12.04.2 LTS, new install, network broken

Gene Heskett gheskett at wdtv.com
Sat Jul 6 15:04:54 UTC 2013


Greetings;

I am in a catch-22 here. And very frustrate by what seems to be two of the 
dumbest actions ever.  They are:

1. No networking when installing from the cd.  Yes, I have my local network 
on 192.168.xx.nn, but apparently the installer cannot cope if the xx isn't 
00.  Inexcusable.

2. The gui tools to properly configure it are disabled because they refuse 
to ask for a sudo password in order to modify the files.  So I am locked 
ouyt of fixing it via the tools provided.  Also inexcusable.

I have copied all the networking configs over from a 10.04.4 LTS install, 
but I still have no dns, only hostnames in the /etc/hosts file work.

Without a network I cannot update the machine, and without sudo -i access 
to the gui the network tab on the top right bar can open, I cannot save any 
changes I make to the network configuration.  In fact, that little 
windshield wiper pattern icon has no way to identify itself so that it can 
be run as sudo-i from the cli, and I consider it a huge failure that it 
doesn't ask me for a sudo password if any changes are being made in the 
files it controls.  And this bitch goes all the way back to the installer 
not properly broadcasting to find out whats out there, so it can use it 
during the install. All it does is tell you networking isn't working, with 
no chance to fix it right there before the installer continues.  Did I 
mention it was dumb?  Very frustratingly, dumber than a box of rocks even.

dnsmasq seems to be installed, but if it can't find the gateway, its 
similar in function to those appendages on a boar hogs belly.

So I swap the 2 drives around and use the bios to reboot into 10.04.4, and 
what I can see in an ifconfig or route command looks identical, but I can't 
get beyond the router at 192.168.xx.01 when booted to 12.04.2 LTS.

What if any differences are there between 10.04.4 LTS and 12.04.2 LTS in 
network setup that would put the machine into a quarantine, only able to 
talk to the other machines in the /etc/hosts file?

One used to be able to fix this crap with a quick edit of /etc/resolv.conf, 
but now you have something in the boot process that rewrites it with an 
nearly empty file, containing only the warning that it will be overwritten.

However, I am not totally without resources here, I can copy in a good 
resolv.conf and chmod +i just for S&G.  Then we'll either have a clue as to 
how to fix it, or nuke the utility that tries to re-write a known good 
file.

But why should I have to resort to such drastic measures in the first 
place?

Thanks for any clues so I can "do it your way".

Cheers, Gene
-- 
"There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty:
 soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order."
-Ed Howdershelt (Author)
My web page: <http://coyoteden.dyndns-free.com:85/gene> is up!
My views 
<http://www.armchairpatriot.com/What%20Has%20America%20Become.shtml>
Two wrongs are only the beginning.
		-- Kohn
A pen in the hand of this president is far more
dangerous than 200 million guns in the hands of
         law-abiding citizens.




More information about the ubuntu-users mailing list