Heyho, this is a small Thread regarding NetworkManager.
Basically my question is, will 11.2 include a NetworkManager working without kwallet? Does it look a little like Sci Fi?
On KDEdevelopers.org I´ve seen a future mockup quite a time ago… (please also refer to the original thread):
http://www.kdedevelopers.org/files/images/NetworkManager_plasma_mock1.preview.png
I´m sure many of you would love to use a NetworkManager looking as spiffy as this one in OpenSuse. 
The terms Looking Spiffy and Linux Desktop go together like chalk and cheese unfortunately :(.
We seem to be plagued by the “if it doesn’t look like it came from the stoneage, it’s just not Linux” type still!
I must say KDE4 is a real break from that miserable tradition, although even that could be a whole lot nicer.
Linux is kind of like the Amish of the computer world!
I’m going to commit absolute blasphemy here and announce that I really like the Windows Vista desktop!
I can see the Beardos starting to turn red and steam come out of their ears already lol, but from a purely aesthetic point of view (that means looks), in my opinion Vista wins hands down over all other desktops I’ve seen so far.
I even tried Windows 7 last week for giggles, and it looks so much like KDE3 it’s not funny! (ie stoneage!)
Also the sounds in Windows 7 are really nice too, they are so good that I copied them onto my openSUSE desktop and use them :).
I mean just listen to the difference in quality of both offerings:
Windows7 - soft, smooth, pleasing, not too loud, not too kitchy, not too long, not too short, pleasing and quite professional.
KDE4 - rough, loud, abrupt, stupid, annoying, too long (startup and shutdown), boring! They sound like someone’s 5 year old plink-plonking on an old Piano :X.
But I do appreciate the efforts of the KDE4 team, they have done a great job.
I really would love to see more artistically talented people working on spicing the Linux desktop up, and I think they are already there, it’s just that the stoneage mob like to ignore them.
I have a good friend who is a complete Linux nutter, he compiles his entire system from source (including the bloody compiler!!), and uses GTK and the old Enlightenment6 desktop.
The bloke is an absolute Linux genius, but his desktop looks like a really bad eighties sci-fi movie!
I agree, up to a point. The visual design of Vista is good, at least as far as the Aero windowws decorations are concerned. Other bits are quite tacky (the Start menu, for example). But Linux (Gnome or KDE) offers greater consistency of design with a bit of work, and the good things in Vista can easily be emulated (more or less).
But Vista is slooowww to boot after a few month’s use, like any Windows system (even XP, and I bet 7 will turn out like that). The basic architecture and software ecosystem are so inferior to Linux it’s unbelievable. The Vista eye-candy, good as it is, is really only lipstick on a pig.
You can currently use the NetworkManager without kwallet.
Just click Manage Connections, then click into the Other category. Choose the Connection Secrets tab and choose In File (unencrypted).
The downside is that the file isn’t encrypted.
Take Care,
Ian
This made me laugh so hard! Whohahaha… hilarious! rotfl!
And yes, you are right - up to a point. KDE4 certainly does not look like stonage at all, and I really love the design. Used together with the Crystal icon theme (why in the world is that theme not implemented as standard, guys?), and whoa… even look at the taskbar in Oxygen design that comes with OpenSuse - IT ABSOLUTELY ROCKS! (no doubt about it).
Sounds? Yep, all in for improvement. In this very moment I´m still using 11.1 and I´m impatiently looking forward to switch completely to 11.2 final in a few days. But you know, the standard sound that came with 11.1 was so annoying after several months that I simply deleted it. Better no sound than beginning to hate to boot up OpenSuse. That´s not worth it at all - because I love it with all my heart. KNetworkManager should be graphically improved; I´m quite satisfied how it works right now in 11.1.
For a future OpenSuse release, I wish a KNetworkManager to be included that looks and feels a little more…stylish.
Bit of proof-reading wouldn’t go amiss either. Network strenght. Amaterus.
I’m not the first person to point out that only MS could make a games console that slows down the longer you use it. I’ve heard X-boxes have return rates around 40%. They’re just a bit special. 
HEY… we are talking about OpenSuse here.
I´ve been on IRC to catch some glimpse if the kdeves are still working on NetworkManagers graphical improvements, but no statement had been released.
Still I´d like to know if work on KNetworkManager goes towards a graphical interface close to the mokup above. It´s been ages ago since I found their last comment about KNetworkManager…
Tried that - didn’t work. The whole networkmanager thing has got very old, we’re up to a .3 release and it is still the most frustrating thing on the system. WICD works great but looks rubbish. The really frustrating thing is that I tried the release candidate live DVD on my wife’s Thinkpad, and networkmanager worked perfectly - without Kwallet.>:(
I was also surprised to find that Network Manager still requires kwallet. I tried it without, but to no avail. I had wanted my system to boot up without any passwords (i.e. straight into the desktop), but I still need to enter one for kwallet. This is a minor annoyance, but it’s an annoyance nonetheless.
Other than that, 11.2 RC2 is working fantastically well for me.
Well I’ve disabled the Kwallet and the sky hasn’t fallen in yet. Wireless still works (using RC2).
It does indeed work without kwallet in 11.2 I use wpa for my wireless and 11.2 rc1 and rc2 both work fine without using kwallet.
I personally think the whole kwallet concept is stupid and ridiculous and shouldn’t ever be a “default”. If a user wishes to have more layers of confusio…I mean more layers of …whatever the reason is then let a user choose to do it.
The thing that has amazed me for some time now is the fact that someone actually thought it to be a wise thing to implement by default in 11.1 when it was horribly broken. I mean seriously what are they smoking?
Sorry I took so long to get back to you about this…
As has already been answered, you can disable KWallet usage, then your passwords are stored unencrypted in the connection files in ~/.kde4/share/apps/networkmanagement/connections/*. In future we will enable this setting per connection - some people need this for strict security policies.
In 11.2 knetworkmanager is shipped, which is a traditional QWidget-based UI. We are still working on the ‘futuristic’ plasmoid as an upstream KDE project.
I put an article up on The Dot with a lot more detail.
If you don’t care about security it’s best to use KWallet with an empty password and allow all apps to access it all the time, then apps don’t need workarounds to alternatively store stuff in kconfig, which is doable but fiddly.
GREAT! Thanks for linking your article - it´s the best about KNetworkManager I´ve read so far. 
Nope, in fact I do care very much. If there is no other way I´ll use KWallet. Hopefully it only bothers me when wnating to add/remove networks and settings…
On 11/09/2009 06:56 AM, wstephenson wrote:
>
> brucecadieux;2059259 Wrote:
> If you don’t care about security it’s best to use KWallet with an empty
> password and allow all apps to access it all the time, then apps don’t
> need workarounds to alternatively store stuff in kconfig, which is
> doable but fiddly.
I do a variation on this. I created a second wallet without password that is
only used by kNetworkManager. The original wallet has a password and is used for
all other apps.
Of course its easy to like the vista desktop, when you have over 2GB of ram and some high octane video card.
But Aero sucks, in terms of looks it might be splendid to some folk but in terms of how aero performs its a bag of ****.
Aero felt like trash in Vista, it still feels like trash in 7.
Sure the linux desktop interfaces at first look bland to some compared to the crystalline “wowee” of vista/z but it is very easy to dress linux up to make it on par with vista’s “wow” factor, or 7.
Look at my theme:
http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/5406/deathhamster.th.jpg](http://img137.imageshack.us/i/deathhamster.jpg/)
http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/4189/deathhamster1.th.jpg](http://img513.imageshack.us/i/deathhamster1.jpg/)
Granted the windows are not transparent, but I dont give a **** about that.
It looks nice, on par with at least OSX on the “wow” factor.
My scrollbar even lights up light blue when I hover over it
I know this thread isn’t about kwallet, but since I’ve been using it to store my KNetworkManager password, I’ve come to appreciate kwallet. I’d intended to set up my system to boot automatically without any passwords (my computer isn’t shared), and at first Kwallet was a pain.
I’ve been forced to used Kwallet as my gmail inbox plasmoid requires it. But I’ve since just set up Kwallet to have a blank password (so it starts up silently). So now all my apps use Kwallet (e.g. Firefox, Kontact, KNetworkManager, etc.) where it’s their default behaviour to do so, but it’s all non-intrusive.
If I need security in the future, then I can easily re-enable the KDM login screen and have a password-activated Kwallet, while still having the benefits of using Kwallet to store all my other passwords.
I don’t find it any more secure then requiring a password to access my desktop. In fact it is not more secure, it is merely an annoyance as once a person has access to the desktop such silliness can easily be disabled, by passed, deleted… it’s just an annoyance that gets in the way.
If you enjoy such things thats great, use them, but I simply feel making them the default is not necessary.
