#5854 LOW Never A: provide dummy eth2 device for non-network_manager connection

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#5854: provide dummy eth2 device for non-network_manager connection
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 Reporter:  mikus           |       Owner:  jg            
     Type:  enhancement     |      Status:  new           
 Priority:  low             |   Milestone:  Never Assigned
Component:  distro          |     Version:                
 Keywords:  wired ethernet  |    Verified:  0             
 Blocking:                  |   Blockedby:                
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 I don't have wireless.  I don't have DNS.  I do have a wired ethernet
 adapter plugged into a USB slot.  On my G1G1 system I was doing 'sugar-
 control-panel -s radio off', then 'ifconfig eth0 down', then 'ifconfig
 eth0 up 192.168.1.6', then 'route add default gw 192.168.1.1'.  This all
 worked - gave me connection to my local LAN.

 But then I tried (by booting with nothing in the USB slots, and omitting
 ALL of the above commands) to use my system in a cafe (which provides a
 wireless access point).  My system did not connect [at the time, my system
 had build 667].  Turns out somehow or other the __device__ supporting the
 'eth0' interface had been lost -- the network manager was able to bring up
 'eth1' and 'msh0' -- but not the 'eth0' interface which it would have used
 to communicaete with the wireless access point.  I have no idea when or
 how the resources had disappeared which the network manager now needed for
 'eth0'.

 I figure it would not use up a lot of storage to provide a dummy device
 for a manual 'ifconfig' to attach to, which when used would *not*
 interfere with the interfaces/devices controlled by the network manager.
 Then people who prefer to micro-manage their hardware (like I do) would
 have someplace independent of the network manager to specify a connection.

-- 
Ticket URL: <http://dev.laptop.org/ticket/5854>
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