[Server-devel] Hidden SSID and Proxy settings

[Jerry Vonau]

On Mon, 2011-03-07 at 18:42 +1100, James Cameron wrote:
> On Sun, Mar 06, 2011 at 11:29:09PM -0600, Jerry Vonau wrote:
> > On Fri, 2011-03-04 at 15:34 +1100, James Cameron wrote:
> > > On Thu, Mar 03, 2011 at 09:55:26PM -0600, Jerry Vonau wrote:
> > > > On Thu, 2011-03-03 at 14:47 +1100, James Cameron wrote:
> > > > > On Wed, Mar 02, 2011 at 10:38:07PM -0500, Dr. Gerald Ardito wrote:
> > > > > > Both methods work within a session.
> > > > > > In GNOME, I can connect to the hidden network. And, if I
> > > > > > change back to Sugar, the connection is intact.
> > > > > 
> > > > > (Restarting NetworkManager at this point causes the connection
> > > > > to drop and not be re-established.)
> > > > > 
> > > > > The ONBOOT setting doesn't appear to work either.
> > > > 
> > > > On an un-hidden network it does, or at least loaded as the UI
> > > > becomes usable.
> > > 
> > > Why should it wait for the UI to become usable?  That sounds like it
> > > is waiting for the settings service to register with D-Bus.
> > > Therefore it is not using ifcfg as such.
> > 
> > That is part of the problem, ifcfg-rh plugin, nm-applet knows how to
> > use the info while sugar does not. What is needed it to use NM keyfile
> > plugin so there is a common method of storing system level info
> > between sugar and gnome. Here is what I did, get into gnome, stop the
> > NM service, edit /etc/NetworkManager/nm-system-settings.conf using
> > keyfile in place of ifcfg-rh, restart NM. Now go configure your hidden
> > network ticking both of the boxes. That will create system level
> > config file in /etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/<name> that will
> > be used by NM upon boot. Reboot back into gnome, the settings should
> > stick bringing the network up and not ask for a password. Switch over
> > sugar, the icon for the AP should be connected. Reboot, while in
> > sugar, when sugar returns you should be auto connected to your hidden
> > network.     
> 
> Thanks for the explanation.  I was not aware of the ifcfg-rh and keyfile
> plugins.  I've tested this and written it up in a procedure:
> 
> http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Wifi_Connectivity#10.1.3_and_11.2.0
> 
> Also linked from http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Hidden
> 
> (I like how "The connection will remain active over restart of Sugar or
> GNOME."  Much more to my liking for diagnosis and testing.  Previously I
> had simply turned off NetworkManager and manually configured.)
> 
> Perhaps you might propose a patch to fix this in olpc-os-builder for the
> next release?  The intent being to reduce the steps that have to be done
> by Gerald and others.
> 

The only thing that needs fixing for NM would be changing the
nm-system-settings.conf file from ifcfg-rh to keyfile. Is NM still
forked for F14?(haven't checked) If is is then I don't think os-builder
is the issue in this one, but I'll do a quick sed fix for now. 

> > > I agree with Gerald, the issue is now one of persistence.
> > 
> > Think we should ditch the ifcfg-rh plug-in in favor of using NM native
> > system support. This would mean tweeking network.py to write out the
> > needed NM config file. 
> 
> I don't understand, sorry.  Perhaps sugar-devel@ should be involved.
> 

Yes, think that would be a good idea, with this method connections.cfg
can be empty. Perhaps network.py can just use/create the needed file
for /etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/ or make that an option
available in control panel.

Jerry