can't connect to Internet - DNS?

[rikona]

First, thanks to Tom, Jacob and Gene for the help!

Sunday, November 11, 2012, 11:43:13 PM, Joseph wrote:

<snip>

>>> In checking the net it is suggested to use network manager. I don't
>>> seem to have network manager installed, even though Synaptic seems to 
>>> think it is. Do I need that tool to set this correctly?

>> What's the output of:

>> aptitude search -F "%c %a %M %30p %10t %20v %20V"
>> "?or(dnsmasq,network-manager,resolvconf)"

>> ps -ef | grep dhc

> It's a bunch of stuff, but I can't reply from there, so will send it later.
> Thanks very much for the fast reply!!

> I've been fiddling with this for a while - I have to get up pre-dawn
> tomorrow, and supposedly be quite alert :-), so I need to hit the bed now.

OK - I'm back by the box again - sorry for the delay.

> I think you need to set the DNS using the GUI.

I saw this suggestion on the net, but could not get to the GUI. No
icon there to click. When I tried to fire it up with the CLI, I get
the 'already running' message - no GUI and no text interaction either.

BUT - on another box, I happened to spot the mn icon. I've not had to
use it, and sort of forgot it was there. :-) That box was running some
admin stuff using the ORIGINAL install user. The original install user
is essentially never run on the 'problem' box, but when I switched to
THAT user, the GUI icon was there, and I could use the GUI. It seems
it is only there for the install user.

And, as you, and the net, suggested, I could set dns with the GUI, and
it survives reboots too. That fixed the problem, and the box is OK.

Is there a way to get/access the network manager GUI with just an
ordinary non-admin user, if some net problem needs to be addressed?
[running 10.04]

Thanks to all...

-- 

 rikona