I just did an 11.4 install for my Aunt. She has several people that use the computer and they all use the internet. After installation I saw that there was no network manager icon. I’m a noob at linux but I managed to find the Network Settings in Yast. From here I saw both the wired network card and Wireless USB adapter that are connected to the computer. They both said “not configured” so I configured them. The wired connection was very fast and easy, the wireless took longer and required a couple packages to install. I set it up for DHCP and set my ssid and wep key. Once I was done it said it would start automatically at boot. I rebooted, there was no internet. So I went back to Network Settings and changed it from ifup to Knetworkmanager. This worked and still works but once I switch users it says that a network manager is already running and asks if I want to “Start Automatically” or “Do Not Start” If I choose Start Automatically then Internet works for that user as well but they get no icon. If I choose Do Not Start then they get no internet, no icon, and the only way I could find to EVER get internet back on their account was to DELETE the account and create a new one because apparently that message will never come up again if you choose Do Not Start but will appear every time you log into another user account and select Start Automatically.
I just want my wireless connection to work with all users behind the scenes automatically, with no popups or dialogue boxes.
Please help me out, if this was my computer I would take my time or deal with it but this computer is used by people who are barely above computer illiteracy and if I don’t fix this (and soon) nobody is going to have internet. :\
Personally I think you would find the Gnome desktop more friendly in this case.
Though I understand it’s possible to use the gnome networkmanager in kde, I have not tried it.
However, by it’s nature, kde requires, at login, the password to unlock kwallet to release the wireless key. It would need to be setup for each individual user. So, post login, user will need to enter the password to unlock kwallet and wireless will connect (assuming auto connect is selected in NM)
On 08/01/2011 02:46 PM, caf4926 wrote:
>
> Personally I think you would find the Gnome desktop more friendly in
> this case.
> Though I understand it’s possible to use the gnome networkmanager in
> kde, I have not tried it.
>
> However, by it’s nature, kde requires, at login, the password to unlock
> kwallet to release the wireless key. It would need to be setup for each
> individual user. So, post login, user will need to enter the password to
> unlock kwallet and wireless will connect (assuming auto connect is
> selected in NM)
As this is not likely to be an insecure location, you can setup the wallet for
each of the users without a password. That way each of them can connect
wirelessly without entering a wallet password. This method has the advantage
that the network will be disconnected when no one is logged in.
If the machine will only connect to a single AP and you want the network up when
no one is logged in, then you should use ifup. Configure the wired interface to
be active only when the cable is plugged in and the wireless to be active on
boot. That way the wireless will connect at boot time. One other disadvantage is
that an ifdown/ifup sequence will be needed if the wifi adapter drops the
connection. With NM, you would get the equivalent by logging out and back in.
That would be more “Windows-like”.
I already configured the wallets with no passwords. I need this as “windows like” as possible, and I personally like KDE (which, since I’m a noob, I want to learn as well as possible) The main user of this computer doesn’t know what an operating system is and all attempts at explanation have failed so similar to windows or “just works” are things I need for this computer. When I switch users - NOT logout - that dialogue box pops up asking to start automatically or do not start. The problem is that it pops up everytime a user logs in. If I could just configure it so that the box wouldn’t pop up, this would work. I’ll try the ifup advice for now, but having to restart if signal is dropped isn’t optimal since the main user likes to try and self diagnose for an hour or more before restarting (against all advice from me). Thanks for the info though - its great to have help :).
Ok, thanks for the help. Configuring through ifup seems like its going to work the way I wanted. It hadn’t worked before because it had been set to use a passphrase and not Hex for the WEP key.
Thanks all, with this we have one more family running OpenSUSE! rotfl!