Enabling Connectivity Checking in NetworkManager

[Aron Xu]

Hi,

I'd like to see it get enabled by default eventually, but preferably
provide a toggle in Privacy tab for Unity desktop (and configurable
check URL) which provides better user experience without compromising
privacy needs. But there remains a question for other desktops flavors
how to handle it (which is worse than the config-connectivity package
approach).

Some facts about how to actually do the check:
1. iOS uses a similar approach via HTTPS like what we NM does
2. Android uses a 204 response from server via HTTPS, this would
reduce the server load and bandwidth requirement because there's no
HTTP body being transferred.

About whether we want to make it cacheable by proxies:
1. AFAIK none of other OS vendors make it cacheable (HTTPS)
2. But make it cacheable may not do a significant harm to connectivity check
3. Non-cacheable connectivity checks give vendors a possibility of
getting an active user number anonymously.

Thoughts?

Cheers,
Aron

On Thu, Feb 23, 2017 at 5:24 AM, Jeremy Bicha <jbicha at ubuntu.com> wrote:
> Hi, back in July 2012 on this list, it was proposed that Ubuntu's
> NetworkManager enable the new connectivity check feature by default.
> Some concerns were raised and the feature never landed. I'd like to
> reopen that discussion.
>
> In 2014, Fedora enabled that feature by default but they did it using
> a separate package. I really like this idea since it makes it very
> easy for users to opt in or out of the connectivity check if they
> choose.
>
> I am proposing that we create a similar package. I would like to have
> Ubuntu GNOME's metapackage recommend that config-connectivity package.
> In GNOME Shell, when a captive portal is detected, the network status
> icon changes to include a question mark and a login window pointed to
> the portal's login/authorization webpage appears. The login window is
> powered by webkit2gtk. This is very similar to the implementation by
> most other operating systems.
>
> Here's the Feature Freeze exception bug and merge proposal:
> https://launchpad.net/bugs/997200
>
> Jeremy Bicha
>
> --
> ubuntu-devel mailing list
> ubuntu-devel at lists.ubuntu.com
> Modify settings or unsubscribe at: https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-devel