[Desktop13.04-Topic] Proxy support

[Mathieu Trudel-Lapierre]

Hi,

We started discussing proxy support in Ubuntu last cycle [1]. Keeping
in line and expanding on that discussion (and really, taking back some
of the work items from there), we should spend some time working with
upstream NetworkManager to properly fold in proxy into NetworkManager
connections for the desktop.

Per-connection proxy support has been in TODO/roadmap for
NetworkManager for a little while now; I think we'd benefit from
seeing this to completion.

Basically, this would mean:
 - Adding the necessary sections in NM config files for connections to
describe proxy settings.
 - Moving/reworking proxy code elsewhere in GNOME to a "proxy manager"
in NetworkManager.
 - Adding the necessary UI bits to nm-applet, as an extra tab for connections.
 - Testing, testing, testing.

Proxy settings tend to be highly location-dependant, which is why it
makes sense to tie them to connections, which also change depending on
where a computer is located. This would make the life of mobile
workers easier, since they could use a proxy automatically when logged
in to their "work" wifi connections, and disabling it automatically
when they go home...

We should also more generally discuss the current state of proxy
support in Ubuntu and what has improved from last cycle, the next
steps. etc.

In line with testing and with the documentation I started [2], we may
also want to spend time setting up the necessary infrastructure for
testing proxy support automatically.

[1] https://blueprints.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+spec/desktop-q-full-proxy-support
[2] https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Testing/Proxy

Regards,

Mathieu Trudel-Lapierre <mathieu-tl at ubuntu.com>
Freenode: cyphermox, Jabber: mathieu.tl at gmail.com
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