Ubuntu-devel-discuss Digest, Vol 88, Issue 7

[Dale Amon]

On Fri, Mar 07, 2014 at 01:32:56PM +0000, Kevin Chadwick wrote:
> I never use network manager but just in case it's of use, check
> out /usr/share/dbus-1/system-services

Oh my. I find buried in there:

	~$ cat /usr/share/dbus-1/system-services/org.freedesktop.nm_dispatcher.service 
	[D-BUS Service]
	Name=org.freedesktop.nm_dispatcher
	Exec=/usr/lib/NetworkManager/nm-dispatcher.action
	User=root

And naturally:

	$ man nm-dispatcher.action
	No manual entry for nm-dispatcher.action

So we have a program performing mission critical actions that is not
documented, or if it is, then the documentation is in the bottom file
drawer of the cabinet on the left in the third subbasement of the
Vogon Galactic office on Alpha Centauri.

Now, a very dumb question. Where does network-manager and the GUI
program that sets up networks park the system manager critical data
they are using? The correct answer should be "In an USASCII text
file in /etc. That's the way the Unix world does things.

But I am suspecting it isn't.

My plea is, if a redesign is being considered, please do it
right this time. Everything is visible. Everything is in its
correct place. If it is running a critical system it should
be documented so that a harried system administrator can log
in over a RS232 console gateway at 3am and find the appropriate
documentation instantly, and have an errand ether sorted
out and working shortly there after.