RANT: Network Manager and Static IP

[mbritojr]

I am pretty annoyed and sleep deprived right now so take that into account when reading this, but I just had to get it off my chest:

I am a professional services consultant/engineer working in the virtualization field and use Fedora 10 on my HP/Compaq 6710b as my primary/only operating system. I am so completely happy beyond belief with it that I can't even express it...except for one critically important feature: it's next to impossible to set a static IP in Network Manager.

You all know what I am talking about, it's impossible. If you try it, Network Manager will decide to either ignore your settings, refuse to save your settings, or just start behaving incredibly weird.

As we all know by now, the common solution is to stop using Network Manager and perform a manual config. Well you know what? I don't want to! Network Manager is a great tool with a great GUI - it works so well when using DHCP on eth0, for wireless and for using my broadband wireless card that I don't want to shut it off. I want to be able to set a static IP in Network Manager and it work as well as all the other features. Every time I go to a client site and need to set a static IP I don't want to go through the process of disabling Network Manager and setting a static IP, only to reverse the process when I want to use my broadband card (and no I do not want to manually dial it out - I want ease of use with Network Manager).

I got to a data center yesterday with no DHCP on the network I needed to connect to so I set a static, then I got to a Panera and had to use my broadband card when I finally had enough of this static IP game in F10.

BTW, I have heard the "Network Manager is not designed to use a static IP" argument and that it is a novice desktop tool only...bull$h1t. It's a great tool except for static IP configuration and I want to be able to use it for that task in Fedora. It's obvious someone put static IP elements in the GUI but this function does not work, sounds like an excuse for broken code ("it's not a bug it's a feature!").

Now for some purpose to this thread (other than stress release): Instead of recommending a work around release after release, why doesn't someone fix this!!! I am willing to work on this project in order to help!!! Who's with me? Now, how do I start? :-/ I have never participated in Linux development before but I am now willing to start. Anyone know how to get started or have a tutorial for getting involved with OSS development for a Linux dev newbie (where code is shared, how to participate, etc.)?

Also, here is my favorite way to configure a static IP for eth0 in F10 for those looking for that answer. If I made a mistake below please correct me because I am going from memory and am extremely tired:

STEP 1

• Open a terminal
• Login as root by running "su -"
• Stop the Network Manager service, "service NetworkManager stop"
• Stop NetworkManager from running on startup, "chkconfig NetworkManager off"
• Start the network service on startup, "chkconfig network on"

STEP 2

• From your root terminal run the network configurator, "system-config-network"
• Select eth0 from the list and click the edit button
• Remove the check in the box next to "Controlled by Network Manager"
• Place a check in the boxes next to "Activate device when computer starts" and "Allow all users to enable and disable this device"
• Select the "Statically assign IP address" radio button and enter the appropriate info then click OK
• Select the DNS tab and enter the appropriate information
• Close the tool and click YES to save your changes
• Run the network service from your root terminal, "service network start"

TO REVERSE ALL THIS, I DO THIS:

• From your root terminal, stop the network service, "service network stop"
• Stop the network service from running on startup, "chkconfig network off"
• Start NetworkManager on startup, "chkconfig NetworkManager on"
• Restart Fedora

[pete_1967]

How to start to work on NM: http://projects.gnome.org/NetworkManager/developers/

How to join Fedora (as developer): http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Join#OSDeveloper

[SomeDamFool]

You could try the 3rd party network manager wicd. It keeps static ip's until you change them.

Mike

http://wicd.sourceforge.net/

[sonoran]

hello mbritojr-

If a post is 1) coherent, concise, well-written, and 2) you volunteer, then

sorry, it doesn't count as a rant, no matter how angry you are

[tsorvoja]

mbritojr: I feel your pain and totally agree to your post. NetworkManager is really great app, but static ip configuration made me switch back to good-ol' network service in server enviroments.

[newtrack4]

Network Manager is a total piece of crap, and even though it has been around for years, it doesn't support static IP's and probably never will. It keeps breaking my three systems which unfortunately, I didn't write down how to work around network manager, they all are kludged differently.
Now my networking is down because of IPV6 and my routers lack of support for it. I have to disable that again now (the old way doesn't seem to work anymore).

[kevmif]

Originally Posted by pete_1967

How to start to work on NM: http://projects.gnome.org/NetworkManager/developers/

How to join Fedora (as developer): http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Join#OSDeveloper

Most useless post ever. Well not really. More like just as useless as every other post with the same tone. If he knew how to develop he would not be here ranting or posting because 'developers don't come here' :P

tsorvoja I was wondering why you would even bother having network manager installed in a server environment? Surely on a server there is no need....

I hope they get Network Manager working because it sounds like a really good idea. Does anyone know if it will work in runlevel 3? Last time I used it, it didn't.

[scottro]

I dunno, because I turn it off and remove it.

What I do know is that if doing a network installation, when I give the machine a static address, the message below the dialog box says something like NetworkManager getting address, contacting NFS server or something similar. So...at that point (during installation), it is working without a GUI.

I think that it at least brings an interface up in runlevel 3, because if I stop NetworkManger, (again in console) I will then have to manually bring the card back up. So, I suspect that it will work, and there's probably some docs somewhere telling you how--oh wait, it's a Gnome thing, there probably isn't, they don't like to document.

On the other hand, when changes like that get made and aren't intuitive, and the way that I know still works, I tend to keep with the way I know. If it takes me 30 seconds to manually set it up, and 10 minutes to find and read the docs on how to do it in NetworkManager, I've lost 9 minutes and 30 seconds.

Whimsically yours,

[nyjetshead]

You can set a static address through the nm-applet.... it does indeed work!

Right click on the the applet Icon>Edit Connections
Choose your interface >Add
IPv4 Settings tab select connection method manual
Enter your IP address, Mask and DNS info.

The same is true for wireless.

[pete_1967]

Originally Posted by kevmif

Most useless post ever. Well not really. More like just as useless as every other post with the same tone. If he knew how to develop he would not be here ranting or posting because 'developers don't come here' :P

Do you have problems understanding more than 1 sentence at a time, or do you need pretty pictures instead of boring text to understand what you read?

Originally Posted by mbritojr

I am willing to work on this project in order to help!!! Who's with me? Now, how do I start? :-/ I have never participated in Linux development before but I am now willing to start. Anyone know how to get started or have a tutorial for getting involved with OSS development for a Linux dev newbie (where code is shared, how to participate, etc.)?

[hephasteus]

All I know is that sttic ip is possible. The people who try it usually don't have the right approach and end up feeling EXACTLY like you do about network manager. It's like it traps you into a network manager haters initiation club. Few avoid it though it is possible.

[marko]

So set up your router for fixed leases, that way you can use NetworkManager and have fixed IP addresses. I really like doing it that way because then I can also use the laptop in a wireless cafe and the same NetworkManager setup I have at home on a fixed address works there with a random IP.

[bob]

(moved to Rants, Reviews & Things That Make You Scream) ....yeah, it's a little late, but this has continued to be more of a rant than anything else.

[aleph]

Everyone knows that a real man uses /sbin/ip (or EMACS) for everything. NetworkManager, system-config-network, or even ifconfig, are all for wimps and n00bs.

[Evil_Bert]

Originally Posted by aleph

Everyone knows that a real man uses /sbin/ip (or EMACS) for everything. NetworkManager, system-config-network, or even ifconfig, are all for wimps and n00bs.

That's luxury, that is. When I were a lad, we had to configure interfaces with machine code ... toggled in with front-panel switches!