in general, please create a separate thread, and at least provide the following information:
Which media did you use to install Mageia, and which desktop environment are you using? Do you use net_applet or NetworkManager?
And please provide the output of the following commands:

Code: Select all

lspcidrake -v | grep NET
ps -ef | grep -ie net -e wpa


and, as root:

Code: Select all

journalctl -b -u network --no-pager
systemctl status network.service
journalctl -b | grep -i firmwarel

[fraterlinux]

How do I uninstall net_applet without uninstall drakconf?

[doktor5000]

Code: Select all

rpm -e --nodeps drakx-net-applet

But why do you want to uninstall it?

[fraterlinux]

I'll only use NetworkManager!

[doktor5000]

And? What if networkmanager doesn't work, and you need an alternative to initiate a network connection, but net_applet is uninstalled then?
If net_applet doesn't start with the system and is not in control, there's no need to uninstall it.

[fraterlinux]

It's something to think about, but everything is working perfect. I'll think about it calmly.

[doktor5000]

Please mark the thread accordingly by editing the topic of the first post and prefix it by [SOLVED], thanks

[tlmiller]

Code: Select all

rpm -e --nodeps drakx-net-applet

But why do you want to uninstall it?

This thread actually assisted me also. My reason for uninstalling net applet was very simple actually. While it was GREAT at managing a single wireless connection, ANY further network connection I would connect to AFTER the first (I have 2 smartphones and a hotspot in addition to my home wireless) it will only connect to once in a while, disconnect every 5 minutes, then be completely unable to even SEE the connection anymore until I restart the hotspot AND the the net applet. IMO, it's a very poorly written piece of software that is about as useful as having nothing, so I uninstalled after switching to networkmanager (still not my favorite manager, I prefer wicd, but not available in Mageia).

[pmithrandir]

Hi,

Just to know if this process is still valid.

I don't find the applet for plasma. (there is gnome, but no KDE)

I really don't like the defaut mageia net applet, too limited, in particular for defining IP and switching from one network to another.

[doktor5000]

Yes it is, but feel free to proofread it on a fresh installation. You would only need to prevent net_applet from autostarting,
and install the plasma applet, it's called plasma-applet-nm and then add it either to systray by right-clicking the systray,
"settings for systray area of control panel" ( or whatever that's called in english) and on the right side in "additional elements" select network management.

According to my notes, this should do it:

Code: Select all

echo "AUTOSTART=FALSE" > ~/.net_applet
killall net_applet

sudo urpmi networkmanager-applet plasma-applet-nm
sudo systemctl start NetworkManager.service; sudo systemctl enable NetworkManager.service
systemctl disable NetworkManager-wait-online.service
sudo systemctl status NetworkManager.service

[pmithrandir]

Hello,

Sorry to reopen that post, but after a fresh install today, I still can't have the plasma applet displaying on KDE.
It's installed, but on the systray setting, it appears nether in "entry" settings, neither in additional configuration. Is there a way to force it to be there ?

BTW, I checked on the wiki and the documentation is not showing all details available here, as the plasma applet installation. I wanted to update it, but it seems my user doesn't work anymore.

[doktor5000]

Your issue is not really what this thread is about ...

And seems you can't really have it permanently there as previously, or there might be some issues with existing user profiles. If you do e.g. systemctl restart networkmanager then the applet will show up again.
But e.g. if you then fail to connect to a network then the applet was also gone for me, even if you set it to be always present in the systray notification area (which should also be the default)
You can check whether it's enabled and available if you right-click on the systray > configure system tray > general > extra items
This should list "Networks (automatic load)".

[pmithrandir]

Thank you.

With your help, I managed to understand that the problem was into properly launching network manager service at startup.
Doing so by restarting the service doesn't work, I guess because the wifi was already connected using the "normal" network interface.

If anyone as this issue, enable network manager at startup, and reboot your computer.

[doktor5000]

What exactly do you mean by "enable network manager at startup" - are you referring to the plasma network applet or to the actual networkmanager service?

[pmithrandir]

I updated my message to better answer your query. Maybe we can drop our 2 messages now that's easier to read.

[doktor5000]

Well, the instructions in my post already enable network manager on startup via

Code: Select all

sudo systemctl enable NetworkManager.service

so I don't see how doing that twice would help ?

[jeevanism]

in June 2020, the net_applet is still buggy
I switched to networkmanager

Code: Select all

dnf install  plasma-applet-nm

[doktor5000]

in June 2020, the net_applet is still buggy

Feel free to provide patches to get net_applet fixed.

[isadora]

I would if I could !

[Bequimao]

I checked this topic with a fresh Mageia 8 installation.

The sed command in post #2 won't work, as there are no lines which match NM_CONTROLLED. I manually added NM_CONTROLLED=yes to each file.

Furthermore 2 old services fail at boot. They can be safely disabled.

Code: Select all

# systemctl disable network.service
# systemctl disable network-up.service

The info here is still valid, though I have to admit that net_applet works with my Atheros WiFi card for the first time in Mageia 8!

Best regards,
Bequimão

[morgano]

Bequimao or Doktor, could you update https://wiki.mageia.org/en/Switching_to_networkmanager , please ?

Preferably so it works for both Mageia 7 and 8.

[doktor5000]

It works for both as the sed call will not fail, it will only replace NM_CONTROLLED= where present. As that is the default nowadays, those entries are not required at all anymore.

And the old services fail either way, even when networkmanager is not enabled, because we don't have an interface config for loopback by default (IIRC that was the reason they failed, but It's long ago that I checked because I disable them anyways as they are not required).

But I'll try to review the wiki page, as that seems overly complicated IMHO.