Intrepid->DSL Configuration

[Dougie Richardson]

Hi Tobias,

DSL support was added at the eleventh hour to NM in Intrepid so there is every chance that this slipped the net as I updated the NM documentation a couple of days after string freeze to incorporate quite a number of changes.

I regret I don't have a DSL connection to test with however, so would be happy to take any notes you have on board.

Thanks for reporting and I'll address it this weekend.

Regards,

Dougie Richardson
Documentation Team (Networking)

 I have as much authority as the Pope. I just don’t have as many people who believe it.


(George Carlin)



----- Original Message ----
> From: Tobias Kreisel <tobias.kreisel at gmail.com>
> To: ubuntu-doc at lists.ubuntu.com
> Sent: Sunday, 2 November, 2008 9:33:19 PM
> Subject: Intrepid->DSL Configuration
> 
> Dear Ubuntu documentation team,
> 
> after installing 8.10 on a friend's laptop she came back to me,
> telling me that she was unable to connect to the internet (she's
> directly connected via a DSL modem). She did open up the
> NetworkManager from the tray but got confused by all the different
> options there. Next she browsed Ubuntu's built-in help and found
> exactly what she was looking for: a description explaining how to
> connect to the internet via a DSL modem. Instead of describung how to
> achieve a connectionl via NetworkManger, this document explains the
> "shell way" to do this, i.e. it tells you to type in pppoeconf on a
> terminal and go from there.
> 
> In most cases this might work (it did not for my friend, I suppose she
> got the username wrong). This solution, however, is doing more harm
> than good. For one it is not the most familiar way to achieve
> something if you're an unexperienced user (i.e. if your not using the
> shell on a daily basis). What is even worse is that it seems to
> completely disable NetworkManager's functionality. It took me a few
> minutes to figure out what is preventing NM to show up in the tray,
> only to find that pppoeconf is directly editing
> /etc/network/interfaces and thereby disabling NM for it "sees" that
> the device is somehow configured and will not touch it.
> 
> I'm not sure if this behaviour is intended since even if there is a
> configuration present for one network device, NM should be able to
> manage the other devices (in this case the wired interface was
> configured via pppoeconf and the wireless device was unconfigured). In
> any case the documentation needs updating on this matter; at least a
> warning that using pppoeconf could interfere with NM, at best a
> re-write that is detailing how to configure a DSL modem connection via
> NM rather than pppoeconf (which worked perfectly for me after undoing
> pppoeconf's editing).
> 
> My time is limited, but if you provide me with a quick introduction I
> might find the time to write the update myself.
> 
> Enough of this small blunder: Keep up the great work! Ubuntu is my
> preferred Linux flavour. I'm using it in different environments,
> professional and non-professional, and it works great for me. However,
> recommending it to several of my friends makes me aware that often
> tiny problems like the one above prevent it from being just another
> bit more user-friendly. Therefore I hope this little comment will help
> to get one step further in that direction.
> 
> With kind regards,
> Tobias
> 
> -- 
> ubuntu-doc mailing list
> ubuntu-doc at lists.ubuntu.com
> https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-doc